Im In the market for a 5-6t machine with a standard boom as opposed to the pivoting king-pin type. Turns out they are extremely rare in this setup so I’ll likely go bigger to the 7-8t size. I cant see myself needing a pivot for the work I do and the extra wear point and impedance to visibility is off putting. Im seeking advice from people that have used both and the benefits and drawbacks that they encountered. Thanks
What will you be using the machine for? We have an '18 305E with the swing boom at the cab. That joint is probably the strongest P&B on the machine. Couple that with it doesn't move that much compared to the rest of the boom (at least for what we do) and the pros outweigh the cons by a kilometer IMO. As far as visibility goes the swing boom adds versatility since you can contort the machine in many different ways. For what we do with our mini I wouldn't won't to have a machine without it. Just my $.03. YMMV ON EDIT - moved the thread over to compact excavators
Yes, I have not seen one get loose or have a problem ever. It is far too handy a feature for the things that I do. Just grabbing that last little bit of material against the blade is dang handy, but I use it for the trenching along my track action. I have a 35 and get it into many places that the only way I can swing out of there is to swing the boom.
Ideally I prefer the lift geometry/dump height capabilities and simplicity of a boom pinned beside the cab. All of our work is on remote mining claims so space is never an issue….for in town work I am sure a swing boom would be useful. The extra reach of a front pinned boom is handy though…. Our Deere 50d has 7400h and wear in the main kingpin on the boom is relatively minimal (and not really noticeable during operation). I agree with CM1995, this pin is really robust and not that prone to excessive wear. As you stated it is very difficult to get a side pinned boom in a 5 ton machine (maybe Takeuchi ?). In straight (boom 90 degrees to blade) configuration, visibility to the bucket can be somewhat hindered on a swing boom machine. This is noticeable on our Deere 50d when loading a washplant with a 36” bucket We don’t side shift as we need maximum reach when sitting on the pay pile. We have a 21 ton excavator to load our tandem dump truck otherwise we would have definitely went a size up to a side pinned 7-8t machine.
Well I have a 4.5 ton Takeuchi TB240 with boom pivot in the middle. We also have a 6.5 ton Takeuchi TB153FR with side to side pivot. Both are great machines. I would first decide a few things. 1. Which size machine do you really need ? That can be based on your budget and if you can haul it around easily, if you are working in confined areas, or you just want big reach and power etc 2. Although each style of machine has operating advantages, I normally choose which machine I use based on what is the most practical for the job. With either machine, I can always get the job done unless it's just based on needing a bigger machine for dump height or lifting capacity. 3. For sure the Takeuchi side to side pivot is for gentle work and gentle operator. 4. As always said on this site, if you have the budget and wide open space, and no concerns with trailering, go bigger (7-9 ton) size.
Mine is a bit loose on my Hitachi ZX40. It's got about 5500hrs. Considering pulling the boom and putting pins and bushings, but may let it ride after I go "holy ****" from the price tag!
That brings up another thing. Once you get about 2,000 hours on a mini and you're using it for production work, figure on selling it and getting another. You're going to get almost all your money back out of it and somebody else gets to have all those problems and you get to use a nice new machine. They're just not the same as big iron at 5500 hours. You've got all goodness out of that thing.
First off, 2k hours (or 5500) only on a mini? I didn't get that memo. I've got TB180FR machines with 10k hours, and a TB53FR. Secondly, you less apt to find a mini that small without a non-swing boom, because.... humans are too large, meaning that with a cab on it, the boom would need offset from the centerline, which, ironically, is the best position to dig (centerline, between the tracks).
Hey, those are the best 2000 hours! I don't mind fixing the equipment but I'm not so thrilled about fixing minis. They're kind of like airplanes.
Small acreage work, trenching, clearing, stumping and later on will look at a Mulcher after I install a hyd thumb. Don’t plan on any in town work, civil etc but can’t entirely rule it out.
Clearing/stumping I would lean towards the 7-8t size if possible. Bigger is definitely faster; and in the case of clearing more reach is also safer (imho).
yea I have grubbed with the 35 and it is up close and personal. I have not broken glass but I have dented a panel and plenty of scratches.