Looking at buying a used excavator or min-ex to clean up some areas at my camp, create some roads, etc. What are some things to specifically look for in a used one? What are parts likely to be expensive and in bad shape?

Whats the budget?

Check the tracks, rails, and rollers, Undercarriages are expensive. Look for leaking boom cylinders, main hydraulic pump. Pumps get very expensive just like the turbos on them and an excavator flat out wont work worth a flip with either one going bad/out. You can run into major $$$ with used excavators if you get a bad one. But, if you can find a decent reliable one, you'll be amazed at what all you can accomplish with it.

I've thought about getting one too, but I don't think I'm cut out for it as a weekend warrior. They can eat you alive with repairs, and I wouldn't know how to fix it.

Rent is cheaper.

Yes it is!! I rented a medium size CAT 325 from Cat rental about 3 years ago to dig up a bunch of stumps....pile and burn them and brush piles.... on the farm I live on in Chambers County. 2 weeks cost me $2800. Them and Dozers are nice to have.....but can be a very EXPENSIVE tool regarding major maintenance.

I sort of don't have one. Everything I buy I need to get value in. I want to use it a year and sell it for around what I paid. So if $15k, 30k, 60k get me that, it's all relative.

U can deffinetly do what your talking about... I'd find a good deal on an expensive one...find somebody that knows about em to look it over for u for a small fee it'll pay itself back in long run

As stated, undercarriage is a big deal, condition and type of tracks, fluid leaks, how many hours and maintenance records.

You can't hide money. 😆

Get a pik to go on it for stumps. Don’t use the bucket. A pik can cut your time in half and pull up way less dirt

Rich get richer.

As abolt said theys alot to look at and if you dont know what your lookin at it might as well be a ufo...pretty much...if you aint makin money with it i wouldnt fool with anything much bigger than a 50hp mini ex...heres my reccomendation...if it's feasible..get you a backhoe woth an extendahoe and a clamshell bucket... cause youll have to get a big mini ex to compare in strength to a 90hp backhoe plus you cand drive it aroulnd like a tractor whereas youd just about have to trailor an excavator

Avoid the headaches, just hire a owner/operator and let the man that knows what he is doing do the work.

No fun in that. The reason I have a farm is to screw around on tractors etc. Killing deer is just a side benefit. I've never been know to do things the easy way.

That's why he's a dentist and not a gynecologist.

If you stick with a Deere, Cat if you found the right one to buy you could easily get your investment back out of it or close to it. if you arent going to have to transport it around Id look for a 200,210,225 size excavator. Pretty common size and you can do a ton of work with one. If you find a unit you like it would be wise to pay to have that brands dealer tech come out and do a look over on it.
The dealer tech not only will be looking at condition, but he also will have the inside knowledge of say, this model is known for pump failures, or this one has weak drives etc. A couple hundred spent up front to avoid a lemon model machine could save thousands.

I cant emphasize it enough. No matter how good a deal do not buy one with a DPF or DEF system on it. We have replaced several DPF units on some fairly new machines at a cost of $10-12k.

Boom!

And whatever you do, DO NOT get an excavator stuck. Unless you have a dozer or good size wrecker with a damn good winch handy they can be a bitch to get out or work them deeper trying to get out.

A 12k machine can do more than you think but if I were buying I would go for a komatsu around 50-60 hp