Kubota kx71-3 pump whine slowed hydraulics

[Simon edwards]

We have just ordered a kx030 for a bit over 31 with hyd hitch and 4 buckets.Currently have a 61-3 we’ve had from new and has been a hell of a tool ,but having tried a new 027 in the dealers yard I was sold on a new one.The 030 had a bit more reach and 100mm wider for not much more money.and just about towable.

 

[Storrsy]

We have just ordered a kx030 for a bit over 31 with hyd hitch and 4 buckets.Currently have a 61-3 we’ve had from new and has been a hell of a tool ,but having tried a new 027 in the dealers yard I was sold on a new one.The 030 had a bit more reach and 100mm wider for not much more money.and just about towable.

I was keen on one as closest in spec to my current TB125 on paper but @JD450A and @Hg2702 both put me off with their experiaces. Lifting back track with a full grader and book dropping when lifting a dumpy bag etc. Shame as they do look like nice machines. Will be interested to hear how you get on with yours.

 

[Furniss]

I have a mate who replaced his old kx71-3 with a kx030 and although access is better etc it's not a patch on the 71-3 on the sticks ....I had 5 minutes on it and its hard work to do fine work on .........keeps picking boom up as your grading back and no matter how careful you are its the same...hes had them out to it and they say it's setup right.


Hope your experience Is better

 

[Giles]

Unless the oil was very dirty, then it may be you have a leaky filler o ring, and I have service in the past Kx 71-3 @ 6000 hours plus!

Leaky filler? The big o ring on tank is brand new Kubota genuine one

 

[Smiffy]

I have a mate who replaced his old kx71-3 with a kx030 and although access is better etc it's not a patch on the 71-3 on the sticks ....I had 5 minutes on it and its hard work to do fine work on .........keeps picking boom up as your grading back and no matter how careful you are its the same...hes had them out to it and they say it's setup right.


Hope your experience Is better

We have had a few on hire and it seems some are better than others. And I find the u27 drives better than the conventional tail machines.

 

[Simon edwards]

Bloody hell,something else to keep me awake at night!Anyone had a good experience with one or the 027?

 

[Storrsy]

Bloody hell,something else to keep me awake at night!Anyone had a good experience with one or the 027?

I don't have any personal experience of the 027/030 but from prior experiance I'd never buy a machine blind/just sitting in the dealers yard with one. Did that with my TB216 as was happy enough with previous model and boy have I been regretting it the last 4 years. Might be fine if your just sticking a lad on it or hiring it out but a long time to have to live with a wrong-un if your sitting in the seat.
I think Yanmar SV26 would be where I'd be looking at now for that size machine. It's annoying they don't offset fully to the left but otherwise decent machine at the right weight for towing with buckets.

 

[Simon edwards]

I did consider an SV26 as we have just got a new SV08 and the dealer had one available but having had 2 Kubotas now really fancy another.As you say It is pretty much only me operating it,so I’m hoping I’ve done the right thing,the 027 I tried was nice I must admit so fingers crossed I guess.

 

[Gunners]

I think the kx030 is a much better machine than the kx27. Not much bigger in size but has extra weight where it counts and more importantly, vast improvements in digging power and aux flow which I felt the kx27 lacked. I think you will be happy enough with it.

And @Smiffy is right - the U27 does drive the smoothest of the 3! Odd isn't it? What lets the U27 down is poor dipper power - same as the kx27 really.
I don't think the KX030 is a bad machine at all, and in terms of power, is up there with the JCB 8026 - but they are both at the top end of the towable weight class.
I think you'll get on with it just fine.

If we are talking about old machines we loved dearly.....
Then Hitachi need to bring back the zx30! And its smaller towable brother the zx27! Both great machines 15 years ago and still stack up to this day. The Yanmar BV25 was another class old bit of kit - the new SV26 isn't a touch on it in my opinion. The older Kubota 71's were brilliant machines with poor cabs - even for their time. You'd have thought leaving the rest of the body alone and just putting a new cab on would be simple enough but they cant leave it alone these designers!

 

[Smiffy]

. You'd have thought leaving the rest of the body alone and just putting a new cab on would be simple enough but they cant leave it alone these designers!

Trouble is they are constantly trying to lower production costs and meet emissions standards.
Although I don't know what hitachis excuse is for the cabs on sub 13t machines. Whilst not great I can manage most of the minis but the 8t is the most uncomfortable machine possible.

 

[JD450A]

If we are going to have a competition on worst cab.... the Yanmar ZTS Cab of the 2000's was a truly spiteful piece of s**t.

 

[Simon edwards]

Gunners have you tried the 030,I agree the little bit more power,width and reach is quite a big deal on this size machine where your often punching into 5 tonner jobs.I’ve always found the cab on my 61 ok,worst point by far is the horrific all or nothing track motors,deadly trying to use your pedals coming down steep slopes,she’s been a good machine for me though.
Do you trailer your jcb,I did consider one but on paper were even heavier than Kubota and my current 3cx issue steered me away!

 

[Gunners]

Gunners have you tried the 030,I agree the little bit more power, width and reach is quite a big deal on this size machine where your often punching into 5 tonner jobs.
Do you trailer your JCB, I did consider one but on paper were even heavier than Kubota and my current 3cx issue steered me away!

I've not used an 030 in anger, the one I drove had an auger on it - not ideal for testing. But parked against the 8026, they were very similar in size, the kx027 is quite a bit smaller in all dimensions and just didn't have the power I was expecting from a 2.7t class machine. You cant blame it on the weight savings either because Volvo have managed to make the ECR25D dig for Sweden, even with the long dipper, and still come in around 2.5t.

Yes I do trailer my 8026 around. Its really tight on weight, to the point that if the fuel tank is full and there's mud on the tracks, I'm over, even with a lightweight plant trailer. Unfortunately, most trailer manufacturers seem to be catering for 2.8t as the maximum capacity these days, don't know what I'd do if it got stolen.

If we are going to have a competition on worst cab.... the Yanmar ZTS Cab of the 2000's was a truly spiteful piece of s**t.

The one with the two piece door joined together with mastic so it falls apart in weeks? Yeh... they are awful, which is a shame because the machine itself actually drives quite well.

 

[Simon edwards]

That was my view,I viewed the 030 and 027 side by side and for a relatively small difference in cost it seemed a fair chunk more machine.

 

[TiltyShaun]

I have a kx71-3 and can’t see any reason to replace it yet!!

 

[Simon edwards]

We’re not replacing but adding another due to our workload and with good secondhand kit so overpriced new seemed a pretty good idea,to be honest probably keep the old 61 for ever.I was intending to go for a 5 to 6 tonner but the cost and hassle of haulage or running our own lorry just seem too prohibitive for a small operation like ours.I can manage pretty much everything with a backhoe or three tonner but the luxury of two three toners will mean a lot less shuttling between jobs.

 

[DaveDCB]

3cx and a 2.5tonner make a brilliant pairing on jobs If I didn’t need the reach of a telehandler I’d seriously consider going back for another 3cx

 

[Simon edwards]

I am also finding a resurgence in demand for the 3cx ,sometimes have to convince customers to start with but they very soon see the versatility it offers and with the bonus of no haulage costs I’m out on it a fair bit,and quite enjoying it.

 

[Storrsy]

2.5/2.8t are brilliant tools IMO, even if they are undersized for the job they can still be forced to do it, it was the reason I got rid of my 5 tonner really, the 5 tonner was never worth the hassle of haulage to make enough difference over the towable 2.8t.
A real bread and butter machine for me.

 

[Storrsy]

We’re not replacing but adding another due to our workload and with good secondhand kit so overpriced new seemed a pretty good idea,to be honest probably keep the old 61 for ever.I was intending to go for a 5 to 6 tonner but the cost and hassle of haulage or running our own lorry just seem too prohibitive for a small operation like ours.I can manage pretty much everything with a backhoe or three tonner but the luxury of two three toners will mean a lot less shuttling between jobs.

Your spot on. For a while I had 2 TB125s (2.8 tonners) and it was superb. I generally kept a machine in each area and allowed the flexibility of leaving them on stop/start ongoing projects rather than shunting the one back and forth, saves alot of wear and fuel on the tow vehicle