I have been in the market for a new 5tn mini. I recently decided that I didn't want to pay that kind of $ for a mini (+/- $80k with buckets) so I stopped checking them out. The last one I demoed was a Deere 50G, and I have also demoed a 305.5e2, and the Volvo ECR 58. I really wish that Takeuchi still made the TB153. I currently own a Bobcat 435ZHS with about 5,800 hrs on it. It has been over a year since I demoed the CAT but the salesman decided to through out a quote to me just before Christmas. Apparently my dealer really wants to move some of these units out as the price is pretty good and the financing is 0% for 60 months. It's been a while since I demoed it but this is what I recall. I liked the machine over-all. It felt smooth, tight, and gave me the impression of sturdy quality. It may not be quite as fast as my 435 but it feels like it has more mass to move. It definately has more lifting power than the 435. I did not like the position the knuckle on the swing frame (where the rod eye of the swing ram mounts to the swing frame). It is on the operators blind side (opposite of the 435) and will stick out past the track width if the boom is swung all the way to the operators left. I found this out (the hard way) as I was trying to dig adjacent to a foundation wall that was on my right. There is a zirk fitting guard on the rod eye and it is stout enough to put a decent gouge into the foundation wall! I am not very fond of the thumb as it looks a bit flimsy to me (especially when compared to me 435 thumb). At the time the price didn't excite me either. There are some other minor things I don't like (like the sideways mounted oil filter) but nothing that I recall would keep me from buying. I am a small excavation contractor who works primarily on high end custom homes in the Rocky Mountains (so we will be working in tough ground and/or rock). The 435 is currently my smallest hoe and I also have an '03 CAT 315C CL, a '17 Deere 245G. I also have (2) Bobcat A series skid steers, a CAT 416C, a couple 10 whl dump trucks, and a 66" ride-on single drum roller. Suffice it to say we have enough iron to perform a diverse array of tasks. As a general rule I prefer to use the largest piece of iron that will work in the intended space.
With all that being said I am looking for first-hand opinions and experiences with the subject machine. From the research that I have done (Google search) there is not much recent information on the 5 ton class. I'm not sure if I want to open the floor (or flood gates) to suggestions with alternative brands. I will say that I WILL NOT consider Bobcat at this time.
Thanks in advance.
With all that being said I am looking for first-hand opinions and experiences with the subject machine. From the research that I have done (Google search) there is not much recent information on the 5 ton class. I'm not sure if I want to open the floor (or flood gates) to suggestions with alternative brands. I will say that I WILL NOT consider Bobcat at this time.
Thanks in advance.