Hi Guys, Thanks for the input, and any more is appreciated. There's been good input on what to watch out for and how to buy. That's super important no matter what you do and it really makes you consider how you are buying. You can buy local or from a dealer and see the actual machine. It's tempting to broaden your search over 700 miles and watch potential deals pop up as the market widens but you can't see the actual machine. You can't test the systems. That deal you found might not really be a deal after all and you don't get to find out until the shipper shows up with it. Right answer seems to be to maybe spend more but know exactly what you are getting. I've actually been impressed with what local dealers are able to do as far as machines and pricing if they are tied into a network or fleet coming off rental. Anyway, as far as the machines... Really hard to pick unless you have one specific use/job. Universally I've heard Tak people talk very highly of Kubota and Kubota people talk very highly of Tak. That's really refreshing. So many times it's everything except the brand you bought sucks. These both seem like fantastic machines and people are universally happy with either. Local dealer told me to stay away from the tight quarters, full rotation guys. For my fairly in the open use he said he thought I should entirely go conventional with something like a TB235/45/50 instead of something like the TB138FR. He said the 138FR would be less stable even though it was a bigger, heavier machine. Kubota would be a KX41/91/121 instead of a U25/35 type machine. Those tight quarters machines are awesome in tight quarters but if you don't need it, even though it doesn't show in the specs, there are downsides. As far as size it's just a simple matter of scaling. A KX91 is pretty much exactly like a KX121 except for scale and muscle. Same with a TB235/240/250. It's not the case that one is poorly built or different. Just scale really. If you are digging dirt then any of these is awesome. If you are digging big stumps then any of these machines will struggle. Some will struggle quicker. Thick, hard, heavy clay? Same thing. A TB250 will struggle but not as quickly as a 235 would. There is a reason they make 20+ ton excavators still! A KX121 might seem like a super powerful monster when you've been digging with a shovel. It may seem like total overkill compared to a KX41... Until you try to dig in really nasty stuff or go after big rocks or stumps. A 20 Ton machine will just reach down and pick it out. A KX71 you will be picking and digging at a large stump for an hour or more. A KX121 might be picking and digging and scratching at it for 30 minutes. So... No magic answer. I think honestly you have to trade size/capacity for how much you can afford and how many hours on on the machine. Do you get a 2500 hour KX121 or an 800 hour KX91, both well maintained at the same price? All depends on how you use it and what you use it for. Both are awesome. Both are well built. I think honestly because of the name you might get a little more bang for the buck with a used Tak than a used Kubota. Said another way, the Kubota might hold value slightly better. They are both awesome and are limited by their capacity not by their build quality. I have a great dealership for both. My decision is going to be hard... I'm leaning towards growing the piggy bank a little larger and going with a KX121 or a TB240/250. I just have so many diverse uses for the machine at the farm. As long as the machine isn't huge, more power/capacity doesn't hurt you. Best I can tell, nobody has ever plucked out a big rock and said "******! That was too easy. I wish this machine was less powerful..." as long as the machine wasn't too physically big to be practical for the location. Which brand? I don't know... Everything on my farm is orange at the moment but if a great deal popped up through the local dealership for a TB240 I'd jump on it. For reference, a TB235 is a hair more capable than a KX91. A KX121 goes pretty much blow for blow with a TB240. A KX040 is right there with them. A TB250 is kind of king of the hill amongst these guys. If you need to move it around yourself (location to location) you need to watch the weight. I think a KX121/TB250 on a trailer is pushing what you can do without a CDL and that's something to consider too... Anyway, I'm a novice to mini-excavators but this is what I've learned over the past week. Not rocket science. They are all wonderful machines. Senter
