About Jeffscavator
Welcome to the channel! I’m Jeff, and I’m dedicated to sharing the reality of owning and operating mini excavators. From my H15R mods and Derette 450 projects to yard drainage, patios, and stone retaining walls, I’m here to show you the real work—no fluff.
Transparency & Review Policy
Trust is everything. Most gear you see is bought with my own money. If a company sends a product for review, I will always disclose it. I don’t accept paid scripts; my reviews are honest first impressions based on how tools actually perform on my property.
Some links in my descriptions are affiliate links, which supports the channel at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I’d actually use in my own barn.
Thanks for being part of the crew. Now, let's get back to work.
Are you diggin or are you fillin?
JEFFSCAVATOR
The H15R is officially done!
My final modification before putting it to work this summer was adding a welded rear drive-motor brace/tie-down bar. The goal was simple: protect the rear drive motors from getting bent, reinstall the hose guards, and give the machine a stronger tie-down point.
This one came with a few lessons:
JB Weld did not work for holding the bar in place. Total fail.
A welder makes this job much easier.
If it’s welded off the machine, you may need to grind and finesse it to fit.
Longer bolts and spacers may be needed with the hose guards.
Now the H15R is fully modified and ready for the drainage project.
Would you do this mod on your machine?
Video is up now on the channel.
2 days ago | [YT] | 8
View 0 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
The May 29th Bright Star auction results are in, and some of these prices were pretty wild.
A few hammer prices that caught my attention:
Tiny ZJ08 excavators sold for $2,300–$2,400
SD Lanch IR18P excavators sold for $2,800–$2,900
SDL25 crawler dumpers sold for $1,750–$2,250
IRGC40 electric tricycle golf carts sold for $650–$800
SD Lanch M20 Yanmar-powered excavators sold for $7,250–$7,750
These prices do not include buyer premium or sales tax, but it still shows how cheap some of this equipment is getting at auction.
New video is up now with the full breakdown. What would you have bid on?
5 days ago | [YT] | 4
View 7 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
I went back to Brightstar Auctions in Middlefield, Ohio for another auction preview — and this one was different.
Smaller lineup. Different consigner. Some used equipment mixed in. And a few machines I had never seen before.
The wildest one? A tiny ZJG8 mini excavator that looks like someone asked AI to design the simplest excavator possible with the least amount of steel.
In the video, I walk through the skid steers, mini excavators, dumpers, golf carts, and the machines I’d personally avoid.
Video is live now — and I’ll post the auction results after the sale so we can see what this stuff actually brings.
1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 5
View 0 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
The SDLD25 crawler dumper got some electrical upgrades today.
I added a fuse box, inline fuse, digital hour meter, USB charger, voltmeter, and cleaned up the wiring with loom. I also dropped a cow magnet into the hydraulic tank as a simple “better than nothing” way to catch loose metal since adding a full return filter on this machine isn’t exactly easy.
Next up is the final mod: a rear counterweight.
Would you trust the cow magnet idea, or would you still add a real hydraulic filter no matter how much work it takes?
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 3
View 5 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
The SDL25 mod series continues!
In the newest video, I tackle two simple but useful upgrades:
✅ Install a metal heat shield to reduce exhaust heat
✅ Move the awkward foot throttle to a cleaner hand throttle setup
✅ Free up foot room
✅ Quick reminder about oiling the foam air filter pre-filter
The heat shield made a noticeable difference, and the hand throttle feels much more practical for how I use the machine.
Would you keep the foot throttle, switch to a hand throttle, or run both?
New video is live now on JEFF’SCAVATOR.
Are you digging or are you filling?
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 6
View 0 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
I just added a digital hydraulic temperature gauge to the AGT H15R, and this might be one of the cheapest useful mods yet.
The factory thermometer on the side of the hydraulic tank is hard to read, gets dirty, and cannot be seen from the seat. This little gauge lets me monitor hydraulic temperature while I am actually running the machine.
The best part? You can do it a few different ways:
Hardwire it
Use a 9V battery box
Power it with USB or a cigarette lighter adapter
New video is up now on JEFF’SCAVATOR.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 8
View 4 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
I tried a cheap ceramic wool muffler heat-shield experiment on the SDL25 crawler dumper… and it was basically a fail.
It did lower some temps, but the fibers started blowing around, and the heat was still coming right toward my legs. So I pulled it back off.
But then the experiment accidentally turned into a win.
A simple scrap piece of metal used as a baffle between the muffler and the hydraulic area made a huge difference. Cheap, simple, and way cleaner than the ceramic wool.
Also learned another important lesson: always make sure this machine is in neutral before starting. Mine jumped on startup — no damage, but definitely a wake-up call.
New video is up now. Are you digging or are you filling?
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 9
View 0 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
We tested 4 different ways to calm down jerky pilot controls on the AGT H15R:
✅ 3/8 fuel line
✅ 3D printed boots
✅ 1.5 mm springs
✅ 1.2 mm springs
I had 3 novice operators blind-test each setup and score them for smoothness, control feel, and precision.
The result surprised me.
The 1.2 mm springs were probably the best single all-around mod, but the real winner ended up being a combination setup:
3D printed boots on the forward/back boom motion and 1.2 mm springs on the side-to-side motion.
That gave the controls more resistance where the machine was jerkiest, without making everything feel too stiff.
Video is up now on the JEFF’SCAVATOR Channel.
https://youtu.be/wuv4p93kA5E
Have you done anything to tame your excavator controls?
3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 12
View 4 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
🔥 NEW VIDEO IS LIVE! 🔥
One of the simplest mods I’ve done… but one that makes a BIG difference.
I added a 12V cooling fan setup that can work on just about ANY machine — mini excavators, skid steers, tractors, trenchers, you name it. It helps pull engine heat away from the operator area and makes summer seat time a lot more comfortable.
I also walk through:
✔️ Fuse box wiring
✔️ LED switch wiring
✔️ Heat shrink connectors
✔️ Wire gauge basics
✔️ When you need a relay (and when you don’t)
This is a great beginner-friendly accessory wiring project.
👇 Check out the video and let me know:
What’s the BEST accessory mod you’ve added to a machine?
https://youtu.be/9VlJAG1L3_E?si=ietQE...
#miniexcavator #skidsteer #tractor #DIY #machines #excavator #jeffscavator
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
JEFFSCAVATOR
“Don’t buy cheap Chinese excavators… they’re junk.”
I keep hearing that — and honestly… I think it’s bad advice.
I just dropped a video explaining WHY I disagree 👇
https://youtu.be/6wtYugftBw4?si=gLLtC...
Curious where you stand…
Would you ever buy one?
👍 Yes
👎 No
🤔 Depends
Let’s hear it.
1 month ago | [YT] | 4
View 0 replies
Load more