160 vs 180

[tysonj0331]

We have a 135g with rubber tracks and it’s to tippy doing anything. We are looking at a 160 or 180 hitachi/Deere to replace it. Does anyone have any pros or cons to the 160 vs the 180? We have a lowboy so size is not a issue but we do utility work and septics sometimes so it gets a little tight with space. We would be buying a 2015 or newer. We also like the 225 but have not been able to find them.

 

[skyking1]

I'd size it for the bulk of your work. If a 180 is really too big for most of the tight spaces, go for smaller. My gut tells me the 180 won't be a problem that way.
I reserve the option to rent what I need when I need something different, and that is a good way to plan it. That way you can buy the ideal machine for almost all your work, and rent on those times when it is too big or small.

 

[tysonj0331]

We have a 300 and we own mini excavators just looking for insight on the 160 vs 180 to cover our midsize gap as the 135 is unstable. The 180 and the 200 are almost identical on paper.

 

[JLarson]

What are you doing with the 135 trying to sling a lot of precast with it? I've wrenched on a few and ran em and really liked them for the size but usually needed a 180/200 for serious structure lifts.

 

[AzIron]

The rubber tracks are probably what's making it tippy especially a short carriage unless it's got a thumb every 135 I have ran with a thumb cant keep its ass down with a 3 foot bucket full of dirt

If you like the 135 foot print then the 160 is what your going to want while 180s are not huge they definitely need more space to work in production wise I dont think you will find enough difference to matter most of the time

Your looking to trade performance to size of machine 160 is a really popular size and it's been around forever and I dont see the 180 being as popular I think the 180 fits a bill for most buyers as task specific or it's can still be moved with out having to move up in lowboy for most people

You will definitely miss the zero swing tho

 

[tysonj0331]

Yes the 135 I have had a thumb and coupler can’t keep its ass down at all. We had a zx 120 hitachi we traded for the 135 and I regret it. We are going to demo a 160 and 180 we have a lowboy already. We need a thumb and coupler so hopefully the 160 is not tippy with those on it, if so then the 180.

 

[suladas]

225 is a really nice machine, I miss mine. They can work in such tight areas that large of a machine has no business being, and not tippy at all even with thumb and coupler. Pretty sure 180 uses 200 attachments so that's super handy depending on what machines are around you, around here 200 really common whereas 160 is not so very hard to find attachments.

 

[tysonj0331]

225s are nice just can’t find em around here. I’m need to be able to set precast septic tanks ourselves as the tank company I always booked out and we do septics as fill in work. I think the 160 has more power and is far more stable then a 135 after I demod one today. I am going to try a 180 on Friday. The 160 they have is a 15’ non def 160-5 with coupler and thumb only 2000 hrs

 

[tysonj0331]

The 160-5 I have on demo now has 28" tracks but still is a little tippy when loading trucks with a 48" bucket, I think a 42" is more the right size with a thumb and coupler like this one has. Does anyone have any input on the zaxis 5 vs zaxis 6? The 5 is tier 2 and the 6 is tier 4, I hate DEF its a giant government scam so I rather just have a DPF I can delete. Any other differences in the 5 vs 6 series zaxis 160? Online it shows a 5k lbs weight difference between the two series but running both they seem the same.

 

[Shimmy1]

The 180 and the 200 are almost identical on paper.

Reason for this the 200 class machines have suffered from "model creep" (gotten heavier and wider than they can be to allow movement without permits) and there was a need for a machine with a little more lead in it's pencil than a 160, but almost as capable as a 200.