A local company has hired me to run their new Hitachi Zaxis 135us. This machine is equipped with the long stick (9'11"). So far I have put about 70hrs on it doing sewer trenches about 7' deep and loading tandem dump trucks. I was wondering what other owners/operators of this machine (or the Deere 135D) would say are the strong/weak points of this machine. For the limited time I have had in it so far, I really like the smoothness, reach and fuel economy. Digging power seems okay given that it's a long stick (32" dig bucket). My biggest gripe is the lift capacity. It really struggles to lift a 6000lbs. 16' x 8' shoring cage. What are your experiences with this model?
I have put in a few hundred hours over the years on the 135, doing residential sewer replacements, backfills, piling brush, trenching in frozen conditions, reclamations, etc., and its one of my all-time favorite machines. They're just a fun, reliable and versatile rig.