Which 8 tonner? Volvo ECR88 vs Kubota KX080-3 vs CAT 308 vs Other?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Be interested in any comments; volvo hydraulics are meant to be crap but excellent backup; trouble is they do the only zero-swing 8... For 25% construction and 75% flail and timber work...

[roseyweb]

Theres a cat to wet your appetite

 

[LGP Eddie]

Obviously I'm going to vote Kubota, but that's backed by nearly 3 1/2 years of use in some pretty tough going with a multitude of attachments and I doubt it's ever done more than a handful of hours with simply a bucket direct to the quick hitch.

 

The simple fact is the Kubota has the metal in them in the right places and if you compare the slew rings of something like the CAT or Hitachi they are simply tiny, which isn't great for constant attachment use.

The same goes for pin sizes and only Takeuchi have upped the stakes with their latest offering which I'm keen to get a look at.

 

Having had about 50 days constant use with an FAE DML/HY fixed tooth head on the machine, this really is pretty much as good as it gets out of a standard 8 tonne excavator and I'd look to go with a power pack if I upgrade in future.

There have been no cooling issues and the Kubota is fully intended to utilise attachments with a 4 line setup as standard.

 

For a good all rounder get some 600mm steel tracks on a KX080 and it'll be close enough to zero swing anyway.

Change the top rollers for a bottom roller (easily fabricated) to get a better grip on the chain and make certain you have the track guide plates installed.

The blade will require two small extensions to cover the extra width, but with this done you'll have a great all rounder that's still compact enough.

 

Wait a month or so and you can have my 8 tonne unit!

 

As for Kubota backup, very good anyway but you'll not need much if you look after it.

 

As for the others, I'd put Takeuchi and Hitachi level second as both are superb machines with the Volvo/Komatsu third for being zero swing machines with all the hassles that brings in terms of access issues and balance.

 

The CAT, forget it! They have absolutely no vision or tracking power whatsoever.

 

Eddie.

 

The Kubota can be Zero swing too!

[David Riding]

Be interested in any comments; volvo hydraulics are meant to be crap but excellent backup; trouble is they do the only zero-swing 8... For 25% construction and 75% flail and timber work...

 

Takeuchi US: TB180FR Zero Swing Excavator

 

You would be a fool not to buy a Takeuchi 180 zero tail. Very powerful hydraulics and great for forestry and also fantastic for construction work.

[LGP Eddie]

[quote

 

You would be a fool not to buy a Takeuchi 180 zero tail. Very powerful hydraulics and great for forestry and also fantastic for construction work.

 

You'd also be a fool to land yourself with the horrendous takeuchi FR offset arrangement that will end up a sloppy mess very quickly.

 

Don't get hung up on Zero swing as it comes with so many other issues from cramped cabs to poor maintenance access and less stability.

They also tend to have higher centre's of gravity which isn't ideal for the steep stuff, plus generally wide undercarriages with narrow track pads as opposed to keeping things a sensible width and pushing the pads wider.

 

Very few situations where the zero swing will be an advantage, but the day to day compromises on the machine have to be lived with all the time.

 

I rate certain Takeuchi models very highly and their new standard 8 tonner looks superb, but the latest Kubota Dash 4 is out very shortly too to possibly raise the bar again?

 

One thing 8 tonners are really eating into 13 tonne market now.

 

Eddie.

[David Riding]

[quote

 

Very few situations where the zero swing will be an advantage,

 

Eddie.

 

How about every single tree clearance, harvesting and thinning situation

[NI Tree]

eddie what with are your track pads and how come you are going to sell it

[LGP Eddie]

How about every single tree clearance, harvesting and thinning situation

 

With the correct pads on machines like the conventional Takeuchi or Kubota that have slightly reduced radius they're so close to zero it doesn't matter, I'd still maintain you're better off than the telephone box cabs and limited access panels that come with zero tailswing machines.

 

The pads are 900mm and I hope to upgrade to the Dash 4 Kubota if it's as good as my current Dash 4 KX57.

 

Eddie.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Yeah it's the -4 we want; will be brand new.

 

Anyone heard of the whacker-neuson?

[LGP Eddie]

Yeah it's the -4 we want; will be brand new.

 

Anyone heard of the whacker-neuson?

 

I suspect the Dash 4 Kubota is going to be a substantial chunk of money more than a Dash 3 Alpha, rumours are around high 50's and I believe they will both run alongside each other for a short while.

 

I've done some searching for specs and I believe the Dash 4 is going to be pushing out 70hp now, but I'm hoping to make my way over to BAUMA in Munich next month to see it in the flesh and make my mind up from there.

 

I don't think there's much wrong with Neuson products and they do make some unusual high spec variants of their machines.

If you have a sound local dealer for backup certainly worth a look?

 

Anyone looking for smaller machines that are Zero tailswing without the compromise cab, take a look at the new Kubota U35-4.

How Kubota have managed to get basically the same cab as my 5 tonne KX57 onto a 3.5 tonne zero swing machine is beyond me, but reading through the specs it looks like they've raised the bar more than a few notches over the competition and finally float position for the blade.

 

Eddie.