Canadian Digger, that is something you will definately never see in the UK!
I find this whole 'Thumb' thing fascinating as you will not find any in the UK.
I am currently over the other side of your beautiful country at 'Whistler' and have spent an hour today studying the machines parked up for the weekend in town.
There was a Cat 320 parked up with exactly the same (obviously larger scale) thumb set up and Quick hitch with the shaped 'ears' on the bucket.
I really don't know how to put this without causing a rift across the Atlantic, but it does seem a somewhat agricultural set up compared to what we are used to over here!
However we don't use thumbs, and if that is how a Quick hitch needs to be configured to work with one then that's all good.
The angle blade is a fair piece of metal, but I have done many jobs where that would have saved some serious time.
Any Idea of the current full list price for a new machine with the Thumb and Angle blade?
I desperately wanted the two piece boom, but the price difference compared to standard was ridiculous even with Kubota UK trying to assist as the machine was going to be high profile.
I think your unit looks superb, and much prefer the Orange cab colour scheme you have.
It should prove a very versatile and popular machine for you.
I am not going to fuel the fire on the Takeuchi/Kubota debate as I have no issues with either.
I still maintain the TB175 is not a direct comparison in this type of machine and is not built to a premium specification.
The TB175 would go up against the Cat307 etc and the same conclusions would be reached.
They are superb machines at a slightly lesser cost, and the fit/finsh and detail are slightly less.
The lifting of a mulcher is not the only thing that most prospective purchasers would be buying a machine on.
I would end by saying If I was buying a machine to rent out, then it would be the Takeuchi every time but to use myself and if I coud justify the extra then I'd take the Kubota.