Mowing with a Mini Excavator - Help me get started

[bspeedy]

So...

I have a Takeuchi TB135. Just bought a Bush Master 42" cutter for it. Both purchased second hand. Both in good shape. I need to adapt the mower to the Tag Wain Roy style quick attach. Should be easy.

Can anyone tell me if I need a case drain for this mower? The guy that was using it didn't have one.

Anyone mow with a Tak 135? Probably a long shot. I just need some input / opinion / info / tips.

If any of you guys have a mower for your mini, I'd like to hear your experience.

I'm pretty excited to get everything together. Hoping to mow my banks at the road, some other ditch banks, and trim trees on my driveway and trails with the thing. Currently these jobs are done with a weed whacker or pole pruner. I'm thinking the air conditioned cab of my excavator will be a better working environment.:dance1:

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I want to add something similar to my KX121. I bought a Ferri TD42 boom mower for my tractor the year before I bought my excavator. I could have bought a nice mulching head for the same money, ugghhhh

 

[Rustyiron]

In my "experience" mostly with SS attachments, the case drain would be the 3rd hyd line and it's usually not optional, that is it seems smaller, lower flow motors do not require one, where larger, higher flow motors require one and you do not have a choice. How many lines coming off your mowers motor?
Not sure if this applies to your mini and would not have given my .02$ if you had some response.:laughing: Call the mower mfg.

 

[bspeedy]

In my "experience" mostly with SS attachments, the case drain would be the 3rd hyd line and it's usually not optional, that is it seems smaller, lower flow motors do not require one, where larger, higher flow motors require one and you do not have a choice. How many lines coming off your mowers motor?
Not sure if this applies to your mini and would not have given my .02$ if you had some response.:laughing: Call the mower mfg.

Thanks, Rusty. I did call the mower mfg. They said no case drain is needed. This makes sense as there are only two lines coming from the mower. I have a tag quick attach mount coming from my Tak dealer. Should be here within the next couple of weeks. Also, the adapter is an easy conversion from the original as it was built for a Kubota KX121.

I'm pretty pumped to get this thing running.

 

[bspeedy]

Just an update. I finally got everything together and ran the mower. What a machine! The Tak runs the mower pretty well and handles the weight better than I expected. Works great for steep banks and trimming trees over the driveway. Hydraulic motor stayed cool, machine operated the mower perfectly. I'm happy with the results of this experiment.

 

[Industrial Toys]

PICTURES please. Sound like a nice outfit. Nice to see "out of the ordinary" stuff on here for a change.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Any pics?

 

[bspeedy]

Sorry guys. I'll get some. My wife took a couple of me mowing with it when I tried it out. I'll ask her to send them to me and then I'll post them.

 

[USAFpj]

Speedy- was your Tak a C-list find, or is there a solid dealer in our area? I had always wanted a full sized Backhoe, but I think a mini-ex is going to be perfect for my needs...

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Any pics yet?

 

[hddnis]

How has the setup been working out?

I've got the same little Takeuchi and been thinking about getting a mower for it. It would be the smallest mower I've got, except the billy goat, but I think I could send a guy out to take care of a lot of small jobs with it and get better productivity.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I’ll revive this thread. I finally got myself a mulching head. It’s a 2022 FAE BL1/EX 075. I’m running it on a 2011 Kubota KX121-3 with 1200hrs. I’ve got about 12 hours on the head so far, you definitely know it’s out there, but after getting used to it, it works very well. I can reach all the way out and up with it, just need to go easy. I’m real happy with it! Far better than my 3 point hitch Ferri TD42 boom mounted flail head on the tractor. Apples to oranges as to heads, I’m just saying the control you get with the excavator. I may add a bolt on quick attach plate to my Ferri TIL100 flail head and seeing about running it on the excavator. It would be perfect for grass, weeds and light brush. I need to look into flow requirements etc.

 

[t320pilot]

That's a real nice mulcher head. About $25k? Are you able to use your thumb while the mulcher head is running?

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

I’ll revive this thread. I finally got myself a mulching head. It’s a 2022 FAE BL1/EX 075. I’m running it on a 2011 Kubota KX121-3 ...

You are Happy, and I am JEALOUS!

I've been considering a mulcher head for my KX040-4, which is very similar to your KX.

Any comments on your KX handling the weight and hydraulic performance would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have the VT option on the mulcher? And of the hydraulic front/rear doors?


ANY comments would be of great interest.

Joel

 

[Happy Gilmore]

That's a real nice mulcher head. About $25k? Are you able to use your thumb while the mulcher head is running?

I paid $21k just for the head as it sits. I only have one set of auxiliary hydraulics, so no, it’s one or the other. If I ever get a new machine it’ll definitely have two sets of auxiliaries!

 

[Happy Gilmore]

You are Happy, and I am JEALOUS!

I've been considering a mulcher head for my KX040-4, which is very similar to your KX.

Any comments on your KX handling the weight and hydraulic performance would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have the VT option on the mulcher? And of the hydraulic front/rear doors?


ANY comments would be of great interest.

Joel

Hey Joel,
Your machine has 1 GPM more hydraulic flow than mine, weight should be about the same. The machine handles the weight of the head fine, but you have to go easy with it. I got the non VT head, because of flow requirements, 13 GPM for non VT, 17 GPM for VT. One dealer highly recommended VT, the other non VT. I spoke to FAE’s service department directly and made my decision based on that discussion. A friend of mine has the same head as mine on a KX057, he’s very happy with it as well. It has the hydraulic rear door (controlled through a diverter), no front door.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

Hey Joel,
Your machine has 1 GPM more hydraulic flow than mine, weight should be about the same. The machine handles the weight of the head fine, but you have to go easy with it. I got the non VT head, because of flow requirements, 13 GPM for non VT, 17 GPM for VT. One dealer highly recommended VT, the other non VT. I spoke to FAE’s service department directly and made my decision based on that discussion. A friend of mine has the same head as mine on a KX057, he’s very happy with it as well. It has the hydraulic rear door (controlled through a diverter), no front door.

The VT's marketing is unclear to me. Supposedly it helps reduce the mulcher from bogging down, but it requires more hydraulic flow to function. Happy, I'll send you a PM so as to not hijack this thread.

Are you running 2 or 3 hydraulic lines to the mulcher motor?

Any videos of the mulcher in use?!

 

[HappyOne]

I also have a KX040 and wonder how well it would do with a mulcher. Personally I would like more reach and have been looking at trading up.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

The VT's marketing is unclear to me. Supposedly it helps reduce the mulcher from bogging down, but it requires more hydraulic flow to function. Happy, I'll send you a PM so as to not hijack this thread.

Are you running 2 or 3 hydraulic lines to the mulcher motor?

Any videos of the mulcher in use?!

I’m using the two lines for the thumb and I had to run a case drain back to the hydraulic tank, there’s also a wiring harness to run.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I also have a KX040 and wonder how well it would do with a mulcher. Personally I would like more reach and have been looking at trading up.

You can definitely do it with the KX040, but you’ll do more with a KX057, you’d be happier with the latter. You can also order it set up with 2 sets of hydraulic remotes, which I highly recommend.