A buyer commissioned us to price one machine plus four attachments across the market — and to check the quotation he was already holding, which came in three versions. This is the report he received, with names, product and destination withheld. Every price is real.
Prices as quoted, converted to US dollars. Chinese factory prices are ex-works including Chinese VAT; Supplier L quoted FOB — the two are not directly comparable, which is itself part of the lesson.
| Quote | Engine as quoted | Price, USD | Emissions claimed | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factory F | Kubota · 24 hp | $14,583ex-works | Euro 5 + EPA (claimed) | ✗ Wrong machine — one power class below the job; the price only looks low |
| Factory A | Yanmar · 72 hp | $20,833ex-works | Euro 5 + EPA (claimed) | ⚠ Conditional — cheapest coherent machine; EPA certificate for this exact engine must be produced before any deposit |
| Factory C — option 2 | LS (Korea) · 73 hp | $25,595ex-works | EPA (claimed) | ⚠ Conditional — a lighter class than requested; certificate needed |
| Supplier L — option 1the buyer's own quotation | Weichai · 138 hp | $28,740FOB | Tier 3 | ✗ Cannot legally enter the buyer's market — the cheapest page of the buyer's own quotation |
| Supplier L — option 2the buyer's own quotation | Perkins 1104D | $33,970FOB | Euro 3 | ✗ Cannot legally enter the buyer's market — same emissions gate |
| Factory E — option 2 | engine make not stated · 74 hp | $40,179ex-works | not stated | ⚠ Cannot assess — level with Supplier L option 3 on price, but no engine name and no emissions paper |
| Supplier L — option 3the buyer's own quotation | Perkins 904J · 115 hp | $41,438FOB | EPA | ✓ Qualifies — fully specified and importable as quoted |
| Factory B | Weichai · 138 hp | $46,131ex-works | China III | ✗ Cannot legally enter the buyer's market — and no attachments quoted |
| Factory C — option 1 | Perkins · model not stated | $50,298ex-works | not stated | ⚠ Cannot assess — Perkins is a family, not a certificate; model number needed |
| Factory E — option 1 | Cummins QSF3.8 · 119 hp | $53,274ex-works | EPA Tier 4 | ✓ Qualifies — strongest specification on the table |
The spread on one identical request was 3.6×. Among the machines that qualify, the difference is entirely in the engine. Three of the ten cannot legally clear customs in the buyer's country, and the lowest price on the market was for a smaller machine. Without the emissions check, the buyer would have bought the cheapest page of his own quotation.
Real prices from a real commission. Client, product, destination and dates withheld to protect the buyer; factory names are disclosed to the commissioning buyer only. Prices move — treat the spread as the lesson, not as a quote.
Factory F quoted a 24 hp unit against a job that needs roughly three times the power. The number looks like a bargain; it is a different, smaller machine. A quotation that does not state rated capacity and engine model is not comparable to one that does.
Tier 3, Euro 3 and China III engines are legal in China and illegal to import into the buyer's market. Two of the three versions in his own quotation, plus one factory, fell at this gate. The supplier had not mentioned it; the price pages simply said "high flow".
"Perkins" is an engine family, not a certificate. Two quotes named no engine model at all. Until the model number and the emissions paper are on the table, the price means nothing — and we say so instead of guessing.
How we check a factory before you pay Send your own quotation for a free check
Everyone quoted the same four items. Three of the four suppliers landed within 7% of each other; the buyer's own quotation was in fact the lowest on attachments. One factory quoted visibly smaller units — cheaper, and not what was asked. The spread, and the risk, sat in the machine and its engine.
That is why the report separates machine from attachments: a low package total can hide an expensive mistake in the one line that matters.
Send one machine's spec sheet or a whole project list. You receive the same table — with factory names, registration records, engine papers and current prices — before you pay anyone.
Paste it here, or send photos and files on WhatsApp. We find who actually makes each item and quote with landed cost.
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