Best mini Excavator for the money

[Allgood]

I have to respectfully disagree with the Cat crowd. I still have a couple of Cat machines but there just flat out isn't any comparison between a Cat and a Takeuchi. My last choice would be Bobcat. I really disliked the Bobcats I had. If I couldn't get a Takeuchi, I'd go with a Kubota.

IMHO, you pay a premium for the Cat name if you get one new or fairly new and you don't get any better resale than most other brands because it's no secret that it costs you an arm and a leg to get parts. If I'm not mistaken, the Cat 304 uses a Mitsu engine anyway. I'm not very fond of the Mitsu engine at all. I really like the Kubota and Yanmar engines though. If I were going to pay the money for a Cat, I'd at least want a Cat machine. The Takeuchi and Kubota machines just had much better control to them and were more efficient at the end of a day's work.

 

[adv.wastewater]

Idk what takeuchi's you guys have been running bc Ive ran 2. The first was a 153 I think and it wasn't impressive at all, and then a few weeks ago I had q 175 on demo for about 15 minutes before I called the salesman and told him to come get that piece of $***! also, when's the last time you guys have seen a takeuchiservice truck running around? I've never even seen a takeuchi dealership, only ones I know of are the case dealer. So you know getting service is a problem, and on top of that, how the hell do you get parts if there's no dealer? I wouldn't have one of the 2 I've ran if they gave them to me. But everybody has opinions and if they work for you and are making you money then stick with them.

 

[DGODGR]

Allgood, I know this won't sway you towards the Cats but the entire excavator (all the way up to the 330 for US market[I believe]) is made in Japan at the Mitsubishi factory. Most small loaders and dozers are as well. From waht I heard Cat bought the Mitsubishi factory so that they could be allowed into the Japanese market. Apparently Japan consumes more excavators than the rest of the world combined. In the agreement Cat builds the excavators and Mitsubishi builds the fork lifts. I am a fan of Cat equipment (they have earned it) but I thought I would try to set the record straight. BTW I agree about the Bobcats as they have earned that opinion as well.

 

[CM1995]

On the terms of parts and service in the Birmingham, AL area I agree with Adv Wastewater on picking a Cat over a Tak. There is NO comparison between the two dealers. The Tak, Kobelco, Case dealer in B'ham is a three ring circus to say the least. Comparable parts are 25-50% higher at this dealer than the Cat dealer, that is literally across the street.

Dealership service, parts availability and parts pricing are very important in any equipment purchase decision. Dealership quality, regardless of brand, varies from location to location. I would throughly investigate the selling dealer because you will be dealing with them long after the sale.

 

[Jim Dandy]

I have a 8000lb Yanmar VIO 35-2 with 2050 hours and have had very minor problems over the 2000 hrs. Some blown hydraulic lines, new sprokets and idlers, noisy fanbelt, and a starter rebuild that I am not sure was necessary. Very durable unit that has been asked to do more than it probably should have.

 

[UNCLETONY]

I bought a Deere 35CZTS new six years ago. It now has around 2,000 hours and still runs strong. It is very nice and and the hydraulics are very quick. I have only had to replace the tracks, and replace a boom cylinder cover (plus service of course). Undercarriage is going to need to be replaced within a year but that will be simple, I can't justify it just yet (machine needs to be working).

One thing I would consider is getting a two speed, I think most have this option now. I had dirt and rocks under my foot switch and it was two weeks before I got it back to the shop and cleaned up. I felt soooooo slow driving around the job. If you are working on larger sites it is beneficial. If you do a lot of small jobs it is not necessary.

 

[CATcountry]

takeuchis seem to be very different from one another, poor quality control or somethin, kubotas are nice but the dealers here suck, best bet is tryem all pic the one you like. Mines a 305 CCR 1k hrs and strong.
Frank

 

[KSSS]

takeuchis seem to be very different from one another, poor quality control or somethin, kubotas are nice but the dealers here suck, best bet is tryem all pic the one you like. Mines a 305 CCR 1k hrs and strong.
Frank

TK having poor quality control? Never heard any say that before. I really like the TK 153 machine. I had a 53 before that. The ability of the TK zero swing/zero tail machines (138, 153, 180) over a typical swing swing boom machine is significant. They lift a lot more due to the swing mechanism being closer to the center of the machine. They offset dig much more effectively for the same reason. Loading trucks is a breeze because the stick can be moved all the way to the right and it loads like a conventional excavator with the stick coming up along side the cab of the machine. The breakout at the bucket is very good.

When I bought this 153 I looked at the 305CCR which was just released at that time. The CCR is much better than the previous CAT mini ex series which in my opinion was a POS. However the advantages that the 153 brings to the table over the 305 put it way over the top. The CAT did have a much nicer cab, and the angle dozer blade was cool. The CAT was also 12K more. I compared the values of the CAT mini ex machines on IP and found they don't bring any more than any of the other major players. Still if your predisposed to buy a certain color it isn't going to matter. However the zero swing TK excavator in my mind is a great piece of gear.

 

[Allgood]

However the zero swing TK excavator in my mind is a great piece of gear.

I put over 100 hours on my Tak TB145 in the last month working a job with a friend who has a larger JD 190. Fortunately the weather has been mild and I don't really miss not having a cab. My machine made a Tak fan out of him. The JD 190 is no slouch and we ran them hard clearing an area for a subdivision; tearing out old foundations from all sorts of old farm buildings and what seems like a million tree stumps. On paper I shouldn't have been able to do much besides clean up after him. Working in the field the little Tak 145 darn near could do everything the JD 190 could, and that JD 190 is a sweet machine.

 

[KSSS]

I put over 100 hours on my Tak TB145 in the last month working a job with a friend who has a larger JD 190. Fortunately the weather has been mild and I don't really miss not having a cab. My machine made a Tak fan out of him. The JD 190 is no slouch and we ran them hard clearing an area for a subdivision; tearing out old foundations from all sorts of old farm buildings and what seems like a million tree stumps. On paper I shouldn't have been able to do much besides clean up after him. Working in the field the little Tak 145 darn near could do everything the JD 190 could, and that JD 190 is a sweet machine.

I will bet if you check the bucket breakout force between the 145 and the 190 there probably is not as big a difference as one might think.

 

[Allgood]

I will bet if you check the bucket breakout force between the 145 and the 190 there probably is not as big a difference as one might think.

You know, I don't have any idea what the specs are for a JD190. All I know is that it weighs a few thousand pounds more and looks a good bit bigger. I'm not at all implying it's a bad machine but rather surprised what the little Tak 145 will do. It obviously doesn't compare to the JD590 I used when digging my lake, but there's a huge difference in machines then.

 

[morrison84]

I have a Komatsu PC50UU-1, which is nice but seems hard to repair. Actually, if anyone out there knows how to get into and free up the operating linkage under the control arm, that info would be appreciated.

 

[Hendrik]

I have a Komatsu PC50UU-1, which is nice but seems hard to repair. Actually, if anyone out there knows how to get into and free up the operating linkage under the control arm, that info would be appreciated.

I am a tad confused, are you talking about the off set boom linkages?

 

[Mavrickxxx]

Have any of guys run Komatsu I gotta pc 27 mr n it's got over 3000 hrs it's extremly fast machine n strong I have to replace bottom of grading blade I've wore it out. Anything I get bucket under it picks or pulls. A completly amazing machineive run all the others n definty agree on the bobcat being slightly better than an omish backhoe. I've had zero issues with machine n it's been used hard. My advice would be get a cheap onenow n get used to an ex. Then go buy what u r looking for if u spend enough time on it ull no exactly what u r looking for n what features options. Then when u try out ull no what u want.alotta dealerships do monthly rentals

 

[DGODGR]

Have any of guys run Komatsu I gotta pc 27 mr n it's got over 3000 hrs it's extremly fast machine n strong I have to replace bottom of grading blade I've wore it out. Anything I get bucket under it picks or pulls. A completly amazing machineive run all the others n definty agree on the bobcat being slightly better than an omish backhoe. I've had zero issues with machine n it's been used hard. My advice would be get a cheap onenow n get used to an ex. Then go buy what u r looking for if u spend enough time on it ull no exactly what u r looking for n what features options. Then when u try out ull no what u want.alotta dealerships do monthly rentals

I request that you type instead of text. I may have dated myself with that comment, but I just find it very difficult to read.
Thanks

 

[BarnStarFarm]

You've probably already decided and bought your ex by now but I wanted to weigh in on the Takeuchi bandwagon. We are resurrecting a 200 yr old farm out of the forest and hunted far and wide for an excavator that we could haul with our old F-800 but still have large stump-digging power as well as the ability to assist with raising timberframes. After 6 months of research, driving hours to try out models and asking everyone we knew who had an opinion we bought a 99 Takeuchi TB070. It had high hours but everything was tight and there were no drip spots underneath. This thing has been a powerhouse and has done everything we've asked and a lot more. It had dug up an old maple stump that went to China and a ton of other stumps, moved a gazillion yards of rocks and dirt from one side of the farm to the other (making a hayfield out of a hill), held up the old porch while we frantically got 6X6 supports underneath, raised a pergola on a job site, dug footings, filled holes, pulled the dumptruck out of every type of stuck imaginable... I could go on and on but you get the idea. The only challenge has been mentioned- there aren't many Takeuchi dealers around. We've had real good luck with Nat'l Attachments and Parts Alternatives here in Maine, and reading the HEforums has taught us a lot. Glad y'all are here and glad we stumbled onto you!

 

[BarnStarFarm]

Forgot one vital detail- WOULD NOT get one without a hydraulic thumb! Or have one installed ASAP. It's invaluable! Especially for taking down trees, stumping and moving big rocks.

 

[xr_guys]

Picking up my new CAT 304CCR today, cab+air, hydraulic thumb.

You'll love that machine, i have a 304cr, this thing can do amazing size of work.

xr

 

[Kingston]

Kubota 161-1

 

[Oregon logger]

What about a Jcb like an 8040, i've spent alot of time on this machine, it's a fast well built machine. Jcb may not be huge in america, but they are in the rest of the world. I seen these on sale here localy for $29000. the dealer has lots of left over stock they need to move