Owner operator here, started out 15 years ago with an old Kx024, then owned from new, the following, Kx161-3, Kx 121-3 and now Kx 040-4 and a Kx 057-4. I wont have anything but Kubota, I sell/trade them at 4500 hrs and the 161-3 had a new fan belt and one of the top rollers replaced and that's all. All original pins with no evident wear. We grease the diggers every morning and whilst excess grease coming out at all joints may look unsightly, my belief is that if grease is coming out, dirt and grit etc aint getting in and the long life of the factory pins and bushes seems to prove the point. What originally sold me on Kubota diggers is that in my area there is 4 hire companies, 3 are nationwide franchises with one a national agent for Hyundai so naturally used hyundai diggers, the second was an agent for takeuchi and again used their diggers and the third had a mix of excavator brands. The only independant hire company which was not a franchise and a sole operation used kubotas exclusively, and seeing how people treat rental gear I figured that if an independant outfit is using one brand only in their rental fleet then it must be pretty durable. Yes, the Kubota is not the cheapest on the market (well it isn't here) but it is quality gear and lasts if maintained correctly. I sold the 121-3 at over 4000hrs and it had nothing replaced on it, still on original rubber tracks even as was the 161-3 when I traded that in on the 057-4. The 057-4 has just ticked over 2000 hrs and has been faultless thus far, the 040-4 has closer to 2750 hrs and has also been faultless thus far. Not saying the Tak is no good as obviously anything sold now a days has to do what it claims or the seller would be out of business quick smart, but for me, the Kubota is my choice. One thing that does annoy me with them is how hard would it be to put an intermittent wiper set up in them for when the rain is drizzle or intermittent... it's not rocket science ffs...
I like the thumb shape better on the Kubota.. seams to grip the log better .. price and dealer support would make the difference.... and operator comfort
Had nothing but good luck with the Takeuchi machines put thousands of hours on a TB135 and couldn’t kill it. Bought the TB260 high flow to replace it and so far it has not disappointed. You can change the way the oil flows to attachments and on the machine itself through the control console to speed up or slow down operation, honestly I preferred manual relief valves but those days are gone. I’ve run them all and didn’t think twice about what to buy.
Either machine would work but Takeuchi dealers are few and far here in IL Kubota all the way besides that if you rent the kubota they should make you a deal to buy it and as a rental you get full fresh warranty on it and a good deal since its got hours on it
The kubota seems stronger and you were able to pick the log up almost full height, i like kubota but the parts seem more expensive than others but as long as the machine gets the job done that’s all that matters 👍this was a good comparison video
I can’t fully compare as our kubby is very old and open cab vs our brand new tb260. Kubby has some significant hours on it and it has made its money threefold at this point. I’ve been extremely interested in the new tb370 as the overall size is comparable to the 260 (5x) vs the 370 (6x-7x, kind of in-betweenish), but the ca. On the 370!!!! Oh THAT CAB!!! The Takeuchi tb370 has THE MOST comfortable and usable cab for a mini I’ve ever seen! Up to par for 2021 in technology. And the layout is excellent. And work hrs just fly by in complete comfort. Also with the tb370, the flow controls for all 3 sets of hydraulics is digitally adjustable from the touch screen in the cab while running it. Kinda how they were saying the Kubby is faster, and how he dropped the log on the first try, cuz the thumb speed is off timing with the bucket curl speed. With this machine all of that is finely adjustable. A half hr to sit with it and adjust the speeds of your tools/attachments and you’ll have yourself the perfect machine for YOU and YOUR work. Oh, and the 370 has optional steel tracks and angle blade. All in all trumps both machines in video, with a newer/better/bigger cabin. And newer/better function control. And rear camera. Great video tho guys! I’m a Takeuchi faithful, have run comparable Cat, Volvo, Kubota, Doosan, and even Bobcat models, I prefer Takeuchi. Really liked the Cat 305’s and 304.5’s (mostly comfort in familiarity) and I can say Volvo has POWER! But again, I’m a huge fan of Takeuchi, price and service help as dealer is right in my hometown. Tb370 for 2021!!!
I like working with kx057, just drove one today. Very smooth and comfortable. The pushing test was kinda unfair cause the kubota tracks were pretty worn compared to the takeuchi ones.
Not much to think about Zack, get the Takeuchi 😂. Nice video guys, I’m hoping to upgrade mine this year to the TB260 so it was nice to see it in action. You can get a 260 with the angle blade too and that helps it weigh closer to the 13,000lb mark. Thanks making this video!
Try comparing machines at 5ooo hrs plus - I’ve used hire in Takeuchi when my regular mini was out for repairs and noticed faster and smoother tracking, and greater breakout power. I ended switching out yanmar for Takeuchi, just look at the boom knuckle you can see the superior build quality. The yanmar needed a line bore but the Takeuchi was still going strong despite having more hours on the clock. Even in the cab there is more steel and less plastic than most other offerings. I give Takeuchi two 👍👍
I'm not a takeuchi excavator fan..never liked them..im a john deere fan... the feel of it and the hydralics how fast they react. Takeuchi feels like a kia and deere like a lexus. Takeuchi skidsteer are top notch tho.
I use a tb260 everyday and I love the interior and those pedals are awesome we also have a bobcat e55 and it’s no comparison in terms on usability with the pedals
Cant decide between the 2 machines. Thanks for the video. Is a angle blade worth the money. Looking for a mini to help clean up along side a forestry mulcher and maybe add a fecon fmx 36 in the future
We dont have anything smaller than a 160 and have had quite a few small jobs this year that rented both takeuchi and kobota 8000lb machines for. I was impressed with both the only thing that would make me pick one over the other is cost and dealer support
I had the same thought's on the thumb. With the huge price difference the question of which one is a no brainer. See if you can find out which one has a better life span. Thanks for the video.
I whould take the Kubota. Because i like the quick change on it better (does the Takeuchi even have a quick change? I'm not sure.), the shape of the thumb is better, it has a adjustable blade and its not beeping all the time. (That whould drive me nuts when i have to work with the machine the whole day!)
I have had a 240 for just about a year and i just upgraded to a 260 yesterday ad haven’t even ran yet haven’t even signed papers yet so i am interested in the difference.
Over hire in the uk the people that hire machines out use a lot of Takeuchi for there reliability, I own and run a Takeuchi TB135 and love it and I’ve driven most other makes !. Only thing I will say against the Takeuchi is the king posts are week as in they do wear fast, it doesn’t seem to matter how much you grease them they just wear. Maybe the newer range as in the 200 series the king posts are better ?.
I know for a fact that about 10 years ago caterpillar had a really crappy blade on their mini excavators. The whole blade arms were made out of thin tubing, not solid iron. While using it with the blade on the ground, the blade actually broke off of the tractor because of that thin tubing. I'm glad I wasn't using the blade to level up on a steep hillside. That could have been dangerous or fatal. Update. 11/25/20 Cat still uses thin metal tubing on the blade arms. And it flexes making it unstable/bouncy.
I got a chance to run a vio35 and vio55 a few weeks ago and I like them very much. Except that the travel pedals are very small and too close to other pedals. But I love the ease of turning the bucket around, if you don't use the safety latch. if you're going to use the safety latch there's no point in spending the money on the hydraulic pin grabber. I wish it came with a built-in lifting eye instead of having to pay extra for it. It did seem to have more power than other machines of similar size that I've used.
We've got a whole fleet of Kubota excavators where I work from 1 ton to 8 tons, the 57 is a good machine we've got one its one of my preferred machines to operate its smooth, has decent power, has steel tracks its very stabil, there's times it feels like your in one of the KX80s you realize your not when it doesn't reach as far. You've got to go with steel tracks the rubber ones are shit they do not last, the angle blade is a useless feature, mini excavators are not meant for finish grading get the straight blade and save yourself some money.
Graveltrucking, angle blade is just for back filling. Not everyone can afford have multiple machines for every job, so sometimes a mini excavators are used for finishing grade, that’s why they make grading buckets.
@@genecoppedge5972 mini excavators would be nice for grading if they had stick steer for movement and use the other joystick for the 6 way dozer blade. There is another mini excavator on the market now that is part excavator and part skid steer loader and has all the features of both. I think it's called Mecalac. let's see a contest between the mecalac and a mini excavator and the top skid steer loader.
I’m a tall guy, I love my tb240. Lots of room, I can actually use my feet instead of my hand to track. John Deere, Kubota and cat are to small inside the cab for me.
hi chris, could you possible do a comparison with these two machines vs your VIO55 and give us your opinion of them. l have a vio35 and looking to move to a 12k lb machine thanks
IMO if you want a more comfortable smooth machine buy a Takeuchi, if if you want a machine that’ll last a life time buy the Kubota... the cabs are nice on the tak’s and they’re good for pulling grade but the jewelry on the end of the stick are not the best... vice versa for the kubotas
I've put 1200 hours on a CX60 Case great cab but that's where it ends. Very unstable and underpowered compared to our previous JD 60G. Case mini excavators are now produced by Hyundai to.
The blade on the Kubota IMO is not nearly beefy enough. Of course that hair lip already present didn't help. The 260 sounded much quieter and a much roomier cab and 15k less would be hard to pass up. Then again the speed of the pump and the reliability of the Kubota is another consideration. Tough call. but I would have to go with the 260 and be a guinea pig. Cheers from Louisiana.
In central Alabama in 2024 the Tak is $2k more than the Kubota. KTAC insurance is a good nod to Kubota, but I bought the Takeuchi due to more break-out and aux hydraulics much more.
Serious question : Why is it always a Japanese or some other Asian manufactured machine, that is the first to be considered when purchasing a new excavator ?
My neighbor bought one of the early Yanmar SV100s and it seemed to have weak swing torque compared to alot of other track hoes. Has anyone else thought this, and have they stepped the newer models power up?
I Have seen heaps of mini excavator reviews and to date no-one says anything about the quality of the steel, which is more important than the color, steel comes in a variety of tensile strengths, heavy equipment in tough conditions have to use what we have here in Bisalloy, hardened steel, starting at the base of 400 mpa, i know the logging fabricators only use Bisalloy when they make attachments, its around twice the price of mild steel and has to be welded correctly, so one cannot compare machinery without looking at the quality of the steel as this effects price.
That Takeuchi is not broken in yet. It gains some power after break in. My issue with Kubota is the lack of service from the dealer. I don’t have that problem with Takeuchi
We bought two Takeuchi’s last year brand new. The dealer sells both Takeuchi and Volvo brands so I did my due diligence on everything about the best of the two brands, the Takeuchi is the Best Buy out of any of the two and compared to the Kubota the Takeuchi is the best machine for that class. One of the ones we bought last year was a TB260. The machine has not let me down so far. But I will say this You will not see very many if all the Machine Rental Business so that in itself tell a story.
@@Diddley-js6lf so what you wanna say is that the takeuchi is better then the volvo because you don't see the volvo brand much at rental companies? I know here that volvo is much more expensive then a takeuchi i have driven a tb260 too but the tb260 couldn't handle the things like the ec55c
Both good machines. You can make the thumbs anyway you want with a welder. Seems like similar specs so assuming the extra 15k would be negotiable possibly. If local service is the same it would be a toss up to me.
i have ran both before and i think they are about the same, other than the Kubota has better hydraulics. i would take the Kubota KX057-4 over the Takeuchi TB260 personally
With how much you two deal with taking down trees I would say have him get the forestry mesh to protect the roof and windows as you know it will take one tree going the wrong way to have a window smashed and frame bent.
12 hours ,is a minimum here in Australia ,mostly 14 and 15 hours .definetly agree on the cab size .bigger cab and some where to put a smoko box would be great.lot of kubotas here based mainly on price and parts availability and back up service.
Nice to see a comparison but sadly i cant afford either one looking for a cheep one for the farm in uk . Would be nice but cant get the work to warrant one great video
The six way blade is nothing when having a skid loader or dozer on site. The company I work for has this old tak that has over 5000 hours and is still strong. If you are looking for longevity then go with tak. They are all the same when new 🤘🏽
Zach, you should talk to your sales rep at Ahern about buying that machine since you've had it since almost brand new. They might work out a good deal with you. Remember they will get you for damages when you call it off rent. They won't care about it if you buy it. I'm a rig driver for Ahern in Denver Co. and we've had customers buy equipment before. PS thanks for your business.
Selling my 2015 kx-40 only 980 hours injector went bad. now the owners manual says replace coolant lines every 2 years. coolant line to thermostat at 1200 hrs is already leaking. Yanmar has 4year 4000 hour warranty nobody has that...
Willa Herrera the guys on the east coast don’t seem to think much of the bobcat brand, in the Midwest where I’m at that’s all you’ll see as well as CAT for skid steer and then it’s all CAT and Kubota mini excavators
I never understood bobcat's mini exe's, we rented an e42 for a year and was a fantastic machine for the weight class, but as you scale up in weight the machines digging doesn't always seem to scale right. We recently bought a kx-57 this year and couldn't be happier with it, amazing machine.
Ryan Conrad we had some Cat skids and mini excivators and had nothing but problems. Leaks and complete crap service. That's not to say they aren't decent machines. My brother is a paraplegic and uses a cat skid steer because there's no foot controls.
reaperxxi we have always used the old 331 and they did the job. When we bought a 442 I fell in love with that machine. We bought an E85 that was really a great machine other than burning up a drive motor.
2013 121-3ss I have own since it had 200 hrs on it and it has 1700 right now and working everyday luv my Kubota's 2013 svl97-2 with 2100hrs & a Bradco MM72 on it mulching everyday monster with carbines On it. But up grading right now. To a bite limiter head for sure but going to keep a carbide in storage for rocky and junky area with the possibility of hitting anything. 🤔
Takeuchi is a hard act to follow in the US. IHI needs to get a firmer hold here. They are top notch compared to everything else. They get in no hurry to build anything, they jyst build them right abd top quality. That's part of the reason why they don't pursue the US market too hard, they focus on Japan mostly.
Pick out 10 major part's you will probably need in the time of ownership and price them on both machines,Then throw in a doozie part like a drive unit and I bet that kabota is way spendy.I have purchased Kabota part's for lawn and garden a lot as a mechanic of 45 year's and there really expensive.
Can’t decide between the yanmar vio 55 and the tak tb 260 Can someone please tell me how the cab size , feet/leg room compare. I’m aware one is zero swing and the other conventional swing so naturally the conventional swing would have a big cab but by how much ??? Please help haha
Question for ya, I’m trying to learn how to run an excavator. I’ve been told the best way to learn is to rent one and go at it, do you feel as though I should or should I take a class? Also the main dealers we have here are Deere and Cat, which do you prefer, and why? Someone..anyone?
It's always helpful to watch an experienced operator for a while as well. It'll help you learn the right way to make the machine work, then go at it yourself, and you'll learn your own way of operating as well, to build on the basics you learned from watching the other guy. Growing up watching my dad run heavy equipment put me years ahead of my peers in operating heavy equipment bc I knew what to make it do and when. But experience is king, so get on one and have at it, and have fun in the process
I prefer Takehuchi seems to dig better trenches because when you crowd the stick at the bottom of a ditch it tends to leave a more level bottom pulling evenly through the scoop. Other than that they're very similar.
I like Kubota products, but for 15 grand (price difference), I'd give the Tak a shot. My only reservation would be dealer service support and parts availability. No sense buying a Tak if the nearest parts/service shop is a ten-hour drive away and there's a Kubota place nearby. Kubota motors have a damn good reputation for just going forever. I don't know about how they'd stand up to blatant abuse or neglect, and I have zero experience with Tak engines at all, do they build their own, or use somebody's engines?
My brother your videos are awesome. A string and several different color spray paints and make some colored distance circles from the center of rotation. Sign old crane operator
I'd let kubota know price difference and see if they will get closer on price. I did that on a kubota k008 verses cat mini x they dropped there price to meet the cat
I have a gehl 603. It is a very impressive machine. Didnt know much about it, but couldn't pass it up for the price. Had 263 hrs, got it for half price. A repo, was at the right place and time. Has been a very good machine. Does anybody else have gehl? Thoughts.
Owner operator here, started out 15 years ago with an old Kx024, then owned from new, the following, Kx161-3, Kx 121-3 and now Kx 040-4 and a Kx 057-4. I wont have anything but Kubota, I sell/trade them at 4500 hrs and the 161-3 had a new fan belt and one of the top rollers replaced and that's all. All original pins with no evident wear. We grease the diggers every morning and whilst excess grease coming out at all joints may look unsightly, my belief is that if grease is coming out, dirt and grit etc aint getting in and the long life of the factory pins and bushes seems to prove the point.
What originally sold me on Kubota diggers is that in my area there is 4 hire companies, 3 are nationwide franchises with one a national agent for Hyundai so naturally used hyundai diggers, the second was an agent for takeuchi and again used their diggers and the third had a mix of excavator brands. The only independant hire company which was not a franchise and a sole operation used kubotas exclusively, and seeing how people treat rental gear I figured that if an independant outfit is using one brand only in their rental fleet then it must be pretty durable.
Yes, the Kubota is not the cheapest on the market (well it isn't here) but it is quality gear and lasts if maintained correctly.
I sold the 121-3 at over 4000hrs and it had nothing replaced on it, still on original rubber tracks even as was the 161-3 when I traded that in on the 057-4.
The 057-4 has just ticked over 2000 hrs and has been faultless thus far, the 040-4 has closer to 2750 hrs and has also been faultless thus far.
Not saying the Tak is no good as obviously anything sold now a days has to do what it claims or the seller would be out of business quick smart, but for me, the Kubota is my choice.
One thing that does annoy me with them is how hard would it be to put an intermittent wiper set up in them for when the rain is drizzle or intermittent... it's not rocket science ffs...
I like the thumb shape better on the Kubota.. seams to grip the log better .. price and dealer support would make the difference.... and operator comfort
Had nothing but good luck with the Takeuchi machines put thousands of hours on a TB135 and couldn’t kill it. Bought the TB260 high flow to replace it and so far it has not disappointed. You can change the way the oil flows to attachments and on the machine itself through the control console to speed up or slow down operation, honestly I preferred manual relief valves but those days are gone. I’ve run them all and didn’t think twice about what to buy.
Either machine would work but Takeuchi dealers are few and far here in IL Kubota all the way besides that if you rent the kubota they should make you a deal to buy it and as a rental you get full fresh warranty on it and a good deal since its got hours on it
The kubota seems stronger and you were able to pick the log up almost full height, i like kubota but the parts seem more expensive than others but as long as the machine gets the job done that’s all that matters 👍this was a good comparison video
I can’t fully compare as our kubby is very old and open cab vs our brand new tb260. Kubby has some significant hours on it and it has made its money threefold at this point. I’ve been extremely interested in the new tb370 as the overall size is comparable to the 260 (5x) vs the 370 (6x-7x, kind of in-betweenish), but the ca. On the 370!!!! Oh THAT CAB!!! The Takeuchi tb370 has THE MOST comfortable and usable cab for a mini I’ve ever seen! Up to par for 2021 in technology. And the layout is excellent. And work hrs just fly by in complete comfort. Also with the tb370, the flow controls for all 3 sets of hydraulics is digitally adjustable from the touch screen in the cab while running it. Kinda how they were saying the Kubby is faster, and how he dropped the log on the first try, cuz the thumb speed is off timing with the bucket curl speed. With this machine all of that is finely adjustable. A half hr to sit with it and adjust the speeds of your tools/attachments and you’ll have yourself the perfect machine for YOU and YOUR work. Oh, and the 370 has optional steel tracks and angle blade. All in all trumps both machines in video, with a newer/better/bigger cabin. And newer/better function control. And rear camera. Great video tho guys! I’m a Takeuchi faithful, have run comparable Cat, Volvo, Kubota, Doosan, and even Bobcat models, I prefer Takeuchi. Really liked the Cat 305’s and 304.5’s (mostly comfort in familiarity) and I can say Volvo has POWER! But again, I’m a huge fan of Takeuchi, price and service help as dealer is right in my hometown. Tb370 for 2021!!!
If we talk about power and fuel, which brand would you recommend, I couldn't decide whether the kubato Kx080 and the takeuchi tb280
Could the hydraulics have been faster cus it has been broken in more then the Takeuchi? Just a thought.
Brian Gardiner Kubota hydraulics are always the latest and greatest.
Nobody ever beats Kubota hydraulics.
no
@@guy5322 yanmar would kick its butt
@@oldredcoonhound2182 or cat
Liebherr🥵
Also look at warranty, service, availability of parts like filters fittings etc.Thanks Chris for sharing this with us.
When you used the Takeuchi, did the arm stall at that height under that weight? I noticed the Kubota's arm extended a little higher.
How bout digging? and ease of holding a flat bottom in the dig? Who makes the better diesel and hydraulic pump?
I like working with kx057, just drove one today. Very smooth and comfortable. The pushing test was kinda unfair cause the kubota tracks were pretty worn compared to the takeuchi ones.
I guess it comes down to price and dealer service "huh". Good video Chris, stay safe out there.
I prefer the Takeuchi, especially the TB35. Zero swing oscillating boom, great for working close to the house for doing waterproofing
Same here. Every tak I've ran was like operating a robot not a machine . I've been fascinated with them since lol
Are those long leaf pines? Or sugar pines?
Either those are very heavy logs. That's I
Definitely slow growth pines tight rings and good lumber
What about Gal per Hr how do they compare there.
Great video guy’s! I would be interested in the comparison to the Yanmar Chris?
Not much to think about Zack, get the Takeuchi 😂. Nice video guys, I’m hoping to upgrade mine this year to the TB260 so it was nice to see it in action. You can get a 260 with the angle blade too and that helps it weigh closer to the 13,000lb mark. Thanks making this video!
Elite Earthworks LLC awesome video comparing the two machines me and you talked about lol..
Allen Breedlove I know I thought the exact same thing lol!
Elite Earthworks LLC friend of mine bought the 260 and had constant pin problems
Somehow I knew you would say Takeuchi, lol . Seems you have a lot of time with Takeuchi.
Louisiana Dirt 218 that’s right! The past 8 years it’s been all Takeuchi! Lol
Try comparing machines at 5ooo hrs plus - I’ve used hire in Takeuchi when my regular mini was out for repairs and noticed faster and smoother tracking, and greater breakout power. I ended switching out yanmar for Takeuchi, just look at the boom knuckle you can see the superior build quality. The yanmar needed a line bore but the Takeuchi was still going strong despite having more hours on the clock. Even in the cab there is more steel and less plastic than most other offerings. I give Takeuchi two 👍👍
i thought so too
I'm not a takeuchi excavator fan..never liked them..im a john deere fan... the feel of it and the hydralics how fast they react. Takeuchi feels like a kia and deere like a lexus. Takeuchi skidsteer are top notch tho.
One machine may cost less to purchase. Which one is the lowest cost in the long run?
We have a E55 Bobcat and the cab on the Takeuchi is impressive I would love the full foot pedals.
I use a tb260 everyday and I love the interior and those pedals are awesome we also have a bobcat e55 and it’s no comparison in terms on usability with the pedals
Boys and there toys, the tak has the American size cab so farmer Jon can use it
Cant decide between the 2 machines. Thanks for the video. Is a angle blade worth the money. Looking for a mini to help clean up along side a forestry mulcher and maybe add a fecon fmx 36 in the future
What about access? As in, is there much difference in how accessible all the maintenance points are?
We dont have anything smaller than a 160 and have had quite a few small jobs this year that rented both takeuchi and kobota 8000lb machines for. I was impressed with both the only thing that would make me pick one over the other is cost and dealer support
I had the same thought's on the thumb. With the huge price difference the question of which one is a no brainer. See if you can find out which one has a better life span. Thanks for the video.
I whould take the Kubota. Because i like the quick change on it better (does the Takeuchi even have a quick change? I'm not sure.), the shape of the thumb is better, it has a adjustable blade and its not beeping all the time. (That whould drive me nuts when i have to work with the machine the whole day!)
Been running a TB-290 absolutely love it but haven’t ran Kubota don’t have a good dealer support for them anyway
Chris Andert I want to upgrade my tb153 to a 290. They are beast!
I have had a 240 for just about a year and i just upgraded to a 260 yesterday ad haven’t even ran yet haven’t even signed papers yet so i am interested in the difference.
Over hire in the uk the people that hire machines out use a lot of Takeuchi for there reliability, I own and run a Takeuchi TB135 and love it and I’ve driven most other makes !. Only thing I will say against the Takeuchi is the king posts are week as in they do wear fast, it doesn’t seem to matter how much you grease them they just wear. Maybe the newer range as in the 200 series the king posts are better ?.
How much are they in pound sterling !??
great video, what did Zack buy?
Kubota 057
Nothing beats a tb260, bloody good machines never had any problems with ours
mbslg86 Takeuchi for the win!
I know for a fact that about 10 years ago caterpillar had a really crappy blade on their mini excavators. The whole blade arms were made out of thin tubing, not solid iron. While using it with the blade on the ground, the blade actually broke off of the tractor because of that thin tubing.
I'm glad I wasn't using the blade to level up on a steep hillside. That could have been dangerous or fatal.
Update. 11/25/20
Cat still uses thin metal tubing on the blade arms. And it flexes making it unstable/bouncy.
I've seen alot of these yanmars, do you think they're good excavators, far as price, its functions, power and last
I got a chance to run a vio35 and vio55 a few weeks ago and I like them very much. Except that the travel pedals are very small and too close to other pedals.
But I love the ease of turning the bucket around, if you don't use the safety latch. if you're going to use the safety latch there's no point in spending the money on the hydraulic pin grabber. I wish it came with a built-in lifting eye instead of having to pay extra for it. It did seem to have more power than other machines of similar size that I've used.
I'd go more by who's more reliable, and what dealer is closer/better.
We've got a whole fleet of Kubota excavators where I work from 1 ton to 8 tons, the 57 is a good machine we've got one its one of my preferred machines to operate its smooth, has decent power, has steel tracks its very stabil, there's times it feels like your in one of the KX80s you realize your not when it doesn't reach as far. You've got to go with steel tracks the rubber ones are shit they do not last, the angle blade is a useless feature, mini excavators are not meant for finish grading get the straight blade and save yourself some money.
Graveltrucking, angle blade is just for back filling. Not everyone can afford have multiple machines for every job, so sometimes a mini excavators are used for finishing grade, that’s why they make grading buckets.
@@genecoppedge5972 mini excavators would be nice for grading if they had stick steer for movement and use the other joystick for the 6 way dozer blade.
There is another mini excavator on the market now that is part excavator and part skid steer loader and has all the features of both.
I think it's called Mecalac.
let's see a contest between the mecalac and a mini excavator and the top skid steer loader.
@@TF856 that makes sense, I saw the new cats have that I I didn't get the point of it. That makes more sense now.
I’m a tall guy, I love my tb240. Lots of room, I can actually use my feet instead of my hand to track. John Deere, Kubota and cat are to small inside the cab for me.
Is the thumb operation on the Takeuchi typically via joystick control or foot?
Joystick
hi chris, could you possible do a comparison with these two machines vs your VIO55 and give us your opinion of them. l have a vio35 and looking to move to a 12k lb machine
thanks
i think I could put the kubota and yanmar up the same challenge
IMO if you want a more comfortable smooth machine buy a Takeuchi, if if you want a machine that’ll last a life time buy the Kubota... the cabs are nice on the tak’s and they’re good for pulling grade but the jewelry on the end of the stick are not the best... vice versa for the kubotas
What are their controls like, electric over hydraulic, or hydraulic over hydraulic
Hydraulic pilots on both
The tak has factory dual auxiliary hyds. Just pair it up with werk brau pin grabber coupler and thumb. Done
Great video, I’m looking at the Yanmar VIO55, Kubota and Case. Anyone have an opinion or experience with any of these new mini-excavators
I've put 1200 hours on a CX60 Case great cab but that's where it ends. Very unstable and underpowered compared to our previous JD 60G. Case mini excavators are now produced by Hyundai to.
ThConstruction thanks for the update on case mini-Excavator
If we talk about power and fuel, which brand would you recommend, I couldn't decide whether the kubato Kx080 and the takeuchi tb280
Will the dealer apply any of the rent toward the purchase? When i bought mine i got 80% of rent towards purchase for the first three months
Tb260 more precise and smooth , better cabin,service friendly....
The blade on the Kubota IMO is not nearly beefy enough. Of course that hair lip already present didn't help. The 260 sounded much quieter and a much roomier cab and 15k less would be hard to pass up. Then again the speed of the pump and the reliability of the Kubota is another consideration.
Tough call. but I would have to go with the 260 and be a guinea pig.
Cheers from Louisiana.
In central Alabama in 2024 the Tak is $2k more than the Kubota. KTAC insurance is a good nod to Kubota, but I bought the Takeuchi due to more break-out and aux hydraulics much more.
Chris, are you ever going to do a video comparing the Mecalac to any of those machines? Or would that be an unfair comparison? 😃
Never heard of Mecalac, very interesting. Seems the French engineers are very innovative.
Serious question : Why is it always a Japanese or some other Asian manufactured machine, that is the first to be considered when purchasing a new excavator ?
Looks like it comes down to price. Ron
Hey Chris. Where is the Vio55 ??
It has a cab too. Lol.
My neighbor bought one of the early Yanmar SV100s and it seemed to have weak swing torque compared to alot of other track hoes. Has anyone else thought this, and have they stepped the newer models power up?
What's the price on the units? The "used" kabota may be his best bet
I Have seen heaps of mini excavator reviews and to date no-one says anything about the quality of the steel, which is more important than the color, steel comes in a variety of tensile strengths, heavy equipment in tough conditions have to use what we have here in Bisalloy, hardened steel, starting at the base of 400 mpa, i know the logging fabricators only use Bisalloy when they make attachments, its around twice the price of mild steel and has to be welded correctly, so one cannot compare machinery without looking at the quality of the steel as this effects price.
That Takeuchi is not broken in yet. It gains some power after break in. My issue with Kubota is the lack of service from the dealer. I don’t have that problem with Takeuchi
Looking to get a new kx057, But takeout looks like a stronger machine, may have to rethink this
Go with the Kubota. I've got a 40 and it's an awesome machine! It does a lot more than it's spec'd to do.
You should try a volvo ec55c against a takeuchi😉
We bought two Takeuchi’s last year brand new. The dealer sells both Takeuchi and Volvo brands so I did my due diligence on everything about the best of the two brands, the Takeuchi is the Best Buy out of any of the two and compared to the Kubota the Takeuchi is the best machine for that class. One of the ones we bought last year was a TB260. The machine has not let me down so far. But I will say this You will not see very many if all the Machine Rental Business so that in itself tell a story.
@@Diddley-js6lf so what you wanna say is that the takeuchi is better then the volvo because you don't see the volvo brand much at rental companies? I know here that volvo is much more expensive then a takeuchi i have driven a tb260 too but the tb260 couldn't handle the things like the ec55c
how does the tac compare to the yanmar?
I've got 1400 hrs on my Kubota 057 in the last year and a half I have nothing but good things to say about it. It's been great
Wouldn't it be easier to get a chipper instead of hauling brush?
Both good machines. You can make the thumbs anyway you want with a welder. Seems like similar specs so assuming the extra 15k would be negotiable possibly. If local service is the same it would be a toss up to me.
i have ran both before and i think they are about the same, other than the Kubota has better hydraulics. i would take the Kubota KX057-4 over the Takeuchi TB260 personally
the space in the Takeuchi looks really nice all the Kubota machines iv ran always seems just a bit to cramped :/
With how much you two deal with taking down trees I would say have him get the forestry mesh to protect the roof and windows as you know it will take one tree going the wrong way to have a window smashed and frame bent.
Chris when are u going back to the pond project
tomorrow
I like the cab on the Tak. That extra cab room would be great when you have 12 hours days in there.
12 hours ,is a minimum here in Australia ,mostly 14 and 15 hours .definetly agree on the cab size .bigger cab and some where to put a smoko box would be great.lot of kubotas here based mainly on price and parts availability and back up service.
Ive drivin takeuchi's before, and I can tell you that I prefer the sound of the Kubota! The deeper sound of the engine is less irritating.
Nice to see a comparison but sadly i cant afford either one looking for a cheep one for the farm in uk . Would be nice but cant get the work to warrant one great video
These are the two best machines in this class without exception. Interested to see how they do as im an owner of both brands
The six way blade is nothing when having a skid loader or dozer on site. The company I work for has this old tak that has over 5000 hours and is still strong. If you are looking for longevity then go with tak. They are all the same when new 🤘🏽
In canada those machines cost 20 to 30 k more. So tired of getting gauged here compared to us.
No kidding,us Canadians are royalty getting fucked!
Well when your money's not worth as much that's what happens.
Unfortunately even when were on par it was still the same. They reason that its to do with tariffs and geography and market size. Bullshit mostly.
Kubota looked much faster. I love my 080. Looking at an 040 now.
In The takeuchi you have a power button to make it go faster ta
Zach, you should talk to your sales rep at Ahern about buying that machine since you've had it since almost brand new. They might work out a good deal with you. Remember they will get you for damages when you call it off rent. They won't care about it if you buy it. I'm a rig driver for Ahern in Denver Co. and we've had customers buy equipment before. PS thanks for your business.
That's where I bought my 2 used excavators & new skid steer but in Oxnard, CA. Beats a hand shovel any day, lol.
Just a local heads up from Canada.That KUBOTA IN 2023 now retails for 137,500 as of june/23.WOW.Inflation.Taxes in.
Selling my 2015 kx-40 only 980 hours injector went bad. now the owners manual says replace coolant lines every 2 years. coolant line to thermostat at 1200 hrs is already leaking. Yanmar has 4year 4000 hour warranty nobody has that...
How do you guys feel about the bobcat minis? They seem to really work well for us.
Willa Herrera the guys on the east coast don’t seem to think much of the bobcat brand, in the Midwest where I’m at that’s all you’ll see as well as CAT for skid steer and then it’s all CAT and Kubota mini excavators
I never understood bobcat's mini exe's, we rented an e42 for a year and was a fantastic machine for the weight class, but as you scale up in weight the machines digging doesn't always seem to scale right.
We recently bought a kx-57 this year and couldn't be happier with it, amazing machine.
Ryan Conrad we had some Cat skids and mini excivators and had nothing but problems. Leaks and complete crap service. That's not to say they aren't decent machines. My brother is a paraplegic and uses a cat skid steer because there's no foot controls.
reaperxxi we have always used the old 331 and they did the job. When we bought a 442 I fell in love with that machine. We bought an E85 that was really a great machine other than burning up a drive motor.
What brand thumb is on the Kubota?
2013 121-3ss I have own since it had 200 hrs on it and it has 1700 right now and working everyday luv my
Kubota's 2013 svl97-2 with 2100hrs & a Bradco MM72 on it mulching everyday monster with carbines
On it. But up grading right now. To a bite limiter head for sure but going to keep a carbide in storage for rocky and junky area with the possibility of hitting anything. 🤔
Takeuchi is a hard act to follow in the US. IHI needs to get a firmer hold here. They are top notch compared to everything else. They get in no hurry to build anything, they jyst build them right abd top quality. That's part of the reason why they don't pursue the US market too hard, they focus on Japan mostly.
Pick out 10 major part's you will probably need in the time of ownership and price them on both machines,Then throw in a doozie part like a drive unit and I bet that kabota is way spendy.I have purchased Kabota part's for lawn and garden a lot as a mechanic of 45 year's and there really expensive.
Should have tested the sound with the machines. Quieter machine would be nicer for a days work.
Can’t decide between the yanmar vio 55 and the tak tb 260 Can someone please tell me how the cab size , feet/leg room compare. I’m aware one is zero swing and the other conventional swing so naturally the conventional swing would have a big cab but by how much ??? Please help haha
Are these the same size as your yanmar?
What about price and avaibilty of parts replacement.
Question for ya, I’m trying to learn how to run an excavator. I’ve been told the best way to learn is to rent one and go at it, do you feel as though I should or should I take a class?
Also the main dealers we have here are Deere and Cat, which do you prefer, and why?
Someone..anyone?
We got them for the farm & just went at it. Watched a bunch of videos for tips though, lol.
It's always helpful to watch an experienced operator for a while as well. It'll help you learn the right way to make the machine work, then go at it yourself, and you'll learn your own way of operating as well, to build on the basics you learned from watching the other guy. Growing up watching my dad run heavy equipment put me years ahead of my peers in operating heavy equipment bc I knew what to make it do and when. But experience is king, so get on one and have at it, and have fun in the process
Nice video Chris I think kubota is the way
Subscribe to my RUclips channel Nick Klubek
@@nickklubek1768 trolling other people's RUclips channel for subscribers is A DOUCHE MOVE
Brian Webber yup
Brian Webber 🤣yep
I know what one I would buy, now lets see how the contest goes. Either way I would buy the Takeuchi.
Which machine was smoother to run?
I prefer Takehuchi seems to dig better trenches because when you crowd the stick at the bottom of a ditch it tends to leave a more level bottom pulling evenly through the scoop. Other than that they're very similar.
Which machine has the quieter cab?
I like Kubota products, but for 15 grand (price difference), I'd give the Tak a shot. My only reservation would be dealer service support and parts availability. No sense buying a Tak if the nearest parts/service shop is a ten-hour drive away and there's a Kubota place nearby. Kubota motors have a damn good reputation for just going forever. I don't know about how they'd stand up to blatant abuse or neglect, and I have zero experience with Tak engines at all, do they build their own, or use somebody's engines?
If i am correct they use kubota engines.
The Takeuchi run Yammer engines in most of them.
@@mattsuploads5762 well yanmar is a great engine...
You can get parts for Takeuchi machines no problem at all. It's a new machine, the service comes to you.
My brother your videos are awesome. A string and several different color spray paints and make some colored distance circles from the center of rotation. Sign old crane operator
A 10ft and 20 ft colored circle would cover that
Hey Chris, what is the HP of each?
I'd let kubota know price difference and see if they will get closer on price.
I did that on a kubota k008 verses cat mini x they dropped there price to meet the cat
I have a gehl 603. It is a very impressive machine. Didnt know much about it, but couldn't pass it up for the price. Had 263 hrs, got it for half price. A repo, was at the right place and time. Has been a very good machine. Does anybody else have gehl? Thoughts.
What machine is your personal favorite for a mini excavator brand ?
Wish I had one them to clean out my fence rows.....
When are you going to check out the Menzie Muck????
WHY not compare to the yanmar 55?
He should check out the Yanmar brand. There's a video comparing three brands. Kubota, Cat and Yanmar.
The Takeuchi comes with a Yanmar Motor