CAT 320D or Komatsu PC200-8: Which Should You Buy for Work in Nigeria?

Nigeria purchase decision

CAT 320D or Komatsu PC200-8: Which Should You Buy for Work in Nigeria?

There is no automatic nationwide winner. Your city, technician, parts channel, job, exact machine and port route change the answer. This page turns those differences into a verifiable comparison.

Direct verdict

Choose CAT 320D when CAT parts, service knowledge and resale are clearly stronger in your market. Choose Komatsu PC200-8 when your workshop and fleet already know Komatsu or the exact unit has lower wear and delivered cost. If both are supported, the machine that passes the same hot test with the lower repair reserve wins.

Browse used excavators
Used CAT 320D Excavator

Candidate A

CAT 320D

Start here when local buyers, operators, technicians and parts suppliers already work with the CAT 320 family.

Must prove: any brand premium is justified by condition and support.
VS
Used Komatsu PC200-8 Excavator

Candidate B

Komatsu PC200-8

Start here when your mechanic, fleet or parts channel already knows the PC200 family and can support it beyond Lagos.

Must prove: lower entry cost does not hide deferred repairs.

Weighted score sheet

Change the weights, not the rules

Score each candidate from 0 to 10. Keep the same calls, tests and costs for both machines. Identity mismatch or refused testing is a hard stop, not a small discount.

Local parts response25%

Ask three Nigerian suppliers for filters, common seals, undercarriage parts, final-drive parts and lead time for both serial prefixes.

Technician familiarity20%

Use the model that your mechanic can diagnose with available tooling, manuals and electronic access.

Exact-machine condition25%

Score cold start, hot hydraulics, drift, travel, swing, structure, cooling and measured undercarriage.

Delivered cost20%

Add FOB/CIF basis, terminal, clearing, inland haulage and a conservative repair reserve.

Resale and fleet fit10%

Compare buyer demand, existing attachments, operator familiarity and common fleet parts.

Five comparison rounds

From job definition to purchase order

Each round removes an assumption. Do not move forward when the seller, unit or cost cannot be documented.

01

Define the work before the brand

Write material, trench depth, truck size, daily production, lift radius, attachment and moves per month. If both models meet the job, continue; if one configuration does not, stop comparing price.

02

Audit support in your Nigerian city

Call parts sellers and the mechanic who will actually service the machine. Record stock, substitute quality, diagnostic ability and delivery time instead of accepting the phrase 'parts are available'.

03

Test both machines the same way

Demand a true cold start, at least a comparable hot work period, equal travel distance, drift check, swing brake, undercarriage measurements and final-drive oil findings tied to each serial number.

04

Normalize the route to Nigeria

Use the same cargo method and Incoterm when comparing suppliers. Ask a clearing agent to compare Apapa or Tin Can with Lekki or Onne where relevant to the final site.

05

Choose by worst-case cost

Add the largest unresolved repair, not only routine service. The winner is the machine you can support after arrival with a credible delivered budget and an evidence-backed condition file.

Arrival route

Compare port-to-site cost, not ocean freight alone

Nigerian Ports Authority identifies these ports, but vessel availability, terminal fit and charges must be confirmed for the exact date, dimensions and cargo method.

Lagos Port Complex (Apapa)

Compare for Lagos and southwest destinations when vessel, terminal and inland plan fit the cargo.

Tin Can Island Port

Request terminal-specific handling and clearing costs; do not assume it equals another Lagos terminal.

Lekki Port

Include it when the shipping line, cargo method and final haul route create a credible total-cost option.

Onne Port

Compare for eastern or southern project locations when inland distance and service plan justify the route.

This guide does not quote a fixed duty or promise clearance time. Confirm current classification, requirements, taxes and documents with Nigeria Customs and a licensed clearing agent before final payment.

Nigerian Ports Authority: official port list and contactsNigerian Ports Authority: terminals and cargo typesNigeria Customs: official CET and classification portalCAT: current official 320 family referenceKomatsu: current official mid-size excavator reference

Six current candidates

Compare generations and condition, not only two names

Year, hours and price come from published products and must be reconfirmed. Request availability, serial, current photos, continuous test, faults, FOB/CIF basis and validity.

Ghana: mining excavator selectionKenya: road and drainage excavators20-ton cross-brand comparisonUsed excavator inspection checklistFinal-drive and travel testLanded-cost worksheetImport process from ChinaVerify Yuanjian Machinery

FAQ

Questions that decide the Nigeria purchase

Is a CAT 320D or Komatsu PC200-8 better for a first excavator in Nigeria?

Choose the family that your local technician, parts suppliers and resale buyers already support, then let exact-machine condition break the tie. CAT 320D can be the rational first choice where CAT service knowledge and resale demand are stronger; PC200-8 can be the better choice where Komatsu parts and fleet familiarity are deeper. Compare both under the same hot hydraulic, undercarriage, travel and landed-cost test, and buy the lower-risk unit rather than the badge.

Which model is better for road and drainage work?

Neither wins until boom, arm, shoes, bucket, auxiliary lines and transport limits are matched to the job. For repeated drainage, road shoulder and general earthmoving, both families can fit the 20-ton role. Compare trench depth, lift at working radius, ground conditions, bucket size and daily moves; choose the exact configuration that meets production without spending the day at hydraulic relief.

Should a Nigeria buyer choose Apapa, Tin Can, Lekki or Onne?

Choose only after a Nigerian clearing agent and forwarder compare vessel availability, cargo method, terminal capability, port charges, inland haulage and final project location for the exact machine. Nigerian Ports Authority lists Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can, Lekki and Onne among its ports, but the cheapest sea quote can lose after clearance and inland transport. Request two complete route quotations and select the lower total delivered risk.

What inspection evidence matters most before shipping to Nigeria?

Require serial identity, true cold start, continuous hot digging, boom and bucket drift, straight travel, high/low speed, swing braking, undercarriage measurements, final-drive oil findings, known faults and loading evidence. Use the same test for both models so price remains comparable. Choose only when the seller links every file to the exact serial number shown in the contract.

How should I compare two China quotations for Nigeria?

Normalize seller identity, exact serial number, included repairs, attachments, export preparation, transport method, Incoterm, destination port, quote validity and exclusions before comparing price. Add a conservative repair reserve for unresolved findings and obtain local clearing and inland-haul estimates separately. Choose the quotation with the lowest credible delivered cost, not the shortest pro-forma invoice.

Send your city, job, budget and preferred port.YUANJIAN can reply with two comparable units and one evidence checklist tied to each serial number.