I work for an excavation company (BIL) and he has a 50 and a 135 along with a 333e tracked skid steer.
So, for me, I wanted to buy a machine that I could justify the price of, and that no one else (in our group) had. So I bought the 17. Brand new.
It is a personal machine, that I use on the job on average of once a month, but it is enough to pay the payment.
It goes from 4'2" down to 3'3". I wish it went to 3'2" so I could squeeze through a 38" hole.
I got the open cab so we can unbolt it and go into a basement, or under decks . Besides, I wouldn't fit into an enclosed cab that small anyway.