Which new 5ton mini??

[Orest Anhel]

Do you guys really use the blade that much? I find it faster to move material and level with the bucket. I hardly ever use it to push with i mostly just use it to level my machine, back drag and to stop the machine from sliding on steep wet hills. I could never imagine paying extra for a angle blade.

Use my blade all the time for levelling and spreading material

 

[OTG AuGres]

I’ve got the angle blade on my e42. I’ve decided to upgrade to an e50 and elected not to get the angle blade. My reasons:

1. Although I use the angle function on the blade occasionally, it’s not a job breaker. Honestly, having tilt would be more useful to me than angle.
2. At least on Bobcat, the fixed blades appear much more robust than the angle models.
3. The angle blade option on the e50 is over $3k. It’s definitely not worth that much to me.
4. It’s another thing to maintain and/or to break. More grease points, more hydraulic hoses and fittings to potentially leak, another cylinder to fail.

 

[John Canfield]

Use my blade all the time for levelling and spreading material

Same here in certain situations. Grading with tracked equipment is much easier than using a tractor on tires. On the other hand, my tractor with bucket and box blade is much faster but I can't maneuver it in tight situations like I can the mini-ex. I have a top and tilt on my box blade which is extremely useful. So what I'm saying is they both have their strong points.

 

[CM1995]

I dont have the luxury of paying cash unfortunately. Although i understand debt is a lot more risk, i would be no where if i did not have debt/credit. I came up from nothing and no help. I do have a lot of equipment paid for now. And i have spent extra money paying interest over the years, financing machinery and trucks. But it was what was necessary for me to grow my business rapidly enough to not miss out on making more money. I agree pay cash if you can but dont let it hold back your business growth either. The key is smart financing, with good credit, and not going crazy with what and how much you buy.
As far as equipment holding its value really well, i agree completely. I really dont see the benefit of buying used again. Especially after dumping about $10k into my Case CTL the last 2 years after i bought it with only 700 hours on it.

I agree. Personally I like a mix of paid for older equipment and newer iron with a note.

A good balance is having 50-75% of your iron paid for and only 25-50% of your iron with a note. You have to upgrade your fleet as your equipment ages but the the paid for equipment can help pay for the newer iron with notes. If times get bad you can offload the iron with notes and still have something to put food on the table with.

 

[Mojock]

Good info and opinions on the blade option. Im kinda leaning to not getting the blade option now. After thinking about it, i dont think its a neccessity, and its an extra $3k+. Other than the Cab being a luxury(maybe) trying to just keep it simple as to what i actually need out of the machine. And keep away from "all the bells and whistles" for the most part. Im sure the blade would be useful but i can get the job done with out it for now.

I thought my decision was pretty well made up on the Yanmar but now im not so sure. I called the Takeuchi dealer back after them never returning my call a week ago about a price on a TB250. I was about to give up on them.. thinking.. if they cant even return a sales call..why should i bother. Spoke with the same salesman again and he immeadiately remembered me and started to apologise, saying he lost my number(honest mistake maybe). He kept apologising and said he was gonna make me a good deal to make up for it.
TB250 Cab, Std blade, thumb, coupler, 24" bucket 60,800 before tax
Pretty good price i think. Had another dealer quote same machine but with angle blad for $67k
I like the fact the Tak has the better pto flow(20.9vs24.9), hydro power and bigger cab than the Yanmar. Is the Tak worth the extra $8-9k?? I like Yanmars price, warranty, and the machine overall. Reliabilty is there on both i think. Especially having the same engine. i think i would be happy with either.
I dont know im really torn between the 2 now. Geez.. i thought i was done looking!!

 

[Mojock]

I agree. Personally I like a mix of paid for older equipment and newer iron with a note.

A good balance is having 50-75% of your iron paid for and only 25-50% of your iron with a note. You have to upgrade your fleet as your equipment ages but the the paid for equipment can help pay for the newer iron with notes. If times get bad you can offload the iron with notes and still have something to put food on the table with.

Thats good business advice and strategy! For the most part i have always reinvested most all of my money back into the business. Even then it was difficult for me to have enough capital to invest in equipment to keep up with growth of business and its needs. Even multimillion dollar companies borrow money to expand. Just have to have a sound strategy and try to limit the risk. I never could stand to listen to Dave Ramsey for this same reason. Its not realistic in every situation to start/grow/expand a business effectively with out financing.

 

[John Canfield]

I would include a 12" trenching bucket and a 40-something inch grading bucket. Does the Tak have a quick attach system to change implements?

 

[Orest Anhel]

The pin grabber on my Yanmar Vio 35 allows me to use buckets with (going from memory here) 35-40 mm pin diameter, 7 to 10+ inches pin spread and 5+ inches between bucket ears. Currently using Kubota, Cat and Yanmar mini ex buckets plus a Case backhoe bucket off a trencher hoe. The Tank quick attach I have seen looks like a variant on a Wain Roy which is not all that common when shopping used or off the shelf buckets.

 

[John Canfield]

That just reminded me of something about the Kubota - you can put the bucket on backwards. Could have used that to clean out some of my ditches, the Bobcat doesn't have that feature.

 

[tom bell]

Mojock, was that 52k price on the vi050 with 0%? Up here in the northeast I see them a year or 2 old with a few 100 hours asking for more. And the takeuchi tb250 for 61k was that 0% too? I was leaning kubota just in case I ever needed to sell figure it would be easier but that may be enough of a difference to me.

Oh and thanks for all the quotes, nice to see some real #s

 

[Mark13]

Good info and opinions on the blade option. Im kinda leaning to not getting the blade option now. After thinking about it, i dont think its a neccessity, and its an extra $3k+. Other than the Cab being a luxury(maybe) trying to just keep it simple as to what i actually need out of the machine. And keep away from "all the bells and whistles" for the most part. Im sure the blade would be useful but i can get the job done with out it for now.

I thought my decision was pretty well made up on the Yanmar but now im not so sure. I called the Takeuchi dealer back after them never returning my call a week ago about a price on a TB250. I was about to give up on them.. thinking.. if they cant even return a sales call..why should i bother. Spoke with the same salesman again and he immeadiately remembered me and started to apologise, saying he lost my number(honest mistake maybe). He kept apologising and said he was gonna make me a good deal to make up for it.
TB250 Cab, Std blade, thumb, coupler, 24" bucket 60,800 before tax
Pretty good price i think. Had another dealer quote same machine but with angle blad for $67k
I like the fact the Tak has the better pto flow(20.9vs24.9), hydro power and bigger cab than the Yanmar. Is the Tak worth the extra $8-9k?? I like Yanmars price, warranty, and the machine overall. Reliabilty is there on both i think. Especially having the same engine. i think i would be happy with either.
I dont know im really torn between the 2 now. Geez.. i thought i was done looking!!

I picked up a TB260 at the very end of last year and am quite happy with the machine and it's setup. I haven't used it much, only about 140hrs so far but I'd buy another. If the TB250 is anything like the 260 it's laid out pretty well, fairly good on fuel, roomy cab, smooth, and quick.
I did not get the angle blade option as it was around $3600 on my machine and so far I don't really see where I'd have justified the extra expense on the variety of work I've done with it. If it came down to the angle blade vs a cab I'd be getting the cab. I've used mine in everything from freezing temps to torrential downpours to 95* day's working off of a freshly paved parking lot. I've been warm and dry or cool and dry in all conditions vs wet, cold, and mad but looking at my angle blade.
As far as a coupler, the dealer by me set them all up with a Tag setup which I didn't want so I had them remove it and I bought the machine bare. I've heard of others doing the same thing and going with a different companies setup for the buckets, thumb, etc.

 

[KSSS]

I picked up a TB260 at the very end of last year and am quite happy with the machine and it's setup. I haven't used it much, only about 140hrs so far but I'd buy another. If the TB250 is anything like the 260 it's laid out pretty well, fairly good on fuel, roomy cab, smooth, and quick.
I did not get the angle blade option as it was around $3600 on my machine and so far I don't really see where I'd have justified the extra expense on the variety of work I've done with it. If it came down to the angle blade vs a cab I'd be getting the cab. I've used mine in everything from freezing temps to torrential downpours to 95* day's working off of a freshly paved parking lot. I've been warm and dry or cool and dry in all conditions vs wet, cold, and mad but looking at my angle blade.
As far as a coupler, the dealer by me set them all up with a Tag setup which I didn't want so I had them remove it and I bought the machine bare. I've heard of others doing the same thing and going with a different companies setup for the buckets, thumb, etc.
View attachment 221513

That comment is pretty funny, and very true! I am not sure what TAG's connection with Taki is. They could certainly do better than TAG. My dealer here orders them bare and puts Werk Brau on. It would be nice if Taki would put a pin grabber style coupler on it right from the start like Yanmar and others do. Only rental companies find value in that Wain Roy coupler, and Taki sells a lot of machines to rental companies, so I am guessing that is why Taki and TAG seem to be tight.

 

[Mojock]

Ended up getting the Yanmar Vio50 with Cab, thumb, and angle blade. 2 buckets. $52k before tax. I wasnt going to get the angle blade. I had the dealer ordering a cab machine with standard blade. A day later salesman calls me and says they really need to move the machine on the lot with the angle blade and they gave it to me for the same price as the standard blade model. Not sure if i will use the angle blade much but hard to turn down that deal. And the price of the Yanmar really made my mind up. Tak TB250 was a close 2nd but the salesman was not responsive or very helpful at all. Never returned my calls, etc. Actually still waiting on him to return that last call. lol. Im not going to beg someone to sell me a machine. Put about 6 hours on it around the farm over the weekend and im really happy with the machine so far. I think it will do everything i need it to do. Appreciate all the input from you guys even though i pretty much had my mind made due to the big price difference in brands.

 

[servicedonkey]

Congratulations....How about some pictures please...

 

[John Canfield]

You got a heck of a deal. I just saw one on Machinerytrader with 430 hours for $56k.

 

[Mojock]