AX-12 | 13.5 HP B&S Engine Mini Excavator

I had some difficulties getting information at first but it finally got worked out. I haven't had the chance to really "dig in" with my new excavator but what little I have done it seems to be exactly what I was expecting. I am glad I have this machine and hope to get a lot of work done around my property.

I like this piece of equipment. This unit already has many of the upgrades installed that other mini excavators do not.

Worth the money and got this unit pretty quickly.

I would buy from this company again

Great machine. Seems sturdy. I can’t get it to start. Can you connect me with who I discuss you connecting to a local mechanic. Thanks regardless your company has been great.

After working through a few initial issues with technical support I'm happy with the capabilities of the excavator. It was easy to get in touch with support and they were very responsive.
I didn't see it mentioned, but one of the upgrades on this model is the addition of a cooler on the hydraulic fluid. I paid for forklift service. Note that the pallet doesn't have a lot of room for the forks. We needed some wood scraps to prop one side to get it off the flatbed. Also needed some 2*4s to set the crate on so the forks could be pulled out once it was on the ground. To open the crate I ran a circular saw around the top set at about 1" depth. After that I did the same on the heavy end. That allowed me to lift the rear hatch and check the oil before adding gas and driving it out of the crate. Then look around the floor inside...I found some hardware that had shaken off during transport. All nuts and washers for installing the canopy.
To install the canopy, attach the uprights to the excavator. Then remove the two metal bars from the 'roof' and attach them to the uprights. Last, attach the canopy to the bars. It needs to be done in this order to get to the back of the bolts so they can be tightened.
If you are adding a thumb...the directions I received showed valve and hose connection methods. This upgraded model has 3port diverter valves. To close them for attachment, the left one should be unchanged (line parallel to boom), and the right one should be turned 90 degrees so line is perpendicular. After hoses are connected, rotate both 90 degrees to open the correct ports.
To swap attachments...the nuts are very tight. The included large adjustable wrench isn't up to the task. I believe they are 33mm or 34mm ... so I ordered a deep impact socket set. Will update this review once I get the size.
I've done some digging, moved some logs and rocks, and lifted out some shrubs to transplant. All went well. Soil with lots of roots is a problem with the 16" bucket. I look forward to trying the ripper. Also, the front blade only lifts about 2.5". Where the front of the track touches the ground is about 15" back, so it doesn't take much to have the blade digging in even when you don't want it to. The only other issue I'd note is that the rubber tracks are knobby for traction. Turning on the lawn will really tear it up...so plan your trips around your property.

I really like almost everything about this machine. I checked out other mini excavators in this size range, and it’s clear that AHM put extra thought into fixing some reliability issues that other brands tend to have. Plus, the digging depth is 7 inches more than most others in this category.