Favorite 7-8 ton excavator?

[materthegreater]

What is your favorite 7-8 ton class size excavator, and why? Tell me what you like and what you don't like about it.

I'm considering upgrading to a slightly larger machine from my Bobcat E60. Looking for something 19,000 lbs at most with steel tracks and a blade.

 

[KenMac]

Not a professional here but if I were in your shoes I'd be looking for a Takeuchi TB290. Weight with cab and steel tracks is listed as 19,245.

 

[skyking1]

I have not operated many in that class. One was a totally trashed JD 70 that had such a bad slewing bearing, it was like sitting on a broken office chair.
The other was the Volvo 88 that was very smooth and felt like a big iron all the way, with the glaring exception of the bucket wedge system. It was far too light for the 88 and you could tear the ears off any bucket in hard digging. That could be upgraded though. I give it two thumbs up.

 

[KenMac]

I'm sure there are lots of good machines in this class. Part of my thinking, other than my experience with my TB260, is that Takeuchi builds there own stuff. Some others do, like Kubota and some others, but many do not. That doesn't make them bad or less good but it's a minus in my opinion.

 

[materthegreater]

Thanks for the input.

 

[hseII]

Of that class the machines I’ve been around & I’ve spent time on are the Takeuchi TB290s.

I like them personally.

I’ve run Smaller size TAKs & all other brands, & the TAK seems to be a better supported & useable machine.

A TAK or a CAT would be my pick.

 

[MG84]

I've been looking some at the 8-9 ton class machines myself, but am undecided on their usefulness. They are a step up from a 5-6 ton class machine, but still no where close to a 120-130 size. Some of the guys I know that have had 6, 8, and 13-ton machines say the 6-ton is a lot more versatile, complimented with a full size excavator. Hauling becomes the issue with the 130 size machines starting at around 27,000lbs + 9500lb trailer, in our hills that's a load. In an ideal world if I could have two it'd be a 3.5ton+8ton or 5ton+130, depending on the scope of work I was planning.

Kubota, Tak, and Case/Linkbelt (which are both made in Japan by Sumitomo) would be my top picks for a 8-9ton class machine, Hitachi/Deere might be good as well but I've never been around any in that size. I agree on the steel tracks and I'd personally want the wide 24" steel triple grouser pads for good flotation.

 

[KSSS]

The Taki 290 is a good machine. I have run Wacker Neuson ET90 and finally bought a used one last month. I really like it. I have a 6 ton Taki 257, the WN has more capacity as you would expect, longer reach more breakout. Better for some jobs than the 257. Its a little more to move around but we are set up for it.

 

[MG84]

The Taki 290 is a good machine. I have run Wacker Neuson ET90 and finally bought a used one last month. I really like it. I have a 6 ton Taki 257, the WN has more capacity as you would expect, longer reach more breakout. Better for some jobs than the 257. Its a little more to move around but we are set up for it.

Interesting to hear you take, having both a 6 ton and a 8/9 ton. How is your ET90 setup and what is the weight on it? (seems like quite a range of configurations and weight on that model)

 

[CM1995]

I've been looking some at the 8-9 ton class machines myself, but am undecided on their usefulness. They are a step up from a 5-6 ton class machine, but still no where close to a 120-130 size. Some of the guys I know that have had 6, 8, and 13-ton machines say the 6-ton is a lot more versatile, complimented with a full size excavator. Hauling becomes the issue with the 130 size machines starting at around 27,000lbs + 9500lb trailer, in our hills that's a load. In an ideal world if I could have two it'd be a 3.5ton+8ton or 5ton+130, depending on the scope of work I was planning.

We run 2 - 5 ton minis paired with 2 - 55-60K excavators which works well for what we do. The 5 tonners can be hauled behind our pickups and then hire out moving the big hoes.

I'd like to have an 8 ton machine but we'd have to hire out the move if it was any distance from our yard so it doesn't make much sense.

 

[KSSS]

Interesting to hear you take, having both a 6 ton and a 8/9 ton. How is your ET90 setup and what is the weight on it? (seems like quite a range of configurations and weight on that model)

Yea it has one heck of a counterweight on it. It is a heavy built machine. I have not weighed it on a scale yet, but its in that 19K area I believe. It has a WB hyd coupler and a direct link WB thumb. Not excited about anyones direct link but it will work for now. It has a 74 hp Perkins in it. Plenty of power. I wish it had a second aux. If the right mulching job comes along it would be great with a mulcher, I would just need to put the 2nd aux on it. The bucket sizing is very close to a BC E85, 55 mm pins. The stick is a little narrower than the BC E85 so wielding some bushings is all that is necessary to make the bucket fit tight between the ears.

 

[MG84]

The specs I read on the ET90 said 19,200lbs min to 23,100lbs max, depending on counterweight, stick length, and attachments. Looks like a pretty stout machine.

 

[materthegreater]

Interesting comments, thanks everyone.

My trailer has a load capacity of 20,000 lbs so I want to limit the machine weight to 18-19,000 to allow for weight of attachments.

I currently have two 6 ton machines, and have someone interested in buying one, so I figured it was a good time to upgrade to a slightly larger machine. I don't have enough bigger jobs to justify a full size excavator (and the expense of hiring out transportation) at this point.

 

[NepeanGC]

I've got a 5 ton, 8 ton, and a 15 ton. Out of those 3, our 8 ton is the least used, and least liked.

The 5 ton is small enough to get in to most places, but big enough to load a tandem or triaxle. It's a real gem.

The 15 ton is big enough to dig basements, run a real hammer, demo 2-3 story buildings, and load trucks productively.

The 8 ton on the other hand, isn't really any of those things. Needs a deckover tag to move it, which for us means it needs the same truck and trailer as the 15 ton...so we may as well take the 15 ton. I bought our 8 ton before the 15 ton, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't buy an 8 ton. Aside from overhead clearance, the 8 ton and 15 ton have a nearly identical working footprint, as the 15 ton is a zero tail, and the 8 ton is conventional.


My 2 cents - I'd keep running what you've got, until you've got enough work to justify a full size, and make the leap. Lots of guys around here hire out all their moves. Truck and trailer maintenance/insurance/operating cost ain't cheap. We've got 10 pieces of iron to move, so it pencils out for us, but I still hire out moves if we're busy.

 

[skyking1]

We run 2 - 5 ton minis paired with 2 - 55-60K excavators which works well for what we do. The 5 tonners can be hauled behind our pickups and then hire out moving the big hoes.

I'd like to have an 8 ton machine but we'd have to hire out the move if it was any distance from our yard so it doesn't make much sense.

put a little tilt behind the ford and it would not care about an 8 ton.

 

[CM1995]

put a little tilt behind the ford and it would not care about an 8 ton.

I have a 55K tandem tag that can go behind the Ford - it just doesn't like it with anything on it.

 

[skyking1]

pfffft 8 ton. you would love having it and being able to move it willy-nilly like I do the 120.
Things like some artful shaping of spoils at a dump site or digging a little deeper than a 50 is productive you could do without hiring the move. You know that mobe call colors behavior.

 

[CM1995]

Oh yeah well versed in moving a 315 around on the tag I have now behind a tri axle Granite. Got rid of the Mack back in 09 and never replaced it. If I could find a driver I’d buy another one.

If we had small jobs it would make sense to do our own moves. Last year we had less than $15k in mob charges and that includes 4 trips with the 325, 2 hours one way.

$15k wouldn’t cover fuel and insurance on a lowboy that can move 70k lbs.

We include a mob charges for every job that covers the lowboy and labor with a markup on the total. Basically making a % off the hired lowboy. It’s small but still a profit center.

 

[Willie B]

Howard, a very good friend buys new. He puts a lot of research into it & tries them out. He has bought a 14 ton & a 7 ton Volvo over the last few years. I've had him do a number of services recently, he doesn't choose to haul the big one often. He tows the 7 ton with a 3500 dually, where he'd need a triaxle to haul the 14 ton. He's sold on Volvo. Did two underground services 230 feet, and 210 feet in one day with a seven ton.

The few I have run have been because a better operator isn't available. I've briefly operated Kubota, four different ones, Gehl, Cat, Volvo, only enough to play a bit, and New Holland. Can't say I have a strong preference.

Another owner who also works for a bigger excavator says Develon is so good his employer has a fleet of them. He likes them so much he traded his small Cat for a Develon. Only dealer I know of is G Stone in Middlebury VT.

 

[HarleyHappy]

The Develons are nice but no dealer support and too new for anyone to know anything about them, at least around here.
Will see how they do, at 5k hours.