Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[roseyweb]

Eddie do you still have that Kinshoffer grab for sale?

[Marc]

This Ian the problem though Matthew I have found 3 or 4 KX161's all around 4000 hours but vary in age by several years and all command similar money. Age doesn't seem to have an impact on value.

I am keen on the Kubota just because of opinion voiced here and elsewhere on the web imply they are good machines.

 

What about the newer machines? We browsing has shown that a few are having issues with them running flails compared to the older KX161.

 

Is there nothing comparable to help me broaden my search? The Takeuchi TB250 looks a good machine but again not many used examples around, Eurocomach look good but again used market in the U.K. Is non exsistent.

 

We run a lot of kit and have no worries that a 5 ton machine will get put to use, although it is a bit of an awkward size as 3ton machines are so good and a 5 ton is not a huge step up.

 

We have a Fiat Hitachi 21 tonner which is a good machine but kinda wish we had a 14tonner as it's just a bit more flexible yet still man enough.

 

So I want to make the right choice and have a budget of around £20k preferably with grab included in the £20k

 

Out 2.3 ton Takeuchi is very tired now and 7000 hours, all of these are just used for tree planting so now looking for something for the tree team.

[Billy]

This Ian the problem though Matthew I have found 3 or 4 KX161's all around 4000 hours but vary in age by several years and all command similar money. Age doesn't seem to have an impact on value.

I am keen on the Kubota just because of opinion voiced here and elsewhere on the web imply they are good machines.

 

What about the newer machines? We browsing has shown that a few are having issues with them running flails compared to the older KX161.

 

Is there nothing comparable to help me broaden my search? The Takeuchi TB250 looks a good machine but again not many used examples around, Eurocomach look good but again used market in the U.K. Is non exsistent.

 

We run a lot of kit and have no worries that a 5 ton machine will get put to use, although it is a bit of an awkward size as 3ton machines are so good and a 5 ton is not a huge step up.

 

We have a Fiat Hitachi 21 tonner which is a good machine but kinda wish we had a 14tonner as it's just a bit more flexible yet still man enough.

 

So I want to make the right choice and have a budget of around £20k preferably with grab included in the £20k

 

Out 2.3 ton Takeuchi is very tired now and 7000 hours, all of these are just used for tree planting so now looking for something for the tree team.

 

 

You wouldn't have to push much more than your budget to be into the new Wacker Neuson 4 and 5 ton machines which are very good in my experience maybe it's a bad time to be buying but the 5 ton market usually seems really cheap second hand, i presume because they're not that big but too big to tow putting a lot of potential buyers off

[LGP Eddie]

My humble opinion is the standard fixed braced 3/2 tone grapples have a lot going for them in general arb and scrub type work.

 

Firstly minimal outlay. But once you get fluid at using one in conjunction with offset boom you can stack timber pretty efficiently. They are mega tough you can rip out small stumps, knock round and roll big timber and perhaps most importantly you have far more loading height compared to a dangling rotating grab.

Plus they are far more multi purpose if you undertake other works- landscaping rock handling and fence line clearance-

 

Also with sub 3 ton machines you are slight limited what you can swing in a rotating grab with straggly brash etc because of cab contact, a fixed time grab you tend to knock brash piles in the right direction before you pick them up.

 

Just my thoughts

 

 

The fixed mount grab with rotator just puts you on another level in comparison. Downside is cost and getting the right rotator.

Some of the hose setups you witness are heartbreaking too, it's really not that difficult to get things the right length and routed tidy, it saves a huge amount of downtime.

 

 

Eddie.

[Marc]

You wouldn't have to push much more than your budget to be into the new Wacker Neuson 4 and 5 ton machines which are very good in my experience maybe it's a bad time to be buying but the 5 ton market usually seems really cheap second hand, i presume because they're not that big but too big to tow putting a lot of potential buyers off

 

I perhaps should of been more direct, I can find plenty of 5 ton machines in my budget, just which one for doing site clearance with multiple attachments - grab/shear/mulcher? Are all created equal as my small amount of research seems to imply they are not.

[LGP Eddie]

Eddie do you still have that Kinshoffer grab for sale?

 

Sorry sold through Arbtrader.

 

 

Eddie.

[Matthew Storrs]

I know kubota have a big following on here but whenever I drive another make of machine I just wish I was back in my Takeuchi. In my opinion Takeuchi are beefed up in all the right areas- the blade on my TB125 is more substantial than the 4ton kubota kx121 I looked at which had already been bent. The Takeuchi tb175 has twin rams on both the boom and dozer blade whereas most 8toners only have 1. Generally massive kiingposts etc.

Taks have nice flat plate glass- easy to replace, all metal bodywork- which takes abuse well

 

Everyone has their preferences of course!

[Marc]

The fixed mount grab with rotator just puts you on another level in comparison. Downside is cost and getting the right rotator.

Some of the hose setups you witness are heartbreaking too, it's really not that difficult to get things the right length and routed tidy, it saves a huge amount of downtime.

 

 

Eddie.

 

Again what is the right rotator , we have a demolition grab on the 21ton machine for sorting big timber at the yard and it is very good if lacking the rotation torque of a worm geared tilt rotate set-up

 

Everyone seems to go on about Engcon, but there are 3 other out there why do these not get much mention? And what are the cost differences.

[Matthew Storrs]

The fixed mount grab with rotator just puts you on another level in comparison. Downside is cost and getting the right rotator.

Some of the hose setups you witness are heartbreaking too, it's really not that difficult to get things the right length and routed tidy, it saves a huge amount of downtime.

 

 

Eddie.

 

Yes- can definitely see the considerable advantages of a proper fixed rotating grab likes Stephen Blair has on his Cat, I may look at this on my new digger but For many on here running sub 3 ton machines I'd say the fixed grapple has a lot of advantages over the floppy rotating timber grabs for general arb work, loading trailers and clearing brash etc

[Brett]

Should work, just wanted to add this was my first ever excavator flail and a great bit of kit it turned out to be.

Only issues I ever had were due to being too greedy with it, operating it probably three times above its rated capacity at times, but even that only cost me a balance on the shaft which wasn't too bad.

Exac-One supported it very well.

 

Must be some on here running or hiring Avant/Flail setups that can help you more.

 

 

Eddie.

 

thank you eddie, please excuse my ignorance, when you say "operating it prob 3 times above its rated cap..." how do you mean exactly? what sort of work would be pushing it past its capability. I want it mainly for cutting paths through gorse and small areas of scrub on site clearance jobs.