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Cat vs Kubota

BCG

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Joined
Mar 31, 2021
Messages
51
Location
Texas
I currently have a Kubota SVL95-2S OROPS machine that I really like, except for the OROPS. I run a mulcher with it sometimes and have to wait until it's damp or the dust will kill me. Also, although I've made a metal door for the front to protect me from flying debris, I'd really feel better if I was in a cabbed machine with a forestry door so I'm going to trade it in for one with a cab.

I'm thinking either another SVL95 or a Cat 299. I don't have any experience with the Cat so for those that have run both machines, how do they compare and which one do you prefer?
 

mowingman

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Jul 10, 2010
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SE Ohio
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In my opinion, the Kubota SVL95, is useless here in Texas for mulching. The A/C system is poorly designed and high maintenance. The door does not seal well either, due to a poor design. I tried 3 different SLV95 machines fitted with forestry mulchers. Not one of them provided a dust free cab, or a cab cool enough I could stay in it on a hot day. I would not consider any Kubota CTL for forestry mulching here in Texas.
Jeff
 

BCG

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Joined
Mar 31, 2021
Messages
51
Location
Texas
Thanks for that feedback, I've not run a cabbed version of the SVL so I don't have any experience with the AC. This is my own use so I can pick my days but, I do want to keep the dust out as much as possible, that's the main reason for getting a cab.
 

CM1995

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Jan 21, 2007
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13,250
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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
We have 2 279D's which are the same cab as the 299's and they do a good job of keeping the dust out and the A/C will freeze you out in our Alabama summers. FWIW.
 

KSSS

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Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,319
Location
Idaho
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excavation
It is not on your list, but I would suggest demoing a CASE 450B. They can be had with 4k psi and 37 gpm high flow and a demo door. My B has the regular high flow not the 4K system, but I have had A machines with that system and they are great on a mulcher. The B series cabs are excellent. My hats off to any man who has mulched without a cab, don't know how you did that.
 

JLarson

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Aug 23, 2020
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656
Location
AZ
Occupation
Owner- civil and heavy repair/fab company
If the choice is between the orange guy and a Cat I'd go with the Cat.
 

Cpaine

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Joined
May 29, 2017
Messages
47
Location
Michigan
I am not in a mulching business but the updates that Cat has made to the newer D3 series, such as the hydro lines going out to the drives are great.

I have also heard that the Kubota cabs are dust horrible with dust intrusion.

KSSS, do you own stock in CASE / FIAT or do you just simply really like them??? (not trying offend!)
 

zeroo

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2003
Messages
166
Location
lexington/tollesboro
Occupation
plumbing contractor
As far as the kubota hvac, the pot side filter needs a sealing foam strip installed. As long as your sucking outside air there is no dust issue because of positive pressure. Clogged outside filter plus leaky seal and use cab recirculate all cabs will suffer. Mine is new and as the summer progresses I’ll be exploring the hvac, but after being in really dusty conditions and taking filter off to blow out I was shocked by the dust that got past the filter. Foam fixed that issue. So after 500hr without proper filter sealing I could only imagine hvac is plugged.
 

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BCG

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2021
Messages
51
Location
Texas
As far as the kubota hvac, the pot side filter needs a sealing foam strip installed. As long as your sucking outside air there is no dust issue because of positive pressure. Clogged outside filter plus leaky seal and use cab recirculate all cabs will suffer. Mine is new and as the summer progresses I’ll be exploring the hvac, but after being in really dusty conditions and taking filter off to blow out I was shocked by the dust that got past the filter. Foam fixed that issue. So after 500hr without proper filter sealing I could only imagine hvac is plugged.
Thanks, that's really good feedback. I like my Kubota so if the dust in the cab issue is solvable, I'll probably get another. It's tough to find the Cat with the hydraulic quick attach for some reason and I've become VERY spoiled by that in the Kubota. It's a huge time saver.
 

mowingman

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If possible, you might want to rent a Kubota with a mulcher. Get it out there for a few days when it is really hot and dusty. Try running it all day, or even a half day, before you make up your mind. I have quite a bit of experience with these, and I think you need to try before you buy. That includes the Cat, as well as the Kubota. Another issue is how fast the head can recover after you stall it, or almost stall it. There are a lot of goods and bads to both makes. Just be sure you know what you are getting into before you spend all that money. Good luck.
Jeff
 

zeroo

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Nov 21, 2003
Messages
166
Location
lexington/tollesboro
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plumbing contractor
Thanks, that's really good feedback. I like my Kubota so if the dust in the cab issue is solvable, I'll probably get another. It's tough to find the Cat with the hydraulic quick attach for some reason and I've become VERY spoiled by that in the Kubota. It's a huge time saver.

I wish I would have took a pic of the air box the first time i pulled filter. Just dumb of kubota. But that pic is about 8 hr of dusty gravel work with no infiltration. Kubota does need to address the hvac system on these but I am going to make the absolute most out of it. The hottest I’ve ran in so far is mid 70’s so we will see, like mowingman said. The heater will burn you up down into the 20’s.
Big mistake on my part not getting the quick attach, but inventory was low everywhere. I just wanted wide track and cab..I thought.
 

mowingman

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I love the quick attach. Got it on our Bobcat and it sure makes life easier for this old man.
Jeff
 

KSSS

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Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,319
Location
Idaho
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excavation
I am not in a mulching business but the updates that Cat has made to the newer D3 series, such as the hydro lines going out to the drives are great.

I have also heard that the Kubota cabs are dust horrible with dust intrusion.


LOL! No I don't own any stock in them. I try to keep my comments to myself on questions like that unless someone ask specifically about CASE. However their 4K system works well on those types of attachments so I thought I would mention it and yea I do like them.
 

Midnightmoon

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
Messages
445
Location
Ny
Mulcher heads are very hard on equipment. The svl 95-2 has ac and intercooler on top of engine bay which is bad when mulching. They clog very quickly. We had one that melted the condenser fan and smoked the turbo because the condenser and intercooler were never cleaned over a 2 week period. The plus side is it's easy to clean these two areas. I would clean twice a day.
 

BCG

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Joined
Mar 31, 2021
Messages
51
Location
Texas
If possible, you might want to rent a Kubota with a mulcher. Get it out there for a few days when it is really hot and dusty. Try running it all day, or even a half day, before you make up your mind. I have quite a bit of experience with these, and I think you need to try before you buy. That includes the Cat, as well as the Kubota. Another issue is how fast the head can recover after you stall it, or almost stall it. There are a lot of goods and bads to both makes. Just be sure you know what you are getting into before you spend all that money. Good luck.
Jeff

I'm mulching with the open ROPS SVL95 now, it turns my 5' head well in the brush and recovers quickly if I big it down. I can't really run it into a live oak tree but, that's a really hard wood and I wouldn't expect anything other than a 200HP+ purpose built machine to handle that.

To some extent, if the AC coils at all, it's a bonus over running the mulch head in an open cab with a fan and the truth is, I'm not going to run it when it's 100° outside even if the AC has it 60° in the cab because the mulcher heat soaks the hydraulic system as it is. 4 hours in the morning or late evening is as long as I want to be running it anyway, my terrain is very hilly and rocky so the rude us as tough on me as anything else.

I always stop every 3-4 hours to grease the head and clean everything out with my big 185CFM engine driven air compressor when I'm mulching. The machine gets filthy, in the cab especially. Right now, I keep the head low, almost never more than 2' off the ground, to minimize what comes at me, even though I've made an expanded metal "safety" door, it sucks when little bits come through and pepper me. Keeping it low has kept most of the debris off the back end, most of what ends up there is actually limbs and stuff the machine broke off, not mulcher debris.

I'm not buying new, current machine is a 2017, I'll probably be in the same vintage. If I get a Cat, I'll have to go older to stay in my price range, I'd really like to not go over $50k. I paid $34k for the SVL95 I have at auction last year, it had about 2200 hours on it when I bought it. I can get a 2019 cabbed SVL95 for less than $50k, the Cats are almost all over that.
 

mowingman

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You are a lot tougher than I am. Even 13 years ago, when I started, I would not have considered mulching with an open cab, and certainly not today.
Jeff
 

BCG

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Mar 31, 2021
Messages
51
Location
Texas
I decided on a 2019 SVL95 with 1300 hours, they're giving me a good price for my trade (only $500 less than I paid for it a year and 350 hours ago) and a fair price on the replacement. I'm going to put the foam strip in around the cabin air filter and not recirculate the air as other threads have suggested, and we'll see how it goes. The dealer is replacing the blower motor and one of the idler pulleys on the new (to me) machine and I'm picking it up Wed.

Even if it's not perfect, it'll be better than what I've been doing. If it completely sucks, I'll save up some more pennies and trade it again for a Cat. For now, I'm excited to have a cab at all, it's going to make the machine a lot more useful not having to wait for enough rain to knock the dust down before doing anything significant. AC in the summer will be nice as well but, that's really secondary to dust control for me.
 

mowingman

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Well, let us know how it works out for you. Dust is already starting to get thick here in north Texas.
Jeff
 

Reuben Frazier

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Joined
Mar 25, 2019
Messages
145
Location
NE Texas
Make sure you have good insurance on it because if you run a mulcher on the Kubota very much it’s going to end up hot and toasty meaning burning to the ground and I’m being dead serious. Been thr and done that lol
 

The Peej

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Joined
Feb 6, 2012
Messages
323
Location
Connecticut
I decided on a 2019 SVL95 with 1300 hours, they're giving me a good price for my trade (only $500 less than I paid for it a year and 350 hours ago) and a fair price on the replacement. I'm going to put the foam strip in around the cabin air filter and not recirculate the air as other threads have suggested, and we'll see how it goes. The dealer is replacing the blower motor and one of the idler pulleys on the new (to me) machine and I'm picking it up Wed.

Even if it's not perfect, it'll be better than what I've been doing. If it completely sucks, I'll save up some more pennies and trade it again for a Cat. For now, I'm excited to have a cab at all, it's going to make the machine a lot more useful not having to wait for enough rain to knock the dust down before doing anything significant. AC in the summer will be nice as well but, that's really secondary to dust control for me.

Thats awesome! How could you go wrong, It only cost you $500 for a year and 350 hours
 
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