You’ve probably thought about it before — having your own excavator!
Well, I sure did earlier this summer while browsing Alibaba.com. I found a lot of to- good- to- be - true- offers. Before long, I had sent out several inquiries to manufacturers in China — and just minutes later, the order was placed. It was not nearly as cheap as advertised, but for about 12 000 dollars, I now own my own mini excavator, with a lot of attachments.

About five weeks after order, I received photos of my Vote VTW 1.2t mini excavator, built completely to my own specifications:

Enclosed cab
Kubota 3-cylinder diesel engine
Expandable tracks
Hydraulic thumb
Pilot controls
Adjustable blade
Cab
LED lights
Hydraulic coupler
Sving boom
…and more!

I also ordered a bunch of attachments — different digging and grading buckets, pallet forks, a hydraulic auger, and more.

After about 2.5 months in total, the Vote VTW 1.2t finally arrived at my address here in Norway.

In this video, you’ll see the arrival, unboxing, and first project: repairing my driveway, which had been badly damaged after heavy rainfall.

If you’ve ever wondered how to import a mini excavator from China, or whether it’s worth buying a cheap Alibaba excavator, this video is for you. I share my full experience receiving the Vote VTW 1.2t — showing what to expect when importing heavy equipment directly from Chinese manufacturers. I am also planning doing a video to go trough the importing- prosess, shipping, pricing and all of that.

Sponsor – Reolink

This video is sponsored by Reolink.
I install a Reolink 3V PoE camera in my workshop and also show the Reolink Trackmix installed at my cabin.

Use the code Frengenengineering5 for 5% off Reolink products at Reolink.com

If you want to support the channel, feel free to use the links below when shopping — it really helps me create more projects like this.

Reolink Duo 3 CV Poe (Installed in the workshop)
https://reolink.com/us/product/reolin...

Reolink Trackmix: (Installed at the cabin)
https://reolink.com/us/product/reolin...

Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi
https://reolink.com/product/elite-flo...

Reolink RLC-823S2:
https://reolink.com/product/rlc-823s2...

Reolink Accessories: (Solar panels, PoE adapter, SD cards and so on)
https://store.reolink.com/us/accessor...

Amazon Reolink page:
https://amzn.to/3LaniU2


I’m not sponsored by Vote, but If you are considering buying similar machine, here is the contact info directly to Michael at www.China-vote.com: [email protected]
Please say hi from Frengen Engineering



00:00 – The big day!
01:12 – List of requirements
01:57 – Unboxing mini excavator
04:57 – Engine check and startup
04:30 – Waiting for production and shipping
07:52 – First test
08:40 – Attaching bucket
09:17 – Actual work
11:00 – Fuel consumption
11:50 – Reolink install
14:39 – CyberPlow and demolition
16:29 – Testing pallet forks


Excavator: Vote VTW 1.2t, custom-built
Engine: Kubota 3-cylinder diesel

Cameras: Reolink 3V PoE + Reolink Trackmix

Hashtags

#VoteExcavator #Reolink #engineering #unboxing #frengenengineering #miniexcavator #chinabuilt #cheapexcavator #importfromchina #DIYproject #workshop