What is your favorite 7-8 ton class size excavator, and why? Tell me what you like and what you don't like about it. I'm considering upgrading to a slightly larger machine from my Bobcat E60. Looking for something 19,000 lbs at most with steel tracks and a blade.
Not a professional here but if I were in your shoes I'd be looking for a Takeuchi TB290. Weight with cab and steel tracks is listed as 19,245.
I have not operated many in that class. One was a totally trashed JD 70 that had such a bad slewing bearing, it was like sitting on a broken office chair. The other was the Volvo 88 that was very smooth and felt like a big iron all the way, with the glaring exception of the bucket wedge system. It was far too light for the 88 and you could tear the ears off any bucket in hard digging. That could be upgraded though. I give it two thumbs up.
I'm sure there are lots of good machines in this class. Part of my thinking, other than my experience with my TB260, is that Takeuchi builds there own stuff. Some others do, like Kubota and some others, but many do not. That doesn't make them bad or less good but it's a minus in my opinion.
Thanks for the input.
Of that class the machines I’ve been around & I’ve spent time on are the Takeuchi TB290s. I like them personally. I’ve run Smaller size TAKs & all other brands, & the TAK seems to be a better supported & useable machine. A TAK or a CAT would be my pick.
I've been looking some at the 8-9 ton class machines myself, but am undecided on their usefulness. They are a step up from a 5-6 ton class machine, but still no where close to a 120-130 size. Some of the guys I know that have had 6, 8, and 13-ton machines say the 6-ton is a lot more versatile, complimented with a full size excavator. Hauling becomes the issue with the 130 size machines starting at around 27,000lbs + 9500lb trailer, in our hills that's a load. In an ideal world if I could have two it'd be a 3.5ton+8ton or 5ton+130, depending on the scope of work I was planning. Kubota, Tak, and Case/Linkbelt (which are both made in Japan by Sumitomo) would be my top picks for a 8-9ton class machine, Hitachi/Deere might be good as well but I've never been around any in that size. I agree on the steel tracks and I'd personally want the wide 24" steel triple grouser pads for good flotation.
The Taki 290 is a good machine. I have run Wacker Neuson ET90 and finally bought a used one last month. I really like it. I have a 6 ton Taki 257, the WN has more capacity as you would expect, longer reach more breakout. Better for some jobs than the 257. Its a little more to move around but we are set up for it.
Interesting to hear you take, having both a 6 ton and a 8/9 ton. How is your ET90 setup and what is the weight on it? (seems like quite a range of configurations and weight on that model)
We run 2 - 5 ton minis paired with 2 - 55-60K excavators which works well for what we do. The 5 tonners can be hauled behind our pickups and then hire out moving the big hoes. I'd like to have an 8 ton machine but we'd have to hire out the move if it was any distance from our yard so it doesn't make much sense.
Yea it has one heck of a counterweight on it. It is a heavy built machine. I have not weighed it on a scale yet, but its in that 19K area I believe. It has a WB hyd coupler and a direct link WB thumb. Not excited about anyones direct link but it will work for now. It has a 74 hp Perkins in it. Plenty of power. I wish it had a second aux. If the right mulching job comes along it would be great with a mulcher, I would just need to put the 2nd aux on it. The bucket sizing is very close to a BC E85, 55 mm pins. The stick is a little narrower than the BC E85 so wielding some bushings is all that is necessary to make the bucket fit tight between the ears.
The specs I read on the ET90 said 19,200lbs min to 23,100lbs max, depending on counterweight, stick length, and attachments. Looks like a pretty stout machine.
Interesting comments, thanks everyone. My trailer has a load capacity of 20,000 lbs so I want to limit the machine weight to 18-19,000 to allow for weight of attachments. I currently have two 6 ton machines, and have someone interested in buying one, so I figured it was a good time to upgrade to a slightly larger machine. I don't have enough bigger jobs to justify a full size excavator (and the expense of hiring out transportation) at this point.
I've got a 5 ton, 8 ton, and a 15 ton. Out of those 3, our 8 ton is the least used, and least liked. The 5 ton is small enough to get in to most places, but big enough to load a tandem or triaxle. It's a real gem. The 15 ton is big enough to dig basements, run a real hammer, demo 2-3 story buildings, and load trucks productively. The 8 ton on the other hand, isn't really any of those things. Needs a deckover tag to move it, which for us means it needs the same truck and trailer as the 15 ton...so we may as well take the 15 ton. I bought our 8 ton before the 15 ton, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't buy an 8 ton. Aside from overhead clearance, the 8 ton and 15 ton have a nearly identical working footprint, as the 15 ton is a zero tail, and the 8 ton is conventional. My 2 cents - I'd keep running what you've got, until you've got enough work to justify a full size, and make the leap. Lots of guys around here hire out all their moves. Truck and trailer maintenance/insurance/operating cost ain't cheap. We've got 10 pieces of iron to move, so it pencils out for us, but I still hire out moves if we're busy.
put a little tilt behind the ford and it would not care about an 8 ton.
I have a 55K tandem tag that can go behind the Ford - it just doesn't like it with anything on it.
pfffft 8 ton. you would love having it and being able to move it willy-nilly like I do the 120. Things like some artful shaping of spoils at a dump site or digging a little deeper than a 50 is productive you could do without hiring the move. You know that mobe call colors behavior.
Oh yeah well versed in moving a 315 around on the tag I have now behind a tri axle Granite. Got rid of the Mack back in 09 and never replaced it. If I could find a driver I’d buy another one. If we had small jobs it would make sense to do our own moves. Last year we had less than $15k in mob charges and that includes 4 trips with the 325, 2 hours one way. $15k wouldn’t cover fuel and insurance on a lowboy that can move 70k lbs. We include a mob charges for every job that covers the lowboy and labor with a markup on the total. Basically making a % off the hired lowboy. It’s small but still a profit center.
Howard, a very good friend buys new. He puts a lot of research into it & tries them out. He has bought a 14 ton & a 7 ton Volvo over the last few years. I've had him do a number of services recently, he doesn't choose to haul the big one often. He tows the 7 ton with a 3500 dually, where he'd need a triaxle to haul the 14 ton. He's sold on Volvo. Did two underground services 230 feet, and 210 feet in one day with a seven ton. The few I have run have been because a better operator isn't available. I've briefly operated Kubota, four different ones, Gehl, Cat, Volvo, only enough to play a bit, and New Holland. Can't say I have a strong preference. Another owner who also works for a bigger excavator says Develon is so good his employer has a fleet of them. He likes them so much he traded his small Cat for a Develon. Only dealer I know of is G Stone in Middlebury VT.
The Develons are nice but no dealer support and too new for anyone to know anything about them, at least around here. Will see how they do, at 5k hours.
Develon is just rebranded Doosan. Conexpo 2023 they debut'd the name change with an autonomous excavator with no cab. We have a small Develon dealer the same one that sold Doosan. They keep 4-5 large hoes, a couple of mini's, artics and a small dozer or two.
In Vermont G Stone has a solid reputation.They were a used car & truck dealer, then a new & used dealer for Ford, GMC. More recently they got into rentals of heavy machines, the stuff BIG excavation companies don't own. They rent crushers, rock saws, excavators with BIG hammers. Still more recently new excavators. I believe they will take care of their customers.
Out of the ones ive rented/owned over the years id have to say the Sany SY75 was my favorite, only downside is no swing boom but at the same time I hardly use the swing function for my type of work. Out of the ones with swing boom (Bobcat E85, Case CX80, JCB 85z, Kubota KX080, and Sany SY80) id take the JCB first. No one machine was really anything special over the other except for the SY75 being a conventional platform like the larger machines and not a mini.
That design is not unique to Sany. Lots of manufacturers offer a zero tail swing, conventional boom 7.5 ton model. I know for sure there's the Deere 75 P, Hitachi ZX75, Case CX75C, Linkbelt 75x3 and others. I've never run one, but the conventional design and zero tail swing appeal to me too. I have no need for a swing boom on any machine larger than 6-tons.
I own a nice little Yanmar VIO 70, it works hard and pulls hard and is pretty easy on fuel, really good power for its size as they seem to run a few hundred psi more than the Kubotas. Have run a Kubota 80, certainly much better on the comforts but the power felt a little down, Volvo 80 rental, not sure but it felt slow compared to the 200 class machines and travel speed was well it was faster to trailer it down the driveway than walk it 1000 feet. Downsides, this 70 has the valve body under the floor in a little hole, tough to work on but got it all sealed up nice, added a Cat bucket coupler on an aux circuit and would like to put a 2 way on the PTO feed to swtich between say the thumb and a hammer.
I've heard that of the manufacturers that make both options (swing boom or conventional) 70/75 is usually the number used for the conventional style and 80/85/88 for swing boom. I'm looking for a conventional boom machine. If I need to work in tight areas, I'll use the Mecalac.
Right, mine is the older vio 70 and its a swinger! rebuilt and rebushed the whole end of the stick, that was fun. Ordered cat pins and bought chrome 50mm piston rods for the buckets and such, coupler will accept 45 and 50mm pins on attachments.
The used market has plenty of Cat 307 and 308 conventional machines in the New England area. I shop the area a few times a month looking for larger machines and it seems like every other listing is a Cat 307 or 308 until I filter them out. I hardly notice any other brands with used conventional machines in the 7 or 8 ton range for sale. Plenty of other brands to order new machines from but the used market aside from the Cat models seem to be all swing boom midi size machines.
Have a pair of these, fantastic for several weeks of traveling on the road nonstop 99 black and 97 red, Slicker and Lazarus
And for some adventure touring, 89 NX650, home brew Happy trails bag mount and sweet aux fuel tank in the back that uses a marine qd on a short whip line to allow filling both tanks from a 5 gal bladder bag. pulled off a 4000 mile 3 week adventure up through Quebec into Labrador then around through Newfoundland, Novia Scotia and back through NB and Maine.
Does the red one have a swing boom?
Looks like that would dig some trenches, maybe not quite as deep as a 308 though...
I thought I would add on to this. Like others I think, I thought that the 9 ton machine wouldn't be a substantial improvement of a 6 ton. I had run them before and was impressed by them, now that I own one, I should have done this a long time ago. I have put over 200 hours on the WN ET90 so far and it's productivity over the 6 Taki is substantial. The WN is so fast on its swing, boom out/in that it is surprising how quick it is. Digging through hard material is where it really shines, ridiculous breakout force. I really like it, and its very good on fuel, and I have yet to run it on ECO mode. There is certainly room to own a 6 and 9 ton machine in my mind.
I don't like the rubber pads or the bucket coupler but looks decent otherwise. Pardon Our Interruption
well ****! got my cookies mixed up!! Was aiming for the murdercycle thread but took a wrong turn
If you switch it to rabbit you better be hanging on
That's a nice looking machine. Ditto on the coupler - those suck. For what we do the rubber pads would be a good option however most of the rubber pads on 8 tons and up are bolted to metal pads. Don't remember seeing those type rubber tracks before. And what's up with Deere not putting a replaceable cutting edge on the blade? Our new 305 has one. An 8 ton machine should have one as well.
I had to weld a new cutting edge on our Deere 50d (a pain as I had to remove the blade and flip to weld underside), should definitely have a factory replaceable bolt on edge. As you say, should definitely be standard on a machine the size of that 75. That said we have had really good service from various Deere/Hitachi excavators over the years. See a lot of Deere 75's up here...
I wanted a coupler for my Yanmar and could not find one. I did find a Cat 308 coupler but it had 45mm bores and a between the bore spacing that wasn't quite. Put a little time on the mill to make enough clearance for the Yanmar stick, I went a little snug with only 0.010 clearance on the new stick bushings. The center spacing was really close so attacked it with a line boring machine and bored the pin holes out to 50mm. Buddy fabbed up this boring machine and it uses a mag drill for power. Works beautifully.
What I have seen around in our area, you would need to replace the whole blade before the cutting edge would wear out. Everyone uses the blade to wedge big rocks against and end up bending the crap out of them.
Yes have seen that here as well. When looking to purchase, I just have to ignore machines with that type of damage as begs the question: how was rest of machine treated/maintained….
To much chert and abrasive soils here so the replaceable cutting edge is a nice option. We have to beef up our buckets with old cutting edges on the sides and bottom. CTL's, excavators and our 953. Once had a chert mountain we were taking the top off for a residential development and wore out a set of pads on a brand new D6N in 500 hours. No ****. Got tired of wearing skid buckets out between the teeth so took a factory Cat smooth lip bucket with removable edge and welded backhoe/mini shanks on. Take a lot of time to build but worth it. Built 3 over the years and 2 are still in service. Otherwise we'd be replacing a bucket every 2 years.
Great idea re: skid bucket build. Yes chert is nasty alright. Would occasionally have to push through chert with the diamond drills; if fractured (like in a mineralized shear zone) could easily bind up or even ‘stick’ the drill string.
Our chert is variable qualities of quartz from super hard to very fractured mixed in with sand and clay. Great material to work with. Did a project in the mid 2000's (the one mentioned above where we wore the D6N pads out) that was some of the heaviest material I've moved at 128 PCF. You could dump the material out, spread it in 8-12" lifts with a 953C track loader and it would test at 95% on the nuke gauge without a roller. Full of dinosaur eggs some the size of VW's with an occasional geode every now and then full of crystals inside. Found a stream of the whitest beach sand in the same area about 20' deep. Strange as hell. Looked like AL's beaches down on the Gulf of America. There was an old county chert pit adjacent to my grandparents house in the country where I grew up. You could find sea shells and other fossils in the chert seams.
We get salt water sea shells at 2000' above sea level in Vermont. We live on an ever changing planet, must have been under water at some time.
I continuously find deposits of sea shells on my property and add them to my hard scaping and no they are not the steamer shells my father used to dump out back, for the coons. lol
This one seems priced a little low for it's age and hours, but not low enough to be a scam. Does anyone see something wrong with it that I'm missing? Pardon Our Interruption
Why is the engine not painted Cat yellow? That would be the first question I ask them. Also what's the "Air Dryer" button next to the joystick?
Looks like it has had new sprockets put on. New paint and shiny new stickers can hide a multitude of sins. Need to start and run it. Check for blow by. Check all the pins and bushings. Check the swing bearings. Check the service records.
Somebody mentioned a while ago many of the cheaper 307-309s on the east coast being imported from Europe and may or may not have new computers with inaccurate hours. All of them are built in China. One of my friends bought a 308 brand new in 22 and it took a month to sort out various loose hydraulic fittings.
The 307.5 Cat is one of the models made in China. That alone would cross it off my list.
The 308's and 309's intended for the US market are made in the US. EDIT - the newer models. The older models were made in Japan.
Good question. I don't know much about Cats so I didn't know it should be yellow. And I have no idea about the dryer button either. 45 HP seems anemic for a machine that size.
This one has a goofy bucket and thumb but otherwise looks ok, though a few more hours than I'd like. Pardon Our Interruption
Maybe some of the Cat guys can chime in, but is that a grey market machine? 99% of the 308E2 CR machines I see have the swing boom, can't even find any literature or specs on the non swing boom models.
My backhoe weighs that much, has a 95 HP engine. Seems logical that it powers the hydraulics, twice the horsepower.
https://www.rbauction.com/pdp/2022-cat-307.5-tracked-excavator/13764504 This is coming up for auction, set up nice, low hours, second and third set of aux. Pro link thumb. Tracks pads are in tough shape but thats simple enough to replace. A few dents and it says made in China with domestic and foreign components. I don't think its considered grey market, its made for North America but made in China.
2018 Bobcat E50 Excavator, Thumb - heavy equipment - by owner - sale - craigslist 2018 bobcat E50 excavator around 11,000 pounds Cab with heat /AC, Hydraulic thumb 2490 hours 24 inch digging bucket. Just serviced delivery and financing available . $42900 Call Patrick. nh.craigslist.org This is nice 2015 TAKEUCHI TB290 EXCAVATOR - heavy equipment - by dealer - sale - craigslist THUMB COUPLER ,DUAL AUXILLARY HYFRAULICS !!!!! NEW TRACKS RECENT SERVICE AC STEREO 19000 LBS TIGHT DRY WORK READY nh.craigslist.org This is bigger. Lol
IIRC there was an option on the 308's. The swing boom is more popular for all sorts of reasons on a machine that size. Current models offer either boom - https://www.cat.com/en_GB/products/new/equipment/excavators/mini-excavators.html?page=2
Every Cat I've bought and still own the engine is Cat yellow. That machine should be the same.
You're right. Only the the 307.5 and 310 are chinese built. The 308 developing a new leak every couple days for awhile clearly effected my memory.
Even if it's not a Cat engine?
No EPA sticker, sounds a little suspect maybe?
I’ve worked with a number of machines in that 7 to 8 ton range. The Takeuchi TB290 is definitely popular for a reason, solid build, good dealer support, and plenty of hydraulic power. That said, I’ve also been impressed with the Wacker Neuson ET90 lately. It’s heavier than most in the class, but it feels planted and powerful, and the Perkins engine has plenty of grunt. Downsides are transport weight and a bit of extra complexity depending on setup. In general, I’d say this class is great when you need more breakout and reach than a 5-6 ton, but don’t want to deal with the headaches of a full-size machine. That sweet spot around 18 to 19K pounds seems to offer a lot of versatility without pushing you into CDL territory.
Yep. The Kubotas are Cat yellow in the small tractors.
18-19k definitely is CDL territory...
Interesting.
Yeah, many 5 ton class machines and almost all 6 ton class are CDL territory to haul them legally. An 11,500lb machine is basically max capacity for a 15K trailer and 3/4-1 ton with a 10K GVWR. Class 6 medium duty truck with a flatbed you could haul a 13K machine on the back if the truck has a light enough empty weight, but that isn't a common setup these days.
Both the Kubotas in my 279D's are painted Cat yellow.
I wasn't doubting you, I just have very little experience with Cat machines and find it odd that they would repaint the engines.
Not just repaint. They have CAT valve covers and data tags. . . At least the Kubota / Cat C3.3 and C3.8 do.
Didn't think you were. Just giving examples. Yep.
Update: over the last few months I talked with the local Deere dealer and Caterpillar dealer to get pricing on new machines, and get trade in values for my Bobcat. 2025 Deere 75P - $127,500 24" steel tracks, blade, hydraulic coupler, 24" bucket, thumb $25,000 trade in for Bobcat E60 Cat 308 fixed boom - $165,000 Steel tracks, blade, hydraulic coupler, 30" bucket, 48" tilting ditch cleaning bucket, 34" ripper, 2nd auxiliary circuit $28,000 trade in for Bobcat E60 The Cat salesman said that the 308 fixed boom that has been available in Europe will be replacing the North American 307.5 starting in 2026. It seems like quite an improvement based on the specs I've seen.
Last time I was at my Case dealer they had a few CX75 models, a few years old with under 1,000 hours in the 70k-80k price range. Out of factory warranty though, if that's a deal breaker? They also have a new model CX85 but I didn't see the price. Another brand to consider. If you're close enough to NH, work with a dealer that has a presence there so you can take delivery in NH and not pay sales tax.
Having a local dealer is a big power adder, I have a yanmar/hitachi dealer nearby and it makes owning a yanmar easier, I'd love a bigger cab but the vio70 is a workhorse.
I finally ran the ET90 over the scale. With a HD 24" bucket, direct link thumb, hyd. coupler, long stick, and additional factory counterweight it weighs 20960. Had to replace a coolant sensor this Fall, put 500 hours on it, its not perfect in my mind, but really impressive.
I should look at Case at some point. The closest dealer is in NH I think. A friend has a 57 Case and doesn't like it. But I've heard that the smaller machines are made by a different company than the larger ones.
This popped up recently and doesn't seem too bad. Might need chains and sprockets. Can't really tell from the pictures. 2020 Komatsu PC78 with 2800 hours for $60k. Pardon Our Interruption
I have no personal experience with Komatsu machines, but I've heard from several sources that operators seem to either really like them or really dislike them. I don't know why that might be, but sounds kinda odd to me.
Hyundai makes the case mini x. I had a cr60-9a Hyundai was a very nice machine. I only put like 100 hrs on it but nothing I didn’t like about it
I plan to spend some time in one before purchasing.
Who makes the bigger ones? Sumitomo?
That I know of yes. Same as linkbelt
I think the split is between the 60 and 75 size machines. So hopefully what I would be looking at would be a Sumitomo built Case. Good reminder about Link-belt also. I've heard good things about them.
New CASE mini and midi machines are now Sampierana brand, made in Italy. Prior models were Hyundai for the mini (1-6) and Sumitomo for the midi (7-8).
Good to know. Do you know what year the change took place? I likely won't buy anything newer than 2022 at this point.
No sir
For the midi its the newest models, 2025 CX85E and CX90E. The mini's are a bit muddled with some D and E series being Sampierana going back to 2023.
AFAIK, all Case and Linkbelt midi machine (7.5T and up) have been made by Sumitomo in Japan for many years. They are good machines. As for the mini's, I've run the Case machines made by Hyundai and I thought they were pretty awful. Poor performance, cheap feel to the cab, definitely not a machine I'd like to own.
I actually thought the cabs in the Hyundai mini exes were nice, I never was blown away by the performance. However the D series and E series machines are impressive, much better than the Hyundai from a performance aspect. According to some people I spoke with at Case about the Hyundai machines was that they have been very reliable, very little goes wrong with them. I spent a day in the CX90E. I was very impressed with it, great balance, very fast. I would own one of those. CASE was smart to buy Sampierana. The CX75 an 80C machines from Sumitomo are really good machines, but long in need of an update.
Are those metric or American hours?
Yanmar VIO70 after repaint, It had some valspar yellow but it seems for a while they used a veg oil base? it turned from yellow to custard in a year and a half outside. This is Rustoleum JD yellow, added a Cat 308 quick coupler that needed a few modifications to work with the bigger pins of the Yanmar and a little shave for the wider boom. Pic before bolting the front cover in place. Will be 2 years this summer and still looks perfect.
That Link Belt 75x3 looks promising, might be worth checking it out.
Volvo 88 !
I went and looked at a closer Link Belt today. This is a 80x3 though, so it's a swing boom version instead of fixed boom. But it gave me a good idea of what these machines are like. I've not had an opportunity to look at or run one before. The cab seemed nice and comfortable, it started quickly and easily. The blade seemed small and dinky, and didn't go up or down as far as it seems like it should have. And the swing boom mount was way out front and seemed clumsy.
Like an extendable dipper & thumb, these things are heavy. The added bouncing around isn't always worth the function. I find small excavators to be a lot like a rubber duck in ocean waves. You almost need a belt to stay in the seat. Pound for pound a backhoe is a whole lot more stable.
Those Sumitomo excavators are great machines. Not the most advanced, but they are powerful diggers, and balanced well.
Is that the one in Clarendon VT that been for sale on Craigslist for about 3 years? If so, I’ve always wondered why it didn’t sell or the why the seller didn’t decided to stop listing it. Maybe the guy has it figured out, he just tells his wife that he’s “trying to sell it”? Lol
Might have missed it but you don't want a swing boom? I've only rented a few 308 sized machines all with swing booms and really like the versatility that a swing booms gives a smaller excavator. Hand as a shirt pocket on our 305's.
Yes it is, and I think your theory is about right! He said he's ended up using it for a bunch of things around the property (sounds like he owns a lot of land), and he really likes it. But just bought another house and I guess he wants some cash to put into renovating it. From what I gathered he buys and sells equipment either as a hobby or side business.
Correct, I don't really want a swing boom on a machine that size. I do use it occasionally on my Bobcat E60 but most of the time find it annoying. And now that I have a Mecalac, I just use that for tight-quarters jobs. So the 7-8 ton machine that I want to get to replace the Bobcat doesn't need to be used for anything that a swing boom would be useful for. The main reason I wanted to look at this machine was to get a feel for the Link Belt/Sumitomo machines. And if it had been lower hours I might have seriously considered it.
Agreed, I am not sure why you wouldn't want a swing boom on that size machine. Maybe if I needed one to run a breaker exclusively on that machine it would make sense. Short of that I am not sure why you would want a conventional excavator boom on that size machine. Makes digging so much easier, running a hoe pac working around plumbing, even clearing jobs it helps, you don't need to reposition the machine as often. Like CM says, as handy as your shirt pocket.
Hmm well maybe I should learn about those shirt pockets... I find the swing boom blocks visibility to the right, can't lift up/back as far, and have a lot more wear points and joints that get loose. Maybe I'm too spoiled by the Mecalac.
I see where you're coming from Mater. The parallel offset and VA boom on the Mecalac will do more than a swing boom machine and it's going to to take fixed boom machine crane more than your MCR6.
I like the swing boom on the vio70, with the window up/out I can rest my feet on the boom as they don't hardly fit in the cab!
I think a lot of yall are using the 8-ton machines as a very large mini excavator and for those type of jobs the swing boom may be handy. For a small time guy like myself, if I ever got an 8-ton machine it would be used as a small full-size excavator. Clearing, stumping, larger/deeper excavating jobs, loading trucks, lifting heavy things, etc. For that type of work a swing boom is unnecessary and possibly a detriment. I can't speak for Mater, but this may be his thought process as well.
Exactly. I have 2 - 55-60K lb excavators and when we rent a 308 sized machine it's used like a large mini. Love to have a machine that size but we have it covered with 305's on the small end and 325 on the larger.
This is exactly our scenario as well. I would far prefer a side mounted boom for that size machine. As stated better loading height, better visibility, and a more robust design. Never once have I used the swing boom on our 50D (or any of our other mini's) ---Keeping in mind our use is 100% bush use, there is never any need for tight quarters work---what is really handy for our use is zero tail swing. I had to build a road on very steep ground with up to a 10' high cut bank with our 210--that large 'butt' sticking out there made it very difficult to conform to the 3m wide mining exploration 'trail' restriction placed by the mines inspectors. Trying not to damage large fir trees on downslope while at the same time not swinging counterweight into cut bank. (I do not like scratches on counterweight lol!). An eight ton low tail swing could have built that trail nicely---just take a bit longer. We are replacing our feed machine (the 50D) with an EX100 this year but would have really preferred an 8 ton side boom machine; just out of our price range at the moment. For us it would be an ideal size to compliment our 210...I like that Link-belt if in side boom; see one in town at the moment working on civil works....Also see a lot of Deere 75g's here. Considered buying one here from Brandt but then found a really good deal on the EX100-1
Yes, similar. I won't need to use this 7-8 ton machine for fine work because I have the Mecalac for that. It's main purpose will be for the simple jobs, rougher work, etc.
I don't own an excavator, prefering a backhoe for my needs. I have a lot of general uses including snow removal, moving very large boulders (10,000 LBS), moving trucked materials, digging, and sometimes ditching for power lines. We set generators, and dump truck, trailer & excavator seem too much for the job. Might dig by hand to avoid trucking a machine. We did a job far enough from home I considered renting a mini instead of hauling. Owner had an 8 ton Kubota. It was parked at the end of his very long driveway. Took an hour to walk it to the house. Compound angle to the route of the power line, I did not enjoy the tipping, rocking with each swing.
It would be nice if excavators had a self leveling house like a feller buncher.
Yea I guess its how you use them. I chose a 9 ton swing boom to give me the most flexibility. I needed more lift capacity than my Taki 257, and more powerful dig capability, but I still wanted the mini ex capability in some conditions. Wacker Neuson has the ability to level the house on some machines.
Agree. For what we do an 8-9 ton excavator is the high side of the mini range and I like the versatility.
Some big ones do.
I must be an odd duck. I don't really find the swing boom useful very often on my 6 ton machine. Most of the time I use it is get the boom tucked in a little closer to the machine so I can swing without hitting something, or to get better visibility of the right side of the bucket. Neither of which I'd need to do if it was a traditional boom style machine.
Ackerman?
Shopping day Cool setup on this tilt bucket
Looks like this checks most of the boxes on my wish list
I didn't take any pictures from underneath, but was surprised to find no belly pan, and no bolt holes to mount one. Apparently they don't offer it even as an option.
Milford store?
Yep
YouTube C&C todays video 15min mark have a e80 less than $39k & free shipping
Anyone have direct experience (operating or maintenance/repair) with Deere 75G machines?
There don't seem to be many 75G's around, or any brand 7.5t mono boom machines for that matter. I think the underground utility companies are about the only ones that run them. Mechanically/reliability wise I'd say they are very similar to the 85G models.
Good looking machine!
Do you consider the 85G to be reliable?
IDK, I don't have any experience with either of those models other than being a causal observer. Are those models still part of the Hitachi/JD joint venture?
Good question, I'm not sure exactly when the split happened.
Any updates? Shiny new (to you!) machine on the trailer yet?
Not yet, waiting on info from financial institutions...
Very nice! You taking the street liners off the pads? I’ll be curious what you think of the 75’s boom vs the traditional swing boom.
Unfortunately the track shoes are the molded rubber type. So I will have to buy a set of triple grouser shoes if I want steel. I'm guessing it won't be long before I find that a necessity, but maybe I'll be surprised. I definitely like the conventional boom better than swing boom so far. Much better visibility, stability, and it goes much higher up close.
That's a nice looking machine. Did you say what year? How much $ (no worries if you don't want to say)
Oh I like the look of that, very nice. I've been using a Case CX75 these past dozen years and it has been a great machine. Very similar in size, shape and design to your new 75 there. Love the close up ability and height when you come right in. Very useful design of digger.
I started a new thread for it: HeavyEquipmentForums
It's a 2019. I paid a little more than I wanted, but I don't think it's an unfair price. But I'll make you do a little work to figure it out. It's just about half what Cat quoted for a new 308 fixed boom machine, that I mentioned earlier in this thread.
These 75's with mono boom are very handy, compact tools. Your JD with 520 hrs should do you very well.