ANy opinions on the best brand for a new, or fairly new mini Excavator 10 -12000 lbs range. In some cases are you paying more for just the name?
I would post this question in the mini excavator forum
CAT 304CCR in my opinion, my CAT dealer has been good and the guy I deal with has been great. They're all pretty close cost wise, don't buy based only on price. Service and resale are the main things I always keep in mind. You may pay 5k more for a cat than you will a kubota, but the cat will also be worth 5k more in 1,200 hours.
So be it:cool2
My vote would be a kubota as they are smooth, fast, reliable and fuel efficient. take a look at the 121-3. second would be a cat.
yanmar, kubota, cat, gehl
Hitachi
i've never run a hitachi but have always been curious as to how they are to operate and have heard a lot of good things.
I would vote for a Takeuchi. I have a TB15 and absolutely love it. I tried a bunch of different brands (Deere, Bobcat, Kubota, and Cat). The Takeuchi was the strongest and most user friendly one that I tried. The Cat was nice, but in my opinion not worth the premium. The bobcat was very weak and slow. I liked the Kubota. It was my 2nd choice. Not quite as smooth, but a nice machine and a good value.
The Takeuchi machines I have heard so much hype on, I demo'd a tb175 this past week and it was the weakest and slowest excavator I have ever run. With a cat 304ccr I can honestly work circles around that tb175 which is pretty bad when you compare size.
Takkie or Kobelco/Case/NH are my picks but have run Hitachi and Yanmar and was happy with them. I can't see any benefit to paying extra for a Cat, rented a 304 and while nice it was no better than the others.
takeuchi is my pick , I have a tb 175 an tbo 35 the 35 has 4500 hrs on it and have had to do very little minor work on it. They have both been very reliable machines. One suggestion is don't buy one no matter what brand without a thumb. A TB 53FR or a TB 145 would be in the size range you're looking for.
I have a TB153FR. Other than the AC not working right. Has been a very dependable machine (no down time in the first 1000 hours and counting) and its a very productive excavator. I have a vid clip and a lot of pictures of the machine on my website if your interested in this particular make and model.
Takehuchi... Or Kubota
I have a Takeuchi tb135. IMHO Tak #1 Kubota or IHI #2 Dere and Cat #3. I have seat time in all and others not mentioned and thats how I see them and why I purchased Tak.
Im hooked on the kubota's Ive ran a kx161-3 an kx080-3 an are very smooth an fast. My friend tested deere an cat an he cant see paying for the yellow paint!
I have had 2 deeres a 35d and a 50d, however the kubotas are cheaper and a good machine, but how is the service and resell value 5 years from now? that is big to me.
Ive been using a Hitachi Zaxis, 2.5 ton and its ok, but would prefer a kubota or takeuchi. It lacks a few things, the exhaust is out the botom and when the blade is up the fumes are annoying where as the takeuchi the exhaust it out the top. Also the takeuchi has a engine idle which isnt major but nice feature. Just my views, im sure others are alot different
Im going to look at a 121-3 kubota tomorrow. I hope it works out that i get it,seems there is no 10k # machines around me for sale and this one is 2 hours away.
Picking up my new CAT 304CCR today, cab+air, hydraulic thumb.
I have to respectfully disagree with the Cat crowd. I still have a couple of Cat machines but there just flat out isn't any comparison between a Cat and a Takeuchi. My last choice would be Bobcat. I really disliked the Bobcats I had. If I couldn't get a Takeuchi, I'd go with a Kubota. IMHO, you pay a premium for the Cat name if you get one new or fairly new and you don't get any better resale than most other brands because it's no secret that it costs you an arm and a leg to get parts. If I'm not mistaken, the Cat 304 uses a Mitsu engine anyway. I'm not very fond of the Mitsu engine at all. I really like the Kubota and Yanmar engines though. If I were going to pay the money for a Cat, I'd at least want a Cat machine. The Takeuchi and Kubota machines just had much better control to them and were more efficient at the end of a day's work.
Idk what takeuchi's you guys have been running bc Ive ran 2. The first was a 153 I think and it wasn't impressive at all, and then a few weeks ago I had q 175 on demo for about 15 minutes before I called the salesman and told him to come get that piece of $***! also, when's the last time you guys have seen a takeuchiservice truck running around? I've never even seen a takeuchi dealership, only ones I know of are the case dealer. So you know getting service is a problem, and on top of that, how the hell do you get parts if there's no dealer? I wouldn't have one of the 2 I've ran if they gave them to me. But everybody has opinions and if they work for you and are making you money then stick with them.
Allgood, I know this won't sway you towards the Cats but the entire excavator (all the way up to the 330 for US market[I believe]) is made in Japan at the Mitsubishi factory. Most small loaders and dozers are as well. From waht I heard Cat bought the Mitsubishi factory so that they could be allowed into the Japanese market. Apparently Japan consumes more excavators than the rest of the world combined. In the agreement Cat builds the excavators and Mitsubishi builds the fork lifts. I am a fan of Cat equipment (they have earned it) but I thought I would try to set the record straight. BTW I agree about the Bobcats as they have earned that opinion as well.
On the terms of parts and service in the Birmingham, AL area I agree with Adv Wastewater on picking a Cat over a Tak. There is NO comparison between the two dealers. The Tak, Kobelco, Case dealer in B'ham is a three ring circus to say the least. Comparable parts are 25-50% higher at this dealer than the Cat dealer, that is literally across the street. Dealership service, parts availability and parts pricing are very important in any equipment purchase decision. Dealership quality, regardless of brand, varies from location to location. I would throughly investigate the selling dealer because you will be dealing with them long after the sale.
I have a 8000lb Yanmar VIO 35-2 with 2050 hours and have had very minor problems over the 2000 hrs. Some blown hydraulic lines, new sprokets and idlers, noisy fanbelt, and a starter rebuild that I am not sure was necessary. Very durable unit that has been asked to do more than it probably should have.
I bought a Deere 35CZTS new six years ago. It now has around 2,000 hours and still runs strong. It is very nice and and the hydraulics are very quick. I have only had to replace the tracks, and replace a boom cylinder cover (plus service of course). Undercarriage is going to need to be replaced within a year but that will be simple, I can't justify it just yet (machine needs to be working). One thing I would consider is getting a two speed, I think most have this option now. I had dirt and rocks under my foot switch and it was two weeks before I got it back to the shop and cleaned up. I felt soooooo slow driving around the job. If you are working on larger sites it is beneficial. If you do a lot of small jobs it is not necessary.
takeuchis seem to be very different from one another, poor quality control or somethin, kubotas are nice but the dealers here suck, best bet is tryem all pic the one you like. Mines a 305 CCR 1k hrs and strong. Frank
TK having poor quality control? Never heard any say that before. I really like the TK 153 machine. I had a 53 before that. The ability of the TK zero swing/zero tail machines (138, 153, 180) over a typical swing swing boom machine is significant. They lift a lot more due to the swing mechanism being closer to the center of the machine. They offset dig much more effectively for the same reason. Loading trucks is a breeze because the stick can be moved all the way to the right and it loads like a conventional excavator with the stick coming up along side the cab of the machine. The breakout at the bucket is very good. When I bought this 153 I looked at the 305CCR which was just released at that time. The CCR is much better than the previous CAT mini ex series which in my opinion was a POS. However the advantages that the 153 brings to the table over the 305 put it way over the top. The CAT did have a much nicer cab, and the angle dozer blade was cool. The CAT was also 12K more. I compared the values of the CAT mini ex machines on IP and found they don't bring any more than any of the other major players. Still if your predisposed to buy a certain color it isn't going to matter. However the zero swing TK excavator in my mind is a great piece of gear.
I put over 100 hours on my Tak TB145 in the last month working a job with a friend who has a larger JD 190. Fortunately the weather has been mild and I don't really miss not having a cab. My machine made a Tak fan out of him. The JD 190 is no slouch and we ran them hard clearing an area for a subdivision; tearing out old foundations from all sorts of old farm buildings and what seems like a million tree stumps. On paper I shouldn't have been able to do much besides clean up after him. Working in the field the little Tak 145 darn near could do everything the JD 190 could, and that JD 190 is a sweet machine.
I will bet if you check the bucket breakout force between the 145 and the 190 there probably is not as big a difference as one might think.
You know, I don't have any idea what the specs are for a JD190. All I know is that it weighs a few thousand pounds more and looks a good bit bigger. I'm not at all implying it's a bad machine but rather surprised what the little Tak 145 will do. It obviously doesn't compare to the JD590 I used when digging my lake, but there's a huge difference in machines then.
I have a Komatsu PC50UU-1, which is nice but seems hard to repair. Actually, if anyone out there knows how to get into and free up the operating linkage under the control arm, that info would be appreciated.
I am a tad confused, are you talking about the off set boom linkages?
Have any of guys run Komatsu I gotta pc 27 mr n it's got over 3000 hrs it's extremly fast machine n strong I have to replace bottom of grading blade I've wore it out. Anything I get bucket under it picks or pulls. A completly amazing machineive run all the others n definty agree on the bobcat being slightly better than an omish backhoe. I've had zero issues with machine n it's been used hard. My advice would be get a cheap onenow n get used to an ex. Then go buy what u r looking for if u spend enough time on it ull no exactly what u r looking for n what features options. Then when u try out ull no what u want.alotta dealerships do monthly rentals
I request that you type instead of text. I may have dated myself with that comment, but I just find it very difficult to read. Thanks
You've probably already decided and bought your ex by now but I wanted to weigh in on the Takeuchi bandwagon. We are resurrecting a 200 yr old farm out of the forest and hunted far and wide for an excavator that we could haul with our old F-800 but still have large stump-digging power as well as the ability to assist with raising timberframes. After 6 months of research, driving hours to try out models and asking everyone we knew who had an opinion we bought a 99 Takeuchi TB070. It had high hours but everything was tight and there were no drip spots underneath. This thing has been a powerhouse and has done everything we've asked and a lot more. It had dug up an old maple stump that went to China and a ton of other stumps, moved a gazillion yards of rocks and dirt from one side of the farm to the other (making a hayfield out of a hill), held up the old porch while we frantically got 6X6 supports underneath, raised a pergola on a job site, dug footings, filled holes, pulled the dumptruck out of every type of stuck imaginable... I could go on and on but you get the idea. The only challenge has been mentioned- there aren't many Takeuchi dealers around. We've had real good luck with Nat'l Attachments and Parts Alternatives here in Maine, and reading the HEforums has taught us a lot. Glad y'all are here and glad we stumbled onto you!
Forgot one vital detail- WOULD NOT get one without a hydraulic thumb! Or have one installed ASAP. It's invaluable! Especially for taking down trees, stumping and moving big rocks.
You'll love that machine, i have a 304cr, this thing can do amazing size of work. xr
Kubota 161-1
What about a Jcb like an 8040, i've spent alot of time on this machine, it's a fast well built machine. Jcb may not be huge in america, but they are in the rest of the world. I seen these on sale here localy for $29000. the dealer has lots of left over stock they need to move
I love my CAT 304
Hope to be picking up a brand new 305c c r late next week.Dealer is out of stock currenntly. My 94 307 needs a turntable bearing. I will fix the 307 later this summer. Also have a 311 cu which is down to it's last few payments. First machine I have bought in plastic, always return from rent. 305 will have a cab with ac, thumb, coupler, long stick, and a 30" heavy duty rock bucket for bony NH. Does anybody have a Craig tilt bucket for a mini?
It's interesting when these older threads get revitalized. I was just reading it again and noticed something in this post. I have noticed that you (KSSS) are partial to the Takuechis. I have heard you sing their praises in several threads. I have never run one so I can not dispute it. It's good to see that you are staisfied with them. I do, however wonder about your comment regarding the zero tails being able to lift more weight than a conventional tail. I agree that the boom is mounted farther back but it's there to compensate for the lack of a good counterweight. Another thing to note is that the zeros are usually heavier than a similar (in performance) conventional. This is another strategy to compensate for the lack of a good counterweight. I have both types (conventional: CAT 315; zero: Bobcat 435 ZHS). I really like the way the ZHS works in tight palces, but I don't like how tipy it is (even with the optional extra counterweight, which does make a noticable difference). My Bobcat has performed well but has had more than it's share of problems. If the local Case dealer (which sells the Taks) wouldn't have scourned me I might try one some day. They screwed up a deal so bad (I was buying a 40,000# excavator, and a tri-axle trailer), and it was after we had everything hashed out. I won't go in that store to this day (that was back in '03). After that I ran back to the Cat dealer and bought the 315CL. It is the second Cat that I have owned, and both have been great machines.
I can't verify that the tach fr's will out work a conv. machine but I can tell you that a tb53 is more hoe than a tb145. I can say that a fr is more enjoyable to dig with than a conv. mini because of the way that the boom rotates. I can tell you that its alot better to load a triaxle with a fr than a conv. The fr's lift really high. They also can trun around in about 2' wider than their tracks and dump behind them. Might be really handy for alley digs. I own a tb53fr, and like it. If I had to do over I wouldn't change it. Except I'd get a/c, have heat though. On the negative, the thorottle could be moved away from the side of the seat, and preferably changed to a twist style on the dash, and auto idle would be nice. But the 53 isn't the current model. All that about tacheuchi, but they are not the only companies producing a quality mini hoe. Komatsu, deere, and others deserve a thumbs up for their efforts as well.
I would like to check one out, but I never will as long as the same local dealer is the one selling/ supporting them here.
Some CAT dealers suck as do some CASE dealers. Too bad, but that is reality. I get great service from CASE as is the reason everything except my mini ex is CASE. The TK did come from the CASE dealer. The 153 will lift an incredible amount of weight. Way more than a similiar sized conv. swing boom machine. I am aware that a ZTS machine weighs more but in this case it is due to the side to side boom configuration more than the added weight. I doubt I will convince you of how strong the machine is, but if you find yourself in SE Idaho your welcome to give mine a run. Its an impressive machine, its not perfect but its very strong.
I'll be in Stanley at the end of August (dirt bike riding). We come up the 15, so I don't think I'll be very close. Your right. It's not really possible to TELL me about it. I'll just have to try one myself some day (but not from Century Ept.!).
I go riding in Challis (just down the road from Stanley) its about 2.5 hours away. Great time out there. If you stayed on 15 northbound toward West Yellowstone you would be about 15 miles away. If you get bored in Stanley PM me and I can give some other areas to check out as well.
Asking for some good advice on purching a Thumb (non-hyd) for my CAT 304 CR. I use a 18" bucket W/four teeth.
USA attachments is where i got my thumb for my K121-3. I think i went to big on it but you can always cut it down you cant add to it. :beatsme
Go with a hyd. thumb would be my suggestion. I use a Werk Brau thumb and coupler and have had three of them now and like them a lot. But I would not waste the money on a rigid thumb on a mini. The aux. hyd. are all ready plumbed to the stick on most mini ex's. I think for my thumb and coupler was around 2500.
Total agreement with KSSS- mechanical thumbs have their uses but once you've tried tearing up a few trees or moving slash or rocks or whatever with a hydraulic thumb you'll wonder how you ever got along without one. They're indispensable IMHO.
I completly disagree the takuechi has tons of power but is a little slow and since we use it to lift that is nice. It is very reliable too
Pel Job EB406 or Takeuchi TB1140...
The Cat minis are made in Japan by Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi and are basically the Mitsubishi mini. Cat have now taken over the whole of the construction side of SCM and all units coming out are marketed as Cat. I have had a Yanmar Vio27-5 (purchased new in late 2006) and did 2500hrs on it. It was a great unit that 'punched well above its weight'. The weakest point is the final drive unit. If your doing a lot of tracking change the oil in final drives when you change the engine oil(we changed every 200hrs) not when Yanmar say at 500hrs. We did both final drives and a fan belt in 2500hrs. I've traded it in on a new Hitachi ZX35U Dec12 2010 and we currently have 297hr on it. Hitachi advise changing final drive oil at 1000hrs and engine oil at 500hrs. We do both at 250hrs. Out unit has a/c CAB, extra counterweight, 12/18/30" digging buckets, 4' tilting batter bucket, 4' skelton bucket, hydraulic thumb grab and a ripper tyne. Unfotunately Hitachi do not come with factory quick hitch as the Yanmar do and ours if fitted with Aussi manufactured quickhitch which is a 'load of rubbish". The Hitachi is more than equal to a CAT in performance but nothing comes close to CAT for service and parts but we try to turn ours over at around 2500hrs so parts shouldn't be an issue other than pins and bushes. The Yanmar was cheaper and I only went for Hitachi because it has better over the side performance than Yanmar in this range of diggers. When we upgrade and go up a size I believe we'll go back to Yanmar for the simple reasons of it has more slew power and a really good OEM quickhitch. Very similar to operate and have the same motor, both have as good a little cab as you can get on these small units. My thoughts only and I'm the one putting up the dollars in our operation. Firetrack
Bobcat's made alot of nice improvements to their new m-series machine (E42,E45,E50)... I have ran the E50 and it's a nice machine. Quicker, more lift, better cab than the previous 337/341. Second on my list would be the Kubota.. like the KX121/ 161. I haven't ran one yet, but the new u55 and kx57 look like pretty nice machines as well. Both Bobcat and Kubota, at least in my area, retain their value extremely well. Good luck.
look into kobelco or komatsu. theyre cheaper than cat and they run nice, i have a kobelco 35 and havent had any issues with it for just over 4000 hours
We have a FR 138 and FR 180 had a FR 153, excellent machines. Takeuchi I'd say
TK is finally stepping up on the 153 with a pump set up like the 180. Pretty hard to beat the productivity of these FR excavators. I am hope they have these updated machines at ConExpo.
Bobcat!! all you need is a bobcat.:tong:tong regards,cd :usa:usa
^^^ could agree with you anymore. Our 4 435's are unreal.
I ran a bobcat 331E for over 2 years. Great for building boulder walls, digging ponds, digging stumps and trenches. Having the extendahoe really helps out and the grapple attachment is worth its weight in gold. This was a solid machine and had over 10,000 hours on it. It never had any problems in the time I used it.
Thanks for this post, I have a 11 year old kobelco with 3500hrs that I'm going to replace soon, it has been a good machine. Thinking of replacing it with a Terex, Hitachi or Yanmar. Yanmar being the first pick at this stage.
I have a john deere 35D with 2 speed, cab, AC, hydraulic thumb, quick coupler and blade. The thumb and coupler are must haves. Last year we made a hydro-ax for it. In my opinion it does everything good. I bought it new and it has about 1200 hrs now. The best part is that we pull it around with a Dodge 3500 (cummins of course!) and it only uses about 10~12 gal fuel / day yet still bills out like our big iron.
Our smallest is a case cx31B which is really a kobelco according to the data plates but was about 2000$ cheaper and was sold at the same location . Bought it in aug 08 and has done alot of hammering and augering never bought a part yet . We went with case mostly due to dealer location and the fact that they also sale kobelco which is our other excavators . I dont think anyone makes a bad one anymore.
I have a bobcat 337 w about 3800 hrs, it has been a good one but it has always seemed a little slow to me but It's the only mini ex that I have owned so far
Ha! My machine was less than that. B-)
Two Bobcat 435's one with 4000 hrs and one with 1500 hrs, they've been great machines for us and we ask a lot of them
Hitachi good.
Yanmar try one you;ll be hooked
Really? AGAIN? one of these days, you'll either put up some proof of what you keep spouting, or you'll realize that people are not just gonna go out and buy a machine that has such a lack dealer support.
minis i will be in the markey for a new 10 -12lb machine next year. my oldest bobcat 435 is turning 6000 hrs so i am thinking i better get a new one and keep it as an extra. i have had more mini work this year than ever. our mini mini hasn't workrd this yard since we bought it 10 years ago. i think it is a bobcat 320. who know how many hours it has on it but it always starts and is a hard worker. i would be keen on trying other brands. but i am somewhat loyal to the american made bobcat. although the e50 is now over 60k and i can by 210's and other stuff for that price. a good used mini in rhis weight class can be aquirred for 17-25k. we willl see what happens. i just don't know ...the cat bucket linkage where the thumb comes off every time you change the bucket is funky. yanmar has a hydro q/c but that weight class is not turboed. i do like the sv100 though. that is 20k lbs. the kubota seems to be popular but no dealer support as with case. the deere mini is owned by a car dealership and limited dealer support. a tak is possible, but every one i have ever seen has a flimsy thumb around here. who knows regards, cd
As far as the thumb on the TK goes you can put whatever you want on it. I have a Werk Brau thumb on mine. Its a HD thumb.
95zIV is gay Been in the excavating biz more than 30 yrs, owned all the major brands And I love my yanmars!VIO-30 with 4300 hrs. and has never let me down. Bought 2more in 2010 got rid of other peices of unk.Why is dealership so important?Do you have that much trouble with your equipment!Thats what i thought, Queer boys should stay indoors.Why is everybody so down on yanmar.I brage about mine an people here get mad why? I like this forum ,but the people running this show are looking for people bashing other brands than looking for real equipment operators.I would say that most of you fake! See Ya Moe
why don't you do all of us a favor a keep your insults to yourself. better yet find aotner place to lurk. yanmarman the only thing you have done on this forum is talk s..t about your yanmar's.... then you start bashing other members. you finally apologized for your actions and now here it goes again. get a clue man. i am personally tired of it. i have tried to stay away from any thread you are involved in because of your confrontation style. you call me colorado wigger, and 95 gay. come on man .... what is that.... get a grip. fake..ahh ok. where are yout pictures of the yanmars working? maybe you should stay off the forum before you **** all of us off even more.don't bother firing back with any more of your bullshi.. . get a clue or go elsewhere.
This is the first time I have ever seen you post anything other than "brand X sucks and Yanmar rules" (MILDLY paraphrased). I prefer to see some supporting comments as to why you have drawn whatever conclusion you have. This helps the reader determine how much credibility to lend to the post. Asking why the dealer is so important is like asking why the brand is so important. IMO that comment alone says a lot about you. The only thing I can say about the rest of your post is that it makes you sound like you are not even half as old as you claim to have been in the "biz". Do you even think about what you have written before you push the "post reply" button?
Yanmarman, you need to either refrain from comments such as that last load you aimed at 95Ziv or take a hike. You claim 30 yrs experience with equipemnt but you use language like a mouthy 20 yr. old. So try, really hard, to clean up your act and stop talking trash.
Yanmarman, I feel it's necessary to remind you, and anyone else on this forum about the forum rules, this being one of them; Your post about 95ZIV is a willful and direct violation of these rules. As a result of this I have banned you for a period of 7 days to cool off. Take this as probation or whatever you want. But I strongly suggest you take this time to administer an attitude adjustment as behavior such as this will not be tolerated in the future. This is not the first time you have stepped on the rules and we have allowed you to remain. One in specific is this; Which you have "bashed" other brands on numerous occasions, even in your post above. It's pretty obvious you intended to either use or imply the word "junk" As much as I would like to edit you're personal comment directed at 95ZIV, which are completely unfounded, I am compelled to allow it to remain only because removing the comment would interrupt the continuity of the thread since other members posted in reply. The only comfort I receive in allowing your comment to remain is it underscores the level of immaturity you present in yourself at this forum. If you want to make friends, you can't beat them over the head with a "be happy and like me" stick. I hope you choose to use this 7 days for some serious reflection and come back with a more pleasant attitude. Willie59
Can a decent mini ex be purchased for 10k ? Or I'm I just dreamin... Personal I like most of the machines out on the market today. I think every machine has its positive and negative points. Whats important to me and I feel that most people seem to overlook is your locsal dealer and how does he support the brand. I happen to farm quite a bit and use JD equipment. The last 10 years or so I have moved some of my time over to the construction worlsd and I still run JD and its not becasue of the machine, its more because of my great local dealer.........Just my 2 cents...................Farmer I already own a JD80 and love it would like a smaller , less expensive model top add to the fleet........
They can definitely be found, but much of it depends on the size you are looking for and how much work you want to do with it. Good 1.5t machines can easily be had in the $10k range, but larger machines above 3.5t that are realtively new (2000 and newer) and haven't been beaten to near death will be hard to find.
Nicely played willie! Much respect. I haven't been in the business for long but i've found that every brand has there own perks and draw backs, The biggeset thing is to make sure that the machine you decide on is in good mechanical shape! It will be a pretty small machine for 10k or have many hours on it.
I never thought I'd say it but I'm impressed with our Kabota KX 121-3 (2007 I believe). Has 3400hrs on it and still going strong. There's a couple things I would change on it (better engine access, filter access) but a tough little machine good power, good controls. Ran Cat 303, 304, but they were brand new so there was very little to complain about them. Also ran a Bobcat 331 or 332? it was pos, had a lot of issues, breakdowns, but then it was never maintained so its hard to compare.
I talked to my Bobcat rep yesterday and he informed me the E50 loaded out will be close to 70k. that is with the angle blade, hydraulic quik coupler. cab with heat/ac,radio. i don't know if the e50 has a fast track or not. this was major sticker shock! can it be 25k more than the last 435 i bought in 2008. is inflation creeping up on us or why is a mini so frickin expensive. i am sure the cat is the same price. i don't know how much the deere is. there is also case/kobelco,kubota/tak, none of whom has a strong dealer presence. yanmar is not turboed in that weight class last time i checked. i don't know what to do. the price of these minis is insane. i have one 435 with over 6000 hours and another with over 3000. i need to update soon but the cost is killing me. i have done well with bobcat because the dealer is awesome and the machines have help up pretty darned well. regards, cd
Are they giving you anything for your used machines? My 07 TK (TB153FR) was around 57K with thumb, manual coupler, and cab. It didnt have the angle blade. Adding the angle blade, hyd coupler and 5 years of price increases I can see how you would get close to 70K. I priced a 305C Cr and it was 12K more than the TK at that time. I was/am mildly interested in updating to a current 153 (they increased the aux. flow) or to a CASE CX55. They are showing me 30K trade value in my current machine (just under 2K hours) and it was another 30 into a new machine. Add the thumb and coupler and I was into the mid 60's. I can roll with what I have but what I don't want to happen is essentially starting over with no trade value and having to put 30-40K down to get a monthly number that doesn't make me lose sleep in Mid January. I would guess that regardless of the color, the numbers will be from 60-70K. I think you must have got an exceptional deal on the 435 at that time. With 6K hours it certainly doesnt owe you anything, but thats of little comfort when your looking at 70K to replace it.
I have been looking into the minis, mostly see Hitachis for sale around here. The reason I am looking is cause we have some odd jobs at the farm to do and I read on HEF that they are a very profitable machine. For the winter I could probably get work for it too, considering the position I am in, and then summer do my stuff and any other little jobs. What are your guys' thoughts on the Hitachis, that is the only mini I ever ran, and honestly it seemed weak, but that was probably cause I just hadn't been on anything smaller than a 330 in months. Other than that though I liked it. Not saying I am gonna buy one tomorrow or anything, just curious I 'spose.
Colorado Digger, I see you put a lot of stock into whether a machine is turboed or not and in fact have indicated you have taken the yanmar out of the running because it is not turboed - why is being turboed so important? Firetrack
NoCrapmatsu, I have a 2010 Hitachi(which I believe is sold in your country as JD) and have no problems with it(1100hrs). We constantly work with Cat and Kobelcos on site with machines of the same size(3.5t) and have no problem as far as performance comparison. Probably a bit better than the Cat. I had a Yanmar before the Hitachi and the only problem with it was failing final drives and poor over the side performance. The Yanmar certainly has the smoothest hydraulics in my opinion. Yanmar has hyd cylinder guards on all cylinders and comes with OEM quick hitch(which is the best on the market in Aust) As far as mini excavators I believe whoever gives the best backup and price gets the deal - they are all good, I would not be too proud to own any of them as the Japanese have these thing down pat. Firetrack
firetrack, I am pretty sure colorado digger wants a turbo is due to where he lives and works. He lives in the mountains and does work up on the ski lifts and slopes the altitude takes the power away very fast.
dirty4fun, Fair enough. Many years ago(1976 onwards) I worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea selling Ford and County tractors. A couple of these were working in excess of 10000ft doing timber work. We had a couple of County 120hp tractors with Dondi wheel ditchers doing ditches to drain the Whagi Swamp near Mount Hagen and we had to fit M&W turbo's to them to get enough power and the swamp was at 5500ft. These units had duals wheels at the front and triples at the rear to get floatation on the swamp. From memory i think we had 23.1 - 34 and 18.4 - 38 on the front and 2 x 18.4 - 38 and 1 x 23.1 - 34 on the rear. I would have some old photos somewhere. If I can find them, I'll post on the site. Firetrack
I ment to say 3900 hrs at the time of this post. Its at around 4100 hrs currently. Very few days it doesn't work. Great little mini.
a tak
Pricing out mini excavators right now. So far I have quotes on a JD 35D and a Kubota U35 both with similar options and to my surprise the Kubota came in at 3 grand more. Waiting on Cat and Bobcat prices and I may get a price on a Takechi as soon as I find a dealer around here. I did rent one a couple years ago and was impressed with it. It will all come down to the dealer and service and I haven't any complaints about the JD dealer and no experience with the others.
I love our kubota only has 100 hours so far but no complaints. Much nicer cab than my friends bobcat.
I rented a kubota last week that had 1800 hrs on it. Seemed like a capable machine. I like the fact that a mini can get into areas I can't get to with my loader backhoe. At $180 bucks a day to rent I figure I might as well own one. I wasn't going to get a thumb but reading on here has my mind changed.
never had a hydrualic thumb until we bought this machine a few months ago and I can't imagine life without it.
Well Tak is out of the loop. Nearest dealer is 3 hours away and its the only one in Ontario.
I like my Kubota U55. It's comfortable, smooth, fuel efficient and very capable.
I really feel that the kubota is the best mini excavator on the market. Smooth operating units with little problems and this is coming from a dyed in the wool john deere owner. All of my equipment is jd with the exception of my mini ex which is a kubota.....can't go wrong with the little orange digger. And get the thumb , its worth its weigh in gold.
Did you try a JD pafarmer? I think I am going to call JD and tell them to get me one to try. My main concern is service when I am in Northern Ontario. JD will and has came to my rescue on site if needed. I haven't seen a mobile Kubota mechanic yet. I have time right now to take my time and make the right choice. I do agree that the Kubota is a good machine just want to cover my bases. BTW Cat and Bobcat have yet to get back to me with a price.
Most people feel the equipment they own is the best, brand loyalty does drive the market. What's best for me may not be best for you. There was a time when I was loyal to Case and owned a 9030B, 9020B, 850G & 75XT. Partly because Case makes good products and more so because Case was the closest dealer who could service my needs. I no longer own any Case equipment but I'll still agree that Case makes top notch equipment and you couldn't go wrong with owning anything Case. I agree whatever brand, get a hydraulic thumb. Unfortunately I had to remove the thumb from the U55 in order to run this attachment. Wish it was a bit easier to pin back on & off.
OK dumb question. What is that attachment?
No dumb questions, this is how we learn! It's an ExcaBeak made by Daniel Mfg. http://www.danielmfg.com/ It's a very robust material handling & demolition attachment. The real beauty is that the jaw is part of the attachment so you can roll out your bucket and still keep ahold of your material instead of dropping it as the bucket rolls away from the thumb. I only have a few hours on it as we just got it. Itching to use it on some upcoming house demolitions. BTW, Tim Daniel is the nicest guy you will ever meet. He drove 19 hours to deliver this attachment not even knowing if I would buy it after I saw it in person.
Looks like a well built tool. Its got me wondering now if anyone builds a vibratory post driver attachment.
Here are a few photos from Tim's website. A great attachment worth looking into.
Sort of like this?
Besides the size of it ya. I have seen them on backhoes. My GRT Utilicorp postdriver uses a Teledyne breaker to drive posts. Here is a pic of my old one I traded in two seasons ago. Don't have any pics of the new one on this computer. Can't see the hammer on this pic but its on the other side of the auger attachment mounted between two slide rails.
I own an operate a 85D..............so yes i have tried one. I still prefer the little kubota in that weigh range we are discussing. It's not because I own one I thinks it best. I think it best becasue they are really smooth operating machines, good luck on your search.
Looking at the spec sheets for Kubota and Deere and the aux flow rate is a couple gallons more on the JD. 15.8 GPM compared to 17.5 GPM. Now is a question for you. Does the bucket cylinder get more flow then the aux function? 20 years ago we just quick connected into the bucket lines to run an auger. My auger works from 14 GPM to 30 GPM and I am thinking more is better. Another question JD lists HD buckets and HD GREY buckets whats the difference?
Damn…just got off the JD and I swear the Kobota I rented was a better machine. Tough pill to take. Have to see if the Kobota dealer will give me some seat time.
Here in Southern Oregon, seems most mini's around here are Kubotas. We have a good dealership here, and they seem to be really good machines for the dollar.
Still waiting for the Kubota salesman to get me a machine to try.
kubota
Ended up going with a 35D JD. Not because it was the best machine but because no other dealers showed any interest in selling a machine. Its fully loaded, long arm and extra counterweight with a thumb and I got the dealership to throw in a quick connect plate for my auger. Kubota dropped the ball and I have yet to hear back from any other dealers I contacted.
Sounds like you picked the right machine to me. A few pictures of your new toy would be nice. Good luck with your new Toy.......Times must be pretty good for those others dealers, if they didn't even bother to call you back. I find very interesting that a dealer can let people walk and not follow up on sales leads.
I have a Hitachi Zaxis 35U -3 which i believe should be that same machine as your JD35. Mine has the extra counter weight, a/c cab, 12", 18" and 36" digging buckets, 4' tilting batter bucket, 4' skelton(seive) bucket, ripper tyne and hydraulic thumb grab. It is also fitted with hydraulic quick hitch. We've only had it since 10th Dec 2010 and we have 1245hrs on it now with no trouble of any kind. We service it regularly at 250hr intervals. I change the final drive oils at this time as well. I'm sure you will get a great run out of your machine as well if it is looked after. I had a Yanmar before this and it was also a great machine but didn't have the same over the side performance as Hitachi(in this weight range) I actually think the Yanmar was smoother in the hydraulic operation. I think that any of the jap sourced/designed excavators are good machines only the dealers and backup are different. Just got to go with the best dealer in your area most times. Firetrack
Since I work all over the Province, Ontario is a big Province, going with a manufacturer that has good service coverage wherever I am was high on my priorities. As far as pictures go its snow squalling here right now and I don't want to go outside until its time to move the snow.
Firetrack...you're correct that they're the same machine. They're actually an Airman excavator that Hitachi and Deere brand (all Deere & Hitachi machines under 5t are Airman) and they have a well deserved excellent reputation for being reliable.
cleaning up around the farm. :Banghead
I have an 04 Tack.TB135 with 2500 hours that has been great. I just bought a Kubota kx121-3 cab angle float blade. Hyd. thumb on both. Kubota is sure my pick.
Finally got a pic resized. JD was in the driveway this morning and dropped off the quick attach plate for the auger. Right to the door service. Think I made the right choice. Cat sent me a questionnaire by email asking how my experience was with my request for more info. First contact they made with me. Losers.
Nice Machine. thanks for finally posting. For the next picture(s) see if you could move a little further away from it and line up better with the sun so its directly in front of you.........ha ha ha.............Congrats and good luck with it. :Banghead
Took the pic with my phone and I was in a hurry to load the concrete into the front bucket of my backhoe and get it across the field to shore up a culvert. Not much frost up here and it comes out daily it seems. Weird winter.
I was just joking with you. I agree, this winter is strange. Warm temperatures. We just got our first decent snow yesterday. Only six inches. Good luck with your new Deere, she's a keeper.
Nice machine, you'll have lots of fun with it!
Hope it makes me some money!
Yep! Isn't that why we're all in it ;-)
Wonder if 'we' can get this topic fired up again... Glad to see someone else from Ontario got a machine. Since I don't plan to make money with mine, but save money... I am looking for used. (I have rented the Tak and Kabota's, IMHO the Kabota had much more power for its size. (Other than the Micro Tak that sorry I don't know the model of, but the baby that folds up and fits into doorways) So, my question is this... I really want the cab as it does seem that every time I have rented its windy, about to rain, a bit of rain, or just cold a bit cold. I don't want to spend a lot, and I agree I want the thumb. I am rather handy so I can fix many issues that come up if I had parts, or can truck it down the hill to the local farmer and he can fix whatever I cannot. What machine would you recommend, and perhaps just as important... where do I buy it? I am looking at 3 or 4 online used iron sites right now. We are in Ontario, but 1/2 hour from the Manitoba border. Happy to drive 1000Miles (1600km) to get the right machine at the right price.
always seem to be a good assortment at Ritchie Auctions…
http://www.machinerytrader.com/ http://www.rbauction.com/heavy-equipment-auctions Iron planet is another good site for auction results and sales.... Good baseline here to start your search. Sign up for Richie Brothers Auction and begin your search. Chose a few different models of machine you like and then go slightly below, within and slightly above your price range and then watch Richie brothers for auctions in your area and current wholesale sellign rates. I have purchased numerous machines int he past from Richie Brothers with no issues. They now have inspections and insurance, trucking etc...Quality orginization for sure. With total customer satisfaction as a top priority. you need to keep us informed too as how it goes cause thats what this site is all about. Plenty of good help will follow me on here. Lots of well educated and talented people here much smarter than me to help you out . Good Luck in your search. I alway felt the search was 40% of the fun in getting new Iron......Running it for the first time is 5 % and then showing my boys to run it was my greatest joy coming in at 55%.........they can operate a machine better than I but don't let them find that little fact out, but I am heads and shoulders above them in mechanical ability on any peice of our equiopment and that allot of Iron. So anyone can run them, few can really operate them and even few yet can fix them when they break and that in a nut shell is what age and experience get you. Oh yeah I also forgot to mention I just completed my second major back surgery too just Saturday and that is another point age gets you too in this business, Old and broken and only scars to show for it all in the end. Go to college young men and women and buy these for fun with all of the extra cash you have on hand from that fancy college education is my advise.but I digress........haha ha
hitachi /airman airman makes for hitachi upto 5ton . hitachi makes from 5 ton up for airman there a very poplour machine in ireland
I have a mini, a Cat 301.8. I think you made the right choice. While my kitty is small it is also powerful, but Cat is real proud of their stuff, price-wise.
Although the original poster has likely already bought...or I forgot what was said, I feel I ought to chime in. With globalization, I think all the newer machines have converged somewhat (they borrow ideas from each other)...also, having a good dealer/parts source is important for a used/older machine. I don't have the cross platform experience others do, but I do like my Bobcat 331 (2003). A blend of old school heavy metal with modern touches. I like that the shell is 1/4" full metal jacket...occasionally, I bang into things like tree stumps and whatnot, and other than a scuff, all is good. Having an oversized engine, a Kubota is a good thing, as it never groans under load. They are frequently flogged at rental places...if rental shops are good with them...It was how I got hooked on my 331. I rented one several times, and it is still going at that rental shop, even after being totally thrashed by so many test pilots. I must take a picture of it. It looks like it has been in an armed conflict...LOL. Anyways, my machine has been thoroughly used by me for a year (500hrs), and other than a little maintenance, it has performed incredibly well. It has cleared a few acres of BC, in addition, to bread and butter type jobs. It has grunt, especially on bucket and arm. It is highly subjective, I know, but I can easily drag myself around...sometimes not a good thing. Thinking I ought to add some weight to it. Rabbit speed is fast...as long as you have a flat level area to traverse it gets you there quickly. A few obvious flaws with my machine: the final drive motor covers are poorly designed...not protected enough when driving through shot rock...easily fixable. The copious amounts of metal encasing superstructure requires one to make sure rad is always clean of dust (can run hot because there isn't enough vents or they are too small). Changing hyd filters is very tight...thank god for small hands. If you have AC as I do, pulling floorboards to get at swing motor etc., sucks, as you have to disconnect AC hoses. Real bear to clean innards with all the hoses in hyd compartment...suppose it is like that on all minis. The bulbous rear end makes rear visibility not very good. The newer ones have a weight belt, so the engine lid is smaller so one can see out back better. Slew force is suspect...would have hoped for better...not sure if it is an issue or just the way it is. It seems to be a new feature on newer machines, but an variable angle blade would sure be nice.
Forgot mention that I paid 17.5k for mine with three buckets...from a value perspective, I'd think it would fare well against other minis. With new ones approaching 60k and beyond, I find it a tough sell when you can get one for almost a quarter of the price of new, albeit, you might find yourself having to fix it. I enjoy tinkering, so it isn't a big issue for me. If I decided I need to sell Bobby, I suspect I could get close to what I paid... I guess it comes down to whether you can write-off the depreciation. If you are busy busy, then I see new as the way to go (flog it until warranty expires, then sell and go new again). If you are a part timer or it is for personal use, then a well depreciated machine with good bones is the way to go...imho. I will say a machine with a cab is a must (with AC/Heat), unless you live in perfect climatic zone. Also, I have been saved many times from flinging dirt and branches etc. by having an enclosed cab. Plus, I suspect, I eat less diesel exhaust. That is another downside to some minis...the ones with exhaust straight out rear are not good...would have preferred one that has exhaust going up and out...furthest away from side window and door as possible. A machine with thumb should be mandatory...I've read folks saying they can do without one...I say hogwash. A thumb saves time and money, and in my case, makes stacking logs a breeze. I can cut smaller logs with thumb into nice sized chunks for ease of disposal. Try stacking rocks without a thumb...exercise in futility.
As a rental operator, I have owned many brands. My opinion is that when you leave Kubota, you are going straight downhill. I have people break Kubota equipment but it seldom breaks itself. Anything that holds up to rental use is bulletproof.
I am somewhere between 4-5000 hours on our kx71 . All have been running a breaker . Only have had to replace batteries and only now I'm sending it out for pins and bushings and it doesn't really need them . I swear by kubota minis which is why I bought a u55 and u17 last year.
HI, I am a futur owner of compact excavator. I do not have experience in excavator but few in other equipments. I am looking for 12,000 lb equipment. It is very difficult to find reliable forum for about best choice of compact excavator. In last stretch line there are three brand , JD 60 D, Kubota KX-57 or Case CX-55. These brands are they a good choice? Do you have any comments? Thx
I have run the JD 60D and the CX 50 (I have not run the 55 only did a walk around). I have no experience with Kubota. I liked the ease of entry and exit in the CX 55, I think the CX machine has an excellent control system. The 60D that I demoed was nice as well. Getting in and out was a pain and the price was not even close to CAT or Takeuchi. I ended up buying another Takeuchi TB153 but I had certain criteria for my next machine and that fit the best. I would demo the machines you want to consider, interview the dealership and determine if you want to deal with them and then sign away.
Welcome to the Forums Junyacipo!:drinkup Well you just found it. HEF is a wealth of information and there are many threads about mini-excavators.
how do you guys feel about bobcat 430zhs?
Hi, Hi, I am still looking for a 12,000 lb excavator. I am still do not know wich equipements are best for, easy to do work, better capacities & more reliable on a long term run. I am not a contractor to change equipement at every two or three years. I will keep this equipement for more than ten years.....For sure i need genuine parts components in ten years. I know JD, Case, Kubota will be there in ten years. Some guys talk about Hyundai 60CR-9. Are they somebody know about Hyundai compact excavator? Thx
Hello good night can you help me with an ex200-2 excavator
How about Takeuchi, no dealers up there?
hello I'd go for the tb 135, I've rented one for digging a house foundation,demoing standing houses and rock work and road work it was an impressive piece of equipment, easy on fuel, fast and has enough power for the work I did, cats are a great machine too but i felt i can do more with the 135
Hi I have a takeuchi Tb15, it goes ok for its age i have had it for quite a while now, as it was my first vechicle. It has 4090 hours. but the rain over the years has made everything worn.
Do you mean rusty? The rain shouldn't wear anything.
yes not so much rusty but worn linkages.
Probably less rain, and more the 4090 hours. ;-) As long as you keep the grease to it, that machine will probably run forever. One word of caution I can give you though, change the oil in the main drive motors frequently. One of mine crapped out, and there are no replacements to be found anywhere. I was able to get mine going again, but lack of lubrication is a killer for the takeuchi.
Lots of good info on the different brands. A bunch of years later how are all your minis holding up? I'm considering getting a 12k-18k pound machine. Seems like lots of votes for the taks and kubotas in here or wherever you have a good dealer which makes sense. My initial plan was to buy an old big excavator and clear my 6 acres of stumps then sell and buy another 10k-14k machine. How do these size machines do clearing acres of stumps and turning into a hay field? And for those that purchase new is there any chance of getting a decent amount off of your quoted price. Years ago I had a friend get something around 8k off a 303.5.
I agree i tried one too...it is loud....it is simple....but to me that is not a plus...i like my kubota....everything is adjustable hydraulic aux wise....plus super quiet
Kubota all the way . In my rental its all Kubota .Case uses what engine , John Deere uses what engine , Bob Cat uses what engine , and on and on . Kubota is all Kubota . One dealer one stop shop . Our kubota 007 had 7000hrs before we sold it from our fleet of rentals . Regular service and the odd hose and its still running today . I cant remember what year we bought this little machine , Just fact.
I agree with bill...kubota is my favorite and works well for me.
I know this post is old but I feel ppl may read it as I stumbled upon it. I actually agree with this statement. The company I work for has a tb175 and I find it to leave a lot to be desired. It cannot easily grab 2’ concrete pipe whereas my similarly sized backhoe (older with more hours) can Rip it out of the mud.
I own a 2012 Komatsu pc40 mr-3 weighing 10500 open ROPS. Same class as a 305 Cat. The company I work for has Takeuchi, Hyundai, and Wacker Neuson. All their machines have a Wayne Roy coupler. My favorite was the Takeuchi. I really disliked anything Hyundai, but it’s really hard to put down the newest machines they make. I still wouldn’t buy one because I don’t like the electrical connectors and I feel build quality is still cheap. I have a mechanical spring loaded WB pin grabber and Hyd thumb. They have a Wacker and Hyundai in the same class as mine. The Komatsu eats theirs for lunch in almost every aspect. The only thing I would say isn’t amazing is turn table Speed against the Hyundai. Durability reliability the Komatsu has them beat. The pins and bushings are larger on the Komatsu. We have different rentals constantly I am impressed with the Caterpillar minis but I’ve only run relatively new ones. I am also impressed with the yanmar Minis but they have a horrible dealer network. If I was to buy another it would be between Cat or Komatsu. This is my personal experience the only issue I’ve had with the Komatsu was the suction hose leaking coming off the tank just need clamps tightened.
We run a cat 305 and it's pretty great. that thing has got enough power for something twice it's size
Our '18 305E has been a great machine. Plenty of power.
I’ve just read though all these pages as I’m in the market for something between 2-3 ton only to use around the yards etc.Can’t see it doing more than 100 hours per year,so a second hand one is the way I’ll need to go. These Takeuchi and Kobotu’s seem to be well respected.
I haven't owned one but ran several and I really like the Taks. Actually had the opportunity to meet Mr. Takeuchi at a Conexpo years back. The only problem here is the dealer only has one physical location in the city and it's a 30-45 min drive one way with no traffic. Whereas the Cat dealer has a branch 10 mins away. I think the Tak is built better than the Kommie.
Ive got no experience with Takeuchi, but I have been really impressed with my Kubota U27-4. Found that is has quite good power for it size, and it decently stable for a mini. Also everything on it is quite easy to access, and they seem to have a really good dealer network around here at least. Just my 2 cents.
We owned a Kubota kx-040 from new to about 700h. Really nice hydraulics; smooth, powerful, really fast. Great dealers here as well. Just didn’t like the dpf…. So I think a U27-4 would be my pick, no emissions to worry about. We have owned a couple of 27’s and have done a lot of work with them. Really easy to transport as well. Takeuchi dealers here are extremely sparse. Have run almost every brand except Takeuchi: seem to hear a lot of really good things about them.
I like my U35-4 for the same reasons, it's also the largest machine Kubota makes without emissions. Big enough to do some meaningful work, small enough to work in tight spots with zero tail swing. I also really like Takeuchi excavators, but the dealer network just isn't the same as the rest. There is one about an hour away, next closest is 2.5hrs.
Takeuchi is a good brand. Mine have been very reliable. If you're in the UK (England), there seems to be always good used smaller Takeuchi's available. A used TB216 2 ton model is a nice small machine. What I like about used ones in the UK is they are always sold with multiple buckets which is fantastic! I have a TB016 with Thumb. I also have some bigger Takeuchi machines.
Sounds perfect, in hindsight would have definitely went for the U-35. I really like a zero tail swing in a mini….we have to thread our way through tight bush/trees for exploratory test trenches (have to minimize environment disturbance under mining permit) zero tail swing allows this.
We found ours to be a really good machine for initial testing, but as always in a mini sometimes you wish that you have a bit more weight. A guy can do a lot of work with a machine that size, you just need patience haha.
I agree, we did a lot of work with our 27, even pioneering road repairs through some pretty nasty landslide sections.
I thought about what you chaps here said and what my man back at base advised and went shopping for either a Takeuchi or a Kubota.I took the plunge at auction after a fair bit of scrutiny and chose 2 Tak’s and 1 Kubota to bid for. I ended up winning a little Tak TB23R I think it is. The market was much stronger for the Tak’s and Kubota’s but I feel I’ve got a decent machine. Who knows,time will tell.I’ve had deceant luck at auctions before. I’m on the case of a complete service kit for it from my local Takeuchi dealer and will tinker with it in due course.
Congrats on your new machine! Thanks for the update. I have not heard about that model in the US. Post some images please! So is it a cab version or canopy version? What buckets come on it?
Peter G . Here is the machine.It’s one of those zero tail things.3300 hours and appears to be looked after.There’s evidence of lots of old grease in awkward to reach places and the machine hadn’t been cleaned.It has the usual play in the kingpin and quick hitch,but nothing too dramatic.Tracks appear deceant and track tension is sound.Cab is mint with the operators manual and service manual still there.I’ve studied both books.All the lights,heater,radio,wipers etc all work.No tares in the seat either.
A few more pics
And some more
So far, I’ve put it to work for 8 clock hours in 2 days.I’ve stuck the boot into it for about 3 hours moving heavy wet clay.It holds its operating temperature and I haven’t had to top water or engine oil up yet.No apparent leaks and drips under it. However,I do have a concern over the engine.When it starts from cold,you it cranks over and fires up immediately,but it does smoke and smell of diesal.I let it idle for 5/10 minuits and it clears itself up to run sweet.When it’s working flat out,there’s no smoke at all and it runs clean close up and from a distance. It does lug down the engine though and labours abit.Having said all that,I’m impressed with the speed it works out and it gets a lot done fast. If it go no worse,it would suit me for years. I also pulled the dipstick during idle and got sprayed with oil abit.Oil shows no condensation in the filler caps etc,but I can’t seem to find an engine breather to clean. I read the book,it it did suggest it needs starting up and leaving at idle until it’s cleared the smoke.I’m not familiar with machines this small and this maybe is how they are expected to run? Anyway,as soon as I get a minuit,I’m buying the full service kit and having all the oils out of it.I’ll also get my chap in to pull the rocker cover off and set the valves etc. I also have 3 buckets with it and it has some sort of manual quick hitch that I need to look at soon.
And some last pics
Looks like a real nice machine in very good condition. I especially like the wide grading bucket and the middle size digging bucket. Not sure about the smallest bucket. Does it have teeth? Maybe think about adding a thumb at some point. Do any of the filters have hours on them when they were last changed, or is there any maintenance paper work?
The middle size bucket has teeth.I can see me using all 3 at some point. No paperwork maintenance with it and no written hours on filters,so hard to tell. I’ll have a better idea when I service it.
Good morning. An update on my little Takeuchi purchase. So far,so good.So very good.This machine has been a game changer around the yard and I love it. I got it serviced last night as it had to take its turn in the pecking order. Lifting the cab over makes things very easy and the designers have clearly thought things through. So,it has both fuel filters replaced although they looked clean.Engine oil changed and filter.Hydraulic filter changed,but that looked like it hadn’t been done in a while.Hyd oil doesn’t smell burnt and we didn’t have time to change the oil.I didn’t fancy draining down all the rams etc, so it’s got a new filter only. The fan belt came in the kit and I’m glad as the other one was cracked and worn. Air filters got replaced too. Both final drives were drained and flushed with oil several times due to the black colour of the existing oil. I would have liked to pull the rocker cover off and check the valve tolerance,but time and lack of measurements postponed that. I’ll need to check the books that came with it for those. Anyway,I’ll see how it runs after the service as the only worry I’ve had with it, is that it is a lumpy starter and I need to leave it a half idle until it warms up properly before attempting to work it. Once warm it works away sound.It does use abit of oil and I keep my eye on it. A few pics included on it for you.
A few more
I bought it with 3333 hours on it,so it’s clocked up 52 so far. I now have a fancy for a little 1t dumper to have in the yard.
Congrats on the mini Nicky! Having a mini around is akin to having a telehandler - both are handier than a shirt pocket and after having one you'll wonder how you got along with out it. I really like the Tak machines and one time at Conexpo the wife and I got to meet Mr Takeuchi himself. We run Cat CTL's and mini's for convenience since the Tak line is carried by another dealer across town on a 30 min one way trip. Tak is on par with Cat as far as quality goes IMO.
The main problem it’s given me CM1995 is that it’s caused me to loose interest in the D9 and D8.I achieved an age where I don’t need or want the hassle of the big dozers any more.The thought of repairing them makes me shudder these days.A D9 bottom roller is a world away from a roller on the little Takeuchi!
A few updated pics since I bought the little Tak. I’ve added a 2 ton swivel dumper to the line up . The work these two have done since purchase has been phenomenal. I’ve still got concerns on the Tak engine being lumpy until warm.It also has a taste for engine oil. However,it’s more than exceptable and I’m keeping it going. There’s around 150 hours on it now and no problems other than one bucket hose. It’s never overheated yet,but does get close to the red on hot summers days. Air learners are perfect,water level holds and radiator is as clean as I can get it. New fan belt. It does get to see the smaller bucket a lot as there’s teeth on it and it makes things alot easier on the engine. I’ve bought a thumb for it and a finger bar cutter that will get fitted and tested next year.
A few pics
Some more
I like the dumper! Regarding the machine running hot, I had the same issue. I tried to clean the radiator, but it never did anything. The machine went down to a shop to fix some other issues and they cleaned the radiator. Now it runs at the correct temperature. Not sure if they pulled the radiator out, or how they cleaned it, but they said it was just super dirty. It was not the water pump, coolant, fan, etc.
Like the sickle bar cutter. Does it mount in the place of the thumb or pin on like a bucket?
Peter,It’s never actually overheated yet,but it’s only on the hot days,which we get very few of here in the UK. I’m more than happy to leave it alone to be honest.
CM1995. Yes,it mounts to the quick hitch via a bracket. I’ll post more pics next year as I’ve bought a swivel head and extension for it. I’m not expecting it to cut and track at the same time,but I’ve about 7 acres of fir trees I like to keep deceant. I also hire a tractor and flail in once a year. I’ve got time to practice with the finger bar,so I’ll update this thread again in spring
Mine never overheated too, but would run in the middle to upper temperature. Way to hot, for what I was doing with the machine. I ran it for many years that way, until it started to run hot more and more in normal temperatures.
Morning chaps. Got the thumb fitted. So far,so good
Good afternoon. I’ve found time to fit the finger bar cutter and try it out, I wasn’t expecting much to be honest,but it’s pretty ok and has suprised me. I’ve got acres of tall conifers to keep half tidy and it’s proven itself well up to the job. If you’ve got the time and patience. It reaches quite high with the extension without compromising balance.It also gets through small trees.I also expected it to run the hydraulics got,but hardly warms them up at all. You can’t really track and cut unless you feather the track motors,otherwise you slow the cutting bar right down. It’s also a minor faff to change the extender bar,but no more than changing a bucket over. It will most certainly suit my requirements and more practice will prove worthy.
Cool. Let us know how it works out after you get some hours on it. That sickle bar cutter has my interest as well. One would probably work well on one our 305's. Bought a Milwaukee 18V version for trimming bushes at home and brush at our equipment yard and it's a beast. Can only imagine what one on a mini-ex would do.
It could also get you into a whole world of s##t if you hit the wrong lever
Looking at your photos, I plan to copy that drain rig you have for your finals. Nice idea with the pipe!
View attachment IMG_0970.jpeg
View attachment IMG_0969.jpeg
Not sure if pics are uploading?
Basically,I’ve put another bunch of hours on the hedge cutter. Like the hedge,it’s growing on me.I tend to use it as a branch chopper chainsaw as much as a hedge cutter,but it gets the job done really quite well. I’m getting used to it and I like it although,I don’t think it’s much use in a commercial application
I’ve had to change a few blades and a hose I chopped through,but the blades are cheap and it looses no oil compared to a Cat D9. View attachment IMG_0955.jpeg
Yes they are there… Right, sure would be handy for high, hard to get branches
As for the notorious hard starting of these Yanmar engines,I definitely think my engine is tired.It still uses oil and is a bugger to start regardless of the ambient temperature. It’s just come up to 257 hours since a complete service in April 2024. The fuel filters looked pretty decent,but I decided to swap them out and and also replace the air filters. Wow,the air filters were choked,both secondary and primary.I hung my head in shame over those! Anyway,the starting had become so bad that it would often take 15/20 attempts to get it to fire on all 3 cylinders.I was at the point where I was deliberately abusing the starter motor to keep it turning over. I’d even removed the entire air intake system to try direct heat and even the dreaded starting spray. Easy start made absolutely zero difference. It has brand new gen injectors and glow plugs.Valves were checked,but still made no difference. Anyway,the new air filters and fuel filters have made a startling difference and I’ll have to get used to doing a 100 hour service instead of 250.
I have a 2m extension for that job that’s pretty good,you just can’t see what you’re doing that far up!. Balance is fine though
View attachment IMG_1343.jpeg
View attachment IMG_1342.jpeg
Worth trying the next time you have a super hard starter with good air and working glow plugs or grid heater is to remove the air filters and spray WD 40 heavily into the cylinder while cranking. The extra lube is great for compression and compression ignition. A hot air blower like a Milwaukee heat gun works good alongside the WD40. 2 minute job and all day working for an old worn engine if that is what you have. Simon C
Have you checked the glow plugs? Are they drawing amps? I will use a 10 gauge wire with HD clamps and pull each one and visually check. Even on a tired engine, the glow plugs usually make or break you.
We briefly had a Hitachi 50urg (grey market with Isuzu) Terrible starter (even in warm weather). New glowplugs allowed a decent startup….they were all burned out.
Not sure if all machines are the same, but I know on the older Takeuchi's you turn the key to the left for preheat and wait until the Glow light Lamp Indicator goes out to activate the glow plugs, then turn the key to the right. If you turn the key to the right to the on position, the glow plugs are not activated. On one of my Takeuchi machines I always need to start with preheat and the throttle 1/3rd up, and then it sputters for a bit. That's on a TB016
I have a 40 with a Yanmar. It's started fine down to maybe -15*. Whatever they had for hydraulic oil wasn't happy though. Stuff smells like A/C refrigerant oil and sizzles a bit before burning.
Simon C,I never thought about spraying WD40 down the air intake.Thanks.
The machine was fitted with new glow plug(I think it’s just a single plug),but it makes no difference. I’ve also tried the hot gun directly onto the pistons,but no luck.
Don’t get me wrong,the hard starting engine doesn’t keep me awake at night and there will come a point that I fit a new motor into it or rebuild it if it blew up. I’m still amazed at how much the machine can do with its tired engine and worn boom.It’s certainly a pleasure tinkering with it