SANY: China’s excavator champion goes global

SANY Heavy Industry is a Chinese manufacturer that has grown in little more than three decades into one of the largest construction equipment companies in the world. It has been China's best-selling excavator brand for more than a decade and builds a huge range of concrete pumps, cranes, piling rigs and port machinery.

History

SANY was founded in 1989 by Liang Wengen and partners as a welding materials business in Hunan province and moved into construction machinery in the 1990s, starting with concrete pumps. Its truck-mounted concrete pumps set world records for boom length, and its excavator division grew rapidly in the 2000s. SANY bought the German concrete pump maker Putzmeister in 2012 and has built factories in the USA, Germany, India, Brazil and Indonesia.

What SANY is known for

• Value. New SANY excavators are typically priced well below Japanese, American and European equivalents.
• Generous standard equipment and warranties, often including extended powertrain coverage.
• Breadth of range from mini excavators to truck cranes and mining equipment.

Buying advice

SANY quality has improved enormously, but dealer coverage and resale values still vary by region. Before buying, check parts availability and the distance to the nearest service technician.