The mini excavator market is on the march and the range of machines in the Takeuchi portfolio makes it perfect positioned to take advantage. Construction Plant News reports on two of its most recent customers.
When thinking about compact plant, mini diggers will always take centre stage. It’s not just the high volumes sold – as many as 10,847 up to 5 tonne size sold in Great Britain in 2017 – it’s also the wide variety of machines and options available that highlights just how competitive this sector is. For customers of all varieties, landscapers, groundworkers and hirers, the choices have never been better.
Mini excavator specialists Takeuchi now have a compact range that includes as many as 16 individual models up to 5 tonnes. That considerable stable includes, micros, hybrids, cab and canopies, alongside short tail, with the majority towable, and new machines coming out all the time
Earlier this year, in fact, a new model quite literally hit the road – a legally towable 2.5 tonne Takeuchi.
The new TB225 specifically addresses the legal towing conundrum. It’s relatively low weight comfortably provides plenty of room for extras in the trailer; attachments, breakers, buckets or materials with added tie down points.
With its weight of 2,376kg cab or 2,241kg cab it provides a compact mini in a very useful size for road towing. Most smaller contractors and jobbing builders prefer to road-tow to sites where access and space is limited. Pulling up with a trailer tow is a better all-round option and more affordable than larger transport.
One such builder is GW Clegg Builders & Plant Hire based in Rawtenstall in Lancashire, a 40 years old family run business who has just added a new TB225 to the fleet. Owner Gary Clegg says the TB225 was a perfect addition and just the right size.
“We needed more power but just as much transportability as our 12-year-old Takeuchi TB016. The tow capability is key – but the power on this new machine is worth talking about.”
Gary used his brand new TB225 on a recent residential extension, excavating 400 tonnes of hillside in a very tight space. “The new TB225 powered through the workload. We would have struggled with another size of machine as space is tight. It is compact, we can use the extendable tracks for added stability, or narrow to access areas, and it certainly is as powerful as a 3-tonne digger.”
The power is significant on the TB225 with a Yanmar 3-cylinder engine providing more than 16.5 kW / 2,200 rpm. That’s massive in this weight class and just short of the power on a bigger 3 tonne Takeuchi.
With more and more extensions or smaller building projects where space is a premium the compact TB225 gets you in. Accessibility is king, and extendable tracks go down to just 1,100mm width. Extending out to 1,500mm along with a 790mm track length provides a good overall footprint for added stability when digging deep along with good offset 75 left and 55 degree right.
Takeuchi have added a 2.5 tonne legally towable machine that truly fits the gap in the mini weight class. Designed to be both small yet powerful, while maintaining a low towable weight – what more could you want from a compact mini excavator?
For many the micro is the ultimate in compact and a very popular choice for tool hire and landscaping. Getting into places many other machines can’t or for that DIY hire where the machine performs with ease.
For the professional landscaper a micro can be put through its paces. Ian Elliot Contractors a specialist landscape contractor based in Longton near Preston has recently added a Takeuchi micro to his fleet without hesitation.
As a busy professional landscaper, a mini digger is an essential tool for his business. Access on landscape jobs can be the critical factor so the more compact a machine the better and micros have just that.
Ian explains why: “Plenty of power is essential on smaller machines, and we still need the power in a small size. The TB210R is more than powerful enough for some of the toughest tear-out of old roots – a familiar task on a lot of landscaping jobs and the reach is important too.”
Takeuchi’s extendable track frame gets access through narrow gateways where other machines cannot go. The short tail swing too adds to benefits when working in tight corners.
But it was the servo controls that make the most difference to new micro customers. The typical older style front position lever controls on micros involved a lot of bending forward. They have now been replaced by ultimate servo control.
“Servo controls makes such a difference and a vast improvement on older front lever micros. With landscaping smooth control in delicate areas can be critical and for roots this is especially the case. We can be working in delicate areas and smooth controlled digging can be essential.”
Both machines – the TB225 and TB210R Micro – were sold by D&J Machinery & Tractor Sales based in the heart of Lancashire in Waterfoot, Rossendale who have firmly established red and white Takeuchi machine sales across the North West in their ten-year dealership.
