Best mini digger?

[csservices]

Evening all, I'm considering packing up my agricultural work as there's a lot more coming in on the landscaping/gardening side again now, so thinking about selling the tractor and using some of the money to buy a 1.5 ton mini digger as have fair bit of work to do for myself to at the farm, have driven plenty over the years mostly bobcat and jcb, just wondered what other people's thoughts are on best makes and models, thanks Ed

[Andrew J C]

I have a JCB Micro 1 ton machine, at 700mm wide it can get in most back gardens. Had 10 years now and would not be with out it. Having your own digger means you can use it on even small jobs, saves time and backache.

[SteveA]

We've done loads with a Takeuchi TB016 ....excellent fuel economy, expanding tracks, loads of digging power.

Only thing I would say is that if you need to lift heavy items, like a large haylage bale then it will lift it... but only just.

We also fitted a towball to the dozer blade for attatching a single axle trailer/ that's very useful.... next on the list is for a hydraulic thumb to be fitted.

cheers, steve

[Breezeblock]

+1 for takeuchi they seem pretty well screwed together

[bankhouse builder]

I run a Takeuchi tb016 had it 8 years and never been a spot of trouble well built machine with fantastic reach and dig depth more stable with the expanding tracks and no fancy electrics to go wrong I looked at them all before purchasing and have been happy with it since the day it came.

They do hold their money in the second hand market which is a good thing when you want to move it on .

I would definitely not go for jcb very poor build quality heard some bad feed back on them that is probably why you can pick them up cheap second hand.

I also went for the cabbed version fantastic in the winter.

[SteveA]

I run a Takeuchi tb016 had it 8 years and never been a spot of trouble well built machine with fantastic reach and dig depth more stable with the expanding tracks and no fancy electrics to go wrong I looked at them all before purchasing and have been happy with it since the day it came.

They do hold their money in the second hand market which is a good thing when you want to move it on .

I would definitely not go for jcb very poor build quality heard some bad feed back on them that is probably why you can pick them up cheap second hand.

I also went for the cabbed version fantastic in the winter.

 

Yeah, defo to the cabbed ones.

I've also heard bad reports about the small JCB's but I've not used any myself.

The Kubota KX41-3's are also supposed to be very good/ on a par with the TB016's.... but there don't seem to be so many of those around.

cheers, steve

[william127]

In my experience Takeuchi is the best for 1.5 ton, closely followed by Volvo, yanmar and kubota. I have a kubota but would have preferred a Takeuchi but obviously budget and availability have to be taken into account!

I have used jcbs this size and found them fine, but I followed the advice I was given by everyone and didn't buy one, maybe going against the common opinion could result in getting more for less?

I prefer a non cab machine for landscaping as I find I'm on and off a lot, moving wheel barrows, driving both the digger and dumper or for unusual jobs like lowering buckets of concrete over sleeper walls for footings.

Edited June 21, 2016 by william127

[Matthew Storrs]

Been running Takeuchis for 6 years now, I don't give them an easy life at all and they take all the stick i give them.Truly the best mini diggers out there. Volvo and kubota are nice machines too- they have nicer 'comfort' features over the Takeuchi and the newer ones have more complex hydraulic features over the Taks eg the auxilliarys and boom swings are on the joystick buttons whereas the Tak has 2 manual pedals to do the same job.

Tak dozer blade is much bigger and better built than competitors and all the panels are metal as opposed to plastic.

Just in the process of ordering myself the new Takeuchi tb216 (1.7ton) which i think will compliment my tb125 nicely.

[richy_B]

I have a komatsu pc14 and really rate it. Expanding tracks, double acting aux circuit as standard.

[scraggs]

Never had a problem with my old 8014 JCB, basic but reliable, it gets the job done and was pretty cheap, it has been far more reliable than the new hitachi we had on site recently.