The Decision That Trips Up Most First-Time Buyers (Me Included)
I've been handling equipment orders for small-to-mid-sized site prep contractors for about six years now. In my first year—2019, to be exact—I made what I now call the "budget blindspot" mistake: I told a client to buy an XCMG 60 excavator first because "every site needs one." Three months later, they called me frustrated because their grader couldn't cut it on a road job, and they'd already locked in their budget. The excavator sat idle for two weeks while they scrambled to rent a grader.
That misstep cost them about $1,200 in wasted rental fees and a week of lost productivity. Since then, I've documented 14 similar decisions across different job types. The pattern is clear: there's no universal "buy this first" answer. It depends on your primary job type, site conditions, and financial flexibility.
So here's my framework—three common scenarios based on the mistakes I've seen (and made). Figure out which one applies to you, and you'll save yourself the headache (and the invoice) I paid for.
Scenario A: The Dirt & Grade Contractor
You're doing residential site prep, road base work, or agricultural land leveling. Your jobs are spread out, and precision grading is the difference between a happy client and a call-back.
Why the XCMG GR135 Motor Grader Takes Priority Here
Look, I love a compact excavator as much as the next guy. But for grading work, the GR135 is the right tool for the job—and buying it first makes financial sense if more than 60% of your revenue comes from finish grading or road maintenance.
The GR135's key strengths in this scenario:
- Blade control: The 13-ton class gives you enough weight to cut hard-packed material without bouncing, unlike a skid steer or a compact tractor with a blade attachment. The hydraulic controls are precise enough for finished grade work—I've seen operators hit within 1/4" tolerance on gravel roads.
- Fuel efficiency for long shifts: At about 4-6 gallons per hour under load, it's cheaper to run than a dozer for the same grading output. Plus, the visibility from the cab is excellent for watching the blade edge.
- Versatility beyond grading: You can add a scarifier for breaking up compacted soil, or use the blade for light snow removal in winter. It's not a one-trick pony, but it's primarily a grading machine.
Real-world example: A contractor I work with in Colorado does about 70% road maintenance and 30% small site prep. He bought a used GR135 for $58,000 in 2023. His excavator (a 60-class) sits idle about 40% of the time. He told me, "If I could only keep one machine for my grading contracts, it's the grader. The excavator is a nice-to-have for trenching, but the grader pays the bills."
Be Honest: Do You Have Enough Grading Work?
This is where I got it wrong in 2019. The client's work was 50% grading, 50% trenching and utility work. I assumed grading work was "good enough" to justify the grader. It wasn't. The machine utilization dropped to about 55% when you factor in transport and setup time on small residential lots.
Bottom line: If grading is 60%+ of your workload, buy the GR135. If it's less than 40%, read Scenario C.
Scenario B: The Utility & Trenching Specialist
You're digging foundations, laying pipe, doing drainage work, or clearing small lots. Your machine needs to be nimble, able to trench precisely, and capable of loading trucks.
Why the XCMG 60 Excavator is Your Workhorse
This is the machine I should have recommended to my 2019 client. The 60-class excavator (about 13,000 lbs, 6-ton class) is the Swiss Army knife of small construction. Here's why it wins in this scenario:
- Trenching speed: With a standard 24" bucket, you can dig a trench 4-5 feet deep in a fraction of the time a backhoe or mini-excavator can. I've timed it: a 60-class excavator can excavate about 40-50 cubic yards per hour in average soil.
- Maneuverability: It's about 8 feet wide with tracks, can fit through a standard gate, and has a tight tail swing. You can work in confined residential backyards without destroying the landscaping.
- Attachment versatility: You can swap buckets, add a hydraulic thumb for grabbing rocks, or use a breaker for light demolition. It's a multi-tool that sees daily use.
- Transport: Most 60-class machines can be towed on a 10,000 lb trailer behind a one-ton truck. No need for a lowboy trailer.
I'll be honest: a grader can't do any of these tasks efficiently. A GR135 is a specialist for flat surfaces. An excavator is a generalist for digging.
The Trap: "I'll Just Use the Excavator for Grading"
I hear this a lot. And it's half-true. You can grade with an excavator bucket. But the quality is usually poor. You'll leave a wavy surface, and you'll spend twice as long as a motor grader. I learned this the hard way on a $3,200 job where I tried to use a backhoe for final grading. The client rejected it. We had to bring in a rented grader—cost us an extra $800 and a 2-day delay.
Don't assume your excavator can replace a grader for finish work. It can't. So if trenching is your bread and butter, buy the excavator. But plan to rent a grader for those rare grading jobs.
Scenario C: The Mixed-Bag Contractor with a Tight Budget
You're like 90% of the small contractors I've met: your work varies week-to-week. One week you're digging a foundation. The next, you're grading a driveway. Budget is tight, and you can't afford to make the wrong purchase.
The Anti-Intuitive Recommendation: Rent First, Buy Second
Here's where my opinion differs from most equipment salespeople. They'll tell you to buy the machine with the highest resale value (usually the excavator) and make do with renting the other. But based on my cost tracking over 18 months across 5 contractors, the math often favors the opposite, or at least a 6-month rental trial.
Why? The purchase price of a new XCMG 60 excavator is about $45,000-$55,000. A used GR135 grader might be $50,000-$70,000. If you buy the excavator and realize you need the grader for 2 months straight, renting a grader at about $3,000-$4,000 per month eats into your profits. Plus, the grader rental is often older, beat-up machines.
Instead, consider this plan:
- Rent the GR135 for your first 3-4 grading jobs. Track your hours. Track your revenue from those jobs. If the grader pays for itself in rental costs within 6 months, you have a strong signal to buy one.
- Buy the 60 excavator second, only after you've rented one for a month. Renting lets you test the machine on your soil conditions. I've seen guys buy the wrong excavator because they didn't test it on their local clay—ended up with an underpowered machine that couldn't break through hardpan.
One contractor I advised did exactly this: rented a GR135 for 4 months. Rental cost: $12,000. He made $32,000 in grading revenue during that time. He bought the grader used the next month and now owns both machines. The rental period was his due diligence.
The "Backhoe vs Excavator" Distraction
I see a lot of guys asking "backhoe vs excavator" or even comparing a backhoe loader to a 60-class excavator. Here's my blunt take: if you're primarily trenching, an excavator is faster and more comfortable than a backhoe. You sit sideways, you dig straight down with more power. A backhoe is a compromise machine—it can dig and load, but it does neither as well as dedicated equipment. For the price of a new backhoe loader (around $60,000-$80,000), you could buy a used 60 excavator and a used GR135 grader. Seriously. Don't let the "all-in-one" marketing sell you a tool that's mediocre at both jobs.
How to Decide: A Simple 3-Question Test
Still on the fence? I've developed a quick checklist based on my mistake history. Answer these three questions honestly:
- What is your most frequent job type? If it's grading / roadwork → lean GR135. If it's trenching / foundations → lean 60 excavator.
- Do you have 3 months of rental budget for the non-primary machine? If yes, buy your primary machine and rent the secondary as-needed. If no, you might need to buy a used version of the secondary machine to avoid high rental costs.
- Are you willing to accept lower quality on secondary tasks? If yes, you can get away with using the excavator for rough grading. If no—if your grading clients demand near-perfect finish—then you must have a grader or rent one.
I wish I'd had this test in 2019. It would have saved my client the $1,200 and the lost week. And it would have saved me the awkward conversation when they asked, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
Note: Equipment prices mentioned are based on public listings from early 2025. Always verify current market rates and check for seasonal discounts from XCMG dealers. Rental rates vary significantly by region—call local dealers for a ballpark quote.
