Why I Stopped Writing Off the Liugong 925E Excavator

I've been reviewing construction equipment for six years—or rather, six and a half if you count my first year as a field inspector. I check machines before they go to customers. I've rejected about one in ten first deliveries this year, usually because of missing paperwork or alignment issues, not because the steel isn't strong enough. When people ask me if Liugong construction equipment is worth considering, my answer is simpler than most dealers want to hear: In 2025, yes—but not for the reasons you'd expect.

If you're still judging Liugong by the machines I saw in 2015, you're behind. I don't mean that as an insult. I've turned down plenty of Chinese-made equipment in the past. Five years ago, I would order extra inspections, test every hydraulic line, and make the sales rep sign an addendum before I'd release a 925E. In my opinion, that hesitation made sense then. The documentation was thin, the dealer support was uneven, and too many budget machines had hidden compromises.

Now? The fundamentals haven't changed—a 25-ton excavator still needs to dig, swing, and survive a 2,000-hour service life. But the execution has transformed. Liugong is not the same company it was in 2015, and if you haven't looked at the Liugong 925E excavator recently, you're making decisions on outdated information.

The Opinion That Usually Gets Me in Trouble

Most of the objections to Liugong are based on a version of the company that no longer exists.

I don't say that lightly. I still inspect every machine with a checklist, and I spot issues on Liugong units too. Last quarter, one 925E arrived with a decal placed slightly off and a hydraulic pressure reading that needed adjustment. We caught both before delivery. That's not a reason to avoid the brand; it's a reason to work with a dealer who actually does pre-delivery inspections.

What has changed is the baseline. The fit and finish on current Liugong machines is, in my opinion, closer to the global standard than most buyers want to admit. Not identical—but close. And as a quality inspector, I care more about consistency than about the gloss in a brochure.

What I Actually Check on a Liugong 925E

I don't just read spec sheets. According to Liugong's current 925E spec sheet (liugong.com, accessed February 2025), the machine sits in the 25-ton class. My team and I do a pre-delivery inspection on every unit. We've checked two 925E units this month, and the first thing that surprised me wasn't the boom cylinder or the track tension. It was the paperwork. (Should mention: I'm a nerd about this.) The operator's manual, wiring diagrams, and service intervals were all in order. That sounds trivial, but if you've ever tried to diagnose a machine from a translated manual that says "open the electrical box to continue" without telling you which latch to open, you know why this matters.

The hydraulic system is another story. The 925E uses a load-sensing system with variable-displacement pumps. In our pre-delivery test, the pressure readings matched the spec within tolerance on three separate circuits. We did find one relief valve set slightly high, so the dealer's shop adjusted it and we moved on. That's not a scandal. That's normal process—but it shows the details are getting the attention they deserve.

On a recent demo day, two of our regular operators ran the 925E for about an hour each. Neither was ready to call it better than the machine they normally run, but both mentioned the joystick response felt more predictable than they expected. That's not a data point. It's a perception, and perception matters when your crew is working ten hours a day.

Why the Parts Network Is the Real Proof

Here's the part I keep coming back to. In Q1 2024, a customer in Minnesota needed a hydraulic pump for a 925E. Not a gas pump—a hydraulic pump. The dealer quoted 72-hour delivery. I assumed that meant a week and a half. It arrived in three days. A decade ago, that kind of parts support from a Chinese brand was laughable. Now it's routine.

Actually, the gas pump analogy is useful. I've been on job sites where a machine sat idle because the fuel truck's gas pump was clogged while the excavator was fine. There's a tendency to blame the most expensive piece of equipment. In my opinion, you should blame the support system first. Liugong's dealer network still isn't as dense as the old-line global brands in every rural area, but in the markets where the brand has committed, parts coverage is usually good enough to keep you working.

The Surprising Part: Documentation and Training

The surprise wasn't the machine's breakout force or fuel economy. It was the follow-through. Liugong's online portal for service bulletins and warranty claims is far better than it was in 2020. We created accounts for two technicians and found what we needed in under 15 minutes. I still kick myself for not checking this earlier. I had been recommending against Liugong based on 2018-era impressions, when the real situation had already changed.

One caveat: there is a learning curve. The 925E's electrical architecture is different from older machines, and your mechanic needs access to the official diagnostic software. If you skip that, you will lose time. That's true of any modern excavator, but it's worth saying clearly.

What I'd Say to the Skeptics

I hear the objection all the time: if you buy a Liugong, you're sacrificing resale value. That's a fair concern. I'm not going to pretend the used market for Liugong equipment is as established as the legacy brands. It's not. If your plan is to buy, run for 3,000 hours, and resell, you should model that conservatively.

People often want a simple answer: which machine is good? That's like asking, 'What is a good PSAT score for a 10th grader?' The answer depends on the target, the timeline, and the starting point. The 925E is not a universal answer; it's a strong option for a specific set of trade-offs.

But here's the part that's often missing: the entry price and parts cost change the total-ownership math. I pulled quotes in early 2025 for a 25-ton-class excavator, and Liugong's initial quote came in meaningfully below a comparable non-Liugong unit. The dealer also offered a warranty package that covered some wear items I didn't expect. I'd still negotiate, and I'd still have the dealer put performance guarantees in writing. But I'd no longer walk away from the conversation.

The upside was a lower acquisition cost. The risk was that a customer would call us in six months with a warranty claim and no parts nearby. I kept asking myself whether the savings were worth potentially losing a week of work. That's the same question you should ask—but the answer depends on your region, your dealer, and how quickly they move. Ignoring Liugong because of a stereotype is as risky as buying it without doing the homework.

So, What Should a Contractor Do?

If you are evaluating Liugong construction equipment, my advice is simple: ask to inspect the exact unit you'll receive. Don't rely on marketing videos. Open the engine compartment, look at the hose routing, and ask for the service manual in your language. My team rejects about one in ten first deliveries from all brands due to spec mismatches—probably closer to 12 percent, I'd have to check the log—so a thorough inspection is not a sign of distrust. It's just good practice.

My opinion? The Liugong 925E is not a cheaper version of a better machine. It's a legitimate alternative in the 25-ton class, and the decision should be based on dealer support, total cost, and your operator's experience—not on a brand stereotype from a decade ago.

I'm not saying Liugong is the best excavator on the market. I wouldn't say that about any brand. But I am saying the industry has evolved, and your evaluation should too. Prices and options are as of February 2025; verify current details with your local dealer.