Terramite vs Kubota U15

   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #1  

Ronster

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Sep 6, 2004
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296
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CT
Tractor
John Deere 2520, John Deere X739, Kubota U27-4, Kubota RTV 500
Has anyone had the opprtunity to run both the terramite tc5 and u15? I'm sure the Kubota can dig circles around the Terramite, but I was wondering how the digging forces compare. The Terramite web site doesn't give much info for comparison. I've got a chance to buy a U15 demo unit and just wanna make sure it has more breakout force than the Terramite ( which I think is a piece of crap).
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #2  
I can't answer your question BUT...

My dad once wanted some help at his mother in laws house. Wanted to rent a backhoe to dig some stumps/roots. I suggested he pay more and get an industrial machine.

He got a Terramite.

The job took two days on this machine. I am 90% sure I could have done it in half the time (if not even quicker) my own backhoe (JCB 1550-B)
BUT, an industrial machine was a couple hundred dollars more (he didn't factor in the father reach, speed and most importantly..... screws)

That darn little Terramite had...how to describe this... had a screw that held the wobble sticks down to their cylinder attachments.

What happens is when (on this machine) you push stick forward or pull back, all the force is really being applied and held by the screws.

About 1 1/2 days into this... one of the screws simply ripped out, stripping the attachment point.

I could think of about 3 ways they could have designed this better than they did.

It left the job unfinished and us almost unable to load the machine back onto its trailer.

It left a very bad taste in my mouth for how it's designed. I think your last comment described my immediate feelings pretty well.

:rolleyes:
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Rich, I've rented a Terramite a few times and they are a pile of junk and a waste of money. I was hoping someone could compare the hydraulic power between the two. The U15 should have more, but a lot or a little?
Ronster
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #4  
Oh don't even waste time with those POS machines. Terramite is the biggest joke I have seen out there. Kubota is a very high class piece of equipment and I'm sure the Kubota out does the terramite in many ways. I don't use anything but Kubota, and in a year or two that's what I'm buying for mini excavator. Taks are good and Kobelco as well, but I stand by Kubota.
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #5  
If you're wanting to use the loader part of the Terramite and only OCCASSIONALLY want to dig with the backhoe, then the Terramite is the way to go.

If you're going to be digging more than 3-4' deep consistently, and if you need any sort of production - go with the Kubota. Hands down. It was built and designed to dig. The terramite is a loader that also can dig, but it wasn't built for digging.
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #7  
Rental yards sometimes use Terrimite's because they are very simple machines that anyone can fix when renters break them. They are not refined, powerful, or nice to operate in any way. They are also rather expensive for what they are.
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #8  
I think a 4-yr old with a spoon can outdig a Terramite's backhoe. I rented one for a weekend because I didn't want to pay to have a full-size backhoe delivered and the rental yard didn't have a small mini-excavator. It took me 1/2 hour to discover that I could easily outdig the backhoe with a shovel--a busted-handle shovel at that. I spent the rest of the weekend moving loose dirt/sand with the loader. That darned thing was almost $150 for a weekend. I don't know about the model Kubota you are describing, but I rented a 16 horse sub-CUT Kubota one time and it worked hard and long for much less than the Terramite.

The Terramite I rented had an air-cooled Kohler engine that ran okay, but all I can remember was the whistling sound of the hydraulic relief valve as the BH bucket stalled in normal soil with no roots or rocks. The guy at the rental yard told me he would sell it to me for $6500 when I returned it. I told him I wouldn't be interested at half that price.:rolleyes:
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #9  
I have a Terramite T5C, unless you have ideal digging conditions they are a real challenge to use. They are also a bit low on power. Forget ripping out stups with it.
 
   / Terramite vs Kubota U15 #10  
Ronster, you might try ( Reed Construction Equipment Guide ). Go to compact backhoe under 14 ft.. when there I use the key word ( Allmand ). Press on Allmand. Then go to ( Compare ) all the way to the right. Then go to the three tractors you wish to compare and hit Compare at the bottom right of the page. I don't think I saw u15, but all the terramites are there and a lot of other kubota models as well.
 
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