Goodbye Kubota, hello EarthForce

[gordon]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Mark glad to see that you got your new toy in one piece./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I see you've got night lighting pretty much under control. With all the lights and brackets you have to work with. I like those chain link mounts that they made as well. Nice shop you found for the custom welding work.

I saw an EF-4 at the rental yard the other day when I was picking up a roll of fabric for a lane that I'm getting ready to start. The yard owner was there and said it's a pretty nice machine after they got the kinks worked out of it. That part sounded pretty good.

He said that tech support is difficult because of the language barrier. That machine is two years old. He stated two problem sources the electrical system and the hydraulic system. Said the fuses were the old VW open style fuses. Also the tractor actually had too much power. Bent the backhoe mount and the loader arms. Now that's some power. They made up a stronger mount at the shop. Earth Force sent them new loader arms at no cost. They do stand behind their product. Now you have to understand this is a rental unit and gets the heck beat out of it. So yours should last for years.

Good luck with your new machine and merry Christmas
So tell us how she runs!!!
Gordon

 

[MChalkley]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Gordon - Hey! Long time no hear! Thanks for checking out the rental unit - I like all the information I can get.

I wonder how many hours that machine has on it. I suspect it's older than two years old (but they may have gotten it two years ago), because I saw one longer ago than that and it had the newer ATC style fuses, which mine also has. One of the guys at the distribution center showed me some older arms that had been replaced, and admitted that they had had to make good on some of the early models.

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Here's a full side picture with the loader fully raised.

MarkC

 

[Thomas]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Mark,
Man Ole Man..you got a dream come true there.
If you are deciding on a nick name for her maybe T-Rex might fit,or Untamed Unnamed.
She is beauty!!

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[gordon]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

It's been a busy fall, thats a good thing./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Hope it stays that way into and through winter.

I didn't have to much time to sit there and chit chat with him. So those were the basics that I got from the short time we talked. It's good they upgraded the fuses and you already know about the loader problems of past. It looked like a nice machine except for the tires. I'll look for that upgrade in the future. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Have a merry Christmas
Guess that goes without saying for you cuz u got the new toy. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Gordon

 

[MChalkley]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Thomas - Thanks! I'll have to see if the wife will allow T-Rex as a name - all the names have to be cleared with her, of course. It's not much for her to ask. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

I'm quite pleased with it, at least as pleased as I can be before I've had a chance to really put it to the test. As I mentioned before, I was a little concerned about the pulling/pushing force of the machine, but I'm not any longer. Just the little bit of playing with it that I did yesterday convinced me that it's got plenty. I'm not yet sure if it's as much as the L4310HST had, but it sure seems like it's got at least as much. There's so much difference between the tires on the two machines that it's hard to compare. But, it's got enough to easily dig holes with all the tires in dry soil, even with the additional 2,000 pounds or so of weight it had on it. When I start using the Brush Brute, hopefully next week, that should tell the whole story. I'll let you know...

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Gordon - As for tires, they'll have to be upgraded, as you said. I've never seen a machine yet that didn't. I've been playing with possibilities, and the factors that come into play for me here are:

1) I don't think I want to raise the CG of the machine, so I don't think I want to go with 20" rims over the 18" rims that are on it, even though that's what I was initially planning on doing. So that limits my choices quite a bit.

2) I want radials, I want industrial tires, and I want really aggressive tread, so the Michelin XM27 tires I had on the L4310 are the only choice.

Given those two factors, and the fact that Michelin presently only makes one size that will fit the 18" rim, the only thing I can do, for the present, is go with their tire, which is about 1.5" wider than what I've got, and only a little bit taller. With the increasing popularity of this rim size, though, I'm hoping that by the time I wear these tires out, Michelin will have another option or two. We'll see.

BTW, here's a picture of the fuse box, located on the seat pedestal. I really like the fact that there's lots of room for expansion.

MarkC

 

[Rch]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

We love those pictures, Mark- keep 'em coming. RCH

RCH

 

[MChalkley]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

RCH - Well, ok, if you insist... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Here's a picture of the 4-in-1 bucket, opened. Sure looks smaller in the picture, though. Maybe I'll have to find that bottle cap again...

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

And another pic with the loader raised all the way up, and the bucket in full dump position.

MarkC

BTW, the bar the roll back/dump cylinders are attached to is the self-leveling mechanism.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by MChalkley on 12/23/01 02:45 PM (server time).</FONT></P>