Mitsubishi MM20 Digger

[Nick Drew]

Going by the photos and model number i'd say the mini above weighs circa 2.0 tonnes.

The machine is probably a 'grey' import machine.
As I understand it Mitsubishi mini excavators are built by Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi, sold under the Mitsubishi name in Japan and sold as CAT's 'CR' range in Europe with the three smaller non CR models coming from CAT's Desford plant in the UK.

Thanks IBH. Yes the machine is a grey import. I was told that Cautrac nip over to the auctions in Japan (as you do ) buy stuff, containerise it and ship back to the UK. Seemingly the machines are in much better condition than the UK stuff of similar vintage. I've no idea how true that is? It's certainly has little wear, the bucket pins are almost as good as a gudgeon pin in a piston - someone must have greased it up twice a day in Japan!

Anyway, I've made a note of your info on my ''digger'' folder, it may help me find spares in the future

Julian.

Julian,

This was a common practice not so many years ago with many companys making a small fortune on these grey import machines, but it seems to have slowed up a lot since an industry wide witch hunt against "Grey Imports" and a lack of back up for the products.

I ran this import Hitachi EX120-5 for a while and it was a very good machine.

26 Hitachi ex120-5 import.jpg

Nick

[IANOZ]

Hi Julian, In australia ,we get a lot of import [grey] machines. What you have to be carefull of is the machines like the cars built for the jap home market , dont have the same components as the export ones As they dont have a long useable life time in japan.Once a car or machine gets to a certain age ,they must get new ones. So parts are difficult to find. I would say it is the same as a cat excavator,so i would ask at a cat dealer about weather parts do interchange. ian.

[gowy]

Hi julian how are you. How is clive i am the said fitter as mentioned in the earlier post
it was craig taylor who suggested to you that the opposite track was servicable not me the machine is a 2 tonner it should say on the CE plate that was fitted at -cautrac. Yes they are jap imports but in japan plant has to have a yearly thorough examination like a car MOT in the uk .It still looks in a tidy condition you must look after it well .If you need any more info get back to me and ill try to sorce it for you

cheers lee the fitter

[Julian]

Hi julian how are you. How is clive i am the said fitter as mentioned in the earlier post
it was craig taylor who suggested to you that the opposite track was servicable not me the machine is a 2 tonner it should say on the CE plate that was fitted at -cautrac. Yes they are jap imports but in japan plant has to have a yearly thorough examination like a car MOT in the uk .It still looks in a tidy condition you must look after it well .If you need any more info get back to me and ill try to sorce it for you

cheers lee the fitter

Hi Lee, what a small world it is! It is in tidy condition and I look after it well. I've changed the fluids and filters, even the oil in the slew motor gearbox I also keep it inside out of the weather and sunlight, and as I only use it for a few hours a year I'm hoping that it'll last me for years to come. I tend to use it more as a mobile crane at the moment, like for lifting engines back into dumpers.

Cautrac never fitted a CE plate, or if they did they've hidden it away some place good Where would they have fitted it? There are a few plates and data on the thing here and there, but it's all mostly in Japanese and can't make head nor tail of it!

Clives fine, we should be at the Cheshire Steam Fair in July (new venue Cheshire Show Ground) with our exhibits, he's working at Causeway Electrics (I think that's the name) at the mo.

Regards Julian.