Takeuchi TB035- too old?

[Bob Queberg]

Hello All,
I ran accross this forum after looking at a Takeuchi TB035 serial#1357560. Some of you folks seem to know a lot about Tak excavators. Is this machine of an age that may cause problems with parts,
and/or service?
The hoses do not seem to be cracked. There seems to be adequate grease around all of the pins etc. The tracks have about 50-60% life left. I saw no oil leakage around the rotary joint. I have to get back about starting the machine, and running it through all of the tricks it knows.
With aux. hydraulics, a 24" trenching bucket, and 3200 hrs., if it seems to run and behave well, what would you guys think would be a decent price to pay. I want to install 6-7k feet of field drainage on the farm over the next couple years.
The forum has been very interesting.
Regards,
Bob

 

[Jlillie2]

Pretty much any Tak over ten years old you will have problems finding final drive parts, so make sure that stuff is in working order. Run it forward and back, and see if it tracks in one direction or stays straight. If it off tracks, you might have a drive problem. The unit I bought had the gears pretty much trashed, I was able to do a temp fix by clearing out the broke stuff, but a year later, and I'm right back there again. So if you are not handy, find something else. In the up side the Takeuchi is a really powerful machine for its size, I bought mine for one job, and have used it for many, many more. My backhoe pretty much sits now.

 

[finaldrive]

I stock new final drive and travel motors. No problems at all getting support for the TB035.
The Takeuchi models to stay away from TB15, TB25 an TB35.
The TB0 prefix is fine (TB015, TB025, TB035)

 

[Bob Queberg]

Thank you very much, for the informed opinions. And yes, Final Drive is now among my favorites.
Regards,
Bob

 

[Bob Queberg]

It is now working on the farm. It does indeed have a lot of digging ability. I am reclaiming approx. 500 yds. of low ground on the farm. With a 24" excavating bucket, I am digging out trees that have been growing for 60 yrs. The next phase of the project, after the beans are off, is to install 3000' of under drain to a catch basin. Thanks again for the info.
Regards,
Bob

 

[Jlillie2]

It is now working on the farm. It does indeed have a lot of digging ability. I am reclaiming approx. 500 yds. of low ground on the farm. With a 24" excavating bucket, I am digging out trees that have been growing for 60 yrs. The next phase of the project, after the beans are off, is to install 3000' of under drain to a catch basin. Thanks again for the info.
Regards,
Bob

You will be amazed how much faster it is digging a ditch with that as opposed to using a backhoe. Once I beat the life out of my machine, I'll get another one for sure.

 

[Jlillie2]

Mine in action composting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OlwUHK21VU

 

[Bob Queberg]

Hi Jim,
The neighbor wanted to see it work a couple days ago. He owns a BIG Cat loader/hoe, and was smiling while watching it dig up roots etc. The process of getting between two points, is a good time to do your meditation.
I would guess that it would be proper to call it's top speed, "Creepy" I have seven retired Standardbred horses that do creat a lot of fertility enhancing materials. I have been turning my pile with a Gehl 4625 skid steer, but was considering digging into the pile with the Tacky.
Regards,
Bob

 

[Jlillie2]

Hi Jim,
The neighbor wanted to see it work a couple days ago. He owns a BIG Cat loader/hoe, and was smiling while watching it dig up roots etc. The process of getting between two points, is a good time to do your meditation.
I would guess that it would be proper to call it's top speed, "Creepy" I have seven retired Standardbred horses that do creat a lot of fertility enhancing materials. I have been turning my pile with a Gehl 4625 skid steer, but was considering digging into the pile with the Tacky.
Regards,
Bob

Yea Bob, it is no rocket ship thats for sure. The first time I used my second speed, I kept waiting for it to kick in... B-) Not the incredible burst I was hoping for.... My wife has a gaited saddle horse, and two Mini's so they keep production at a pretty decent rate for us, nothing like what you have going on though I'll bet. We used to have a percheron, and his output was more than all three of these combined. (He's the reason I purchased an RTV900....) I like using the excavator because the field has a lot of clay in it, and it mixes into a really nice usable loam. I could never quite do that with my loader as it was tougher to mix smaller amounts of the clay.

 

[Bob Queberg]

Jim, did you say that your Tak has a two speed drive? I bought the machine from an individual that had no experience, or books. Is a two speed standard, and what would it look like. I have a round pedal on the left floor board, and a lever between the seat, and the right console. Is there a good place to find manuals (owner's, parts, service) for this machine? Another nice thing that a horse like your Percheron can do for you, is to step on your foot, and then lean in toward you for some more scratching. The latest pair of rubber boots have steel toes also. ;-)
Regards,
Bob

 

[Jlillie2]

The round pedal on the left when depressed will engage the second speed, its still regulated by the sticks, and foot controls, it just goes a bit faster. (Not a lot...) My book recommends that you only use it for Travel, and not for work. The lever between the seat should be to switch the pedal to the far right from hammer to boom swing. (I've never switched mine, as I don't have a thumb, or a hammer.) I found some links on line by searching my model name, and the extension "PDF" as most links to manuals end with that, it keeps a lot of the useless searches (like where they are trying to sell you a fort truck before sending you on to the manual they don't even have...)

 

[Bob Queberg]

Wow! Thanks for the operator's short course. Saving 10 min., to the woods and back is a good thing. Now to look for the manuals......................
Regards,
Bob

 

[edistocat]

Bob..... i got the shop manual and the operators manuals from Takeuchi. The parts manual, I downloaded from the internet....Edistocat

 

[Bob Queberg]

Edistocat, Thank you for the heads up about the manuals.
Regards,
Bob

 

[Jlillie2]

Wow! Thanks for the operator's short course. Saving 10 min., to the woods and back is a good thing. Now to look for the manuals......................
Regards,
Bob

So hows it going with the Tak Bob? I just bought a little Kubota (K008-3) The Tak will out run and out dig it, but not out cute it!

Jim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipPwRl6LiAw&feature=plcp

 

[cvconstruction]

How much do these final drive cost. and what is the oil supposed to look like when used.. i have a takeuchi tb035 with 4700 hours.. now im worried about my final drives. it tracks straight

 

[Jlillie2]

How much do these final drive cost. and what is the oil supposed to look like when used.. i have a takeuchi tb035 with 4700 hours.. now im worried about my final drives. it tracks straight

As well you should be, it's generally the only thing that goes wrong with those machines. I had a quote of 6k but was also told that getting just one would make it no longer track straight, as the OEM unit is NLA and all they could get would be something close.
So, when in doubt, dump it out. It's cheap insurance. I wouldn't go just based on color of the fluid. It will most likely be black anyhow.

 

[finaldrive]

How much do these final drive cost. and what is the oil supposed to look like when used.. i have a takeuchi tb035 with 4700 hours.. now im worried about my final drives. it tracks straight

Click my links below.
We have service information.
Also, we have stock on new complete units.
http://www.hrpartsexpress.com/searchresults.asp?Search=19031-08300&Submit=Submit

 

[Jlillie2]

How much do these final drive cost. and what is the oil supposed to look like when used.. i have a takeuchi tb035 with 4700 hours.. now im worried about my final drives. it tracks straight

Just to be clear, when I say "When in doubt, dump it out" I'm referring to the fluids, not the machine! ;-) Its super cheap insurance. lack of proper lubrication is the hammer of death for these things.

 

[cvconstruction]

What is the best oil if your trying to keep the old travel motors going, would a full synthetic or a regular gear oil suffice, and just keep dumping and replacing