Searching for mini excavator

Hi Guys,
I'm very new to the site. I'm looking for some help in picking a mini excavator. Our company has been in the landscaping industry since 1971. We primarily do landscape and hardscape installations. We have always run either bobcat or kubota equipment. We are in the market for a mini excavator. We had a bobcat 331 mini and sold it. I am looking for something in the 7000-8000 pound range. I found a slightly used cat 303.5cr E in my price range but a few of my buddies have said they have run the CAT minis and they seem to be under powered. Can you guys provide some insight? I will also be demo-ing a Bobcat E26 (smaller scale, weighing only 6k) but my supplier is saying that machine will do everything we need it to and we don't need the 8k machine.

My main question is.... For those of you with CAT mini excavators, do you find them under powered compared to other machines? And for those of you with mini excavators in the 7K-8K range, What made you decide on the specific machine you did?

Thanks in advance

I never ran a cat but I have takeuchi TB138fr. Picked it based on
reputation, price of parts, specs and only one with an offset boom.
Been very happy with it.

Matt

Hi Scaper1

I have a 2014 E35 Bobcat, this thing will out dig anything in that weight bracket.
I have had a ZX35 -3.8ton Hitachi and a TB138fr -Takeuchi (both from new) and the Bobcat out performs both of them in digging power and speed,
best air-con I have ever had and the fuel economy of Bobcat (Kubota D1803 engine) is just brilliant, I reckon it's using about 30% less fuel than either
of the previous machines which were powered by (VTN88 Yanmar), they are thirsty little devils when worked hard.

Hope this helps.

Diga

Scraper1
It's not just digging power, but dig depth, dump height and lift power
I also like bobcat.
I sat in a couple other mini's and they were not as well laid out for comfort or function.
E26 is little light and small...you will miss longer stick and lift power from 331.

i like E32 with long stick. Only 5ft w so you can still squeeze into sites and still have weight and power to serious work.

I think it is hard to beat the Takeuchi FR series. They will lift more than anything in their weight class (the center of gravity is closer to the center of the machine, verse a typical swing boom which has its swing boom in front of the machine), the best truck loading characteristics and they are near minimum swing and tail. They are not the fastest machines on the market, there are a lot of zerks to grease but when it comes to versatility and power they are excellent.

Thanks for the info guys. I am concerned too that the E26 is a little light for my application. I was looking at the long arm option which will help with dig depth and dump height but at only 6k pounds it seems a little small. We've always had bobcat and been happy so I guess there's no reason for a brand change. Are there any machines you would steer clear of? Anyone else heard bad reports about the CAT minis?

Don't pass by IHI, JCB, or deere either, I've owned all 3 and had very good luck.

I have a Cat 305.5D plenty of digging power !!

Hi scaper1

If you have had the Bobcats before and were happy with them and your dealer, you need to drive the later "E" series in the weight class you suggested (8k pound) bracket.
The E35 as per the specs comes with the Long Stick standard (does in OZ) anyway, gives them more reach than most competitors machines, after previously owning a 138fr Tacky I understand
where KSS is coming from with his post, "BUT" the Tacky is not so great to work on when things start to go a little wrong, due to the long heavy arms that offset the boom
which are tucked under the cab neatly,it prohibits any other equipment utilizing the under-cab space (air-con,electrical and hydraulic components), which intern means everything is crammed in and around the engine.
For an example mine did a "slew motor" hose at 2200HRs and it took the Tacky dealer 6.5Hrs to get the hose off and out,$1800 later to replace a $130 hose even though it had a tilt cab.
It also had numerous hoses that "weeped" from under the crimps where they had been made,some of these ran under the engine which meant the counterweight needed to be removed for replacement under warranty,hence when it was out of warranty it became an ongoing cost issue.

All machines have some minor issues I believe, but for me its what does the job best, and as a plumber/drainer and general hire the E35 is streets ahead for out and out digging, in Australia there nearly $10,000AUD cheaper than most and yes that will probably reflect in resale or trade-in down the track but that was not why I switched to Bobcat, when I took my ZX-35 Hitachi (860hrs) to Bobcats test area and put them side by side (digging comparison) I was sold, it was like comparing a 4.5ton machine against a 3.5ton, that's how much difference there really was,and yet they are the same weight but around 7Hp more which is 22%.
On paper the Cat should be close but their prices here are a little unrealistic so we don't see many Cat mini's, plenty of bigger stuff.

The 303.5 is not under powered at all in my opinion. One of the best if not the best in its weigh class.....great machines ...don't believe what you hear or read from anyone, me included. Demo thm all and pick the one that you like the best and has the strongest dealer support after the sale. That's what matters and in the end makes ownership stress free .....

Definitely a lot of good points. Thank you guys. I have a bobcat scheduled for demo next Monday/Tuesday trying to get my hands on a Cat for later in the week. Is a 6000 lb machine a little light for patio, retaining wall excavation and Boulder setting?

If you go with the Cat get Product Link... I just got it installed in all my machines its very cool what it can do. It acts as a GPS ( if the machine every gets stolen) and it reports all the vitals of the machine and emails it.. I am still learning what this thing does but its very cool stuff..Google it ..

Hi Scaper
Not sure how big of boulders you intend to handle in you line of work but between an E26 at (6091/lbs) & E35 at (8143/lbs) there is a 828 lb lift capacity difference.
An I guess you have seen the specs with bucket/arm breakout and dig depth from one to the other ?

E26 (6091/lbs). E35 (8143/ lbs).
Arm Force-: 2967 lbs. Arm Force-: 3986 lbs.
Bucket Force-:4991 lbs. Bucket Force-: 6989 lbs.
Dig Depth-: (L/arm)-9ft5in. Dig Depth-: (L/arm)-11ft2in.
Lift Cap-: 1896 lbs. Lift Cap-: 2724 lbs.
Engine -: 24.8 Hp. Engine-: 33.5 Hp.

Carl Peter said:

If you go with the Cat get Product Link... I just got it installed in all my machines its very cool what it can do. It acts as a GPS ( if the machine every gets stolen) and it reports all the vitals of the machine and emails it.. I am still learning what this thing does but its very cool stuff..Google it ..

Click to expand...

I have product link on all of my CAT equipment as well. Fantastic tool and really useful.....great feature. Not sure if any of the other manufacturers have it but they all should...

2016 under 8000 ilbs

I been researching for 2 weeks , I have been on deere 26g bobcat 35 and yanmar 26 , I been looking to purchase a new 16 model I have narrowed it down to kubota 91kx 71kx or 35u I havent demoed any salesman is great and have read they are awesome but when comparing specs to the cat 303.5 it seems its way behind besides digging force.. this is all I have to go on can anyone help , the cat is a little more in price but has more to offer like ac and heated seats and a couple of other things I appreciate any help or direction you can point me

What year and model of 331 did you have?
As you probably know, with emission standards getting tighter, engine size has been getting smaller per a given weight class.
I have a 2003 331D with cab, and while it is gas guzzler compared to current models, I never feel I am running out of power...lol
The arm and boom can haul the machine around quite easily. Actually find it a bit of headache when machine pulls it itself towards the hole all the time. Wish it could stick in one spot a bit better.
One thing I like about the newer machines, especially Kubotas, which are popular around here, is the front blade supports/angle option/and ram is out of dirt (way beefier than my Bobby). That would help one stick in one spot better I think.
I think you'll find the E35 as a closer match to the 331 you had...looking forward to hearing about your test digs in them. My dream machine would be a E42. Still small enough, but the extra ton of weight and power would be just about right.

Demo'ed a 2015 303.5

I demo'ed a Cat 303.5 for several days. The demo unit had 250 hours on it and had been previously owned...not a rental. The Cat had plenty of power and good control; but the cab resonated at two different engine speeds. It vibrated badly at resonance and quite a bit at all other engine speeds. Engine was very loud and would have been even if the cab had not shaken so much. Additionally the engine compartment became extremely hot even though the muffler shell was wrapped with insulation. Finally the a/c did not cool much at all even on an 82 degree F day. I assume most of these issues were unique to that particular 303.5 or model year and are not indicative of Cat mini's overall.

I demo'ed several Bobcats, a Takeuchi and Komatsu. Bought an E35i and am happy with the choice.

Oh yes, you asked why we bought the mini we chose. First, the weight was as much as I wanted to haul. Then, it is sufficient to do the work required. I focused on low hours because here the higher hour units I saw were not in good shape and were not discounted accordingly lower. Brand was somewhat less a factor assuming it was a major. I initially focused on Deere; but found few units. Control smoothness, serviceability, dealer location(s) and support, sound level, cab size and cab overall design. Attachment availability. Finally, I weighted Tier 4 engine emissions design solutions fairly heavily...not all appeared optimal, to say the least.

scaper1 said:

Definitely a lot of good points. Thank you guys. I have a bobcat scheduled for demo next Monday/Tuesday trying to get my hands on a Cat for later in the week. Is a 6000 lb machine a little light for patio, retaining wall excavation and Boulder setting?

Click to expand...

I use a 4000 lb bobcat 323 for all my patio/retaining wall prep work....it is a little small for boulder setting. the biggest drawback with a slightly smaller machine like mine is reach and lift height. I do landscape and hardscape/masonry, so I need to fit in tight places so smaller is handier for me but if you own any thing larger than a 1 ton dump truck looking to the 7000 lb machine will help with loading issues. If you find you are setting boulders 2 feet and larger the extra weight is a huge bonus. having the extra stability when setting stones for walls is great. Any time I work with larger format stone( dishwasher size and up) I use a 10-12k size machine, the size and reach make the movement and placing easier and safer.