Short radius machines

[Case215]

New to heavy equipment and have a few questions. Looking to purchase a machine and have some short radius machines locally for sale
What is the difference in say a case cx140 and a cx145c sr

The 145 looks so much smaller will it handle knocking and digging trees up?
I only have a hand full of big trees to knock down then the rest is small stuff and ditch digging would i regret going with a 130 or 145 sr
I know a 140 can handle what i need from hiring my neighbor.
I have a 160 im looking at but i think its to much machine after i get finished what im doing.
Salesman around here are just trying to sell not really explain things

 

[Deere500a]

145 zero clearance machine ie counterweight at the 3'0 clock position don't hang outside track frame,tight to work on but right in tight spots not having to watch the rear

 

[John Shipp]

Short Radius machines are pretty stable really. The counterweight is a bit heavier than conventional machine which helps, and the track frames often a link longer on the rails. Very handy if working in trees or where space is limited. As Deere500a said, components are squeezed in there so need to be creative to maintain SR machines. I don't know exactly but a cx140 probably has greater than a 2 1/2 ft overhang, almost 3 ft. The cx145 would overhang maybe 8" or something like that.

 

[MG84]

Generally speaking the conventional machines and their zero tail swing counterparts specs out and preform similar. For instance the Case CX130 conventional (now the CX140) is very similar size and performance wise to the CX145 zero tail. To make up the balance difference the zero tail models are a lot heavier. Another example would be a 210 conventional vs a 235 or 245 zero tail.

My brother runs a Linkbelt 145x4 (same as the Case CX145) and they use it for clearing house sites and digging foundations in the mountains on steep/tight lots. Plenty of size and power for most clearing and heavy digging. That said, unless you are working in tight quarters there is no reason to run a zero tail swing machine. They are a lot heavier to transport and some of the maintenance and repairs can be a nightmare.

 

[Deere500a]

Sumitomo mom & her kids link belt & Case all Isuzu engines similar specs but color.Numbers are a tall Hitich/Sumitomo ie 225 145 Komatsu 308/228/138 reduced back side over 0 digit ie 140.How long are you planning to keep a year/500hrs clearing land? Maintenance filters location how easy to service. Don't trust engine hours/paint/sells for condition have it checked 3rd party

 

[Case215]

Sumitomo mom & her kids link belt & Case all Isuzu engines similar specs but color.Numbers are a tall Hitich/Sumitomo ie 225 145 Komatsu 308/228/138 reduced back side over 0 digit ie 140.How long are you planning to keep a year/500hrs clearing land? Maintenance filters location how easy to service. Don't trust engine hours/paint/sells for condition have it checked 3rd party

Maybe 100 hrs a year…i want to rent my dad an uncle wanna buy something ready to go…also my uncle wants to dig a pond. I dont want to spend more then 35 they are willing to go to 80…they just want a big toy

 

[Deere500a]

How cards fell not looking zero clearance hp class Cat 320 is price & 14000 hrs same as a newer Link belt 145 nice 4000 hrs no thumb but girls like a long stick same Case 145

 

[AMBMike]

Reduced radius machines are great if most of your work is in tight areas but as others have mentioned can be a real pain to work on.

I didn't have any statistics to prove this but it seems to me like the reduced radius machines have more damaged panels and access doors than their conventional counterparts. It's almost like without the tail to watch the operators assume they can go anywhere...

 

[willie59]

Conventional vs zero tail swing excavator. For same class, pretty much the same capacity, but zero tail swing will be heavier because they don't have comparable counterweight geometry compared to conventional. So the question is do you need reduced radius or not? From a mechanic point of view, zero tail swing machines, I don't care what size, are a PITA to work on because they're basically 10 lbs of crap stuffed into a 5 lb sack. Once worked on a 130 class Doosan, looking from above I could see the slew rotation gearbox was loose and moving, but can't get to it. To repair it, I had to remove the counterweight and the engine, only then could I get to the slew gearing. Zero tail swing is nice, but for sure a PITA to work on. And if you're hiring an outside mechanic to do repairs, hang on to your wallet.

 

[CrusherRatN14]

Maybe 100 hrs a year…i want to rent my dad an uncle wanna buy something ready to go…also my uncle wants to dig a pond. I dont want to spend more then 35 they are willing to go to 80…they just want a big toy

$80,000 seems pretty extreme for 100 hours a year. Just my opinion. Should be able to get a fairly decent machine for around 30k