Man buys 20 tons of mini excavators from China and is left stunned by what arrives
Published on Aug 16, 2026 at 12:09 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Aug 16, 2026 at 12:09 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This man put an order in for 20 tons of mini excavators from China, and what arrived left him stunned.
It took seven months of waiting for the order to arrive in Norway.
And when it did arrive, the shipping container stood at 40 feet long, and was filled with tons of equipment.
What was sitting inside left him stunned, and for good reason.
Mini excavators from China are increasingly popular
Ten years ago, ordering mini excavators from China wasn’t something too many people considered doing.
And if they were, they certainly weren’t broadcasting all over YouTube.
But that’s what we are seeing more and more of now, and the videos are going viral for good reason.
Take a look at the French YouTubers who bought a Chinese mini excavator to help their restoration project.
But perhaps nobody has been as entwined with excavators in the online space at Ove Frengen.
The Norwegian engineer and YouTuber purchased a mini excavator sight unseen from Alibaba.
The resulting coverage around Frengen and his excavator led to him being invited over to one of the factories in China.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the whole saga was that he didn’t purchase the excavator out of necessity.
“I don’t really know what to do with this excavator, but I wanted one,” he said.
Deciding that one wouldn’t do, he opted to purchase 20 tons worth.
What showed up in this 20 ton order from China?
As you might expect, 20 tons of excavators equals one huge shipping container – 40 foot, to be exact.
It took around 4.5 hours to unload in total, with the gear inside packed so tightly that there was virtually no clearance between each machine.
“It’s incredible how much you can fit into a 40-foot container,” Frengen said.
“They managed to fit 11 machines, along with all the equipment.”
All in all, there were 11 mini excavators, alongside skid steers and other heavy-duty attachments like snow blades, snow blowers, tilt buckets, and jackhammers.
How did these excavators handle?
The excavators inside the container ranged from 1.2-tons to 2.5-tons.
The latter models were powered by a Kubota D1105 engine, and came with protective metal guards, dual-speed integrated track motors, extendable dozer blades, and LED lights.
And that’s not forgetting the interior comforts, including opening windows, a radio, and USB charging.
As for the models that weighed 1.2-tons and 1.6-tons, they were carrying Kubota D722 engines, and were equipped with robot-welded booms, cylinder guards, and adjustable tracks.
What was the plan with all these excavators?
To sell them throughout Norway.
“This is only a fraction of the equipment that arrived. And it’s just from one container, and I have seven containers on the way,” he said.
The challenge facing Frengen now was to get all of this equipment dispatched around the country.
That meant a lot of long hours to get things done, as is often the way in business.
“I must admit that the last couple of weeks have been quite brutal,” Frengen said.
“I’ve been working from the early morning to past midnight… [I am] starting to feel it a little. But also, it’s really fun.”
To say that getting into excavators had been a life-changing event for Frengen would be a massive understatement.
“To sum it up, I could never have dreamed of the impact my garage-based YouTube channel would have on my life,” he told Supercar Blondie.
“This entire journey simply started because I somehow ended up making an impulse purchase of a mini excavator, something I never thought I would be able to do, as machines like these have traditionally been very expensive.
“I actually considered not making a video about the first unboxing at all, since it was somewhat off topic for my channel.
“Now, just about a year later, I have traveled to China to meet the company’s sales team, experience their manufacturing process and culture firsthand, and somehow I’m suddenly running my very own dealership, Frengen Maskin, selling my own customized and branded FM Series machines to the Norwegian market.
“The YouTube channel has given me an incredible amount of support from people all over the world. It’s honestly insane to think that simply making YouTube videos as a DIY hobbyist can change your life so quickly and so drastically.”
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
