Looking to buy a Mini-X. Your experience and opinions, please

[dfkrug]

Funny thing is once you get one you try and figure out how you did things before you had it.

Sooo true! I have 50h on my new machine just in the last month or so. I am done for the season UNLESS I get more rain. Shoulda got one a couple of years ago....

 

[Bigfoot62]

Sooo true! I have 50h on my new machine just in the last month or so. I am done for the season UNLESS I get more rain. Shoulda got one a couple of years ago....

Yeah, but sometimes, life just gets in the way. I could have USED one 20 years ago, but couldn't really afford it then. It's good to have it now, though.

 

[Seven Gables]

Just curious how the tak is workin for you? Puttin some hrs on? Do you have a fuel consumption monitor that tells you current GPH and also avg GPH ? I'm getting .9 GPH avg when I run at 1850rpm which is about the fastest I've needed to run so far. Wondering how that compares to the 260? Bout wk or so ago I had 1/3 of a monster maple come down on an old fence line, did same as you, cut to manageable lengths and pile out of way. Saved ton of time. Actually was kinda glad to see downed, excuse to use the Ex. Hope all is well. B

 

[Bigfoot62]

Just curious how the tak is workin for you? Puttin some hrs on? Do you have a fuel consumption monitor that tells you current GPH and also avg GPH ? I'm getting .9 GPH avg when I run at 1850rpm which is about the fastest I've needed to run so far. Wondering how that compares to the 260? Bout wk or so ago I had 1/3 of a monster maple come down on an old fence line, did same as you, cut to manageable lengths and pile out of way. Saved ton of time. Actually was kinda glad to see downed, excuse to use the Ex. Hope all is well. B

I looked at the hour meter yesterday. Put 25 hours on it since purchased. I own and drive an tractor-trailer, plus have other projects on my farm, so I haven't just spent days at a time on the X. I think about a 4 hour stretch has been the longest at one time. But, that's exactly why I bought one instead of renting. It's HERE when I have a little time to use it.

No fuel consumption meter. (that I know of, but I'm still learning) The Tak website lists fuel consumption as 1.6gph. (65% full load) I would say that's close. I would think that the 21 gallon tank would last for a couple days. I fuel from a 300 gallon skid tank and just bought a 50 portable with a 12V pump. Neither pump has a meter, so I'm just guessing how much I put in at a time.

I burned two large brush piles last week, and used the X to re-pile twice. That's the first time I've had it out in two weeks. I was working or in the hay field before that.

 

[Cat_Driver]

My heart is still saying Cab and air conditioning, but my wallet (and my wife) are still shouting, "HOW MUCH?" D:

I'm thinking about dropping back to an open station machine. Really thinking hard about a Takeuchi TB260. A local dealer has it in his rental fleet. Canopy model, 1600 hours, with a hydraulic thumb for $35K. That's exactly half the price of a new one with a cab.

All it takes is a face full of sand blowback to meke you want a can.
Also I has a swarm of bees attack me in an open cab when I hit their hidden hive in some brush.
That day I traded my tractor for a full cab with heat and AC NEVER again will I ever run equioment
without fukk protection.

So you can tell all the nah sayers to pound sand because their your lungs that have to breath all that dust and dirt.

 

[Boondox]

All it takes is a face full of sand blowback to meke you want a can.
Also I has a swarm of bees attack me in an open cab when I hit their hidden hive in some brush.
That day I traded my tractor for a full cab with heat and AC NEVER again will I ever run equioment
without fukk protection.

So you can tell all the nah sayers to pound sand because their your lungs that have to breath all that dust and dirt.

It's really a personal choice. I work a bit in the woods, and would counter that all it takes is one shattered window to make you wish you had an open cab. My mini-x is open station with FOPS. I'm happy with that. My tractor doesn't got into the forest and has a full cab with heat and AC, stereo, etc. I'm also very happy with that...especially when I hit a nest of hornets and can just laugh at them as they attack the windows!

Pete

 

[laurencen]

rather a tree limb take out the window than hit me in the face, dug some tree roots out this weekend, a root hit the cab, fortunately no damage but open cab would have been a different story

 

[redman135]

For those of you who work in woodlots, why don't you have a forestry safety frame (don't know term) on the cab? It may be like being in jail, but sticks and logs can't come through the windscreen.

 

[laurencen]

if doing a lot of tree removal definitely have the cage regardless of cab or no cab

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think it matters alot if you are working for fun or as a job. For fun, I like to be out in the open experiencing the environment. That would get old quickly, if I had to do it to make money.