I purchased the EarthForce EF-5 as a replacement for my Kubota L4310HST. I wanted a machine that would do everything the Kubota would do, but be considerably more powerful, more versatile, more maneuverable, and built more ruggedly to handle the demands I put upon my equipment. I have found that this is a very difficult balance to achieve. It's important to note that I purchased EF-5 to replace a Compact Utility Tractor - don't let the TLB designation fool you - this is not your typical TLB.

Basically, I wanted a machine that would lift close to 5,000 pounds, but be almost as maneuverable as a skid steer, yet not a skid steer, since much of my work in on finished surfaces, and the last thing I need is to create unnecessary work for myself (and I hate skid steers). The only thing that fits the bill here is something with 4-wheel-steering and crab-steering. 4-wheel-steering means that when turning left, for example, the front wheels turn left and the rear wheels turn right, effectively making the machine turn much more quickly. Crab steering is for work in close quarters, especially tight up against buildings, etc. It works by synchronizing the front and rear wheels so they turn in the same direction. This causes the tractor to move diagonally without actually turning. This allows you to move toward or away from a building or other large object without have implements on either end swing toward it.

Another necessity was to be able to have use the machine for typical bucket work, backhoe work, auger tree and shrub planting, grading, tilling, in short, everything a Compact Utility Tractor is capable of and more. My search for a machine with all of these characteristics was hampered for a while because of my own limited thinking - I couldn't get past the "3-point-hitch" and "mechanical PTO" mindset, because that's all I'd ever used. An engineer friend of mine told me, when I was considering an articulated tractor, that I should "get out of the box", then, when I was talking to an EarthForce dealer, he mentioned that I could put a hydraulic auger on the back, I knew the biggest obstacle to my finding what I was looking for was me.

My EF-5 weighs about 10,000 pounds with the 4-in-1 bucket. Complete specs can be found at their website, www.earthforce.com. There are also EF-1 through EF-4 models and an EF-6. Nothing else in their respective size classes comes even close when it comes to loader and backhoe performance.

The extreme versatility of the EarthForce machines comes from the fact that they have front and rear hydraulic PTOs. The front end loader can accept any skid steer implement that has a "standard" quick-attach plate. This allows you to use rotary cutters, blades, buckets, landscape rakes, Brush Brutes, in short, anything you can think of. The backhoe can also use a variety of implements, including hydraulic powered ones like the aforementioned auger, also using a quick-attach.

The EarthForce machines are powered by Japanese Kubota engines, use German Rexroth hydraulics, Italian Carraro axles, with most of the hardware and frame manufactured in the Czech Republic, so the drivetrain components are definitely of the tried-and-true variety. About the time I ordered my machine, the EarthForce company was acquired by Ingersoll-Rand, makers of Bobcat equipment, so parts and service should soon be ubiquitous. Likewise, the EarthForce dealer network is growing by leaps and bounds, also to be expected.

Some other highlights and important features are excellent seats, mechanically self-leveling loaders, horns, backup alarms, full road lights, excellent work lights, great rear-view mirrors, ROPS/FOPS, full-time 4-wheel-drive, service brakes, and commercial-equipment quality loader and backhoe controls.

Disadvantages include terrible manuals, though that's supposedly being remedied as I write this, and pretty weird instrumentation. All the gauges are in Celsius only, an oversight which is also supposed to be corrected soon. Another oddity is in the choice of gauges. I'm a gauge freak, so my Kubota had a full complement of custom gauges, but the EarthForce machines have a hydraulic temperature gauge, something you rarely see, but no tachometer, a really dumb omission, especially for a diesel engine. On the plus side, there's a warning light for hydraulic oil filter restriction, a nice touch.

Overall, I think the EarthForce machines are an incredible value, incomparable in power for their size, extremely maneuverable, and the most versatile machines I've seen. These machines aren't just mini-TLBs, they're a new breed of machine, and bear close scrutiny, especially in the smaller sizes, by anyone considering a Compact Utility Tractor. Capable of doing pretty much anything a CUT can do, and a lot more besides, for less money when similarly equipped, they're an unbeatable combination, in my opinion.

Date Purchased: 12/2001
Purchased: New
Price Paid: US$44000
Pros: Superior power, strength, versatility, maneuverability to anything else in its size class
Cons: Terrible manual, strange instrumentation
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