[Bill Schwab]

I have a chance to pick up a 20 hp diesel reversable wacker with a bad under carraige. Engine runs great, and the guy is looking to get $800.00 for it. I know this plate runs around $8,500, and I am not sure how much the eccentric and guts are. Wacker integrates it into the compactor base, which, if fails, could be a very expensive failure.

Does this seem like a good deal, or, in your opion, when the eccentric fails, assuming it was replaced, is this the first of the rest to come?

[Stonehenge]

Seems to me that the engine, if it's truly in great shape, oughta be worth at least the $800. A 20 horse diesel is a big machine!

I would even think a plate of that size would run more than $8,500. I priced out our 11 horse (I think) Bomag before I bought a used one, and that was something like $9K new.

I'll preface my next comment with the following - I have never taken apart the guts of a forward-only compactor, let alone a reversible - that being said, the mechanics seem to be far simpler than the engine that site above it, which make me think that a guy as good as you are with that kind of thing should not have issues repairing it. As you mention, the only trick might be tracking down parts. Wacker's a huge brand name, so there oughta be dealers around that come order parts for you.

If I were me, thinking about buying something that's broke, so I can fix it, I'd say pass on it. If I were you, knowing what I know of you, I'd say go for it.

[Bill Schwab]

Jeff:

Wacker compactors are simple. They have this eccentirc which is nothing more than a shaft, with a weight off set from the shaft. The shaft is in bearings, turned by pullies on the engine and shaft. At idle, the eccentric does not make a thump, or at least not one big enough to vibrate the plate. Add a few more RPM, and it thumps, simply from being designed out of balance.

The actual repair is not so much the issue. Press on some bearings, replace a shaft, whatever, and it's good to go. Essentially, if you have an $800.00 investment, and those parts run over $3,000.00, which they easily could, you are pushing the envelope, because of the rate of depreciation on equipment. Say you have $4K in that plate, not factoring in time to repair, adjust, and tweek the thing.

You are beyond what the thing is worth. The problem is that plates are specialty items, not like cars for an example. Cars are punched out one a minute from assembly lines. Compactors on the other hand, are mostly hand produced, and labor recovery adds to the absurd cost of parts. I can buy small block V-8 Chevy or Ford crankshafts all day long for $300.00. The eccentric, which has far less metal, machine work, and effort to make, (I'm not sure about pricing) could go for over a grand. In the bigger plates, I think Bomag integrates the eccentric with the actual plate, so, if those have to be bought separately, I'm betting a serious repair cost here. Has anyone ever replaced an eccentric on thier compactor or, do you just throw them away and replace them?