Kubota KX057 4 VS Takeuchi TB260 Mini Excavator Show Down

www.letsdig18.com/ for shirts and more!
Putting the machines head to head on challenges that zach would be using them for

[@diggerworks3821]

Owner operator here, started out 15 years ago with an old Kx024, then owned from new, the following, Kx161-3, Kx 121-3 and now Kx 040-4 and a Kx 057-4. I wont have anything but Kubota, I sell/trade them at 4500 hrs and the 161-3 had a new fan belt and one of the top rollers replaced and that's all. All original pins with no evident wear. We grease the diggers every morning and whilst excess grease coming out at all joints may look unsightly, my belief is that if grease is coming out, dirt and grit etc aint getting in and the long life of the factory pins and bushes seems to prove the point. What originally sold me on Kubota diggers is that in my area there is 4 hire companies, 3 are nationwide franchises with one a national agent for Hyundai so naturally used hyundai diggers, the second was an agent for takeuchi and again used their diggers and the third had a mix of excavator brands. The only independant hire company which was not a franchise and a sole operation used kubotas exclusively, and seeing how people treat rental gear I figured that if an independant outfit is using one brand only in their rental fleet then it must be pretty durable. Yes, the Kubota is not the cheapest on the market (well it isn't here) but it is quality gear and lasts if maintained correctly. I sold the 121-3 at over 4000hrs and it had nothing replaced on it, still on original rubber tracks even as was the 161-3 when I traded that in on the 057-4. The 057-4 has just ticked over 2000 hrs and has been faultless thus far, the 040-4 has closer to 2750 hrs and has also been faultless thus far. Not saying the Tak is no good as obviously anything sold now a days has to do what it claims or the seller would be out of business quick smart, but for me, the Kubota is my choice. One thing that does annoy me with them is how hard would it be to put an intermittent wiper set up in them for when the rain is drizzle or intermittent... it's not rocket science ffs...

[@gerryvanwoerkom7241]

I like the thumb shape better on the Kubota.. seams to grip the log better .. price and dealer support would make the difference.... and operator comfort

[@GerryJ08]

Also look at warranty, service, availability of parts like filters fittings etc.Thanks Chris for sharing this with us.

[@danknight1845]

Had nothing but good luck with the Takeuchi machines put thousands of hours on a TB135 and couldn’t kill it. Bought the TB260 high flow to replace it and so far it has not disappointed. You can change the way the oil flows to attachments and on the machine itself through the control console to speed up or slow down operation, honestly I preferred manual relief valves but those days are gone. I’ve run them all and didn’t think twice about what to buy.

[@dannewton5363]

The kubota seems stronger and you were able to pick the log up almost full height, i like kubota but the parts seem more expensive than others but as long as the machine gets the job done that’s all that matters 👍this was a good comparison video

[@stanleybroadhead8978]

I guess it comes down to price and dealer service "huh". Good video Chris, stay safe out there.

[@AJmx2702001]

Either machine would work but Takeuchi dealers are few and far here in IL Kubota all the way besides that if you rent the kubota they should make you a deal to buy it and as a rental you get full fresh warranty on it and a good deal since its got hours on it

[@mattcrowell7945]

We dont have anything smaller than a 160 and have had quite a few small jobs this year that rented both takeuchi and kobota 8000lb machines for. I was impressed with both the only thing that would make me pick one over the other is cost and dealer support

[@FloHilux69]

I like working with kx057, just drove one today. Very smooth and comfortable. The pushing test was kinda unfair cause the kubota tracks were pretty worn compared to the takeuchi ones.

[@weneedhopethankyou1513]

Thank you, I am thinking about buying one.

[@markmezo]

First job, introduce mr beeper to mr hammer.

[@davesilvia9711]

you can just pull the wire.

[@63256325N]

I had the same thought's on the thumb. With the huge price difference the question of which one is a no brainer. See if you can find out which one has a better life span. Thanks for the video.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Not much to think about Zack, get the Takeuchi 😂. Nice video guys, I’m hoping to upgrade mine this year to the TB260 so it was nice to see it in action. You can get a 260 with the angle blade too and that helps it weigh closer to the 13,000lb mark. Thanks making this video!

[@allenbreedlove8906]

Elite Earthworks LLC awesome video comparing the two machines me and you talked about lol..

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Allen Breedlove I know I thought the exact same thing lol!

[@davidbailey5006]

Elite Earthworks LLC friend of mine bought the 260 and had constant pin problems

[@louisianadirt2188]

Somehow I knew you would say Takeuchi, lol . Seems you have a lot of time with Takeuchi.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Louisiana Dirt 218 that’s right! The past 8 years it’s been all Takeuchi! Lol

[@420trucker420]

I prefer the Takeuchi, especially the TB35. Zero swing oscillating boom, great for working close to the house for doing waterproofing

[@derekbutts1782]

Same here. Every tak I've ran was like operating a robot not a machine . I've been fascinated with them since lol

[@misterbeans6064]

Try comparing machines at 5ooo hrs plus - I’ve used hire in Takeuchi when my regular mini was out for repairs and noticed faster and smoother tracking, and greater breakout power. I ended switching out yanmar for Takeuchi, just look at the boom knuckle you can see the superior build quality. The yanmar needed a line bore but the Takeuchi was still going strong despite having more hours on the clock. Even in the cab there is more steel and less plastic than most other offerings. I give Takeuchi two 👍👍

[@d.d.h6749]

i thought so too

[@joseperez6234]

I'm not a takeuchi excavator fan..never liked them..im a john deere fan... the feel of it and the hydralics how fast they react. Takeuchi feels like a kia and deere like a lexus. Takeuchi skidsteer are top notch tho.

[@kvajeblostari]

Tb260 more precise and smooth , better cabin,service friendly....

[@TF856]

I know for a fact that about 10 years ago caterpillar had a really crappy blade on their mini excavators. The whole blade arms were made out of thin tubing, not solid iron. While using it with the blade on the ground, the blade actually broke off of the tractor because of that thin tubing. I'm glad I wasn't using the blade to level up on a steep hillside. That could have been dangerous or fatal. Update. 11/25/20 Cat still uses thin metal tubing on the blade arms. And it flexes making it unstable/bouncy.

[@topnotchexcavatingllc5193]

Great video guy’s! I would be interested in the comparison to the Yanmar Chris?

[@jasongaudreau2075]

I can’t fully compare as our kubby is very old and open cab vs our brand new tb260. Kubby has some significant hours on it and it has made its money threefold at this point. I’ve been extremely interested in the new tb370 as the overall size is comparable to the 260 (5x) vs the 370 (6x-7x, kind of in-betweenish), but the ca. On the 370!!!! Oh THAT CAB!!! The Takeuchi tb370 has THE MOST comfortable and usable cab for a mini I’ve ever seen! Up to par for 2021 in technology. And the layout is excellent. And work hrs just fly by in complete comfort. Also with the tb370, the flow controls for all 3 sets of hydraulics is digitally adjustable from the touch screen in the cab while running it. Kinda how they were saying the Kubby is faster, and how he dropped the log on the first try, cuz the thumb speed is off timing with the bucket curl speed. With this machine all of that is finely adjustable. A half hr to sit with it and adjust the speeds of your tools/attachments and you’ll have yourself the perfect machine for YOU and YOUR work. Oh, and the 370 has optional steel tracks and angle blade. All in all trumps both machines in video, with a newer/better/bigger cabin. And newer/better function control. And rear camera. Great video tho guys! I’m a Takeuchi faithful, have run comparable Cat, Volvo, Kubota, Doosan, and even Bobcat models, I prefer Takeuchi. Really liked the Cat 305’s and 304.5’s (mostly comfort in familiarity) and I can say Volvo has POWER! But again, I’m a huge fan of Takeuchi, price and service help as dealer is right in my hometown. Tb370 for 2021!!!

[@tanertatltug5336]

If we talk about power and fuel, which brand would you recommend, I couldn't decide whether the kubato Kx080 and the takeuchi tb280

[@mrandrewdennis1]

Nice video as usual!!

[@jdshenanigans9265]

Nice to see a comparison but sadly i cant afford either one looking for a cheep one for the farm in uk . Would be nice but cant get the work to warrant one great video

[@mbslg86]

Nothing beats a tb260, bloody good machines never had any problems with ours

[@eliteearthworksllc]

mbslg86 Takeuchi for the win!

[@Mrflash222006]

Boys and there toys, the tak has the American size cab so farmer Jon can use it

[@stephenheaton8889]

Cant decide between the 2 machines. Thanks for the video. Is a angle blade worth the money. Looking for a mini to help clean up along side a forestry mulcher and maybe add a fecon fmx 36 in the future

[@blondeguy08]

Why is no one talking about the TB257FR it makes both of these machine look ancient

[@mrandrewdennis1]

We have a E55 Bobcat and the cab on the Takeuchi is impressive I would love the full foot pedals.

[@chrispy398]

I use a tb260 everyday and I love the interior and those pedals are awesome we also have a bobcat e55 and it’s no comparison in terms on usability with the pedals

[@missionDan]

These are the two best machines in this class without exception. Interested to see how they do as im an owner of both brands

[@ronandloriwood7847]

Looks like it comes down to price. Ron

[@TheSoloAsylum]

I know what one I would buy, now lets see how the contest goes. Either way I would buy the Takeuchi.

[@alexmaguire9773]

I’m a tall guy, I love my tb240. Lots of room, I can actually use my feet instead of my hand to track. John Deere, Kubota and cat are to small inside the cab for me.

[@dirtdiggur]

The tak has factory dual auxiliary hyds. Just pair it up with werk brau pin grabber coupler and thumb. Done

[@GigOne]

Damn, I didn't know mini excavators cost so much. I guess I'm going to readjust my 2019 Santa list! lol

[@davincrook9927]

They last like 10,000 hours though, so assuming you rack the hours up it works out to $8 an hour, not so bad. For the occasional user though, it's bad news.

[@matthewnorman4567]

When you used the Takeuchi, did the arm stall at that height under that weight? I noticed the Kubota's arm extended a little higher.

[@mischef18]

Great video

[@Diddley-js6lf]

I have had a 240 for just about a year and i just upgraded to a 260 yesterday ad haven’t even ran yet haven’t even signed papers yet so i am interested in the difference.

[@xxoxygenxx0733]

That Takeuchi is my dream digger!

[@chrisandert9171]

Been running a TB-290 absolutely love it but haven’t ran Kubota don’t have a good dealer support for them anyway

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Chris Andert I want to upgrade my tb153 to a 290. They are beast!

[@dehavenfamilyfarm]

I am partial to Kubota, so I would pick that one! lol

[@TF856]

Kabotas are nice machines.

[@c2admw1]

Wish I had one them to clean out my fence rows.....

[@workplaytv]

Kubota looked much faster. I love my 080. Looking at an 040 now.

[@pietervanoverstraeten8539]

In The takeuchi you have a power button to make it go faster ta

[@randallwescoat9224]

Go with the Kubota. I've got a 40 and it's an awesome machine! It does a lot more than it's spec'd to do.

[@donbraden8533]

I was impressed they both did very well picking up that King Kong tooth pick but for the money ditch the kubota nice video now that the fun is over both of you get to work 😂😂😂😂

[@danielsherrill7085]

My neighbor bought one of the early Yanmar SV100s and it seemed to have weak swing torque compared to alot of other track hoes. Has anyone else thought this, and have they stepped the newer models power up?

[@sethwatson8952]

I'd go more by who's more reliable, and what dealer is closer/better.

[@KennysTreeRemoval]

Good video boys

[@sebastiancortes2118]

That takeuchi is a great looking machine

[@HughzieTube]

Zack should see if he can get a Volvo to demo. Even Justin hasn't killed his yet! lol

[@RickyCervo]

Very interesting video

[@DBlank72]

Very good video.

[@ISXCUMMINS565]

I was hoping for a short track race🚜

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

How bout digging? and ease of holding a flat bottom in the dig? Who makes the better diesel and hydraulic pump?

[@mrs.eliteearthworks]

We’re pretty Pro-Takeuchi in this family 😉

[@brianwebber7168]

Lol

[@ryanconrad1516]

You just like the name ya coochie Queen 🤣

[@michaelmactavish1728]

@@ryanconrad1516 the kubota wins

[@ryanconrad1516]

I have run a kubota and a Cat mini, the kubota was a much bigger machine (080 kubota vs a 303.5 Cat) but id rather run the kubota other than the fact that the controls seemed sloppy

[@Will7981]

@RyanConrad. 😂🤣

[@northeasterndirtandpropert7974]

Just a local heads up from Canada.That KUBOTA IN 2023 now retails for 137,500 as of june/23.WOW.Inflation.Taxes in.

[@JackMacLupus]

I whould take the Kubota. Because i like the quick change on it better (does the Takeuchi even have a quick change? I'm not sure.), the shape of the thumb is better, it has a adjustable blade and its not beeping all the time. (That whould drive me nuts when i have to work with the machine the whole day!)

[@howardpavingexcavating6450]

Love our tb260 just wish it was alittle faster

[@hhazelhoff1363]

That was cool. Thx

[@mrhappy3244]

Looking to get a new kx057, But takeout looks like a stronger machine, may have to rethink this

[@NZDIRT]

Damn I woulda purchased well before 400 hours lol

[@alabama7636]

NZ DIRT While I agree with the logic, if your not sure a business venture is is going to take off its much easier to make a call to the rental store and say I’m done renting than 70K in debt.

[@jeremypatton80]

I have a gehl 603. It is a very impressive machine. Didnt know much about it, but couldn't pass it up for the price. Had 263 hrs, got it for half price. A repo, was at the right place and time. Has been a very good machine. Does anybody else have gehl? Thoughts.

[@jonathancook4022]

Ive drivin takeuchi's before, and I can tell you that I prefer the sound of the Kubota! The deeper sound of the engine is less irritating.

[@canadiansnowmobiledude1125]

IMO if you want a more comfortable smooth machine buy a Takeuchi, if if you want a machine that’ll last a life time buy the Kubota... the cabs are nice on the tak’s and they’re good for pulling grade but the jewelry on the end of the stick are not the best... vice versa for the kubotas

[@rrmtnfarmer3273]

You forgot to look at ease of serviceability, that can make or break a machine for me.

[@IndependenceIron]

I was looking at a KX121-3 at auction and was impressive with the serviceability access. If the bigger botas are the same should be in good shape.

[@josephpuchel6497]

Hey Kubota looked stronger with the log. Reach. Serviceability would be a factor. Nice video

[@AndrewWelch1978]

That Takeuchi is not broken in yet. It gains some power after break in. My issue with Kubota is the lack of service from the dealer. I don’t have that problem with Takeuchi

[@JuBlaine]

I've got 1400 hrs on my Kubota 057 in the last year and a half I have nothing but good things to say about it. It's been great

[@brianwaldrop2226]

The six way blade is nothing when having a skid loader or dozer on site. The company I work for has this old tak that has over 5000 hours and is still strong. If you are looking for longevity then go with tak. They are all the same when new 🤘🏽

[@mattywho8485]

Hey Zack, You said "you were sick of paying 2K a month and want to save $500 a month if you buy one". Well shit, for $1,500 a month you should be able to get yourself into a Kubota 080 and handle any of those logs with ease! and easily load a truck from one side.

[@ZachsTreeService]

The 80 is to big for most yards I get in doing trees. I've loaded 36" pines logs that are 16' and its all the 57 wants for the most part but it does it.

[@mightymoeexcavating754]

All this hype, what about Komatsu?? Ty for sharing

[@colonialroofingofnorthcaro441]

I've seen alot of these yanmars, do you think they're good excavators, far as price, its functions, power and last

[@TF856]

I got a chance to run a vio35 and vio55 a few weeks ago and I like them very much. Except that the travel pedals are very small and too close to other pedals. But I love the ease of turning the bucket around, if you don't use the safety latch. if you're going to use the safety latch there's no point in spending the money on the hydraulic pin grabber. I wish it came with a built-in lifting eye instead of having to pay extra for it. It did seem to have more power than other machines of similar size that I've used.

[@barneyroberts668]

I prefer Takehuchi seems to dig better trenches because when you crowd the stick at the bottom of a ditch it tends to leave a more level bottom pulling evenly through the scoop. Other than that they're very similar.

[@Ithzzz]

the space in the Takeuchi looks really nice all the Kubota machines iv ran always seems just a bit to cramped :/

[@hphillips7425]

One machine may cost less to purchase. Which one is the lowest cost in the long run?

[@markball5001]

He should check out the Yanmar brand. There's a video comparing three brands. Kubota, Cat and Yanmar.

[@Diddley-js6lf]

The Takeuchi comes with a Yanmar Motor

[@cyoungso]

how does the tac compare to the yanmar?

[@dalltex]

Both good machines. You can make the thumbs anyway you want with a welder. Seems like similar specs so assuming the extra 15k would be negotiable possibly. If local service is the same it would be a toss up to me.

[@GypsyPaz]

What about access? As in, is there much difference in how accessible all the maintenance points are?

[@Graveltrucking]

We've got a whole fleet of Kubota excavators where I work from 1 ton to 8 tons, the 57 is a good machine we've got one its one of my preferred machines to operate its smooth, has decent power, has steel tracks its very stabil, there's times it feels like your in one of the KX80s you realize your not when it doesn't reach as far. You've got to go with steel tracks the rubber ones are shit they do not last, the angle blade is a useless feature, mini excavators are not meant for finish grading get the straight blade and save yourself some money.

[@genecoppedge5972]

Graveltrucking, angle blade is just for back filling. Not everyone can afford have multiple machines for every job, so sometimes a mini excavators are used for finishing grade, that’s why they make grading buckets.

[@TF856]

@@genecoppedge5972 mini excavators would be nice for grading if they had stick steer for movement and use the other joystick for the 6 way dozer blade. There is another mini excavator on the market now that is part excavator and part skid steer loader and has all the features of both. I think it's called Mecalac. let's see a contest between the mecalac and a mini excavator and the top skid steer loader.

[@RunninOnCoal]

@@TF856 that makes sense, I saw the new cats have that I I didn't get the point of it. That makes more sense now.

[@sideshowbob2882]

Are these the same size as your yanmar?

[@sammysr.3190]

Kubota is nice, I run the same machine except it has an open cab, everyday.

[@andrewneilsen1516]

i have ran both before and i think they are about the same, other than the Kubota has better hydraulics. i would take the Kubota KX057-4 over the Takeuchi TB260 personally

[@VIQAN]

Hey brother I did a video with the TB260 with the Engcon product. I don't sell it but its still a cool attachment.

[@billydavis16]

What about price and avaibilty of parts replacement.

[@Hatya05]

Will the dealer apply any of the rent toward the purchase? When i bought mine i got 80% of rent towards purchase for the first three months

[@Roadhammer33]

Zach, you should talk to your sales rep at Ahern about buying that machine since you've had it since almost brand new. They might work out a good deal with you. Remember they will get you for damages when you call it off rent. They won't care about it if you buy it. I'm a rig driver for Ahern in Denver Co. and we've had customers buy equipment before. PS thanks for your business.

[@stevenmurata4392]

That's where I bought my 2 used excavators & new skid steer but in Oxnard, CA. Beats a hand shovel any day, lol.

[@VernonTwins]

Hey Chris. Where is the Vio55 ?? It has a cab too. Lol.

[@tacomafan7488]

i like both!

[@tanertatltug5336]

If we talk about power and fuel, which brand would you recommend, I couldn't decide whether the kubato Kx080 and the takeuchi tb280

[@jonathanunnasch1825]

Great video, I’m looking at the Yanmar VIO55, Kubota and Case. Anyone have an opinion or experience with any of these new mini-excavators

[@thcbobcat773]

I've put 1200 hours on a CX60 Case great cab but that's where it ends. Very unstable and underpowered compared to our previous JD 60G. Case mini excavators are now produced by Hyundai to.

[@jonathanunnasch1825]

ThConstruction thanks for the update on case mini-Excavator

[@Hesston4860s]

Over hire in the uk the people that hire machines out use a lot of Takeuchi for there reliability, I own and run a Takeuchi TB135 and love it and I’ve driven most other makes !. Only thing I will say against the Takeuchi is the king posts are week as in they do wear fast, it doesn’t seem to matter how much you grease them they just wear. Maybe the newer range as in the 200 series the king posts are better ?.

[@godfreyho-shing3133]

How much are they in pound sterling !??

[@rick8910]

What about Gal per Hr how do they compare there.

[@bosshogg6030]

Chris you won on the pushing Contest lol 😆😁😄😃😀🤣😂😅😜😝😛😚🤩

[@michaela3562]

Which machine was smoother to run?

[@TF856]

Chris, are you ever going to do a video comparing the Mecalac to any of those machines? Or would that be an unfair comparison? 😃

[@williamriedel1686]

Never heard of Mecalac, very interesting. Seems the French engineers are very innovative.

[@jdiggindirt]

2013 121-3ss I have own since it had 200 hrs on it and it has 1700 right now and working everyday luv my Kubota's 2013 svl97-2 with 2100hrs & a Bradco MM72 on it mulching everyday monster with carbines On it. But up grading right now. To a bite limiter head for sure but going to keep a carbide in storage for rocky and junky area with the possibility of hitting anything. 🤔

[@SuperScoy]

Hey Chris, what is the HP of each?

[@briangardiner1015]

Could the hydraulics have been faster cus it has been broken in more then the Takeuchi? Just a thought.

[@guy5322]

Brian Gardiner Kubota hydraulics are always the latest and greatest. Nobody ever beats Kubota hydraulics.

[@TheSoloAsylum]

no

[@oldredcoonhound2182]

@@guy5322 yanmar would kick its butt

[@curtisdurfee6392]

@@oldredcoonhound2182 or cat

[@whatyameann6573]

Liebherr🥵

[@TheUserid82]

With how much you two deal with taking down trees I would say have him get the forestry mesh to protect the roof and windows as you know it will take one tree going the wrong way to have a window smashed and frame bent.

[@michaeljordan7733]

Kubota and yanmar to me are the kings if mini excavators

[@michaelmactavish1728]

yeah the KX057 57hp is $48,100 at my dealer in canada wich not bad for a 57hp excavator plus kubota are looking into manufacturing a full size ones down the road in the feature

[@rexharstad4821]

@@michaelmactavish1728 let us know what dealer in canada sells a new kx57 for 48,100 he could sell hundreds of them

[@toddreynolds8875]

48,000 canadian money is. 63,/64 us dollar. Thats a little more like it ide say!

[@rexharstad4821]

@@toddreynolds8875 48,000 canadian dollars = 36,300 us dollars I could even afford one then

[@toddreynolds8875]

@@rexharstad4821 yha. Wow. I got that. Backasswards didnt I. Lol

[@FishFind3000]

Should have had a race between the two. See who’s faster.

[@northeasterndirtandpropert7974]

YANMAR,KUBOTA,TAKEUCHI,all excellent machines.

[@HILLBILLYSFIREWOOD]

Just think. You be able to pick up that log by hand in few years or so..