Why this buyer came to us
A copper mining contractor in central Kazakhstan was adding a 21-tonne class excavator to a fleet working an open-pit operation. The local CAT and Komatsu dealers were quoting 8-10 month lead times for new units and 4-5 month lead times for certified used units. The buyer's project plan needed the unit on site in under 6 weeks. They asked us to quote a SANY SY215C — a brand they had seen on other regional job sites and were willing to consider on the basis of our 29-checkpoint report.
What we sourced
We held a 2021 SANY SY215C in Zhengzhou. The unit had been on a single Chinese infrastructure project for most of its life, with consistent operator hours and a service log. At intake, the machine was B-grade: working order, paint faded, undercarriage at roughly 60% remaining. The buyer agreed to a reconditioned standard, which is one tier below our full remanufactured scope: hydraulic-system test, engine top-end service, transmission and final-drive inspection, paint touch-up (not full repaint), cab interior refresh, and a 29-checkpoint sign-off.
What the reconditioning covered
Strip-down was partial — we did not pull the main frame, but we did pull the hydraulic pump, valve bank, and swing motor for bench test. Engine was a top-end service (injectors, valve adjustment, turbo inspection). Undercarriage was measured; pins were within tolerance. Paint was a single-coat refresh in SANY yellow. Cab interior: new seat, new floor mat, A/C serviced.
Turnaround was 14 days. The buyer arranged their own inland transport from our Zhengzhou yard to Almaty (rail + truck, ~10 days), so our deliverable was EXW. Total PO-to-ex-yard was 16 days; the buyer had the unit on site in Kazakhstan 26 days from PO, well inside the 6-week target.
What the buyer did next
The unit was commissioned by the buyer's own service team and put straight on a copper-ore load-haul fleet. At the 500-hour mark, the buyer reported normal wear patterns and no abnormal findings. The 29-checkpoint report went into their internal fleet file.
What we learned from this engagement
For a brand the buyer is willing to consider on the basis of a written report, our reconditioned standard is the right scope: it covers the systems that matter for a working role (engine, hydraulics, powertrain) without the 50-80% premium of a full remanufactured scope. The 29-checkpoint report does the work of brand reassurance, regardless of what brand the buyer chose.