Question for owners of 8-9 ton mini-x, Kubota especially

[mikester]

How well can these machines handle pulling out roots from trees lake maples or ash with 24-36+ inches in diameter trunks? Think 4,000 lbs root balls.

Would you say they have about as much power as a full sized construction loader backhoe for pulling roots with the hoe?

For you Kubota owners do you feel the machines have enough hydraulic flow for smooth multiple simultaneous motions? When I look at my experience using the M59 and the SVL95 I've found them adequate but wanting much more than they can provide. They just feel like budget machines and am running them at their absolute maximums at times.

I'm looking at the KX080 's which are relatively cheap, I'm wanting to avoid purchase regrets. My plan is to get a rotator grapple and a tree shear to use with it.

I'd love something like one of these but they are too pricey even as used machines

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[hayden]

I've had an 080 for about 3 years now and love it. It's smooth, powerful, and easy to work on. I can't say how it compares to a loader/backhoe since I've never used one. I have dug out maple stumps the size you describe. It works it hard, but the stumps are out. If I had a few acres of them I might be looking to rent a full size excavator if I wanted to just get it done. But owning an 080 already, I'd just pick away at it.

What size trees are you thinking of taking with the shear?

Any chance of a weeks rental where you are to try one out?

As for hydraulic flow/power, the only situation where flow is inadequate to run simultaneous operations is when mulching. That runs full flow aux hydraulics through the mulcher, and it impact boom lift, especially if at full reach. But it's a touch of a button to shut off the aux hydraulics, reposition, then switch back on. If you don't have the aux hydraulics at full flow, it's not an issue.

 

[4570Man]

I own a KX-040 and a Cat 320. I previously owned a M59, and a Deere 310j. A friend owns a Case CX-80 that I’ve ran quite a bit. I was disappointed in my M59. It’s better than a tractor backhoe but it’s not really a construction grade machine. It has by far the worst controls of any of the excavators or even my Deere backhoe. Coming from a M59 you feel like you’re in heaven on the excavators. Even the KX-040 outpaces the M59 by a lot. You’d be extremely happy with any of the excavators controls and hydraulic speed vs the M59. I would consider the 80 class excavator decent for digging 24” root balls but it’s just adequate not exceptionally good. For a direct answer to your question I’d consider the 80 to be pretty equal maybe slightly better than the 310 backhoe in brute force. The biggest downfall Is moving the stumps. The 80 can pickup and move a 4000 pound stump but it’s capacity drops drastically with radius. Lifting a 4000 pound stump to the height required to load a dump truck would be a struggle for the 80. I’ve had to have a second operator in my skid steer help me lift stumps on trucks before. With the 320 that never happens. The 320 could take one pass down both sides of a 24” stump and come back behind it and pull it out. And I’m using a 50” bucket on the 320 which isn’t optimal. If I had a stump tooth more commonly named a frost ripper I could probably split a 24” stump in half with it.

 

[Fishin-4-a-Livin]

I own a KX-040 and a Cat 320. I previously owned a M59, and a Deere 310j. A friend owns a Case CX-80 that I’ve ran quite a bit. I was disappointed in my M59. It’s better than a tractor backhoe but it’s not really a construction grade machine. It has by far the worst controls of any of the excavators or even my Deere backhoe. Coming from a M59 you feel like you’re in heaven on the excavators. Even the KX-040 outpaces the M59 by a lot. You’d be extremely happy with any of the excavators controls and hydraulic speed vs the M59. I would consider the 80 class excavator decent for digging 24” root balls but it’s just adequate not exceptionally good. For a direct answer to your question I’d consider the 80 to be pretty equal maybe slightly better than the 310 backhoe in brute force. The biggest downfall Is moving the stumps. The 80 can pickup and move a 4000 pound stump but it’s capacity drops drastically with radius. Lifting a 4000 pound stump to the height required to load a dump truck would be a struggle for the 80. I’ve had to have a second operator in my skid steer help me lift stumps on trucks before. With the 320 that never happens. The 320 could take one pass down both sides of a 24” stump and come back behind it and pull it out. And I’m using a 50” bucket on the 320 which isn’t optimal. If I had a stump tooth more commonly named a frost ripper I could probably split a 24” stump in half with it.

Last week I was trying to load a stump and root ball unto my flatbed trailer using my KX-040 and my SVL 75.

It got away from me during the loading process…….





Oops!

 

[mikester]

Last week I was trying to load a stump and root ball unto my flatbed trailer using my KX-040 and my SVL 75.

It got away from me during the loading process…….



View attachment 775966View attachment 775967

Oops!

It happens! I've been using my M59 powered forks for moving the root balls, works better than my grapple.

I like your mini-dump-truck! I now wish I bought one years ago as a UTV when they were cheap and new in our market.

 

[mikester]

I've had an 080 for about 3 years now and love it. It's smooth, powerful, and easy to work on. I can't say how it compares to a loader/backhoe since I've never used one. I have dug out maple stumps the size you describe. It works it hard, but the stumps are out. If I had a few acres of them I might be looking to rent a full size excavator if I wanted to just get it done. But owning an 080 already, I'd just pick away at it.

What size trees are you thinking of taking with the shear?

Any chance of a weeks rental where you are to try one out?

As for hydraulic flow/power, the only situation where flow is inadequate to run simultaneous operations is when mulching. That runs full flow aux hydraulics through the mulcher, and it impact boom lift, especially if at full reach. But it's a touch of a button to shut off the aux hydraulics, reposition, then switch back on. If you don't have the aux hydraulics at full flow, it's not an issue.

I wish I could find a rental tree shear somewhere local to me. I have a lot of 8-12 inch poplar suckers to clear that have been encroaching into my fields.

For the time being I am sticking with hiring a guy with a new 28 ton excavator do do all the grunt work. Let him beat on his machine and the cost is the same as me renting. He was struggling yanking a few of the larger roots balls, the KX wouldn't be the right machine in these cases IMHO.

 

[Fishin-4-a-Livin]

It happens! I've been using my M59 powered forks for moving the root balls, works better than my grapple.

I like your mini-dump-truck! I now wish I bought one years ago as a UTV when they were cheap and new in our market.

That little thing is a beast.