Heavy Construction
Hydraulic Excavator
Crawler excavators 2t mini through 50t class for digging, demolition and earthworks.
Brands: Komatsu · Hitachi · Kobelco · Caterpillar Japan · Sumitomo · Yanmar · Kubota
重機百科 · The Japanese machinery encyclopedia
Industrial power, Japanese reliability.
The reference page we wish existed when we started. Below: the full catalogue we routinely source, the dominant Japanese manufacturers, how condition is graded, how inspection works, which HS codes apply, and what each destination expects at the port. From first-import beginners to seasoned fleet buyers.
なぜ日本 · Why Japanese used machinery
Bought new, maintained obsessively, sold early.
Low utilisation
Japanese contractors run shorter shifts and replace fleets on tight cycles. Hour-meters are routinely far below international peers of the same vintage.
Strict maintenance
Periodic safety checks and OE-only parts culture mean clean service books. Government fleets (TEPCO, NEXCO, prefectural works) are documented down to the litre of oil.
Deep secondary market
USS, IAA Tokyo, HERO and dealer auctions absorb roughly 30,000+ plant lots a month, supply is deep enough that you almost never have to compromise on grade.
カタログ · Catalogue
Every category we ship.
Heavy Construction
Wheel Loader
Articulated wheel loaders for aggregates, mining yards and stockpile handling.
Brands: Komatsu WA · Kawasaki KCM · Hitachi ZW · TCM · Furukawa
Heavy Construction
Bulldozer (Crawler Dozer)
Tracked dozers from D31 to D85 class for grading, pushing and site preparation.
Brands: Komatsu D-series · Caterpillar Japan · Mitsubishi
Heavy Construction
Motor Grader
Articulated graders for road formation, levelling and snow clearance.
Brands: Komatsu GD · Caterpillar Japan · Mitsubishi MG
Heavy Construction
Mobile / Rough-Terrain Crane
All-terrain and rough-terrain hydraulic cranes from 4.9t to 100t capacity.
Brands: Tadano · Kato · Sumitomo · Kobelco · Maeda (mini-cranes)
Heavy Construction
Backhoe Loader
Versatile loader-backhoes for municipal works, utilities and small contractors.
Brands: JCB Japan · Komatsu · Caterpillar
Heavy Construction
Compactor / Road Roller
Vibratory and tandem rollers for asphalt and soil compaction.
Brands: Sakai · Bomag Japan · Hamm
Heavy Construction
Concrete Mixer Truck
Truck-mounted transit mixers, 4.5 m³ and 8 m³ drum capacities.
Brands: Hino · Isuzu · Mitsubishi Fuso
Farming & Agriculture
Compact / Utility Tractor
20–100 hp 4WD tractors for orchard, paddy and general agricultural use.
Brands: Kubota · Yanmar · Iseki · Mitsubishi
Farming & Agriculture
Combine Harvester
Self-propelled rice, wheat and grain combines from 2- to 6-row.
Brands: Kubota · Yanmar · Iseki
Farming & Agriculture
Rice Transplanter
Riding and walk-behind transplanters, 4-, 6- and 8-row configurations.
Brands: Kubota · Yanmar · Iseki · Mitsubishi Mahindra
Trucks & Transport
Light Commercial Truck
1–4t flatbed, tipper and box trucks. RHD and LHD steering available.
Brands: Hino Dutro · Isuzu Elf · Mitsubishi Fuso Canter
Trucks & Transport
Dump Truck / Tipper
4×2 and 6×4 dump trucks from 4t up to heavy 25t articulated.
Brands: Hino · Isuzu Giga · UD Trucks Quon
Material Handling
Forklift (Diesel & Electric)
Counterbalance forklifts 1.5t–10t, diesel, LPG and battery-electric.
Brands: Toyota · Komatsu · Nichiyu · TCM Mitsubishi
Material Handling
Telehandler
Telescopic handlers for construction sites, farms and warehousing.
Brands: Manitou Japan · Komatsu
Material Handling
Aerial Work Platform / Cherry Picker
Truck-mounted boom lifts and scissor lifts for utility and maintenance work.
Brands: Aichi · Tadano · Komatsu
Marine & Underwater
Fishing & Workboat
Coastal fibreglass fishing and workboats with cabin, 5–15 m length.
Brands: Yamaha · Yanmar · Suzuki Marine
Marine & Underwater
Outboard Marine Engine
Used and reconditioned 4-stroke outboards, 9.9 hp to 350 hp.
Brands: Yamaha · Suzuki · Honda Marine · Tohatsu
Marine & Underwater
Dredger / Marine Workboat
Small cutter-suction dredgers and marine maintenance craft for harbours and rivers.
Brands: Various Japanese yards
Industrial & Power
Diesel Generator Set
Industrial gensets 10 kVA–500 kVA, low-noise canopy and open-frame.
Brands: Denyo · Airman · Yanmar · Nippon Sharyo · Hokuetsu · MQ Power
Industrial & Power
Portable Air Compressor
Diesel-driven portable screw compressors 90–390 cfm.
Brands: Airman · Hokuetsu · Denyo · Sullair Japan
メーカー · The dominant manufacturers
Who builds what, and what to expect.
Komatsu
コマツ
Earth-moving, excavators, dozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks. World #2.
Hitachi Construction
日立建機
Excavators (Zaxis) & wheel loaders, strongest in 20–50t classes.
Kobelco
コベルコ
Excavators, crawler cranes. Quiet hydraulics, very common in Asia.
Sumitomo
住友建機
Compact excavators, road rollers, asphalt pavers.
Caterpillar Japan
キャタピラージャパン
Akashi-built CAT models, globally interchangeable parts.
Tadano
タダノ
Cranes, rough-terrain, all-terrain, truck cranes. Industry leader.
Kato Works
加藤製作所
Cranes & city cranes, strong urban presence.
Kubota
クボタ
Tractors, combines, mini-excavators. Dominant in compact agri.
Yanmar
ヤンマー
Tractors, combines, marine engines, mini-excavators.
Iseki
井関農機
Tractors, transplanters. Big in rice paddy specialty.
Mitsubishi Mahindra
三菱マヒンドラ
Compact tractors & combines. Strong dealer support.
Toyota Industries
豊田自動織機
Forklifts (Toyota L&F), global market leader.
Nichiyu
ニチユ
Electric forklifts. Now part of Mitsubishi Logisnext.
Sakai
酒井重工業
Road rollers, soil compactors. Specialist.
Denyo
デンヨー
Diesel generators & welders, site favourite.
Airman / Hokuetsu
北越工業
Air compressors, mini-excavators, generators.
Aichi
アイチコーポレーション
Aerial work platforms, cherry pickers.
Hino
日野自動車
Trucks, light Dutro to heavy Profia. Toyota group.
Isuzu
いすゞ
Trucks, Elf, Forward, Giga. Top global commercial diesel.
Mitsubishi Fuso
三菱ふそう
Trucks, Canter, Fighter. Daimler-affiliated.
採点 · How grading works
Reading the auction sheet.
Overall grade
- SNearly new, very low hours. Premium pricing.
- A (4.5–5)Excellent. Light cosmetic wear, full service history.
- B (4)Good. Standard wear for the hours. Trade baseline.
- C (3.5)Used. Visible cosmetic damage; mechanically sound.
- D (R/RA)Major repair history or component replacement.
- JunkParts machine. Not road-/site-worthy as delivered.
Hour-meter benchmarks
Mini excavator (≤6t)
Healthy ≤5,000 h · Major overhaul typically 8,000–10,000 h
Excavator (20t class)
Healthy ≤8,000 h · Hyd refresh 12,000 h · Engine 18,000 h
Wheel loader
Healthy ≤7,000 h · Pins & bushings 10,000 h
Bulldozer
Healthy ≤6,000 h · Undercarriage often the limiting factor
Mobile crane
Driven by lift cycles, not hours, ask for the lift log
Forklift (diesel)
Healthy ≤10,000 h · Mast & chain refresh 15,000 h
Generator
Healthy ≤8,000 h · Rebuild 20,000 h
Tractor
Healthy ≤4,000 h · Major service 6,000 h
検査 · Pre-shipment inspection
What gets checked, by whom.
JAAI
Japan Automobile Appraisal Institute. The original inspectorate, hour-meter integrity, mechanical state, contamination.
JEVIC
Sister body, widely accepted in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, RSA).
INTERTEK / SGS / Bureau Veritas
Country-specific PVoC programs (Kenya KEBS, Mozambique INNOQ etc). Compliance with destination standards.
MAFF wash certificate
Steam-cleaning + phytosanitary attestation. Mandatory for Australia, NZ, Chile, strongly recommended elsewhere.
Customs export inspection
Conducted at the port of loading, verifies BL data and any restricted-tech declarations.
Buyer's surveyor (optional)
Independent surveyor (SGS, Lloyd's) sent to yard pre-loading for high-value units. We coordinate.
輸送 · Shipping methods
Container, flat-rack or break-bulk.
| Method | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RoRo | Wheeled, road-legal plant | Cheapest for runners. Limited routes. Cargo handled by stevedores, minor scratches common. |
| 40' HC container | Compact equipment | Sealed protection. Boom often detached and stowed in cabin. |
| Flat-rack 40' (FR40) | Mid-class plant 8–25t | Open platform, lashed down. Weather exposure, wrap if long voyage. |
| Break-bulk / heavy-lift | Oversize plant >25t | Loaded by ship's crane. Routes are scheduled, not on-demand. |
| LCL piggyback | Attachments & spares only | Consolidated inside a vehicle container we're already shipping. |
HSコード · HS codes
For your clearing agent.
| HS heading | Description |
|---|---|
| 8429.52 | Hydraulic excavators (self-propelled, track or wheel) |
| 8429.51 | Front-end shovel loaders / wheel loaders |
| 8429.11 | Bulldozers, track-laying |
| 8429.20 | Graders & levellers |
| 8426.41 | Mobile cranes on wheels, ≥30t lifting |
| 8704.10 | Off-highway dump trucks |
| 8701.92 | Tractors >18 kW ≤37 kW |
| 8701.93 | Tractors >37 kW ≤75 kW |
| 8433.51 | Combine harvester-threshers |
| 8427.20 | Self-propelled forklifts (other than electric) |
| 8427.10 | Electric forklift trucks |
| 8502.13 | Diesel generating sets >375 kVA |
| 8414.40 | Air compressors mounted on a wheeled chassis |
HS codes shown at 6 digits, your country's tariff schedule may extend to 8 or 10 digits with different duty bands. Always cross-check with your clearing agent before bidding.
輸入規制 · Country-by-country
What each port expects.
Kenya 🇰🇪
Heavy machinery exempt from the 8-year passenger rule. KEBS PVoC required. RHD only. Mombasa port, KRA assesses on CRSP-equivalent for plant.
Tanzania 🇹🇿
No age limit for machinery. Pre-shipment inspection (TBS) required. Dar es Salaam port; some units transit to Zambia/DRC.
Uganda 🇺🇬
Routed via Mombasa or Dar. URA assesses by reference price. JEVIC inspection commonly accepted.
Mozambique 🇲🇿
Maputo or Beira. INTERTEK Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity. Limited age restrictions on plant.
DRC 🇨🇩
Via Dar es Salaam or Durban. OCC inspection at port. No machinery age cap; SGS pre-shipment for compliance.
UAE 🇦🇪
Jebel Ali, most permissive. GCC 5% duty + 5% VAT. RHD plant must be re-exported to RHD markets only.
Pakistan 🇵🇰
Karachi & Port Qasim. PSI mandatory. Heavy equipment subject to regulatory duty over baseline customs.
Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Chittagong. BSTI clearance for industrial machinery. High duty stacks, verify before bidding.
Sri Lanka 🇱🇰
Colombo. Customs assesses on CIF + PAL. Construction plant relatively low-duty vs cars.
Chile 🇨🇱
Iquique free zone preferred entry. SAG inspection for any unit with soil traces, must be steam-cleaned.
よくある質問 · FAQ
Questions we hear weekly.
Why is Japanese used machinery cheaper and better-kept?+
Japan's strict environmental regs (low-emission zones, periodic Shaken inspection equivalents for plant) and short owner-cycle replacement habits mean machines are sold while still mechanically sound. Domestic depreciation is steep, your gain.
What's an hour-meter reading I should worry about?+
Rule of thumb: excavators >12,000 h need a major hydraulic refresh; wheel loaders show wear on pins/bushings >10,000 h; cranes are driven by load-cycle counts, not hours. Generators >20,000 h are end-of-life unless rebuilt.
How is condition graded?+
Japanese machinery auctions use S/A/B/C/D grading similar to cars: S = nearly new, A = used but clean, B = visible wear, C = needs work, D = parts/restoration. Hours are stamped on the auction sheet.
JAAI vs JEVIC for plant?+
JAAI (Japan Automobile Appraisal Institute) is the original inspectorate; JEVIC is a sister body widely accepted across EAC. Both verify mileage/hours, mechanical state and contamination.
Container, RoRo or flat-rack?+
Excavators ≤8t fit a 40HC container; 8–20t machines typically ship by flat-rack (FR40); >20t go break-bulk on dedicated heavy-lift vessels. Wheeled equipment ships RoRo where the route exists.
Do you split machines for shipping?+
Yes, booms, counterweights and arms are commonly detached and either crated or shipped inside the cabin to fit container height. We rebuild on arrival via partner workshops.
Can you handle attachments separately?+
Buckets, breakers, augers, grapples and tilt-rotators are commonly sourced and consolidated. Match by mounting bracket size (e.g. CAT 320 vs Komatsu PC200 pins differ).
What service records come with the machine?+
Where available: hour-meter log, last hydraulic oil change, last engine service, accident history, original owner. Government fleet sales (TEPCO, NEXCO, local prefectures) tend to come fully booked.
01
Sourcing
Direct access to Japanese auction houses and dealer networks.
02
Certification
120-point mechanical inspection on every machine before export.
03
Logistics
RoRo, container and break-bulk shipping to any port worldwide.