2004 Caterpillar 303 CR Mini Excavator with thumb and two buckets— Mechanic's Special — $7,500 OBO

4,249 hours. Cat 3013 diesel. Selling as-is, project machine, priced accordingly.

VIN: DMA00369

The bad -

• Hard cold start. Starts easily once warm. Replaced glow plugs once — started great for the first few cold starts, then went back to hard starting. My best guess is fuel system air ingress / drainback (cracked line, weak lift pump, or weeping injector return), not a compression problem, since hot starts are clean. Could also be tired injectors at this hour count. Has not been formally diagnosed. Likely a sub-$500 fix if it's the fuel system.\
• Block needs to be preheated to start cold reliably.\
• Hydraulic reservoir is empty. Machine has been sitting roughly two years. Air is almost certainly in the system. Pump should NOT be cranked dry — needs proper recommissioning (pre-fill pump case, bleed suction line, find and fix any leak, refill, bleed cylinders) before operating. Buyer needs to know what they're doing here or risk killing the piston pump.\
• Sat outside for ~2 years. New battery is on site. Expect the usual sitting-machine issues: dried seals, fuel likely needs to be drained and replaced, filters all need changing.

The good -

• Brand new starter is installed\
• 4,249 hours is low for a 2004 \
• Hot-start behavior seems the engine itself has decent compression.\
• Has a thumb\
• Two buckets, 10" trenching bucket, and 34" bucket

Loading / transport:

Machine does not currently start or operate. Buyer is responsible for loading and removal. Cat's guidance states this model should be lifted onto a trailer rather than towed or dragged — travel motors don't freewheel reliably, and dragging on the tracks risks damage. A tilt-deck or landoll trailer with a winch can pull the machine on with minimal track rotation if needed, but a rollback with the deck low to the ground is ideal. Buyer responsible for loading; ground is firm and accessible to something like the Landoll Loadall II (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ4IDZG835Q); recommend landoll or rollback with winch. No assistance with loading available on my end. A crane is another option.

FIXING ON SITE is not an option.

Why I'm selling it cheap: I don't have the time to fix this.

Location: Coalville, UT Cash. Inspection welcome.