Mini diggers advice Takeuchi TB016

[phib]

Im in need of a mini digger to do our ditches (once a year) about 1/3rd of a mile and just general other bits a bobs.

I don’t know much about mini diggers but the 2008 Takeuchi TB016 seems to be universally well liked.

Before I push the button on one does anyone have any advice ?

Should I be looking for newer and more hours or older and less hours ? I’ve got £6-7k to spend on one and need one with no vat.

Any advice welcome

[sherman]

I was always led to believe that on plant, hours was what you went by.
Less is better
A good check of the hoses and hydraulic bits and your good to go.

[Saleen836]

Would it not be cheaper to hire one when needed? your budget will last probably longer than a used digger will once you factor in 1 or 2 hose replacements etc

[paulwirral]

Saleen836 said:

Would it not be cheaper to hire one when needed? your budget will last probably longer than a used digger will once you factor in 1 or 2 hose replacements etc

This , give the maintenance problems to the hire company.

[Snow and Rocks]

They're so cheap to hire I wonder if it's worth it for such occasional use?

I was tempted by an old digger but then I hired one and thought why bother - I had a 9 tonne slew on site for under 400 quid a week a while back. It was a nice, well maintained modern machine with AC and a half decent stereo too so much more pleasant than the shonky old crap I was considering buying.

Whatever you decide, go big if you have the space, it makes everything easier, so much faster and isn't that much more expensive.

Edited by Snow and Rocks on Saturday 1st February 17:54

[phib]

Thanks for the advice, we have hired before but it became a right pain in the backside as we don’t always have a week we can take to get stuff done.

I usually get a couple of hours here and there a week when have time so owning is the only option for us.

Thanks

Phib

[anonymous-user]

We have an old Kubota 3 tonner and contray to above its so handy having something about fir when needed. Depreciation is minimal if kept nice and we've never had to replace hoses and at 2008 I'd expect it in decent order. Should you need a hose a local pneumatics place will knock you one up while you wait for not much cash.

My advice is more about the purchase, please don't buy off fb or somewhere unseen as high chance it doesn't exist. Wherever it is, go see it, take a trailer and pay on collection one your satisfied. So mamy scams on plant/machines.

The model you've said is in plentiful supply for parts etc and I severely regret buying a jcb over Tacheuchi as the JCN service was crappie and the other guys had fallen over themselves to help and try sort a deal. I'm patriotic and paid more because supporting a British company meant something, sadly the dealer and JCB didn't reciprocate

[phib]

Thanks, I certainly am planning on seeing what ever I buy before parting with any cash !
M very tempted to buy from a dealer but to be honest some of the ‘dealers’ I have talked to do not inspire confidence !
Phib

[biggiles]

Very handy having it on-site. 1.5t can do a lot and easy to move around. Neighbours will want to borrow it!

Some good videos on Youtube about how to check for wear in pins etc. Condition condition condition.

[Thebaggers]

If it will speed up other projects and jobs, go for it. They are good machines, try for as low hours as you can, anything under 3000, don't worry about track condition, £400 for a new pair. The biggest benefit is being able to crack on with jobs and go, rather than trying to squeeze it into a hire window. If you keep it in good shape you will not devalue it much.

Do think about how you will store and secure it.

[Snow and Rocks]

Fair enough about the hire/buy thing.

One thing worth considering - do you need to trailer it? If not and it's going to stay at one location it might be worth looking at bigger machines.

I'd also imagine that little 1.6 tonne machine isn't going to have much reach for ditching and will soon run out of grunt for any heavier jobs.

When I was looking, some of the stuff that was too big to trailer was surprisingly good value. Something around the 5T mark is probably a pretty flexible option without going crazy. Harder to steal and will be capable of moving bulk bags ec too.

[Thebaggers]

To add, it does make gardening more enjoyable

[LooneyTunes]

phib said:

Before I push the button on one does anyone have any advice ?

I used to borrow father in law’s takeuchi, a TB219. It was astonishing how much more you could get done than by doing it by hand.

Then I hired a 5.5t Kubota. It was astonishing how much more you could get done than by using the 219. So I bought one.

Then I hired a 14t machine. It was astonishing what it could shift compared to that 5.5, but it was pretty unweildy. No real use for one that large on an ongoing basis.

Then FIL needed his back, so I bought a 1t Kubota, small enough to get in anywhere. It’s handy, because it can get into places the others can’t, it’s so small in fact that it came fully built on a single pallet, but is very limited in terms of what it can do… It’s also slow to drive.

Overall, I’ve formed the view that you want the largest machine that you can get into the places you need to and can transport without difficulties. Personally I’d only go for the smallest machines if there wasn’t space to use a slightly larger one. Indeed the 5.5t gets used way more than the smaller ones but if I didn’t have that then I’d be wanting something a bit bigger than the 016 if the budget would run to it.

Don’t stress about hoses. There are usually mobile outfits that will come and replace them when needed for not vast sums of cash.

They’ll usually come with an assortment of buckets. Quick hitch is useful but not essential on the small ones. Worth being aware that the quick hitches mean that buckets aren’t all interchangeable. Having a slightly unusual one isn’t necessarily bad.

Not all of the machines have great security and are easily moved on a small trailer.

[phib]

Thanks again for the feedback and advice.

We have just under 17 acres at home (1 acre garden, 4 acre woodland and the rest paddock)

I have a 37hp iseki with a Lewis loader on the front and a Lewis backhoe on the rear.

It’s the best bit of kit over ever bought and won’t part with tractor and front loader but backhoe just isn’t convenient and taking it on and off is a pain.

Once the digger is here it will stay here, no need to go anywhere on a trailer.

As for security we have commercial anti ram posts on all gates and everything in the barns are bolted to the floor … litterally everything!! And the barns alarmed to central station.

I have seen a couple of 2.6 tonne machines and 3 tonne machines so may have a proper look at those.

Thanks again

[Mr Magooagain]

I have a 1.5 ton Komatsu 2005 and before that a Bullpet 1.5. I’ve owned diggers this last 30 odd years.
I use it for so much stuff and I’m currently clearing my wood land with it. Before I retired I used it for work also.
I can’t imagine life without one.
I’ve lifted log burners in and out of trucks and houses, large lumps of granite when building piers etc. So versatile.

[Hereward]

I have a 1.5 tonne Kubota. Gratuitous pic attached.

It's great for straightforward digging but struggles with tree stumps and is always trying to roll over. I couldn't go bigger due to the tight spaces I needed it to work in.

Go for the biggest machine that can move around your property. Bear in mind its tracks will be a catastrophe on any finely manicured lawns!

You will never be happier than when you are sitting on your digger. Who knew that 11 horse power could be so much fun!




EDIT: And get a removable thumb fitted for picking stuff up:

Edited by Hereward on Sunday 2nd February 08:46

[LooneyTunes]

phib said:

We have just under 17 acres at home (1 acre garden, 4 acre woodland and the rest paddock)

<snip>

I have seen a couple of 2.6 tonne machines and 3 tonne machines so may have a proper look at those.

That’s the sweet spot for that sort of machine in my view, if you can get them into where you need to work. Most of the 2-2.7t machines are designed so that they’ll not push you over the 3.5t towing limit on a plant trailer (albeit them might on a full length car trailer, so worth checking).

If you do any timber processing then a machine in that range/larger can be really useful. FIL has a simple “thumb” grab on his 219, and I’ve got a full grab on the 5.5: both of them make life really easy when it comes to handling timber/cutting logs.

Also worth being aware that that larger machines are inherently more stable. The 1t models you’re really sat “on” the machine, even stepping up to 1.5ish you’re sat “in” them. Still need to be careful when driving or digging, but they do feel much safer. You’ll also get longer reach which can be handy for ditching and drainage work.

[phib]

I am off to look at the slightly larger ones, the reason I keep comming back to the tb016 is the expanding tracks.

They go to 1.3m wide where as say a jcb one is only 972cm wide.

As we do a lot of ditching the tipping over bid does concern me.

Thanks for all the input.

Phib

[Snow and Rocks]

How big/deep are the ditches? A machine that size really has very little reach.

[Condi]

Slightly larger ones are often cheaper/better value than the 1.5t machines which everyone seems to want. Bigger is (probably) better for your work - more reach, more stable, higher work rate, smoother hydraulics etc.