Favorite 7-8 ton excavator?

[materthegreater]

Might have missed it but you don't want a swing boom?

I've only rented a few 308 sized machines all with swing booms and really like the versatility that a swing booms gives a smaller excavator. Hand as a shirt pocket on our 305's.

Correct, I don't really want a swing boom on a machine that size. I do use it occasionally on my Bobcat E60 but most of the time find it annoying. And now that I have a Mecalac, I just use that for tight-quarters jobs. So the 7-8 ton machine that I want to get to replace the Bobcat doesn't need to be used for anything that a swing boom would be useful for.

The main reason I wanted to look at this machine was to get a feel for the Link Belt/Sumitomo machines. And if it had been lower hours I might have seriously considered it.

 

[KSSS]

Agreed, I am not sure why you wouldn't want a swing boom on that size machine. Maybe if I needed one to run a breaker exclusively on that machine it would make sense. Short of that I am not sure why you would want a conventional excavator boom on that size machine. Makes digging so much easier, running a hoe pac working around plumbing, even clearing jobs it helps, you don't need to reposition the machine as often. Like CM says, as handy as your shirt pocket.

 

[materthegreater]

Hmm well maybe I should learn about those shirt pockets... I find the swing boom blocks visibility to the right, can't lift up/back as far, and have a lot more wear points and joints that get loose. Maybe I'm too spoiled by the Mecalac.

 

[hvy 1ton]

I see where you're coming from Mater. The parallel offset and VA boom on the Mecalac will do more than a swing boom machine and it's going to to take fixed boom machine crane more than your MCR6.

 

[fast_st]

Might have missed it but you don't want a swing boom?

I've only rented a few 308 sized machines all with swing booms and really like the versatility that a swing booms gives a smaller excavator. Hand as a shirt pocket on our 305's.

I like the swing boom on the vio70, with the window up/out I can rest my feet on the boom as they don't hardly fit in the cab!

 

[MG84]

I think a lot of yall are using the 8-ton machines as a very large mini excavator and for those type of jobs the swing boom may be handy. For a small time guy like myself, if I ever got an 8-ton machine it would be used as a small full-size excavator. Clearing, stumping, larger/deeper excavating jobs, loading trucks, lifting heavy things, etc. For that type of work a swing boom is unnecessary and possibly a detriment. I can't speak for Mater, but this may be his thought process as well.

 

[CM1995]

I think a lot of yall are using the 8-ton machines as a very large mini excavator and for those type of jobs the swing boom may be handy. For a small time guy like myself, if I ever got an 8-ton machine it would be used as a small full-size excavator.

Exactly. I have 2 - 55-60K lb excavators and when we rent a 308 sized machine it's used like a large mini.

Love to have a machine that size but we have it covered with 305's on the small end and 325 on the larger.

 

[BC Placer gold]

I think a lot of yall are using the 8-ton machines as a very large mini excavator and for those type of jobs the swing boom may be handy. For a small time guy like myself, if I ever got an 8-ton machine it would be used as a small full-size excavator. Clearing, stumping, larger/deeper excavating jobs, loading trucks, lifting heavy things, etc. For that type of work a swing boom is unnecessary and possibly a detriment. I can't speak for Mater, but this may be his thought process as well.

This is exactly our scenario as well. I would far prefer a side mounted boom for that size machine. As stated better loading height, better visibility, and a more robust design. Never once have I used the swing boom on our 50D (or any of our other mini's)

---Keeping in mind our use is 100% bush use, there is never any need for tight quarters work---what is really handy for our use is zero tail swing.

I had to build a road on very steep ground with up to a 10' high cut bank with our 210--that large 'butt' sticking out there made it very difficult to conform to the 3m wide mining exploration 'trail' restriction placed by the mines inspectors. Trying not to damage large fir trees on downslope while at the same time not swinging counterweight into cut bank. (I do not like scratches on counterweight lol!). An eight ton low tail swing could have built that trail nicely---just take a bit longer.

We are replacing our feed machine (the 50D) with an EX100 this year but would have really preferred an 8 ton side boom machine; just out of our price range at the moment. For us it would be an ideal size to compliment our 210...I like that Link-belt if in side boom; see one in town at the moment working on civil works....Also see a lot of Deere 75g's here. Considered buying one here from Brandt but then found a really good deal on the EX100-1

 

[materthegreater]

I think a lot of yall are using the 8-ton machines as a very large mini excavator and for those type of jobs the swing boom may be handy. For a small time guy like myself, if I ever got an 8-ton machine it would be used as a small full-size excavator. Clearing, stumping, larger/deeper excavating jobs, loading trucks, lifting heavy things, etc. For that type of work a swing boom is unnecessary and possibly a detriment. I can't speak for Mater, but this may be his thought process as well.

Yes, similar. I won't need to use this 7-8 ton machine for fine work because I have the Mecalac for that. It's main purpose will be for the simple jobs, rougher work, etc.

 

[Willie B]

I don't own an excavator, prefering a backhoe for my needs. I have a lot of general uses including snow removal, moving very large boulders (10,000 LBS), moving trucked materials, digging, and sometimes ditching for power lines. We set generators, and dump truck, trailer & excavator seem too much for the job. Might dig by hand to avoid trucking a machine.
We did a job far enough from home I considered renting a mini instead of hauling. Owner had an 8 ton Kubota. It was parked at the end of his very long driveway. Took an hour to walk it to the house. Compound angle to the route of the power line, I did not enjoy the tipping, rocking with each swing.

 

[materthegreater]

I don't own an excavator, prefering a backhoe for my needs. I have a lot of general uses including snow removal, moving very large boulders (10,000 LBS), moving trucked materials, digging, and sometimes ditching for power lines. We set generators, and dump truck, trailer & excavator seem too much for the job. Might dig by hand to avoid trucking a machine.
We did a job far enough from home I considered renting a mini instead of hauling. Owner had an 8 ton Kubota. It was parked at the end of his very long driveway. Took an hour to walk it to the house. Compound angle to the route of the power line, I did not enjoy the tipping, rocking with each swing.

It would be nice if excavators had a self leveling house like a feller buncher.

 

[KSSS]

Yea I guess its how you use them. I chose a 9 ton swing boom to give me the most flexibility. I needed more lift capacity than my Taki 257, and more powerful dig capability, but I still wanted the mini ex capability in some conditions.

Wacker Neuson has the ability to level the house on some machines.

 

[CM1995]

Yea I guess its how you use them. I chose a 9 ton swing boom to give me the most flexibility. I needed more lift capacity than my Taki 257, and more powerful dig capability, but I still wanted the mini ex capability in some conditions.

Agree. For what we do an 8-9 ton excavator is the high side of the mini range and I like the versatility.

 

[Willie B]

It would be nice if excavators had a self leveling house like a feller buncher.

Some big ones do.

 

[materthegreater]

Agree. For what we do an 8-9 ton excavator is the high side of the mini range and I like the versatility.

I must be an odd duck. I don't really find the swing boom useful very often on my 6 ton machine. Most of the time I use it is get the boom tucked in a little closer to the machine so I can swing without hitting something, or to get better visibility of the right side of the bucket. Neither of which I'd need to do if it was a traditional boom style machine.

 

[materthegreater]

Some big ones do.

Ackerman?

 

[materthegreater]

Shopping day





Cool setup on this tilt bucket

 

[materthegreater]

Looks like this checks most of the boxes on my wish list

 

[materthegreater]

I didn't take any pictures from underneath, but was surprised to find no belly pan, and no bolt holes to mount one. Apparently they don't offer it even as an option.

 

[Columbo]

Shopping day

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Cool setup on this tilt bucket
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Milford store?