By manufacturer.
From the 1925-founded American giant to China's 1989 challenger — every brand we source passes the same 150-point inspection. Pick by heritage, by market support, by class coverage, or by total cost of ownership.
157 years between
the oldest and the newest.
Heritage alone doesn't decide quality — but it does correlate with global parts availability and resale resilience. Read the timeline, then read the tiers.
Universal parts. Strongest resale. Premium price.
- 34 Caterpillar1925 · USA
- 16 Komatsu1921 · Japan
- 18 Hitachi1910 · Japan
- 18 Volvo1832 · Sweden
- 17 Kobelco1905 · Japan
Closing the quality gap. 15–20% price advantage.
International-grade components. 30–50% cheaper new.
Each one,
at a glance.
Founded · headquarters · popular models · strength markets · units currently in our yard. Click any card for the full brand brief.
Caterpillar
The global benchmark for construction equipment. Cat excavators are the most-recognized used machines worldwide, with universal parts availability and the strongest resale value retention.
Komatsu
Japan's flagship construction brand. Komatsu rivals Cat globally and exceeds it in fuel efficiency. The PC series (PC55, PC78, PC200, PC300, PC400) is universally known.
Hitachi
Hitachi Construction Machinery — the third Japanese pillar (alongside Komatsu and Kobelco). Renowned for hydraulic precision and durability in mining-support applications.
Volvo
Volvo Construction Equipment — European engineering with the best-in-class fuel economy in the medium and large segments. EC series is the modern excavator lineup.
Kobelco
Kobelco Construction Machinery — the fourth Japanese brand, particularly strong in the 20-35 ton class. SK series is the modern lineup with iNDr noise-reduction technology.
Doosan
Doosan Infracore (now HD Hyundai Infracore as of 2021 merger) — Korea's answer to Japan. Doosan DX series machines combine modern features with competitive pricing.
Hyundai
Hyundai Construction Equipment — Korea's other major brand, now part of HD Hyundai with Doosan. R series is the modern excavator lineup.
Sany
China's largest construction equipment maker. Sany has rapidly displaced Western brands in markets affected by sanctions (Russia, Iran) and offers compelling price-to-performance globally.
XCMG
XCMG Construction Machinery — China's second-largest equipment maker. Strong in the mining and heavy classes, with the XE series excavators.
SDLG
SDLG (Shandong Lingong) — part-owned by Volvo Construction Equipment since 2007. SDLG excavators are essentially Volvo-engineered Chinese-built machines.
Where does each brand belong?
Brand-market fit drives parts availability, resale, and operator familiarity. Below: the destinations where buyers most often choose each brand, drawn from our 18-country market intelligence.
Buyer-led market — we source on confirmed inquiry.
Buyer-led market — we source on confirmed inquiry.
Buyer-led market — we source on confirmed inquiry.
Buyer-led market — we source on confirmed inquiry.
What's in the yard,
right now.
Brand × weight-class matrix from current live inventory. Empty cells mean we don't stock that combination today — confirmed inquiry triggers sourcing in 5-14 days.
| Brand | Mini < 7 t | Medium 7–27 t | Large 28–45 t | Mining 50 t + | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | — | — | 34 | — | 34 |
| | — | 13 | — | 3 | 16 |
| | 1 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 18 |
| | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 18 |
| | — | 13 | 3 | 1 | 17 |
| | 2 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 22 |
| | — | 9 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| | 5 | 19 | 6 | — | 30 |
| | 5 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| | — | — | — | 19 | 19 |
| All branded stock | 14 | 95 | 69 | 34 | 212 |
Sticker price isn't
total cost.
Indicative scoring across four cost factors. Calibrated for a 20-ton class machine bought used, operated 8 years in a market with mid-strength brand support. Your real numbers depend on local dealer access.
Tell us your destination + budget.
We answer with the 2-3 brands that actually fit — with parts coverage in your country, dealer reachability, and operator familiarity. No upsell.