Best mini excavator?

[Georgia Iron]

My 7300 lb cat would sometimes have problems breaking through 3.5 to 4 inch roots or bigger roots. If you use a small 1' bucket it will go through roots better. I picked up stumps that would tip the machine even if you had the blade down and held it as low as you could. I would just bang them against the trailer and let sorta of roll onto the trailer. It would also make poping noises from the chasis when over loaded. A skid steer could not pick up the stump I am talking about another man tried and had to leave it at the job. I would guess the stump was close to 3500 lbs. I did have to de-dirt it before I could even get it to lift.

My 11,000 lbs TB145 Tak. Is one hell of a small machine. Being made as a TB250 now. Seems like ALL the rental companys use tak machines. Just look around they take abuse and put out. It comes with a 2 foot bucket. But I like to run a 1 foot bucket for trees and pipe work. It will pull through any root I can think of. As a matter of fact sometimes if the root wont break it will just pull the hole tree up and over and out of the ground. It is so strong that I have not been around any tree removal that stopped me. I dont dig up 3 and 4 foot diameter tree with it though. Any thing that feels like it could crush me on the machine, I will use a saw on then dig it up.

I think you will be able to clear your drainage ditches with the smaller machine. Just dont get pissed when you lock onto something and the arm pulls the machine foward instead of digging it up. Cause that is normally what happens if the machine runs right....



As far as the zero tail swing. I think it sucks. The machines run rougher and bang you around more. With a normal tail swing the weight is balanced better and you have a bigger cab and it is nicer to sit in all day. But it also sucks when you hit something with the ass end of your machine as you WILL DO. Hopefully it wont be a truck or building cause it really screws them up..... and if you hit the corners with the CAT machines there weak fiberglass tail corners will break all to pieces and they will cost you close to $400 to replace. Even if you tap a Small trees in woods it will ruin them and your machine will start to look bad quick.

The tak has an armored rear end that can take a hit..

 

[Georgia Iron]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/for/3144269601.html

Here is one heck of a deal on a small excavator.

2002 Takeuchi TB-135 Mini Excavator 1770 hours, owner operated, tracks have 100 hours, thumb, quick connect hydrolics, two foot bucket, no leaks, backfill blade

 

[kurtfromct]

WOW that looks like 1 heck of a deal!

 

[Georgia Iron]

Best mini?

$13,000 seems like a very fair asking price. I forgot to put the price I saw in the other post.

I do know that newer CAT excavators seem to get a higher resell price. But they also start out at a higher price when new. For those that dont know you can pull any trailer up to 10,000 lbs without a special CDL license. So a 7000 or so lbs machine and trailer is about the limit on a normal Class C license.

When you move into a 8000 lbs machine and heavier normally it will put your total trailer weight over requiring a class A CDL same that tractor trailers drivers need. Some guys will use just a flat bed truck like a F700 to move the slightly larger machines without a special license. Those trucks weight around 12,500 lbs and a 11,000 or 5 ton excavator will still keep you under a 26,000 gvw for a single truck. Most states will require you to register the truck as a commerical vehicle if it weights over 10,000 lbs and is used for business. But you can still drive the truck with a Class C FYI.

I also would like to make another comment on the ZERO tail swing machines. IF you do site work around buildings and work close along walls, I would advise to only look for a ZERO tail swing machine.. I have been able to get by without it, but there have been times when I could have worked a little faster with it. It allows you to focus on just the front of the machine, making sure you dont hit anything with the boom and bucket. It is more simple to use.... The conv. tail swing you must keep an eye on what is around your rear and sides mostly. I sometimes put the back fill blade towards the tight side so that it help me from walking the machine to close to an obstructon.

Also as machine size increase so does the boom size. The larger the boom the harder it is to use under power lines and such. BUT you can dig a lot of jobs sitting further away form the work area which can be a great thing. You can reach more without moving and you can dig deeper... The less you have to move the faster you can work and you dont have as much chances of ruining grass / yards / hitting buildings or lines as you complete the job.

 

[kthompson]

I have a Volvo that is about 5 tons. I have dug many a stump of all kinds left by loggers and all sizes for a few inches to two feet and maybe little larger. When I get above say 18 inches know to take lunch with me and since not in hurry will open them up and let them dry out. Would I like a bigger machine for that size stumps, yes sire.

Now I have taken down trees with same size stumps much easier than digging the cut stump. If you can do safely take down the tree as you will have leverage to help pop the stump out the ground. Of course this is not as safe as you have a tree up there somewhere and you certainly don't want to sit under any limbs falling. Have use this with good results with sweet gums here.

If you hit a root the small machine can not handle move away from the stump and first break it where smaller and keep moving in as you will now only be breaking one end of a root and not two as the first break is. Do use smaller bucket for digging stumps.

You can dig stumps you will not be able to lift. But you may can slope the hole and pull them out.

 

[sheetalsagar]

I would like to suggest JGS is the best mini excavator.

 

[joispoi]

I would like to suggest JGS is the best mini excavator.

:lmao

 

[rabia]

Cat, Komatsu,, New Holland are some good players which are providing these mini excavators.In my point view these have very little difference.

 

[Ropinghorns]

I love my Kubota kx 121-3 with thumb quick connect and cab. Joy sticks could be raised as to not hit my legs, but really a nice 9 month old machine.

 

[locomoconomo]

Kubota U45S all the way. When we have close quarters digging to do we rent them. They are zero tail swing and they come with an angle blade as standard which comes in mighty handy when backfilling. We have never had a moments downtime with these machines. If I had to purchase a mini this is the machine I would own, no exceptions.

I got some seat time in one of these a couple of weeks ago, BooYaaa!!!!! Put me down for one of these, and it had the 6 way on it too. That's a game changer for mini ex's in my book. Cover ups take up a good percentage of my time OTJ, and this bad boy has the potential to cut that time waaayyyy down. Love it.
http://www.kubota.com/product/KX121-3S/KX121-3S.aspx

 

[SeaMac]

Okay, now a 6-way blade? That IS a game changer in the Mini-Ex world! Angle blades were one thing but a 6-way adds a new dimension....pun intended.

 

[Georgia Iron]

So i finally bit off a job i would have rather not done. I get a call to help put in about 140 ft of sewer line. Customer tells me, he is a builder and that he was going to rent a machine and do it himself. I tell him my price and he cuts it by half and i take another look at the job and figure i can do it for that. Ok i say thinking i could knock it out in about half a day.

Every thing starts out great. We are working in a low area cause the house sits down below the road, the lot is slighty sloped about 5' over the 140 ft run. Well we dig up the sewer tap first then check the heights and figure out that the grade is only going to allow about 12"s of drop over the complete span. I prefer a 1/4" drop or about 2.5"s per 10'.

So we get about 40' out and water starts entering the trench and we are 5' down as we approach the main we are about 9' down. Trench and ground is unstable and there is several feet of water in the tap hole. I set up a pump and began draining it. We look back down the 1' wide trench and it has collapsed in a section about 5' long. I work my way back to that area to clean it up.

This makes matter worse. 5 more areas fall into the trench. I seem to be winning the battle then the ground under the machine gives way and i have fell into a six foot gap. As the ground is cutting loose, i swung the dipper the right way as the cab is slamming into the side of the bank. Luckly the hoe is strong and i was able to pick the machine up and walk the tracks till i got it on stable ground.

I did not give up but a day and a half later we managed to get the trench level and i got to stop digging.

New experience for me. I have never had a trench collapse before

 

[lumberjack]

Cutting your price in half makes you look awfully bad, unless you cut your work substantially. I cut a demo bid by half (my idea) and got the job, however I cut the job from 4 days to 2 days by changing the way it is to be done.

 

[413wedge]

I have a cat 420 backhoe and I am interested in getting a mini in the 5-7 thousand pound class. this machine will be for site work only, just stuff I cant fit my backhoe on. I was wondering if zero swing was something I wanted? I think for sure I will only look at zero swing machines. also I am wondering what years or manufacturers offer control pattern switching? im buying used and I have no real manufacture loyalty just want to find the best deal from any manufacturer . Anyone feel free to chime in this will be my first excavator any experience and guidance is appreciated . so if this is a thread jack but I didn't want to start another whats the best mini thread

 

[Georgia Iron]

Cutting your price in half makes you look awfully bad, unless you cut your work substantially. I cut a demo bid by half (my idea) and got the job, however I cut the job from 4 days to 2 days by changing the way it is to be done.

The customer wanted to take care of setting the pipe and wanted me just to just dig the trench. I first quoted it as if i would help set the pipe. He said he could do it which was fine but i did not plan to dig the trench over and over again. Lesson learned here is watch out for bad soil and don't cut your price if it was fair to begin with. Which sometimes is hard not to do. I think i was a little to eager because i lost a job the week before due to pricing. It might come back and bite you.

He was smooth in the way he approached me to. Talking about the self machine rental and all. If i had known about the water and soil issues i would have known that the normal home owner rental excavator would not have done the job any way. Most places in atlanta do not carry 5 ton machines and if they did it would have cost at least three days not one.


You know what they say hind site is 20/20.

 

[lumberjack]

That makes sense. I'm guilty of wanting a job too much from time to time as well... live and learn I suppose!

I have a job where the concrete guy cut his price (forming/finishing) by 2/3 when the customer confronted him with another bid. He matched the price, but the customer was none too happy about his first price and that much fat in the bid when they were supposed to go "way back." That was the basis for my post.

 

[Tags]

The customer wanted to take care of setting the pipe and wanted me just to just dig the trench. I first quoted it as if i would help set the pipe. He said he could do it which was fine but i did not plan to dig the trench over and over again. Lesson learned here is watch out for bad soil and don't cut your price if it was fair to begin with. Which sometimes is hard not to do. I think i was a little to eager because i lost a job the week before due to pricing. It might come back and bite you.

He was smooth in the way he approached me to. Talking about the self machine rental and all. If i had known about the water and soil issues i would have known that the normal home owner rental excavator would not have done the job any way. Most places in atlanta do not carry 5 ton machines and if they did it would have cost at least three days not one.


You know what they say hind site is 20/20.

Look at it this way, you'll only learn by doing. It may not have been a money maker for you but you hung in and got the thing done. Next time you look at a job like that you'll know better how to price it a d even have a better idea on how to handle it. If a job is wet like that, I personally like to put the pipe in a d bed it as I dig, that way if the trench collapses its no big deal.

 

[yanmarman]

Yanmar is the only way to go! Have owned other brands ,but I am sold on yanmar.Just sold my VIO-30 for more money than I paid for it.,after using it for 6 years. Will be looking for another one soon . Good luck Yanmarman

 

[John25mm]

I haven't really seen anything on the IHI 35n. Of course I could be blind and it was right in front of me. does anyone have an opinion good/bad and the pros and cons on them. I have seen one advertised on craig's list and before I drive to take a look at it I want some ideas of what to look for on this brand.
Thanks in advance.

 

[melli]

Did you ever get a machine?
Agree with others who say a small machine can get it done...if you have a little time. Surprising what a 6-7k machine can do. I have found my 331 not wanting in my land clear. I only had one delay with a 5 stump monster, but once I used a tree as a pry bar, it popped out...had to drag the sucker to the burn pile.
I always tip the trees over...much easier than trying to pop a stump out. I could get my production up big time by cutting stump off after felling. Size didn't matter...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90546471@N04/8408997903/