Hydraulic Breaker on TLB

[Bill in VA]

I am considering buying one of the TLB Kubota models though I'm in the early stages of figuring it out. I was surprised to see that at least the M59 is capable of using a hydraulic breaker (HB). I'm pretty ignorant about HBs but thought they would be very hard on such a tractor. So for those of you who have used an HB a couple of questions;

Did you find the TLB capable of running the breaker to your satisfaction?

Did you find or do you believe that using an HB is very hard on the tractor?

Is an HB something that one can easily rent? (I can imagine an HB being very helpful when needed but hard to justify purchasing in my situation)

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer up some answers.

 

[bulldog69]

This is may be a bit to far from the scale of a TBL for it to help.
I ran a 74,000 lb Linkbelt excavator with a 7400 lb breaker. It was very hard on it. The pins and bushings really take a beating as do the entire hyd system. In one year I had all 4 cylinders rebuilt. The stick had to be line bored and the pins built up and turned back down to the correct size.
When everything went well I was breaking 2500 tons per day. My best day ever was 3080 tons. I'm sure it's safe to say the TBL will never see this amount of torture.

 

[LarryRB]

I'm with Bulldog. Ran a breaker occasionally on a Deere 710 TLB. In my mind, they do as much damage to the stick, pins, etc as they do to the rock your breaking up,. Do you have a lot that has to be broken up or a small area?

 

[Bill in VA]

I really would not be using it on individual rocks as much as on sections of shale beds. We have approximately 1 mile of dirt road that makes a loop through the property. In some spots there are shale outcroppings that need to be either knocked down or trenched through. We're not talking about a huge amount of work on the road once the initial work is done. We will also be building several farm buildings and possibly a house or two (kids moving back) and I'm sure there will be shale again as we dig foundations.There may be some sandstone too though it will be minor.

In my mind I cannot justify buying a breaker for the amount of work to do with it but I could see purchasing the TLB to handle one if need be (then rent the breaker).

I just don't want to beat the tractor to death by doing something with it we really should not.

I've also been told that a single ripper tooth on the backhoe might handle the shale. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the replies.

 

[tommu56]

At about 3 ft down at my cabin is all shale and if you can get a tooth under it you can crack it off.
If you want to cut it back to a predetermined point I would drill with a rotary hammer on a air compressor (rented) and try dexpan or some other agent to move rock or use a jack hammer between the holes.
Don't try a electric jack hammer it didn't have the schwoop to brake it.
http://www.dexpan.com/dexpan-non-explosive-controlled-demolition-agent-silent-cracking-breaking.aspx
another product that was just posted is pour and crack
http://www.texasdemolitionproducts.com/

tom

 

[MarkV]

Bill welcome to the forum. I am not sure if my L39 is rated for a hydraulic breaker but I am sure I wouldn't want to use one on it. Those things are really hard on equipment. You would also need the accessory hydraulics added to the backhoe and that is about a $1500 option.

Sounds like a good job for a weekend rental of a mini excavator or skid steer with one.

MarkV

 

[Bill in VA]

Markv

Just curious as to what the heaviest work is that you've done with your L39. I've reviewed all the specs (Breakout..etc...etc) but nothing compares to experience of which I have none with a TLB.

I'm very inclined to agree with you on the rent vs run the Hyd Breaker on my machine

thanks

 

[MarkV]

Markv

Just curious as to what the heaviest work is that you've done with your L39. I've reviewed all the specs (Breakout..etc...etc) but nothing compares to experience of which I have none with a TLB.

I'm very inclined to agree with you on the rent vs run the Hyd Breaker on my machine

thanks

Hi Bill, I am not sure how to answer your question. My L39 is not used commercially so it would likely to be considered a light use machine. I bought it five years ago for a given job and it has been used on our 32 acres after that for general projects. It has been a good tractor for me and I appreciate the power it has in a compact design. I also have a Kubota B21,fore runner to the current B26, that I have had for the last ten years. I may well have worked it harder while building a house than the L39 has been worked. Neither of them have required a trip to the shop yet.

You may get closer to the answers you are looking for by listing the projects you have planned and the on going maintenance you want to use the tractor for. There are so many choices that the more everyone knows the better advice they can offer.

MarkV

 

[Stonehaller]

I have an L39 as well and have quite happy with. It is powerful for its size, but does not compare to a commercial sized backhoe. I wanted the compact size, 3 point capability and ability to trailer it with a 3/4 ton pickup. I have used it to clear trails, dig stumps, dig trenches, move logs, move large rocks. It handles a 6' box blade, brushhog and snowblower well. I don't have many pictures, but Mike has nice work photos in rock posted here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/102592-l39-hard-work-photos.html

 

[mrennie]

I can't answer your question about how hard it is on the machine, (my gut tells me it is probably not easy on the machine), but a hydraulic breaker is an option for the "baby" of the Kubota TLB's, the B26, so Kubota must think they are useful and usable even on a machine that only weighs 4000 lbs!!