Continued to clear timber and slash on the hill. Mini-ex to load forks and tractor to shuttle the load to my processing area. Now if only I could clone myself to run both at once.
What did you do to or on your Kubota today?
- Thread starter gurn
- Start date
I need an excavator....likely buy an old CAT with grapple and bucket for stumps and tree work. Someday...
I put flat-faced couplers on the 3rd function, waiting for adapters to come in so I can put couplers on the grapple. Since it's a BX I got a pin-on to save weight, so I replaced the bolts with pins...that seemed like a good idea. Once the hoses and adapters are here I should finally be able to get the Summit Top of the Top & Tilt kit hooked up, if that works as imagined I'll order parts for the tilt and re-plum the plow, the cylinders are rebuilt but a coupling isn't closing off when disconnected.
I put flat-faced couplers on the 3rd function, waiting for adapters to come in so I can put couplers on the grapple. Since it's a BX I got a pin-on to save weight, so I replaced the bolts with pins...that seemed like a good idea. Once the hoses and adapters are here I should finally be able to get the Summit Top of the Top & Tilt kit hooked up, if that works as imagined I'll order parts for the tilt and re-plum the plow, the cylinders are rebuilt but a coupling isn't closing off when disconnected.
Last edited:
Hedgehog... dare I say it? If I could only have one piece of equipment, the mini-ex wins over my tractor for many of my projects. I picked up the KX033 used with 110 hours on it for about 33k 3 years ago. Light enough for me to trailer it without a CDL. My tractor cost more than twice that with snowblower. Each excels at different tasks but the combo really works well together. Put a mini-ex on your Xmas list?
Attachments
I'm still excavating to replace the well that went dry, now would be a great time to buy a used excavator but can't afford a well and mini-ex at the same time. If I could find a used full-sized CAT (not as popular as a mini it seems) in good shape I'd be happy as a clam.
Speaking of CAT, I rented a Cat 315 this summer for stumping. Randy, the local Milton CAT rep was friendly and super helpful and the cost was reasonable for the 1 week rental. Mabye that's an option for you?
I park in a tight spot myself. I'll measure it next time I have the tractor out.
It's getting cooler out. Almost time to get the snow plow in the garage and do some maintenance on it to prepare whenever the white stuff flys. 
It's just now cool enough down here to work comfortably in the shop and outside. No need to prepare for a white-out, we just wait 'em out.It's getting cooler out. Almost time to get the snow plow in the garage and do some maintenance on it to prepare whenever the white stuff flys.
We have had some beautiful, fall weekend weather.
Same here. Not my thing at all. This week is going to be in the low 50's so we already turned the nice weather corner.
I mean getting to move snow with the tractor is always fun though. I'm curious to see how my ballast box feels when plowing this time. Last year I didn't have it on, I feel like its gonna make a huge difference.
Wife and I were out for a couple of hours with the RTV. Nice to relax and see the fall colors.
We did more than that yesterday. It snowed enough to drive the elk down to my place this morning! Around 4" at the house between 7am yesterday and 7am this morning. It's melting off with nicer weather on the way.
I don't need an excavator but I sure would like one.
I look almost daily on Craiglist to keep up with prices more than anything. A KX040 or KX057 with a cab, 6-way blade and hydraulic thumb would work, but maybe renting is the way to go. People sure do think that their 3,000 hour machine with dented panels, rust, and who knows what other damage is worth a lot more than I do. I'm not going to pay 75% of the cost of a new machine from Kubota for one that looks like it's had a hard life with little care taken to keep it clean (inside) let alone maintained.I'm at least a year away from even thinking about actually buying an excavator. I wonder if there's such a thing as an excavator co-op. Maybe buy 1/4 of a excavator and get to use it for 3 months of the year. Maintenance costs would be 1/4 too.
I wouldn't mind one of those Chinese mini excavators with the Kubota engine. Some of them are just a little more than backhoe attachment for the tractor. Probably be better!
Problem with Chinese is finding parts in 5 years. Finding CAT parts I hear isn't a problem (but I have no experience there...)
That is a huge concern. I been watching quite a few on YouTube of different brands. Some are actually making some growth in the states where authorized sellers are stocking parts. I've also seen some use parts that fit on other machines. Engine wise, it's a Kubota so no problem there.
I don't know. It's a weird time. There are some really bad Chinese excavators that have bad welds, things falling apart, wiring not even done right,etc and then there are some that are surprisingly impressive for the cost.
I watched one guy use one of those cheap 420cc gas powered excavators and I couldn't believe how good it worked but it was obnoxious lol.
I have thought about it, and don't want to scrape lead paint to fix cold welds on pot metal and chase "what breaks next." I know there are crews running Chinese chainsaws and for them it works due to cheap entry price, cheap parts, and a mechanic constantly fixing them, but they never run "great," some run "good" but most are "okay" and in the big picture I need to get the job done, not wait on overseas parts. The tractor market followed the chainsaw market pattern and that could have gone better, I don't want to play that game with an excavator. And I'm sure they produce a few good ones, but again finding parts in 5 years is a gamble.
$80k for a used CAT though...I don't have $80k of work....
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
I relatively sure that question wasn’t serious, but serious answer: in some limited circumstances that can work. My brother and I co-own a couple of implements and share more equipment than we co-own. Probably would do more of that than we do now if we lived closer than 2 hours apart. It allows both of us to have access to more stuff than either would have on our own due to not only cost sharing, but also storage sharing. “My” chipper is a good example. Neither of us need a chipper full time, there’s never an emergency need for a chipper, and it’s easily transportable (assuming you have an adequate forklift on each end, which we do) so it’s a good candidate for sharing. It’s a good deal for the right equipment if you have the right people involved.I wonder if there's such a thing as an excavator co-op. Maybe buy 1/4 of a excavator and get to use it for 3 months of the year. Maintenance costs would be 1/4 too.
For the co-ownership of expensive stuff, setting up a LLC to be the titled owner and setting up the participants as stockholders (ownership) and managers (control) with a pretty standard off the shelf operating agreement, with maybe a few custom tweaks if you wish, is a relatively easy and cheap way to set up the contractual side of things and it makes it easy to set up insurance, financing, handling death or departure of a participant, etc. My brother and I already had a LLC, so that part was already in place for us. With a few hundred dollars and a bit of planning, setting up a co-op situation isn’t difficult.
I looked into rental, the rental places aren't close and don't want to deliver that far to a non-business entity. SO, it's backhoe for the BX (not brilliant), a bigger tractor (wanted but not justifiable for most things), or owning an excavator (spendy). The Milwaukee Brewers just lost so hopefully the excavator operator fishes himself out of the tank.