Which one should I buy?

[Dougeye]

I'm planning to buy a micro (one ton) excavator in the next few months, and have been gathering information and quotes from the dealers in my area. All of these include two buckets and are before taxes. And in Canadian dollars, each one worth about 75 cents US.

Cat 300.9D $31,900
Kubota K008-3 $30,500
Yanmar SV08-1B $21,500
Bobcat E10 $32,900

What do you think? Opinions welcomed, pros, cons, experience etc.

And the Yanmar price is not a typo, it really is 10 grand less....

 

[dragoneggs]

No experience to voice an opinion but curious as to what your planned use? Personal, commercial?

 

[Dougeye]

No experience to voice an opinion but curious as to what your planned use? Personal, commercial?

Mostly for trenching to improve drainage, add water and electrical lines etc around the property. I'm sure I could also pick up some paid work, but that would be secondary. Need a really small machine, there are lots of tight places on our place.

 

[spitter]

Home use Yanmar . If it's for a Business the one that has the best dealer support by you, down time kills a business.:drink:

 

[Cat_Driver]

Why not look at Takeuchi?

 

[dragoneggs]

Mostly for trenching to improve drainage, add water and electrical lines etc around the property. I'm sure I could also pick up some paid work, but that would be secondary. Need a really small machine, there are lots of tight places on our place.

Are you sure you just need a micro excavator? Or should you get a SCUT w/BH? A whole lot more versatility for the long term.

 

[Dougeye]

Why not look at Takeuchi?

I located a dealer a few hours away, and will contact them for a quote.

 

[Dougeye]

Are you sure you just need a micro excavator? Or should you get a SCUT w/BH? A whole lot more versatility for the long term.

I have a Mahindra eMax 20S, and could add a backhoe attachment for under $10K, but the length and width of the combination would still be way too much for many of the tight locations on our property.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have a Mahindra eMax 20S, and could add a backhoe attachment for under $10K, but the length and width of the combination would still be way too much for many of the tight locations on our property.

Gotcha... I have got into tight spots removing the FEL and jockeying back and forth around a tight corner only to find I really needed the counterweight of the FEL to help dig. :mur:

 

[spitter]

I have to second the Takeuchi .:thumbsup: A TB 135 is my next machine . My neighbor works as a digger and can have any mini he wants that his company has and he says he always asks for the deere over the kubota . :2cents: I don't know if the deere is the same as the yanmar but most of the time they are. Why don't you look used ? :confused3: 30 G is a lot for a micro for the home . That would get me a nice TB135. :drink:

 

[Dougeye]

The Takeuchi came in at an attractive price, and after verifying with the dealer, I found out that the Yanmar quote was for a demo machine with 80 hours. So apples to apples, brand new machines with two buckets:

Cat 300.9D $31,900
Kubota K008-3 $30,500
Yanmar SV08-1B $27,000
Bobcat E10 $32,900
Takeuchi KB210R $28,400

Other than the 80 hour Yanmar, I'm not finding anything used that is worth looking at. I'm not interested in something five years old with 5,000 hours that is likely beat to crap. Quite a few of those at upcoming auctions. And the Yanmar mentioned is at a dealer that is a ferry ride and several hours away. New it will be. It will pay for itself over time compared to hiring a machine and operator, and these things really keep their value.

I'm liking the Takeuchi.

 

[mikester]

I'd demo each machine and pick the one with the smoothest and fastest cycle times with multiple functions. Takeuchi has a good rep

 

[aaronrkelly]

The Takeuchi came in at an attractive price, and after verifying with the dealer, I found out that the Yanmar quote was for a demo machine with 80 hours. So apples to apples, brand new machines with two buckets:

Cat 300.9D $31,900
Kubota K008-3 $30,500
Yanmar SV08-1B $27,000
Bobcat E10 $32,900
Takeuchi KB210R $28,400

Other than the 80 hour Yanmar, I'm not finding anything used that is worth looking at. I'm not interested in something five years old with 5,000 hours that is likely beat to crap. Quite a few of those at upcoming auctions. And the Yanmar mentioned is at a dealer that is a ferry ride and several hours away. New it will be. It will pay for itself over time compared to hiring a machine and operator, and these things really keep their value.

I'm liking the Takeuchi.

My first thought was holy ****, thats alot of money for a tiny excavator. I recently bought a 6 ton machine for $44k. Then I realized it wasnt real money but maple syrup dollars.

Ive used a few of those - guess any one didnt really outshine the others significantly.

I would jump on that machine with 80hrs for $10k less - thats seems like the obvious pick. Do the same work with 1/3 less investment. 80hrs aint squat and itll still have warranty.

 

[Dougeye]

My first thought was holy ****, thats alot of money for a tiny excavator. I recently bought a 6 ton machine for $44k. Then I realized it wasnt real money but maple syrup dollars.


I would jump on that machine with 80hrs for $10k less - that seems like the obvious pick. Do the same work with 1/3 less investment. 80hrs aint squat and itll still have warranty.

One of my American friends dubbed the maple syrup dollar as the "dollarette". The numbers are bigger here, your $44K approaches 60, but it's all relative.

The 80 hour machine is a full day's travel including a high mountain pass and an expensive ferry ride away, and the same for the return. I'm not inclined to take two days off with so much to do on the home place, and besides, the sales rep seems to have vanished, not replying, so maybe the machine has been sold.

I have significant rotator cuff injuries, and I'm finding that the controls that are mounted at the ends of armrests that support the forearms don't lead to muscle fatigue the way the console mounted controls do. That's a big consideration for me, and it means the Takeuchi and Bobcat are on my short list. I'm talking bucket selection with the Takeuchi rep and I will possibly make a decision this week. It's a fun process.... and once again noting how some in the sales business are rather unprofessional. I'm old school, and think you should do what you say you'll do... is that unreasonable?

 

[aaronrkelly]

One of my American friends dubbed the maple syrup dollar as the "dollarette". The numbers are bigger here, your $44K approaches 60, but it's all relative.

The 80 hour machine is a full day's travel including a high mountain pass and an expensive ferry ride away, and the same for the return. I'm not inclined to take two days off with so much to do on the home place, and besides, the sales rep seems to have vanished, not replying, so maybe the machine has been sold.

I have significant rotator cuff injuries, and I'm finding that the controls that are mounted at the ends of armrests that support the forearms don't lead to muscle fatigue the way the console mounted controls do. That's a big consideration for me, and it means the Takeuchi and Bobcat are on my short list. I'm talking bucket selection with the Takeuchi rep and I will possibly make a decision this week. It's a fun process.... and once again noting how some in the sales business are rather unprofessional. I'm old school, and think you should do what you say you'll do... is that unreasonable?

This thread has be thinking about getting one of these little guys. I have a backhoe on a tractor and I have that 6 ton excavator......but man, the fact one of these machines would fit thru a doorway sounds handy. Get into backyards thru gates......use it for demo work inside a building.....all kinds of options. I found a high hour Kubota KX008 (Id guess around 2K hours) for $9900. I may go give it a look see.

 

[DavidPR]

I looked at the machines you're looking at and decided to go up one notch - Kubota U17, Bobcat e20, Cat 301.7D, Yanmar ViO17, Takeuchie TB216 and John Deere 17G. They weigh about a 1000lbs or so more, but they're still easy on the lawn, retract to fit through a backyard gate and can fit into tight spaces. The Takeuchie here is out-the-door $27000 (USD) with a hydraulic thumb. The Kubota $35000 USD. I like the Kubota because it has a little stronger engine and it's a zero tail, but the price difference is a high hurdle for me. I initially liked the Bobcat because out of all of them it has the highest bucket breakout, but it weighs several hundred pounds more than the others only has a 14hp engine. I've heard that the Bobcat suffers some mobility problems on rough ground because of the weight and small engine. The John Deere and the Yanmar's boom cylinder is located under the boom, which looks like it could be susceptible to being damaged if you pulled a stump or something into it. I don't know...that may be just me over analyzing things.

I think all the machines you're looking at are good machines. There are some differences, but you'd just adapt to whatever the machine you choose has to offer. I think a big part of the decision would come down to how close the dealer is to you, as it would make getting serviced or repaired easier.

 

[jhonygee]

I examined it and yanmar looks advantageous.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I never thought I would own an excavator. I got to think of all my projects and I know my working style. I have a project and I'll work it for an hour to a half day, then onto the nxt one. My equipment might just run less than an hour to a few hours at a time. Renting was out of the question as I always have things pop op (mainly tripping palm trees and 100; feet of olianders). Rental out my way nears $1,000 for a day use with delivery, pickup, insurance.

I picked up a 2017 Takeuchi 6ton for 40K. last year. WOW has that thing been invaluable to me. I find I'm using it more than the tractor.

Last month I did a major clean up and filled (9) 40 yard dumpsters in less than week. All trash and metal etc. My Kubota could never of handled that it couldn't reach high enough. With the ecavator Iwas able ti fill the dumpster but then TAMP the rubbish down so I was almost getting twice as much debris in the dumpster by compacting it.

Dug a 1000 ft irrigation water line. The major thing I learned was that I was able to grab with the thumb the oilianders an trim then down from 12' to 2'. Laste year that cost me $1,000 several times ayear to trim now I do it for "free"

 

[RickB]

This thread has be thinking about getting one of these little guys. I have a backhoe on a tractor and I have that 6 ton excavator......but man, the fact one of these machines would fit thru a doorway sounds handy. Get into backyards thru gates......use it for demo work inside a building.....all kinds of options. I found a high hour Kubota KX008 (Id guess around 2K hours) for $9900. I may go give it a look see.

Interesting that you think an excavator with 2000 hours is "high use".

 

[Dougeye]

I signed the purchase agreement and gave the dealer a deposit on the Takeuchi TB210R. The photo shows it in the office of the dealer's branch in Red Deer, Alberta. They will have it brought to the coast by early December. I'm excited!