How much does a used CAT 330 excavator cost?

Live NZ listings from September 2026 put used CAT 330 asking prices between about $90,000 plus GST for a 2017 CAT 330FL and around $308,000 plus GST for a 2022 CAT 330GC. A 2021 CAT 330 was about $259,000 plus GST. Hours, age and condition decide where a machine sits in that range.

Used Excavator Prices: What Determines Cost

What determines the price of a used excavator

Size is the biggest driver, followed by hours, age, undercarriage, hydraulics and brand. Attachments and freight also count.

A used excavator in New Zealand or Australia can cost around $12,000 for a small mini digger and well over $300,000 for a 30-tonne machine, plus GST. These figures come from live listings sampled in September 2026.

Used excavator prices by size, NZ and Australia

These are asking prices on public listings; final sale prices may differ.

Our guide to excavator weight and specs explains what each size class is built for.

Australia

Machines4U, a large Australian used-machinery marketplace, showed the following prices by tonnage class in September 2026, filtered to "Used" condition.

Size class	Asking price range (Ex GST, AUD)	Source
Mini, 1.5 to 3.5 t	$12,950 – $68,500	Machines4U, mini class
5 to 8 t	$26,818 – $120,000	Machines4U, 5-tonne class
12 to 15 t	$55,000 – $181,700	Machines4U, 14-tonne class
18 to 23 t (the '20-tonne' class)	$25,000 – $230,000	Machines4U, 20-tonne class
30 t	$38,000 – $330,000	Machines4U, 21 to 45-tonne class

Browse our 12 to 15-tonne excavators or 4 to 10-tonne excavators.

Machines4U has no bracket covering only 12 to 15-tonne or 30-tonne machines. The 12 to 15 t row uses its closest bracket, the 14-tonne class. The 30 t row uses its wider 21 to 45-tonne class, so the $38,000 low end could be closer to a 21-tonne machine.

Prices climb fast past 20 tonnes, with the 30-tonne row topping $300,000.

New Zealand

Farm Trader is a New Zealand classifieds site for earthmoving gear. Its excavator category mixes sale and hire listings, so we removed anything priced at a daily hire rate.

Size class	Asking price range (NZD)	Source
0 to 7 t	$12,490 – $135,000	Farm Trader, 0-7 tonne class
7 to 20 t	$12,650 – $190,000	Farm Trader, 7-20 tonne class
20 to 45 t	$24,990 – $414,000	Farm Trader, 20-45 tonne class

Farm Trader's listing cards don't state GST treatment. Treat them as headline numbers and check each listing.

The NZ and Australian size classes differ. Farm Trader's "0 to 7 tonne" band includes sub-1-tonne minis, putting its low end below Machines4U's mini-class figure.

What GST does to the number you see

New Zealand charges GST at 15%. Inland Revenue calls GST "a tax added to the price of most goods and services, including imports" and says it is "charged at a rate of 15%" (ird.govt.nz/gst).

Australia charges GST at 10%. The ATO calls it "a broad-based tax of 10% on most goods, services and other items sold or consumed in Australia" (ato.gov.au).

Machines4U lists prices ex GST. Farm Trader's cards don't say, so check the listing before you commit.

A GST-registered buyer pays the listed price plus tax at settlement, then claims the GST back on their return. It is a cash-flow timing cost. A private buyer who isn't registered pays the GST-inclusive figure and cannot claim a credit.

What actually moves the price

Hours and age

Hours matter, but service history, undercarriage and hydraulics tell you more than the clock alone. Read how many hours is too many on a used excavator for the detail.

Undercarriage and hydraulics

The undercarriage is "one of the most expensive areas of an excavator to repair" (yesapproved.com.au, excavator buyer's inspection checklist). Hydraulics matter almost as much. A small leak can become a major repair, so inspect both closely.

Brand

Machines4U names brand, size, age, hours and condition as the main price factors (Machines4U, Excavators: The Ultimate Guide, 2020). Two machines with equal hours and condition can still carry different prices because of the badge. See our Cat excavators or Hitachi excavators if you've settled on either brand.

Attachments

A bucket, hammer or grapple adds to the asking price. If a digger looks cheap for its size, check what comes with it.

Location and freight

Location matters. A machine two states, or an ocean, away costs more to reach your yard than one nearby.

A note on import and biosecurity

For a machine coming from overseas, the listing price is only part of the final number. Every machine must be cleaned and pass a biosecurity check. GST also applies on import and is calculated on the landed value: purchase price plus duty, freight and insurance to get the machine here. We'll cover total import costs in a future guide. Our MPI biosecurity cleaning guide explains the check.

Every listing on our site shows the asking price and GST treatment, so you can see the numbers before you enquire. Browse what's currently listed.