Which of the 2 ctls is superior for digging into hills of dirt, pushing dirt, leveling, grading (light dozer applications)? I have read a lot about how good the tak is at it, but never a comparison with the jd 333d. Please, I need your help to try and decide between these 2 machines.
I'd take the deere over the tak any day, but that is just me.
They both put nearly identical lengths of track on the ground, the TL250 weighs slightly more and the TL250 is built from the ground up to be a CTL. I would say the TL250 would be slightly better at pushing dirt.
I would like to know the results of this one. I have heard form a mechanic's view the tack is a POS. Not just the 250 model but the fit and finish of all Tack equipment. I am a fan of JD loaders but I will look at anything to get the work done faster. Did they improve the view of the tracks from the seat? I ran a 2003 tl150 and you could not see the side or outside rear of the tracks.
A friend of mine that moves dirt for a living swears by takeuchi. According to him no other brand can compare when moving dirt.
I have only seen one or two John Deere CTLs on a job site... ever. Takeuchi on the other hand... up there with Bobcat in popularity
Takeuchi invented the tracked skid steer, and they continue to lead the market share. I have one and will buy another
ASV has been making "tracked skid steers" for just as long as Takeuchi, and while Takeuchi may have strong market share in your area they are behind Deere and Kubota nationally, and well behind Bobcat and CAT. BTW...I do think they make a decent machine.
As far as ability to push, I doubt there is much difference between them. Durability goes to TK. How often do you hear of someone replacing a drive motor on a TK CTL? Not very often, as opposed to Deere which is quite often. The radial lift design of the TK is much more rugged than the vertical lift design of the Deere. The newest Deere will have a better cab than the TK. Operator comfort is in my view, the biggest Achilles heel of the TK CTL. The biggest mechanical problem I see with TK is electrical gremlins. The cost of Takeuchi parts is silly expensive, I would demo them both and see which machine you like the best in your application.