Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[Matthew Storrs]

9 minutes ago, Gray git said:

Tempted to make a few phonecalls next week to test the water on new prices, don't think the digging market is really open around here as a local hire company has a few bobcats of this size and carry out works themselves which is why I'm hesident about buying new as it won't be working all the time, we currently hire a bobcat 2.6 tonner off them at the moment and fit our grab to it but I like being self sufficient and would use it more like everything else we have invested in.

Not sure how keen you are to get one- I may possibly be selling my Takeuchi tb125 in early spring. It sounds like it would suit you fine. Almost immaculate condition and only 1800hrs 2007 model. I’ve put 800hrs on it in the last year and it was sat in a barn for the first 10 years of its life only doing 100hrs a year- I’m hesitant to get rid as I know I’d never find a used machine in that condition again but could really use a bigger machine (5ton) to run alongside my 1.8tonner.

here she is (the nearer one) when I first got it last year. original paint work- not bad for 10 years.

[LGP Eddie]

5 hours ago, Matthew Storrs said:

The Takeuchi tb225 looks good but a few things put me off it. The ground clearance is pretty poor to accommodate the expanding tracks.  Lack of proper track pedals too. Personally I live with my feet on the pedals and find work so much more productive and flowing- when I get in my smaller machine which has no pedals i feel a bit disabled.

lastly- price. I was quoted £24k+vat. You can buy a Yanmar sv26 for this which is still towable has great ground clearance and ultra stable being 1550mm wide with proportional rollers for attachments. Guess it depends how much you’d benefit from the expanding tracks of the tb225?

It’s a bit more than expanding tracks on the TB225, pretty much a usp of being able to get down to 1100mm wide to squeeze pretty much where a 1.5 tonne class machine would go, and then back out to 1500mm for stability.

 

The weight means that a good range of attachments can be legally carrried no hassles on the trailer.

 

The machine is basically the supersize TB016 everyone wanted, and from the look of it the residual will be rock solid.

 

If you want to go to the wire on the towing limit and fixed tracks, loads of options available of which the Kubota Kx030-4 has to be considered a fair weapon.

 

Eddie.

[Matthew Storrs]

42 minutes ago, LGP Eddie said:

It’s a bit more than expanding tracks on the TB225, pretty much a usp of being able to get down to 1100mm wide to squeeze pretty much where a 1.5 tonne class machine would go, and then back out to 1500mm for stability.

 

The weight means that a good range of attachments can be legally carrried no hassles on the trailer.

 

The machine is basically the supersize TB016 everyone wanted, and from the look of it the residual will be rock solid.

 

If you want to go to the wire on the towing limit and fixed tracks, loads of options available of which the Kubota Kx030-4 has to be considered a fair weapon.

 

Eddie.

I’d agree for the most part, I always said to myself if Tak brought out a model weighing 2.3t I’d get it. Reasons being mainly for transportation ease with attachments etc and less stress on tow vehicle. Personally I think the expanding tracks on the TB225 is going to be too much of a Niche. When I think about all the jobs where access is an issue for my 3 tonner it’s generally a garden gate or an alleyway, usually both would be under 1 meter meaning an TB016 would get in there but not the tb225. Even a 4ft gate would be unlikely for it as usually the posts are a bit closer than 4ft in reality. So then I start thinking that the expanding undercarriage only really is going to get to very few places that the 2.8tonners won’t get to? Also it only has an extra 1ft of reach over the TB216/016 which hardly seems worth it for the extra £7k it costs...

Time will tell I suppose.

[scbk]

Finally got round to fitting a led worklight to the Kubota k008 - the hardest part is finding somewhere to put the switch where it won't get knocked (and running the cable) as it's so tight on space

 

 

Also making good use of the digbits thumb on rough woodchip

[LGP Eddie]

15 hours ago, Matthew Storrs said:

I’d agree for the most part, I always said to myself if Tak brought out a model weighing 2.3t I’d get it. Reasons being mainly for transportation ease with attachments etc and less stress on tow vehicle. Personally I think the expanding tracks on the TB225 is going to be too much of a Niche. When I think about all the jobs where access is an issue for my 3 tonner it’s generally a garden gate or an alleyway, usually both would be under 1 meter meaning an TB016 would get in there but not the tb225. Even a 4ft gate would be unlikely for it as usually the posts are a bit closer than 4ft in reality. So then I start thinking that the expanding undercarriage only really is going to get to very few places that the 2.8tonners won’t get to? Also it only has an extra 1ft of reach over the TB216/016 which hardly seems worth it for the extra £7k it costs...

Time will tell I suppose.

If you consider your average 1 tonne Hi Tip Dumper is 1100mm plus on the wider tyres, that this will inevitably get paired with on awkward access jobs, I’d consider the fact you can get 2.3 tonne of machine in with a decent punch down to 1100mm an advantage, especially when the same machine can open out and do most of a full fat 3 tonners work too.

 

Not riding the towing limit is going to make for a much better experience all round living with it, and for many guys on here who simply need a machine to replace men in donkey work, it’ll make a great option.

 

My opinion is they’ll sell a lot, and they’ll always hold strong money.

 

 

Eddie.

[Gray git]

Good points on the tracks, how will that compare on stability against the older tb125's with them having a bit more of an arse on them for grab work?
I was considering going a bit bigger say 5 or 6 so it could carry the jak250 shear we have for the botex but shifting it ties up the tractor to take it when I want that taking the chipper and trailer for these woodland tidying jobs we have Coming up so being able to trailer it behind the landy seems a far more versatile option.

[Gray git]

Should add ground clearance being in woods quite a bit could be quite important with small stumps getting up into the undercarriage,

[LGP Eddie]

5 minutes ago, Gray git said:

Good points on the tracks, how will that compare on stability against the older tb125's with them having a bit more of an arse on them for grab work?
I was considering going a bit bigger say 5 or 6 so it could carry the jak250 shear we have for the botex but shifting it ties up the tractor to take it when I want that taking the chipper and trailer for these woodland tidying jobs we have Coming up so being able to trailer it behind the landy seems a far more versatile option.

It’s not a straightforward comparison, Takeuchi have carved this niche themselves, and for the vast amount of guys on here wanting to tow a machine easily to site with a few bits like a fixed grab, rake, and flail etc, plus be able to access more places it’s a great option.

 

If you’re simply trying to duck under the 7.5 tonner route and want a full fat powerhouse then the Kubota Kx030-4 must be on any shortlist, but plenty of options out there.

 

Expanding undercarriage clearance isn’t the best for the woods, but that’s not where a TB225 would be a first choice anyway.

However plenty on here will have taken a TB016 with similar setup some places with no issues.

 

Eddie.

[LGP Eddie]

Nothing special, it’s a 400kg Plate Compactor, but shows with the tracks blown out, the TB225 gives a pretty square footprint and all round stability.

 

If after a Grab is fitted you can comfortably do a 300kg lump at full stick without nodding, a reasonable Operator is going to shift some stuff without breaking sweat in a shift.?

 

 

Eddie.

 

[monkeybusiness]

1 hour ago, Gray git said:

Good points on the tracks, how will that compare on stability against the older tb125's with them having a bit more of an arse on them for grab work?
I was considering going a bit bigger say 5 or 6 so it could carry the jak250 shear we have for the botex but shifting it ties up the tractor to take it when I want that taking the chipper and trailer for these woodland tidying jobs we have Coming up so being able to trailer it behind the landy seems a far more versatile option.

Can you remove the pins from the Botex and fabricate a flat(ish) floor to low-load a digger? 

 

Or get a low loader trailer and take the lot? Chuck the chipper and/or mulcher on an Ifor Williams (or stick it on the front linkage if not too heavy - not an option with my set up though). 

 

That’s what I do, but it costs a bit more (and isn’t as versatile if you just want to drag a little digger to the job).