Volvo vs Kubota vs Bobcat mini excavators

[Boondox]

Boondox - I echo the previous poster that as you get older the cab comfort is increasingly more important. As far as real life testing, and you're not able to locate a dealer willing to let you do so or a rental company, see if you can't reach a regional manager for each company and ask for suggestion to resolve. One point I wanted to make on my experience in testing was that I found significant differences in the integration of power with control use in the same manufacturer line. Just because you like one model doesn't mean that another in that line will be similar. I think you got it right that weight and how it counter balances is an important consideration. Personally I like hand control for the hydraulic thumb use. This past weekend I spent up in Burlington and found it to be absolutely frigid with windchill -26F. Luckily Marcia Ball and Buckwheat Zydeco warmed things up a bit. To me the cab feature seemed like a necessity during my time up there. Stay warm and all the best in your choice.

Haoleguy -- There must be a Hawaii connection somewhere...

Good points! I liked the feel of the little KX71 I had for two months this past summer, but it was way undersized for my needs. In fact, the only control I didn't like was the foot pedal operation of the thumb, but the 91 and 121 both have that on the joystick now. I've called both dealers and will be test driving/playing with both the 121 and EC35 similarly configured to see if one leaps out as a clear winner.

Windchills sucks pond water! I'm comfortable in a sweatshirt down to minus ten provided my ears and hands are covered, but wind changes everything! That said, my excavator will be parked in the winter months. Just not safe using one in snow on a 25% grade!

Pete

 

[art]

I can only talk of experience with the Kubota's although the bobcats are in this area there aren't to many yet but they do have the lowest prices. We also sell the Gehl line and they have some nice features and the power is good but if you don't have a dealer then let's just look at the Kubota. When you talk of the horsepower it is important to look at the pump sizes for gallons per minute as well as the pressure. It takes horsepower to run a good size pump normally figure two per gallon. That hydraulic flow is job performance and can make a big difference in what gets done in a day. As far as the 71 Kubota for most all options I'd be looking at the 91! Stronger and meatier and the two speed makes it a lot nicer on the run and the added weight and depth makes it a better machine.

 

[Haoleguy]

Boondox - Yeah the Hawaii connection in the past is through my university days and my spouse. Now it has taken shape in the form of my daughter lives there with her Hawaii 5-0 husband..they make a mean crime fighting team.

I will be interested to hear what you think of the Volvo mini. In my own evaluation(still ongoing) more weight and overall track width became important to me we using the 7K lb excavators. I have decided to jump to the 12K class. I have not tried the Takeuchi TB145 yet but my local dealer usefulness has been almost non-existent. The Kubota dealers have only been slightly better. I am still attracted to the KX161 and the 36 month 0% financing is a good incentive. I personally would like to hear more about the hp vs gpm vs psi vs digging force vs breakout force relationships and impact to tasks and controls precision. ..Cheers or Aloha!

 

[Boondox]

I personally would like to hear more about the hp vs gpm vs psi vs digging force vs breakout force relationships and impact to tasks and controls precision. ..Cheers or Aloha!

Yeah, it does get pretty confusing since all the brands emphasize the importance of their own strong points. The lower HP machines brag about their low fuel consumption. The higher HP machines brag about their brute strength even if their GPM and breakout force specs out less. Kubota has more bucket breakout force, but Volvo has far more dipper breakout force.

But what does it all mean?

 

[Haoleguy]

Boondox - Have you noticed how manufacturers do not give you all the specs to make an apples to apples paper comparison? I suspect there are 2 aspects to this. One they want to emphasize their unit's strengths over others and, secondly, they use alternative terminology. As an example I have bucket & dipper dig force for Yanmars, CAT, and Takeuchis but not for Bobcat and Kubota. For Kubota and Bobcat I have bucket breakout force but not for the others previously mentioned. In addition Yanmars and Takeuchis give specific split hydraulic flow numbers and the others do not. I'm guessing that all manufacturers have the same parameters and just that some are not reported by them. I'm wondering if it is worth trying to put a table together with some discussion on what these different numbers relate to in practical terms?

 

[John White]

My two cents worth. What ever you chose, go with the cab and steel tracks. A few years back I was looking to buy a used excvator and I found plenty of no cabs, and rubber tracks. I had to look a long time to find one with a cab and steel tracks. My budget would not allow me to purchase a new one. I finally ran on to a JD 50. I havent regreted it at all. As I am older I really appreciate the cab on a cold day. It not only protects the body but the controls and seat, and you can leave any thing you want inside and it will stay dry (transit, tools, your jacket, lunch, radio, cell phone, etc) and when you are done you can lock it up, discourgeing kids from climbing on it. Some time ago I had a rubber track machine. I had a job which required me to travel over a newly limestoned driveway and into the woods with a few saplings that had been cut off. It cost me a set of tracks.

 

[Boondox]

John -- I hear you about the cab, but am beginning to think the track issue is sort of like the ag tire vs R4 debate. The decision has to be based on your intended uses and your unique geographic characteristics. On my L4630 I would have loved the durability of R4s, but they just load up with clay and mud where I live so are essentially useless. Likewise, on the steel tracked JCB I test drove the tracks filled up with mud while the rubber flexed and shed mud quite effectively.

For that reason I'm leaning toward rubber.

 

[fireplum]

Can we hear more on rubber vs steel,
I'm just renting machine's at this time, for water & sewer jobs
Always rented rubber tracks, would like to purchase a machine,
sometime this year
Good on asphalt,still do damage on turf,
This may change my mind steel vs rubber
thanks steve

 

[Haoleguy]

toy1 - Have any of the Kubotas you have rented or owned include the automatic idle feature? If so is this useful, hinderance, or neutral feature?

 

[Boondox]

toy1 - Have any of the Kubotas you have rented or owned include the automatic idle feature? If so is this useful, hinderance, or neutral feature?

I had the same question.

Also is the angled blade useful? It seems not, as even at full angle it doesn't clear the blade...so backfilling isn't as simple as angling the blade and driving along one side of your trench pushing the fill into the trench. If I opt for the straight blade and couple that with the Kubota rebate, I could save myself $4.5k and suddenly the KX121-3 is a lot more affordable!

Pete