Mini Excavator Brands, pros and cons?? Hours?

[Fixastuff]

I know 6 people with yanmars all are happy with them. I've run one of their 40 series machines with a cab and liked it. Most models come with a hydraulic quick coupler standard which is very nice.

I know 5 people with Kubotas and all are happy with them. I've run a few of those and like the yanmars and Takeuchis better.

I know 4 people with Takeuchis(not including myself) and they all say their the best. Lol.

If I were buying again I would get one with proportional joystick thumb controls for thumb and boom swing. When I bought the machine I couldn't track well with my feet, now that I only track with my feet I wish I could operate thumb and boom swing while moving.

 

[mike69440]

mike69440, in my use of excavator have never needed a second excavator to rescue mine. Then I probably have not had mine in places you have. But one tractor I found needs another nearby! More than once.

Have learned to keep the rubber tracks tight and avoid real tight turns.

A TLB with strong backhoe can usually pick itself up and swing/pull itself to more solid ground. My TLB has not normally needed rescue except for a few times, like fear of slipping and rolling down a 20' embankment. Thank God for the excavator. Nearly got excavator stuck a few times, i.e. wedged up against a tree, partially falling in a pond, etc., but luckily I got out. Creates a real mess. Excavator rescue would be expensive.

My TLB has pulled my MAX28 tractor to safety many times.

 

[mike69440]

This may have been discussed and I missed it: had a great friend who owned a site work company. He was a God Send on selecting a unit for me. He tested 3 or 4 machines for me and based upon his opinion of each machine and my thoughts on each told him which machine I preferred. The job I was buying for was clearing up land following logging and some serious trees both soft and hardwoods cut. I asked his opinion on a 7,000 or so pound machine about it digging stumps up to about 3 feet in diameter. He said sure it will do it. I took iit a little further and ask, any negative for what I want and he said, well it will dig them but will not LIFT them out the hole. What I am trying to say, be certain of what you wlll be lifting weight wise and distance wise for of course the capacity drops the further from the machine and ever the sides compared to each end.

I have an 18,000 lb. excavator.

In rocky NH soil it can be every difficulty pulling a 5-6" oak if rooted in other trees, in rocky soil, and next to a wall.
Largest stump I ever removed was a 3' bull pine, that had a root ball Volkswagen size. It took all the machine had to lift it out the hole. Sometimes pulling a 10-12" birch or pine is as easy and quick as pulling a weed, tree and stump together, so it depends.
If pulling large stumps often, need 20 ton machine.

 

[finn1]

Mine is a Deere 26G. I bought it new, without a cab. It was a tough choice between the 26G and 35G with cab and air. though, and the slightly larger machine would have the advantage when pulling stumps. In the end, the budget forced the decision to go 26G. There just weren’t any used machines around at the time, and it’s nice to have a warranty and local dealer support for your first machine. Fits on my car trailer, too.

The 26 does ok with Birch of moderate size and even small oaks and soft maple, as long as you have time..

It easily fits in my garage, behind the compact cab tractor with snowblower and box blade mounted, so that’s one advantage of a small machine.

Biggest mistake I made was passing several years ago on a very small open station at the Municipal auction in the suburb I lived in at the time outside of Chicago. It was a tiny machine, suitable for water and drain lines, and went for $1200, with only 1200 hours. It wasn’t listed in the auction bill, so nobody knew it was there.