My local dealer has one on order but it hasn't come in yet. I'll be curious to give it a go. If it's anything like as good as our
M59 it should be a fine machine. That 2' extra reach will sure come in very handy.
As for the cab.....well, I sure wanted one for years but awhile back we had so much work to do we got a fully cabbed JD310 backhoe to use for a while in addition to
M59. Now after being able to compare things for a couple years I'm not so sure a cab is quite the complete advantage I always thought it was. That's because the thing I like most about the
M59 is how handy and accurate it is. To do that, it needs to have great visibility and really accurate controls coupled with effortless power. The
M59 has those things. The JD310 has even more power, but the downside of the cab, extra weight, and more power is a decrease in its ability to work comfortably in really tight & delicate places.
I'm saying it all depends on the work. Out in the open, or next to a road or driveway there's just no substitute for the heated and cooled cab. But working next to a house, near a garden, trees, or water then the open frame
M59 is more comfortable. Right now we have the luxury of having one with and one without, but that can't last. And when we get back down to one machine it will - sigh - probably have to be without a cab. Unfortunately I'm coming to the conclustion that the extra visibility is just too much to give up for a cab.
Now I might feel differently if I lived in the North Texas climate or on the Great Plains. But the area I work in runs more to trees, creeks, and hillsides.
good luck,
rScotty
