Hello folks. New to loaders, but owning a sawmill, thought of getting a compact wheel loader to move logs, pallets etc. around the mill. I also thought they could come in handy for skidding a few trees out of the woods. Anyone here ever use one in the woods or would the low clearance and softer ground make them prone to getting stuck? I was looking at a used kubota r510.... Any thoughts or common problems with this model? Thanks
I have a R510 and an R520 and I would swear by them. They are great for a lot of different applications. We use them with both the bucket and forks for pallets, dirt, mulch, and even clearing trees in our woods. -Putz
I've got a R310 which is the smallest model Kubota produced. I wanted to buy a used R510 and looked at a couple of used R410's, ended up finding a great deal on a R310 with a backhoe attach included. I thought it might be too small but it has been extremely handy, I use it more than any of my other equipment and it is probably my favourite. Hasn't let me down yet, extremely handy for small jobs and around the yard. Around here they are commonly used underground in the mines and hold up to the abuse very well. I've operated R410's and R510's as well and they are the same as the R310 except larger and have heavier weight lift capability. Haven't used mine in the bush (yet). If you just wanted to load logs on a bandsaw mill and fork the lumber in small lifts it might be fine (R510). If you have a larger commercial mill I would think a 2-3 yd loader like my JD 544 would be better as the Kubotas are limited in lift height. There is an attachment for a forklift mast to replace the loader arms which is available as well if that helps fill your requirement. Oh, they are really good on fuel as well. Good luck