Volvo vs Kubota vs Bobcat mini excavators

Boondox · Jan 19, 2007

Mini excavators, that is...

Looking for a ME in the 7000# range for general landscaping, clearing silt from ditches, maintaining logging roads, clearing stumps and downed trees, etc. Considering these babies are made for construction it will have a relatively easy life with me. I used a Kubota KX71-3 last summer for two months, and it was just a tad too weak for some of my tasks. The KX121-3 is physically too big for some of my land...so the KX-91-3 looks like a good compromise in size.

The Volvo version would be the EC35. It's heavier, has more HP, a good reputation, and one ton LESS bucket breakout force than the smaller Kubota. I could say the same thing about the Bobcat products in that range; you really have to go up to a 10k# machine to get the breakout force of the Kubota.

So a few questions...

Is HP as important as weight and breakout strength? Seems like more HP is better, but if it can't dig as well where does all that power go? And if you have a light machine with tons of breakout power, won't the machine just get tossed around or critical parts wear prematurely..?

The Volvo and Kubota make more use of steel hydraulic lines, using rubber only at flex points. More protection, but also more connectors. Is that okay? They also have better fit and finish than the Bobcat, but how important is that on a construction machine? Or is it indicative of quality in other areas as well?

MessickFarmEqu · Jan 19, 2007

I'd argue that more HP is a bad thing. HP does nothing for you in an excavator but burn more fuel. Its all about hydraulic digging force. As you said, weight and breakout are the things to focus on. Steel lines are prefered as they will not dry rot and are less likley to leak.

Montana_Jack · Jan 19, 2007

Boondox
I don't know anything about the Volvo but suspect they'd be quality as most other things with the name are. You can't go wrong with Kubota & I believe Bobcat is as good or a close second. I have a Bobcat 430 which runs a Kubota 42 HP engine and is very efficient with fuel. Bobcats & Takeuchi are also used by United Tool out here. Once again, consider dealer support in your purchase.

DmansPadge · Jan 19, 2007

I think you'd be happy with any brand... like you say... it will have a fairly easy life. Weight and digging force would be higher on my list than HP... for sure. As long as the engine can turn the hydraulic pump affectively... thats all that is needed. The weight will help you dig and keep the machine more stable. We have a Volvo mini-hoe at work. Not a problem one in about 1700 hours. These machines seem to be quite reliable. We have 4 in total. Two Terex's, one Takuechi, and the Volvo. The Terex's are both fairly new, one has about 1000 hours and one about 250. Both have been trouble free. The Takuechi has around 3500 hours and has had little done to it... a few hydraulic lines, tracks, slides and adjusters which are basically wear items on a tracked machine. I don't have any experience with the Kubota's... but if they are anything like the rest of their lineup I'm sure they are great machines.

QwikDraw · Jan 19, 2007

I just sold a 2004 Volvo EC25 and I can't say enough good things about it, although I have never ran any other compact excavators. For a small machine it was strong and I had no probled moving any of the rocks in that picture. I had a 24" digging bucket and a 51" grading bucket. It really suprised me how fast I could dig with it and leveling a patio areas or walkway was easy. I miss it already. The cab was nice with heat and a radio. I don't have anything bad to say about it.

Ted

nobull1 · Jan 19, 2007

I agree that weight and breakout are important. The weight issue never has been a problem to me, so long as the blade is down and in front of you. Even more important is the service you will receive when it breaks down(they all do sooner or later). I would talk to people who have machines from your local dealers and ask what the service is like as well as the machines in general. If you don't know anyone ask your dealers for names. I am sure they will supply you with many. Although they are picking them I am sure you can figure out the good from the bull. If Kubota service would have been on a lower ranking then Bobcat in my area I would be driving a Bobcat. They were equal so the Kubota won for me. As far as Volvo goes I don't really know. In our area they are not that popular, so they were not in the running. I hate being the tester for the dealer/mfg. When spending this much money I like a track record.

The hp thing is a mystery as I had said in a previous thread. If I was doing it again I would find out from Bobcat why the additional 13-15 hp for less work, even if it meant a call to HQ. In all fairness though it might be for the high speed travel motors or the available air conditioning. Both in my my case didn't matter-so I just burn less fuel

. I have never stalled my Kubota so who knows.

toy1 · Jan 19, 2007

I can say that you cannot go wrong with any of the machines you listed.With that said my preference would be the kubota I have put on 3 different kubota's excavators over 1500 hours and be side normal upkeep,they are very dependable.My suggestions are to put more time in the evaluation of the dealer you are going to buy the machine from. If all machines are close in performance then the dealer is the most important link, when something happens to the machine it's the dealer that will be the guy who will fight for you to get it fixed, I saw an excavator come in to a dealer with a bent boom arm. It was quite obvious that the machine was over stressed by the operator, this dealer had it replaced at no cost. Food for thought!!!

Boondox · Jan 20, 2007

Thanks for the feedback. On the dealer choice issue, I like all three dealers and have actually excluded two other brands from the running simply because I didn't have a good feeling about support after the sale.

The specs get really confusing because each brand emphasizes different things (their own strengths) in the literature. For instance Kubota has nearly 2000# more bucket breakout force than the Bobcat, but the Bobcat can carry 1600# more weight in the bucket while traveling. I suppose that's because of the weight and location of the ballast. Volvo doesn't even list carrying capacity.

The hardest use my excavator will see is harvesting boulders from our forest and carrying them back home for use in landscaping projects. Some of them were so big all I could do with the borrowed KX71-3 was to use the bucket to roll them downhill. And sometimes while I could pick them up with the thumb, they were so heavy the rear of the excavator came off the ground and I had to back down the hill with only half of the tracks making contact with the ground. My gut tells me that's not good for the equipment.

Pete

nobull1 · Jan 20, 2007

When I have to carry large rocks, or whatever, further than I can place before moving the machine. I pull the rock into the blade, then pinch and lift with the blade and bucket enough to just clear the ground. What this does is give you a low center of gravity, less stress on the arm,boom, bucket, turning circle, etc., having only one thing to concentrate on(driving), no fear of tipping as the bucket is close to the ground and in front of you, as well as a little more carrying capacity.

toy1 · Jan 20, 2007

One of the tricks I use when moving heavy rocks is to pinch the rock between the thumb and the bucket then lower the boom down so as the rock rest on the front blade but is still held by the thumb and bucket, you can shift some of the weight further back closer to the center line of the machine. I had a situation once where I had a large rock between the thumb and bucket, it was 2 or 3 feet of the ground I then raised the front blade to move the machine and the rear can right of the ground and the machine stop when it hit the bottom of the raised blade,the rock then came loose from the grip of the thumb and bucket and the machine came back down hard, so hard that a bolt 1" in dia. sheared on the counter weight on one side of the machine that turned out to be an all day project to find a bolt and then replace it that happened on my first excavator it was a kx121-2 with 1500 hrs on it I purchased it used. So live and learn