Quick Data: Top-Selling Mini Excavators in 2024

Quick Data is a snapshot of new and used mini excavator sales trends from Fusable’s EDA equipment financing data and EquipmentWatch market trend and auction price reports.

Financed sales of new and used and used mini excavators in the U.S. rose year over year, according to Fusable’s latest EDA equipment finance data.

Nearly 34,000 (33,957) new mini excavators were sold from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, an 8.1% hike from the 31,407 units sold during the previous year period.

With 28.6% market share, Kubota maintained its stronghold as the top seller of new financed compact excavators during the period. Cat took the second spot, with 19.1%, and Bobcat had the third-highest share of sales, at 18.5%. The top-selling new models, based on the number of units financed, were the Kubota KX040-4, the Kubota KX057-5 and the Cat 305CR.

[Watch: Test Run: Cat’s 306 CR Compact Excavator is a “Fantastic Little Machine”]

Texas had more buyers of new mini excavators than any other state, with 9.8% of total sales. Buyers were also active in Florida (6.8%) and California (5.9%).

Used financed mini excavator sales were up 5.1% to 10,801 units sold from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, compared with 10,274 units sold during the same period last year.  

Cat nabbed the top spot, with 23.1% of all used financed mini excavator sales, while Bobcat accounted for 19.8%, and Kubota had 16.1%. The most sought-after models were the Deere 35G, Kubota KX040-4 and the Deere 50G.

[Watch: Test Run & Review: The Market's First Electric Mini Excavator, JCB’s 19C-1E]

For those financing used machines, Texas buyers again dominated, accounting for 7.2% of total units sold. North Carolina added another 5.1%, and Tennessee accounted for 4.7% of all sales.

EDA data is compiled from state UCC-1 filings on financed construction equipment. EDA continually updates this data as information comes in from each state. Depending on the type of machine, financed machines can represent 40 to 75 percent of the total number of machines of that type sold in the United States. EDA does not track machines bought by cash or letter of credit. 

Used Mini Excavator Sales

Used mini excavators prices remained relatively flat during the 12-month period from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, according to Fusable’s EquipmentWatch market trend data.

The average price tag for a used mini excavator was $49,669 in the second quarter of 2023 compared to $49,370 in during the same period in 2024. The average age of used mini excavator also saw little movement during the period, dropping slightly from 4.93 years to 4.64 years. The average age and price were calculated using 196,763 resale listings during the period in the EquipmentWatch database.

EquipmentWatchEquipmentWatch defines fair market value (FMV) as the monetary value of an asset that can be expected in a transaction with a single seller and single buyer, neither of whom is under any compulsion or time restriction to complete the transaction. FMV for heavy equipment is most closely associated with the private resale market, as opposed to the public auction market.

Mini Excavator Auction Prices

When examining the 20 mini excavators sold for the 12-month period of June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, in terms of auction price, Caterpillar took 15 of the top 20 price spots, with Bobcat and Kubota claiming the other positions on the list.

According to the EquipmentWatch auction price guide, the top auction price paid for a mini excavator during this time was $145,000 for a Bobcat e50 at a J.M Wood Auction Company sale in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 21, 2024. The unique machine featured a Wilson amphibious undercarriage for wetlands work.

Fusable, the parent of Equipment World, owns EDA and EquipmentWatch.