JEFFSCAVATOR

SHOULD I FEEL GUILTY? 🇺🇸🇨🇳
I’ve gotten some pretty strong comments lately about buying Chinese equipment.
Some people say these affordable machines give homeowners and small operators access to equipment they could never otherwise justify buying.
Others say every dollar spent on Chinese equipment is a dollar that should have stayed here at home.
So I decided to sit down in the garage and talk about it.
No script. No sales pitch. Just my thoughts.
What do YOU think?
Would you feel guilty buying a Chinese mini excavator if it saved you thousands of dollars?
👇 I want to hear both sides.

1 day ago | [YT] | 21

JEFFSCAVATOR

🚜 What’s the BEST mini excavator between $5,000 and $10,000?

This price range gets a LOT more interesting.

Once you move above the bargain machines, you start seeing things like:

✅ Boom swing
✅ Pilot controls
✅ Hydraulic thumbs
✅ Oil coolers & filtration
✅ Case drains
✅ Expandable tracks
✅ Dealer support & warranties
✅ And even a PISTON PUMP under $10K!

I went through a pile of machines and narrowed it down to the ones that really stood out.

New video is up now!

Which would YOU choose if you had $10,000 to spend on a mini excavator?

👇 Drop your pick in the comments.

Are you diggin’… or are you fillin’?

3 days ago | [YT] | 10

JEFFSCAVATOR

NEW VIDEO IS UP! 🚨
I went back through the 9/23 auction results and broke down what these Chinese skid steers, excavators, crawler dumpers, and remote-control machines actually sold for.
And I didn’t stop at the hammer price.
I also added an estimated 20% for buyer’s premium + Ohio sales tax so you can see a much more realistic final cost.
Some of these prices were LOWER than I expected.
Which machine would you have bought? 👇
🎥 Watch the new video and let me know which one you think was the best deal.
Are you diggin’ or are you fillin’?

1 week ago | [YT] | 17

JEFFSCAVATOR

How can China build a complete mini excavator, ship it halfway around the world, and still sell it in the U.S. for around $4,000? 🤯

A lot of people say the answer is simple:

“Cheap labor.”

But after digging into it, I found there’s a lot more going on.

In my latest video, I look at the massive supplier network, manufacturing clusters, economies of scale, competition, e-commerce, and shipping system that make these ultra-cheap excavators possible.

And it raises an interesting question:

If cheap labor is the main reason… why aren’t India and Mexico flooding the U.S. with $4,000 excavators too?

👇 What do you think is China’s biggest advantage — labor, supply chain, scale, or something else?

Are you diggin’ or are you fillin’?

1 week ago | [YT] | 12

JEFFSCAVATOR

🚨 NEW CHINESE EQUIPMENT AUCTION! 🚨

I’m back in Middlefield, Ohio checking out the latest equipment that just came in for the September 23rd Brightar Timed Auction.

There are some interesting new machines this time — including skid steers, mini excavators, crawler dumpers, remote-control mowers…and one BIG skid steer that might be the most impressive Chinese auction machine I’ve seen yet. 👀

I’ll show you what’s here, what I think of the machines, and after the auction I’ll come back with the actual selling prices so we can see where the Chinese equipment market stands right now.

👇 What would YOU bid on at one of these auctions?

Are you diggin’ or are you fillin’? 🚜

#Jeffscavator #MiniExcavator #SkidSteer #ChineseEquipment #EquipmentAuction

1 week ago | [YT] | 11

JEFFSCAVATOR

🚜 How much mini excavator can you really get for UNDER $5,000?

I went through the market and found everything from tiny half-ton machines to 1-ton+ excavators — sold on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Amazon, Temu, dealers and even auctions.

The biggest thing I learned?

DON’T BUY THE NAME ON THE SIDE. BUY THE DESIGN.

There are a LOT of different brand names, but many of these machines share very similar platforms and components.

In my newest video I break down:
✅ Where to buy
✅ The different size classes
✅ What features actually matter
✅ Which machines stood out
✅ Which one I would NOT buy 😬

👇 Before you watch — if you had $5,000, which mini excavator would you buy?

🎥 New video is up now on JEFF’SCAVATOR

Are you diggin’ or are you fillin’?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 17

JEFFSCAVATOR

ONE YEAR LATER… WOULD WE BUY IT AGAIN? 🍂💨

Rick and I bought the Husqvarna 590 BTS a year ago because we wanted the biggest, baddest backpack blower we could get.

After a full leaf season and a year of ownership, we finally scored it on power, comfort, fuel use, reliability, build quality and value.

And we both answered the big question:

Would we buy it again?

▶️ YES — but there are a few things you definitely need to know before buying one.

New video is up now!

590 BTS owners — what would YOU score yours out of 10? 👇

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 7

JEFFSCAVATOR

🚜 Thinking about buying a mini excavator?

I just put together a complete Mini Excavator Buyer’s Guide covering the things I wish I knew before I bought my first one.

We talk about:
• What size machine actually makes sense
• Cheap auction machines vs better-built machines
• Gas vs diesel
• Hydraulics, pumps and controls
• Build quality, welds, steel and serviceability
• Where to buy — dealer, reseller, auction or direct from China
• What’s worth paying extra for…and what probably isn’t

I’ve bought these machines several different ways, spent my own money, made some mistakes, and learned a LOT.

If you were buying one today, what would be your #1 question before handing over the money?

🎥 New Buyer’s Guide is up now.

Are you diggin’ or are you fillin’?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 29

JEFFSCAVATOR

🚜 Are cheap Chinese excavators and skid steers starting to hurt compact tractor sales?

I went digging through U.S. Census import data and tractor sales numbers, and the trend is pretty interesting.

Compact tractor sales have dropped significantly from their 2021 peak, while imports of inexpensive Chinese excavators and loaders have exploded.

That doesn’t prove one caused the other—but homeowners now have choices that barely existed a few years ago.

If you had $20,000 to spend on equipment, what would you buy?

🚜 One compact tractor with a loader/backhoe

OR

🚧 A mini excavator + mini skid steer + crawler dumper

New video is up now. I’d really like to hear what you guys think. 👇

Are you diggin’ or are you fillin’?

1 month ago | [YT] | 21

JEFFSCAVATOR

I bought this little SDLD25 crawler dumper for about $2,800 at auction… and then I started fixing everything I didn’t like about it. 😂

I changed the fluids, added rear ballast, a hand throttle, hour meter, fuse box, heat shield, fire extinguisher, new exhaust and several other upgrades.

Some ideas worked great. A couple were complete failures. But that’s part of the fun with these inexpensive Chinese machines.

The full video is now up — from the day I brought it home through all the modifications and finally putting it to work.

👇 Would you buy one of these little crawler dumpers for $2,800?

Are you diggin’ or are you fillin’?

1 month ago | [YT] | 23