# Mini Ex, 2,000 lb class or 4,000 lb class?



## tjp (Feb 17, 2004)

Or should I say 29 inch wide vs 38 inch wide....

In the market for a mini ex, next month or so. I like it, or at least the idea of a mini ex, over the walk-behinds for versatility and the ability to move logs and such. Lots of trees here in Northwest CA. Not so many rocks. 

I love the size and easy trailerability (could tow it with my Tacoma) of the 2000 lb excavators like the TB 108, but how much more work could I get done with a 4,000 lb class machine like the 16?


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

Let me preface this by saying this is straight up opinion, unsupported by any kind of fact, direct experience with mini-ex's while trail building, or research into your specific question. That said, I do have experience with equipment and working in tight locations. So....

If I was buying a mini-ex, I would look at what width corridor I was comfortable cutting. Whatever I got would *have* to fit inside that corridor at all times. Now, remember, trail width != corridor width, necessarily, you can push the tread width back down within the corridor. So, I would find the biggest, most powerful machine that I could fit inside the corridor. The reason for that is the bigger the machine, the less likely you are to run into an obstacle the machine is physically incapable of handling. The value of being able to lift/move more weight further away from the machine should not be under estimated.

That said, I'm thinking if you increase the cost of the machine, and then have to buy a new truck or whatever to tow it with, you may quickly find you're spending way too much money, so you may have to allow $$ to dictate what's right for you.


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## Wildfire (Feb 4, 2004)

I have a 1 ton class Kubota K008-3. One thing I've found is that even though the tracks do retract down to 28", you pretty much have to have them extended to the 36" setting while digging or the thing gets crazy tippy. The narrow setting is nice for slipping between trees and choke points and it's nice to be able to work through narrow gaps as it gives the trail more of a tight singletrack through the woods feel. So basically you end up with a 36" tread width with narrower chokes and filters. I would think with a larger machine you would lose a lot of that narrow feel to the trail.

The thing has good digging power for bench cutting but can balk at removal of large stumps. Its easier on the machine to sever as many roots as possible with the excavator and then use a winch to pull the stump.

I really like the ability to tow it with a half ton truck and single axle trailer. And it's really quiet and will work all day on 5 gallons of diesel no problem.

Good luck. They're a lot of fun and a huge labor saver. They still require a certain amount of hand finish work afterwards, though.


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## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

^^^^^^^ That's what I was going to say. We build as narrow as possible with the smallest ex possible. Takes longer, but I like the results.


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## Dave_schuldt (May 10, 2004)

Smaller is better, less collateral damage.


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## ABud (Feb 12, 2012)

I am a trail builder in Eastern Pa and own an equipment rental company. I own several Kubota K008s, KX41, U15 up to K080 (8ton). My machine of choice is a track Dingo with a 6way blade and tooth bucket because the terrain is mostly broken soft shale covered in 4" loam, the vegetation is mostly invasive Autumn Olive with some stands of hardwood. The 42" wide blade is a quick bench cutter and creates great flow rollers and berms with a little experience. The bucket carries a decent amount of soil if cut and fill is necessary and it moves decent size rocks and logs. The machine has a wide variety of attachments making it versatile. 

The machine type is a matter of preference and local conditions. Regarding excavators the 1ton machine is a toy, great for interior building plumbing fit outs, the bucket is tiny, the productivity is low. The 2ton machine is the one I see in most pro trail builder pictures. You may be able to add a thumb (I wouldn't put one on a 4ton rental unit), the buckets are larger and you could fashion a wide grading tool without twisting the dipper. I might also recommend a zero tail swing unit like the Kubota U15 as it will reduce rubbing trees in tight quarters. 

With that said I would highly recommend renting both types or several different makes and models for you to make the most informed purchase. And I recommend you try a Dingo type machine and if you can find a 6way blade, Bonus.

*Sorry guys, had to edit I had the weight misstated hope I didn't confuse anybody.


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## ABud (Feb 12, 2012)

PS a friend of mine and Mtn Biker runs ALL Star Rents with a bunch of locations from Novato CA to Reno NV. Don't know your proximity?


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## mtbty (Jun 15, 2012)

I just built a few miles of trail with a 60" wide machine. The trail tread ended up being 20"-30" wide. Blade with of the machine doesnt determine the final trail tread with, the operator does. It's mostly in the operator not the machine. Go bigger (2ton) and just be a better operator!


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## Wildfire (Feb 4, 2004)

Yeah ABud,

I should have mentioned that I use the K008 on mostly silt and clay soils with around 8" of organics and veg mat over that (south central Alaska). Glacial till and cobbles underneath. The trees are mostly pretty small. Works good for that, beats a goon spoon. I use a 16" bucket with good results. Horses for courses and all that. Next purchase will be a Dingo or similar (leaning toward a Ditchwitch SK650) w/ 6 way blade for finish work. How do you side cast the spoils using just the Dingo? Or maybe its not such a big deal with the shale soils?


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## tjp (Feb 17, 2004)

Thanks everyone. We're in Arcata, NW California. Terrain is pretty varied, from steep stuff in the redwoods where I think we absolutely need an ex, to some more inland terrain where the 650 seems more useful. Almost everything that doesn't follow an old skid road will be full bench.


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## Wildfire (Feb 4, 2004)

mtbty said:


> I just built a few miles of trail with a 60" wide machine. The trail tread ended up being 20"-30" wide. Blade with of the machine doesnt determine the final trail tread with, the operator does. It's mostly in the operator not the machine. Go bigger (2ton) and just be a better operator!


I totally understand how to narrow the tread behind the excavator by pulling part of the backslope down onto the tread, and pushing part of your tread bench away, but I don't get how the corridor (spacing between tree trunks) ends up being less than 60" wide if you use a 60" machine. I guess, to me, tread width is only part of the singletrack experience. The other part is a tight clearing width to go along with it and that's the part that tends to go away when you use a larger excavator in the trees. The narrow clearing width is especially important if you are trying to exclude incompatible uses (ATVs for example) so that's a big reason I went with the mini. I do wish for more power sometimes, though.


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## mtbty (Jun 15, 2012)

I'm not saying to get a 60" wide machine. I really dont like using one that big at all, but it can be done. I'd go for the two ton. I like being in the two ton the best out of the three sizes, 1, 2, or 3 ton.

As far as renarrowing the trail. I'm lucky to have lots of ground cover and rocks to narrow be hide me! Plus i do alot of fine tune backslope, rebuilding up next to trees or other thing like that.

More power but narrow 
Gehl Company - Compact Equipment for Construction and Agriculture


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## HypNoTic (Jan 30, 2007)

The concensus across most pro builders is the Kubota U17 or Deere 17D (for zero-swing) or Takeuchi for traditionnal tail swing lovers. 

I've worked with few 1ton units, but they usually feel underpowered, unbalanced and not that much faster than a few men crew to give virtually the same result. Nice, tight singletrack, but depending on the terrain, it's mostly just a big toy. A 2ton machine will get you in production mode.

We are based in Quebec and own a few mini-X (1.7 to 5.5 tons) and rent a lot depending of the type of work we do. For easier trails, we sometimes use the Ditch Witch SK650 with the 4way blade, usually to finish the thread behind a mini-X that does the bulk of the job, clearing organic, removing stumps, placing rocks, etc. Our machine of choice for singletrack is a Deere 17D with a thumb and a 24" bucket. That being said, it will be replaced by a Kubota eventually. 

Whatever the machine, get proper training for trailbuilding. Few PTBA members offer that kind of training. PM for details.


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## Smells Like Fish (Feb 19, 2008)

Love my TB016 for everything.It's more stable than the U15 and uses half the fuel.I like the concept of ZTS,but when the tracks are narrowed on a ZTS you lose the zero and the machine gets tippy.I try to keep tread width below 32".The tree chokes might be a meter wide but the rock chokes can get down to 12".While I won't let handle bar makers determine choke width, it should be noted handle bars are closing in on 30".I don't like bladed machines for benching or finishing.They throw too many quality rocks down slope and don't really leave a clean mineral bench.Also I like ledges in the tread and dingoes,Ditchwitches and Swecos don't deal with ledgy trail well at all.For finish work I use a 36" wide I-beam to screed back slope and tread.The screed technique also allows me to pull enough dirt to build large rollers and berms pretty quickly.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Smells Like Fish said:


> Love my TB016 for everything.It's more stable than the U15 and uses half the fuel.I like the concept of ZTS,but when the tracks are narrowed on a ZTS you lose the zero and the machine gets tippy.I try to keep tread width below 32".The tree chokes might be a meter wide but the rock chokes can get down to 12".While I won't let handle bar makers determine choke width, it should be noted handle bars are closing in on 30".I don't like bladed machines for benching or finishing.They throw too many quality rocks down slope and don't really leave a clean mineral bench.Also I like ledges in the tread and dingoes,Ditchwitches and Swecos don't deal with ledgy trail well at all.For finish work I use a 36" wide I-beam to screed back slope and tread.The screed technique also allows me to pull enough dirt to build large rollers and berms pretty quickly.


Could you post some photos of your I-beam screed technique for us to understand? I'm not sure I fully understand the technique, but it sounds like a clean way to do it.


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## ronski (Jul 28, 2009)

Our group owns a TB108 which I have extensive trailbuilding time in. I've also used a TB016 which I have minimal time in. The 108 has a few advantages, mainly that it's cheaper, easier to tow, will run for hours on a few gallons of fuel and is great in tight quarters. We built a pretty impressive 9 mile trail on Mills Peak here in California that looks hand built. The TB016 on the other hand is quieter (a surprise to me), more comfortable, has better controls, and is much more stable. The extra power of the larger machine helps but neither of these machines are good at pulling stumps or picking up large rocks. We used a gas rock drill and a Boulder Buster to blow up large rocks that were in the way. 

The larger machine can still build pretty narrow trail, and for most uses I think this machine would be preferred. As for adjustable tracks, this came in handy occasionally to fit through tight places, but you will not be operating the smaller machine in narrowed mode. Either way, be careful, these machines will bite you if you're not careful...


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## mtbty (Jun 15, 2012)

The nice thing about a 17d is that the blade goes up higher so it has a steeper approach angle!


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## Smells Like Fish (Feb 19, 2008)

Working on photos.Computer issues.That and the weather's so nice I gotta keep digging.


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## Barney05 (Mar 28, 2013)

So we are waitnig for photos.
BTW I want do buy and ex for my own. Were did you bought yours? Found some interesting offers on Mascus - used mini excavators . Maybe you can give some advice, and yes i would like to buy an used one.


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## dburatti (Feb 14, 2004)

tjp said:


> Thanks everyone. We're in Arcata, NW California. Terrain is pretty varied, from steep stuff in the redwoods where I think we absolutely need an ex, to some more inland terrain where the 650 seems more useful. Almost everything that doesn't follow an old skid road will be full bench.


I used a Takeuchi TB016 to build about 13 or 14 climbing turns and some trail at the Paradise Royale Trails with side slope up to 100% and managed to finish with a 24" to 30" tread. On the map, it's called Prince of Pain. I built a handful of turns on the Mad Queen's Tango, too.

I wasn't (and still aren't) sure how it would hold up to the massive rains that area receives, but it packed in well initially.

I say go with the larger machine (always keeping an eye on tail swing) for more power.

D


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## tjp (Feb 17, 2004)

Thanks everyone...think I'm going with a Kubota K008. Reasons: Dealer is 5 min. from the house, don't need to buy a new truck to haul it, it's lots less expensive, I don't need a ton of power since digging is pretty easy where I will be working (way easier than at Paradise, which is holding up quite well, BTW. Great job!) , and we'll be working betwixt and between tight spaces in the Redwoods. Looking forward to getting started this spring/summer!


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## abnorcal (Mar 13, 2014)

Hello, I realize this is an old thread, but thought I would see if I could start up the discussion again... Am also looking to purchase an excavator and still can't decide between the two sizes (Tb108/k008 or TB016/Kx018) to build technical singletrack trails.

tjp, how did you end up liking your K008? Did you make the right purchase or are you missing the extra power and comfort of the larger machine?

For those that use the larger size excavator, do you operate it exclusively in the narrow track setting (39")? And if so, is this more or less stable than the smaller machine operated in the outer (35") setting?

Thanks!


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

In the past 9 months I've gained significant experience on a U17 building trail. Most of the time I've run it in the narrowest setting (39") because it makes most sense. Several times though, I've run it in it's full width setting (48") because I either wanted the extra space (connector trails with lots of 2 way traffic) or because I needed to maintain a side grade on a large cut on an embankment, then recut a small part of the high side for a trail - this is a drainage situation understand. It seemed to me the wide setting was only a little more stable than the narrow setting on this machine


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## HypNoTic (Jan 30, 2007)

Since the original post, we got a Kubota U17. I got it revalved this winter to boost speed a bit. Now, it's a monster! We *LOVE* the machine. We run it in 48" mode most of the time since it's much more stable to work the thread and keep the tracks on the outside (the thread becoming what's between the tracks only, raised thread most of the time). The narrow mode is useful for steep benchcut as you move much less material. 

Get a thumb and few buckets.


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## abnorcal (Mar 13, 2014)

Hmm, two votes for the larger sized excavator. Yeah, hadn't gotten to the whole zero vs. conventional dilemma yet. Do you find the zero tail swing helpful though? I can see it being nice when swinging behind to pull down the back slope and knock off the bench if you're rotating the boom/bucket on the downhill side but couldn't you just as easily swing to the uphill side and avoid the possible bump of the conventional tail? Don't think my local dealer carries the zero's for some reason so hasn't been on my list..

I do like the fact that the larger machine seems more versatile and in theory can get more done faster with more hp and longer reach. But I wonder, if my goal is tight, technical singletrack, exclusively, will I really be going faster if I have to create a larger corridor and build a larger bench to later knock more back down? I have been leaning toward the smaller machine because of this thought as well as the fact that I will be working in a heavily forested area. I also like the idea of being able to do trail maintenance and add more technical features later by going back with the min ex in the narrow 29" width setting.

And just when I think I have convinced myself to go for the smaller rig, I remind myself that I will be working primarily solo on this project and that any possible advantage of productivity or increased capability that the larger ex may offer could be monumental. Also I worry that after many many long hours I might really miss the comfort of the larger machines fully adjustable seat, arm rests and just the general control layout that I am very used to from owning/operating a TB135.

Any experience with tight, twisty technical trails with the larger U17? If you were building this style exclusively, would you choose a smaller mini ex?

Thumb is on the mandatory list for sure. But didn't think I would have a need for more than one bucket. What size(s) do you like/use and for what specifically? 

Thanks


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

Tail swing: If you're buying a new machine for building trail, get the zero tail swing. Especially if you're working in the woods (which I am, almost exclusively) things are tight enough as it is. You talk about swing the boom up hill or down hill - the boom is always going to stick out some, there's nothing you can do about that. What do you do if you have to spin around and you're right up against a tree one way? The only thing you can do is take the boom the other way, which is only an option if you have a zero tail swing machine.

As far as tight, technical trail, that's what I've been building, mostly. And here's the thing. How wide the corridor is has little to do with how tight or technical the trail is. I wish I had some time on a smaller unit so I could help you out with questions and ideas about that, but unfortunately, I'm using what's available to me, which is just a U17.

As far as accessories go - thumbs, extra buckets. Twice in a year I've thought a thumb might be nice. On the flip side, absolutely every day I've spent on the U17, I've thought something like this would be nice:

Cartridge valves add flexibility to excavators | Hydraulic Valves content from Hydraulics & Pneumatics

I don't have access to any extra buckets, only the stock size. There have been times when I thought both larger and smaller buckets would be cool. Larger often to bench faster (one bucket width instead of two? Yes, please!) or smaller to dig in areas were there are lots of rocks. Sometimes you have to come back and do a lot of hand work in between rocks when you only have access to a larger bucket, and a narrower one would greatly decrease that. As would that pivot head I linked to.


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## HypNoTic (Jan 30, 2007)

abnorcal said:


> Hmm, two votes for the larger sized excavator. Yeah, hadn't gotten to the whole zero vs. conventional dilemma yet.


Why don't you ask for a demo of each machine? If you're serious about buying, most shop will let you bring one on a job to try it in real world situation. You can probably arrange to have both KX008 and U17 at the same time to compare.

As for regular/zero-swing, my vote for any machine that will work in a forest is a zero swing. You have no idea how often it saved us.



Cotharyus said:


> Cartridge valves add flexibility to excavators | Hydraulic Valves content from Hydraulics & Pneumatics


A rototilt like the Engcon is one fine attachment, but I'm not convinced on such a small machine. Brad @ 402 Trails own 3 Engcon (on 17, 35 and 80) so I can put you in contact if you want feedback. Also, the price for a 35 is around 20,000$ USD.

Personally, I use an Helac tilt on our 35 exclusively for bike park work. The weight penalty is annoying enough to avoid it in the woods, where I need all the power I can get to move stumps and big rocks. The tilt add about 14" so you end up losing a lot of breakout force at the bucket. Price for a Helac tilt is much more manageable.

Engcon : Tiltrotators | engcon Group [NS4 version]

Helac : Product Advantages - PowerTilt - Tilting Coupler | Helac


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## Wildfire (Feb 4, 2004)

After another summer of building trails with both a TB016 and my K008, my experience is that the smaller machine is faster for singletracks because it doesn't have to move as much extraneous material. The larger machine is more stable but harder to get through gateways and chokepoints.



abnorcal said:


> Hmm, two votes for the larger sized excavator. Yeah, hadn't gotten to the whole zero vs. conventional dilemma yet. Do you find the zero tail swing helpful though? I can see it being nice when swinging behind to pull down the back slope and knock off the bench if you're rotating the boom/bucket on the downhill side but couldn't you just as easily swing to the uphill side and avoid the possible bump of the conventional tail? Don't think my local dealer carries the zero's for some reason so hasn't been on my list..
> 
> I do like the fact that the larger machine seems more versatile and in theory can get more done faster with more hp and longer reach. But I wonder, if my goal is tight, technical singletrack, exclusively, will I really be going faster if I have to create a larger corridor and build a larger bench to later knock more back down? I have been leaning toward the smaller machine because of this thought as well as the fact that I will be working in a heavily forested area. I also like the idea of being able to do trail maintenance and add more technical features later by going back with the min ex in the narrow 29" width setting.
> 
> ...


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## HypNoTic (Jan 30, 2007)

Wildfire said:


> After another summer of building trails with both a TB016 and my K008, my experience is that the smaller machine is faster for singletracks because it doesn't have to move as much extraneous material. The larger machine is more stable but harder to get through gateways and chokepoints.


Have you tried a zero-swing 1.7 tons machine like the Kubota U17? Unless you deal with 2in of vegetal on top of pure sand, I have a hard time believing the KX008 will be faster than a U17 in narrow mode.

Another reason why I vote for bigger machine is the fact that bigger wheels and wider handlebar require some room to get through. Tight and technical around trees at 5mph is old school. If you expect to create some flow in your trail, having a 39" wide corridor should be a bare minimum IMO.


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## abnorcal (Mar 13, 2014)

Wildfire said:


> After another summer of building trails with both a TB016 and my K008, my experience is that the smaller machine is faster for singletracks because it doesn't have to move as much extraneous material.


Thats what my intuition has been telling me. Smaller machine for tight technical, larger machine shines more for multi use?

But how do you like the controls on the K008? They just look so compact and awkward compared to the standard set up. Does it affect your operating enjoyment? I am quite used to the standard layout with joystick controls and arm rests out to the side on my tb135.

You say the larger machine is more stable. Is that comparing wide mode on the k008 to the narrow track setting on the tb016?


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## ronski (Jul 28, 2009)

Honestly, I think you are going in circles here. There are obvious tradeoffs, just like picking which bike to ride on the next big trail ride. I think the thread here pretty much has all the answers. Larger machine = more comfortable, better controls, more stable, more power, but a bigger footprint. Smaller machine = easier to tow, cheaper to buy, tighter singletrack, but can't do as much work. Really it depends on the terrain and what you want to build. I like both depending on what and where I'm building. Here's a shot from a trail I built with a TB108. Mills Peak Trail in Plumas National Forest (norcal).

Before








After


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## tjp (Feb 17, 2004)

That's nice work Ron! I've built a little over a mile with my KX008, and here's my assessment.

Pluses: 
I have my ex, tools, everything inside an enclosed trailer. Hook up and go. This is not insignificant to me because I live in town and my wife likes to park in the garage...
Pretty naturally makes a perfect width corridor, to me anyway. 
Easy to haul, but a bigger ex on a lighter trailer would be about the same. 
Works all day on a 3 gallon tank of fuel.
Can walk it in along most sections of existing singletrack. 

Minuses:
Could use more weight and oomph on difficult ground. I've built a few sections that were on weathered/fractured rock, like chunky gravel, and it was tossing the little ex around pretty good. Had to "tickle" the rock to loosen it up before moving it, works, but it takes some finesse. 
Zero swing would have been handy on a few sections of steep bench, and in the trees.
Slightly unstable, but not unworkable. 

In the final analysis, I think I want one of each. I can dream. I see advantages both ways, and I'm no closer to "knowing" the answer than I was before. I think every single day I've been out there were times when I wanted a U17 zero swing, and times when I was glad I have my little ex. It is kinda cute...


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## Wildfire (Feb 4, 2004)

I learned on the K008 so it doesn't seem awkward to me. I don't have a problem switching back and forth to a larger machine although having arm rests is nice.

The extra weight of the larger machine makes it more stable and less prone to getting bounced around. More finesse is needed with the smaller machine. I found the TB016 to be more stable than the K008 when operated with the tracks in. I don't advise the practice at all for the K008 but you can get away with it on the TB016 if you're careful.

I can transport my K008 around protected from the weather in the back of my one ton utility body truck, no trailer needed. I like that feature plus it's nice to be able to get it to remote sites with a medium sized helicopter or boat if I ever need to.



abnorcal said:


> Thats what my intuition has been telling me. Smaller machine for tight technical, larger machine shines more for multi use?
> 
> But how do you like the controls on the K008? They just look so compact and awkward compared to the standard set up. Does it affect your operating enjoyment? I am quite used to the standard layout with joystick controls and arm rests out to the side on my tb135.
> 
> You say the larger machine is more stable. Is that comparing wide mode on the k008 to the narrow track setting on the tb016?


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## Wildfire (Feb 4, 2004)

HypNoTic said:


> Have you tried a zero-swing 1.7 tons machine like the Kubota U17? Unless you deal with 2in of vegetal on top of pure sand, I have a hard time believing the KX008 will be faster than a U17 in narrow mode.


I haven't tried the zero swing model, looks sweet. I was surprised too but the tape measure was consistently showing around 50 feet per day more production with the smaller machine. Soils were windblown silt (loesse) under 6 - 8 " of roots/veg mat. No large rocks to deal with.


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## HypNoTic (Jan 30, 2007)

abnorcal said:


> Thats what my intuition has been telling me. Smaller machine for tight technical, larger machine shines more for multi use?
> 
> But how do you like the controls on the K008? They just look so compact and awkward compared to the standard set up. Does it affect your operating enjoyment? I am quite used to the standard layout with joystick controls and arm rests out to the side on my tb135.
> 
> You say the larger machine is more stable. Is that comparing wide mode on the k008 to the narrow track setting on the tb016?


If you prefer regular joystick, you might want to consider the Bobcat 418.

418 Compact Excavator - Bobcat Company


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## prooperator (Jan 31, 2007)

I've built miles of trail with a sweco and the Kubota u17 and if I had my choice, I would go with the u17 for the versatility. I have run other minis and the u-17 is a very strong and reliable machine and the zero-turn is a must where I build in the South-East. To me, with the newer trends of bikes, riders are faster and the trails should be slightly wider to accommodate more speed. When you are hauling ass at 20mph downhill, you can appreciate a 48" overall corridor with a 24" actual tread width. This is easily done with a u17 and much faster than a sk650 at least, here in the South where we have steep bench cut with sandstone and chert. This is just my professional opinion.


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## Blurred_Vision (May 19, 2006)

I have a JD 17D which I know Jerome used to run and I am happy with that size for my situation. It seems like every time I have put extra effort into creating a choke point or a bit of a tight turn it has been modified or a cheater line put in so I don't see where a micro ex would be suitable for me. I also notice that many of the micros do not have a full canopy and I would never work in our woods without that overhead protection.

One question about the Kubotas - When I talked to a local dealer recently he told me Kubota was discontinuing the smaller excavators in the US. He went on an anti Obama and anti regulation tirade and declared that the EPA regulations could not be achieved in a smaller diesel engine. When I pointed out that my 2008 John Deere( made by Hitachi) was powered by a Yanmar that was Tier 4 compliant he first disputed that until he looked it up. He did not think much of my suggestion that Kubota buy engines from Yanmar if they could not build them!
I wonder if this was bad info? Am I going to have to visit Jerome and smuggle a Kubota in from Canada if I want one?

Stewart
Native Trails Inc


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## Blurred_Vision (May 19, 2006)

With a small amount of research it appears that my local dealer's rant was only an anti Obama piece of fiction on his part. The U17 is still listed and shows the Kubota engine is Tier 4 compliant and bumped up to 17hp. Sorry Jerome, I will have to come up with a different excuse to visit.


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## tjp (Feb 17, 2004)

Anti-Obama fictional rants? Say it ain't so! Seriously though, this has been a great thread - so many ways to skin a cat. I do have a feeling that when I get off the ridge down into the mid-slope shale deposits, I'm going to be wishing I had more mass working for me. Until then, in the groovy soil I have to work with along the ridgeline I'm a happy camper.


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## HypNoTic (Jan 30, 2007)

Blurred_Vision said:


> With a small amount of research it appears that my local dealer's rant was only an anti Obama piece of fiction on his part. The U17 is still listed and shows the Kubota engine is Tier 4 compliant and bumped up to 17hp. Sorry Jerome, I will have to come up with a different excuse to visit.


You need excuses?

- 2500km over 100 sites of legal trails (Vélo Québec.)
- A crew of 8 pro builders with too many projects and a lot of nice toys
- A team of trailbuilders, a team of bike park builders. Your choice.
- Poutine
- the best maple sirup in the world!

For trail work, we mostly use a Sweco 480, Kubota U17, Ditch Witch SK650 and a Rokon/ATV with various harrow attachment.

For bike park, we now own a Terex PT60 and a Kubota U35 w/ Helac head.

See you at the conference in WV


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