How Much Does a Used Excavator Cost? Real Prices from PA Dealers (2026)

Ask a dealer what a used excavator costs and the first answer is a question: what size? A compact 8-ton machine and a 45-ton production excavator share a name and not much else, and that is why guides to used excavator prices that quote one national average are so hard to use. So we took every used excavator listed by Pennsylvania dealers on Heavy Listing, grouped the machines by size class, and broke the asking prices down by age, hours and brand.

Below you will find the median price for each size, what each budget buys, real listings that show why two similar machines can be $60,000 apart, and a short checklist for deciding whether a price is fair.

Where these numbers come from

Every figure in this article comes from asking prices on Heavy Listing for machines from four Pennsylvania dealers: Old Forge Power Equipment in Carbondale, Five Star Equipment, Kurtz Trading in Littlestown and Keystone Equipment Sales & Service in New Castle. All 67 machines were used and available on November 9, 2026:

• Excavators: 52 machines, from 6 tons up to an 87-ton John Deere 870G LC.
• Mini excavators: 15 machines, covered in their own section below.

A few caveats before the numbers:

• These are asking prices, not final sale prices, so there is usually room to negotiate.
• One dealer, Old Forge, lists 35 of the 52 excavators, and most of its stock is Caterpillar. That shapes the brand and size numbers, so read them as a picture of what is for sale in Pennsylvania right now, not of the whole US market.
• 17 excavators did not list hours. They count in every table except the ones on hours. One machine, a Liebherr R942HD, has no model year, so it is left out of the age table.
• Some groups are small. Treat the ranges as a reality check, not a price list.

We will update this guide as more dealers list.

How much does a used excavator cost by size?

On most brands the model number roughly tracks the operating weight in metric tons: a Cat 336 is about a 36-ton machine and a John Deere 210G about 21 tons (a metric ton is about 2,205 lb). We used that to sort the listings into five classes. Always confirm the exact weight on the spec sheet before you buy, because booms, counterweights and tracks change it.

Size class	Machines	Median price	Price range
6 to 9 tons (midi)	6	$51,750	$44,500 to $128,500
10 to 17 tons	16	$85,000	$35,500 to $172,000
20 to 26 tons	10	$128,750	$55,500 to $215,500
28 to 36 tons	12	$85,500	$48,900 to $162,500
40 tons and up	8	$145,500	$21,500 to $455,000

One result looks backwards: the 28 to 36 ton class has a lower median than the 20 to 26 ton class. The reason is age, not size. Half of the 20 to 26 ton machines are 2022 or 2023 models, while 10 of the 12 machines in the 28 to 36 ton class are 2019 or older Cats, five of them built between 2004 and 2009. Compare machines of the same age and the bigger one costs more, as you would expect.

Used excavator prices by age

Across all sizes, here is how model year lines up with price:

Model year	Machines	Median price	Price range
2022 and newer	10	$160,500	$79,500 to $455,000
2018 to 2021	20	$89,600	$37,500 to $405,500
2013 to 2017	11	$85,500	$35,500 to $115,500
2012 and older	10	$71,400	$36,900 to $125,500

Because size moves the price so much, the cleaner comparison is inside one class. If you are pricing a used 20 ton excavator, look at the 20 to 26 ton class: the five 2020 and newer machines had a median of $165,500 ($142,000 to $215,500). The four from 2013 to 2019 had a median of $74,400 ($55,500 to $115,500). That is less than half the price for a machine a few years older.

The ten excavators built in 2012 or earlier still had a median of $71,400, only $18,200 below the 2018 to 2021 group. Size explains most of that: seven of the ten are 28 to 45 ton machines, and a 20-year-old big excavator is still priced like a big excavator.

How hours change the price

Hours tell you how hard a machine has worked. The 34 excavators that listed both hours and a model year had a median of about 530 hours per year of age, so a 2019 machine with 3,700 hours is about average, and one with 7,000 has worked twice as hard as most. For normal ranges by machine type, see our guide on how many hours is a lot.

Mixing sizes hides the effect of hours, so here is the 10 to 17 ton class, the largest group with hours on most listings:

Hours (10 to 17 tons)	Machines	Median price	Price range
Under 3,000	6	$87,200	$75,500 to $172,000
3,000 to 6,999	6	$51,200	$35,500 to $103,000

In this class, crossing 3,000 hours took about $36,000 off the median. The same pattern shows in the 20 to 26 ton class, where the two machines under 3,000 hours averaged $171,000 and the two over 7,000 hours averaged $57,500, though with two machines per group that is a direction, not a rule.

A missing hour meter reading is not a red flag on its own: 17 of the excavators here simply did not list hours online. But it is the first thing to ask the dealer, along with the service records behind the number.

Prices by brand

Caterpillar and John Deere make up 38 of the 52 excavators, so they are the only two brands with enough machines to compare:

Brand	Machines	Median price	Price range
Caterpillar	25	$85,500	$36,900 to $285,000
John Deere	13	$105,900	$44,500 to $455,000
Case	3	$64,900	$55,500 to $162,500
Other brands (10)	11	$75,500	$21,500 to $125,500

Do not read the gap as “Deere costs more”. The Deere listings are newer on average, and they include the two biggest machines in the sample, a 2022 670GLC at $455,000 and a 2021 870G LC at $405,500. Within the same size and age, the brands overlap: in the 20 to 26 ton class the Cat median was $155,500 and the Deere median $142,000. The other brands listed were Bobcat, Komatsu, Liebherr, Kobelco, Link-Belt, Wacker Neuson, Yanmar, Volvo, Takeuchi and Sany, one or two machines each.

What can you buy at each budget?

Here is what the 52 listings offered at each price level on November 9:

Budget	Machines	What it bought
Under $50,000	8	6 to 10 ton machines from 2015 to 2019, two Cats from the 2000s, and a Liebherr with no listed year
$50,000 to $74,999	10	2019 John Deere 85Gs, a 2007 Cat 312CL, a 2020 Case CX145D SR, 21 to 22 ton machines from 2015 and 2016 with 7,000+ hours, and older 30 to 45 ton Cats
$75,000 to $99,999	13	2020 to 2022 14 to 16 ton machines with under 3,000 hours, 2016 and 2018 Cat 313s and 316s, a 2018 John Deere 245GLC, and Cat 324s to 336s from 2006 to 2019
$100,000 to $149,999	11	2020 to 2022 13 to 14 ton machines, a 2015 John Deere 160G LC, 23 to 30 ton machines from 2015 to 2020, a 2025 John Deere 85P, a 2023 John Deere 210G, a 2013 Cat 349EL and the 2002 Komatsu high-reach machine
$150,000 to $249,999	7	2022 and 2023 16 to 26 ton machines, a 2021 Case CX350D and a 2019 Cat 349FL
$250,000 and up	3	A 2020 Cat 349FL and two John Deere mass excavators (67 and 87 tons)

The busiest part of the market is $75,000 to $100,000: 13 machines, from late-model 14 to 16 ton excavators with low hours to big Cats that still have years of work in them.

Same model, different price: what the listings show

Matching models side by side is the quickest way to see how much is behind a price tag:

• Two 2022 Caterpillar 326s from the same dealer were listed at $155,500 and $215,500. Neither listing gave hours, so the $60,000 gap is a question to ask, not a bargain to assume.
• Two 2019 John Deere 85Gs from the same dealer, with 2,878 and 3,117 hours, were both listed at $55,000. When hours and year are this close, the price usually is too.
• Two Bobcat E145s from different dealers: a 2020 with 1,468 hours at $84,500 and a 2021 with 1,700 hours at $89,900. One year newer, $5,400 more.
• A 2020 and a 2019 Caterpillar 349FL were listed at $285,000 and $165,500, neither with hours. A one-year age gap does not explain $119,500 on its own; hours, undercarriage and attachments likely do.

Two listings also stand out from the rest. A 2002 Komatsu PC450 LC-6UHD at $125,500 is a high-reach demolition machine, a specialized setup that sells for far more than a standard 2002 excavator would. At the other end, a Liebherr R942HD with 8,488 hours and no listed year was priced at $21,500, the lowest in the sample. Unusual prices usually have a reason, and the dealer is the one to ask.

What else moves the price of a used excavator

Beyond size, age, hours and brand, these are the things that explain most of the gaps between similar machines:

• Undercarriage condition. Tracks, rollers, idlers and sprockets are among the most expensive parts to replace. Ask for the remaining wear or look at it in person.
• Attachments and hydraulics. A hydraulic thumb, quick coupler, auxiliary hydraulics or extra buckets add value.
• Configuration. Reduced tail swing models (the “SR” in names like CX145D SR) work in tight spaces. Long-reach and high-reach fronts serve narrower markets and price differently.
• Cab and comfort. An enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning is worth more than an open canopy, especially in Pennsylvania winters.
• Engine and emissions equipment. Many newer machines use a diesel particulate filter and DEF. Ask whether those systems have been serviced, because repairs to them are not cheap.
• Service records. A machine with documented maintenance is easier to price fairly and easier to resell later.

Used mini excavator prices

The used mini excavator price in our sample was a median of $37,500 across 15 machines, from $14,500 for a 2013 IHIMER 17VXE to $99,400 for a 2023 John Deere 85P. By age:

Model year	Machines	Median price	Price range
2022 and newer	5	$50,000	$39,500 to $99,400
2016 to 2020	6	$36,000	$25,500 to $39,500
2015 and older	4	$20,000	$14,500 to $29,500

Dealers do not draw the line between “mini” and “midi” in the same place: the John Deere 85P shows up as a mini excavator and as an excavator, even on the same dealer’s lot. If you are shopping in the 5 to 9 ton range, search both categories.

Auction or dealer: comparing like with like

Auction results often look cheaper than dealer asking prices, but they are not the same number. At auction you add a buyer’s premium, sometimes an online bidding fee, and Pennsylvania sales tax on top of the hammer price, plus transport, which for a 30-ton excavator means a lowboy trailer. Our guide on what a buyer’s premium really costs shows the math, and how to buy at an equipment auction walks through the process step by step. The auction calendar lists the next sales in Pennsylvania.

How to tell if a used excavator is fairly priced

1. Pin down the size class. Compare a 21-ton machine with other 20 to 26 ton machines, not with “excavators”.
2. Match the age. Use the year tables above as a starting range.
3. Check the hours per year. About 500 a year is typical in our sample. Much more means harder use; much less is worth asking about.
4. Look at the undercarriage and the attachments. They explain most of the gap between two similar machines.
5. Ask for service records and a walkaround video, or better, see it run. A cold start and a full cycle of the boom, stick and swing tell you a lot.
6. Add the costs that are not in the price: transport, inspection, and sales tax.

Before you make an offer, go through our used excavator inspection checklist on the machine itself.

Common mistakes when comparing excavator prices

• ❌ Comparing an 8-ton and a 30-ton machine because both are “used excavators”. ✅ Compare within the same weight class.
• ❌ Judging a brand by one median. ✅ Check the age and size mix behind the number.
• ❌ Assuming a missing hour reading means high hours. ✅ Ask the dealer; many listings simply leave it out.
• ❌ Comparing a dealer’s asking price with an auction hammer price. ✅ Add the premium, fees, tax and transport to the auction number first.
• ❌ Treating the model number as the exact weight. ✅ Check the operating weight on the spec sheet before you compare.
• ❌ Ignoring the undercarriage. ✅ Price its replacement into any machine with worn tracks.

Used excavators for sale in Pennsylvania

These are some of the excavators listed right now:

And some of the mini excavators:

The bottom line on used excavator prices

Start with size, then age, then hours. In our November 2026 sample, a used 10 to 17 ton excavator had a median of $85,000, a 20 to 26 ton machine $128,750, and a mini excavator $37,500. What that means for your budget:

• Under $50,000 buys a 6 to 10 ton machine from 2015 to 2019, or an older high-hour excavator that needs a careful inspection.
• $75,000 to $100,000 is the busiest range, with late-model 14 to 16 ton machines and big older Cats.
• A 2022 or newer 20 to 26 ton excavator starts around $140,000.

Whatever you spend, check the size class and the hours against the tables above, and ask the dealer what is behind the number.