Tiltrotator options for Tak TB216

[Keif]

Hello everyone,

What options are out there for a TB216. I've gotten quotes on a Rototilt and a Engcon. Rototilt was a little cheaper and had a hydraulic quick coupler, while the Engcon says they can only offer a kit for my machine with a spring loaded coupler. Steelwrist recommended only a tilt function hydraulic coupler for the Tak because of added weight of the rotator.

I'm asking here because this machine and the tiltrotators are a lot more popular in Europe than here in the states. My dealer was great with the purchase but they mainly deal with the larger machines and knew nothing about adding the 2nd and 3rd aux hydraulics(told me they were not available). I have the part manuals and see what is required to add them. Is this recommended or should I just add electronic solenoids that switch one foot pedal from thumb to tilt and the other from boom swing to rotate? Or should I go with a completely different setup?

Can the TB216 handle a engcon with the grabber? I really like the hydraulic thumb I currently have and would hate to loose grabbing ability.

My other options are:
4kish for a tilt only hydraulic coupler from hartford.
1.5kish for a hydraulic tilt only ditching bucket from Rhinox and keep my manual coupler.
Add nothing and work with what I have.

The machine is mainly used for general stuff around the farm, making bike trails in the woods(where the thumb is handy) and hopefully doing some footer/waterline/electric line digging for extra money on the side.

Thanks for reading, I'm going to watch "Are you being served" to get in the proper mindset to understand the responses

Keith

 

[doobin]

Can’t see it being happy tbh with a gripper.

i use a power tilt often on my 1.7t, but can feel my thumb itching to rotate.What prices are you being quoted and how will you provide both functions,are you going for a control system?

 

[Keif]

As of right now both quotes are for foot pedal control systems.

I need to call the dealers Monday to talk over some details but it looks like from the quotes the Rototilt is about 9k for a R1 unit with a fixed upper mount and a S40 Hydraulic quick coupler. Note says "requires 2 aux hydraulic circuits and case drain" uses TLE control system.

The engcon is <8k for the EC02 head with a manual quick coupler and $3500 install kit(this includes labor, valve, electric, hoses and coupler).

 

[fred]

Ive got S40 on my 3 tonner and its a big heavy lump. I wouldnt want to put that on a micro for sure.

 

[Gunners]

Thanks for reading, I'm going to watch "Are you being served" to get in the proper mindset to understand the responses

Absolutely sir!

The TB 216 Fred is a 1.5t machine but you're right, S30 is the way to go for the weight saving which rules Steelwrist out. The R1 and the EC02 are both very neat units, with Engcon having the slight advantage in build height and weight between them. The R1 can withstand a breaker under it whereas the Engcon cant so if that's something you use often, you would need to add a top hitch to the Engcon which again adds cost and makes a direct mount R1 a very tempting proposition.

Control system wise, for me, it all comes down to how much you intend to use the machine. And from your above post, it doesn't sound like it does a huge amount of work. I use my JCB 8026 virtually every day (literally 7 days a week) and so it was easier to justify the cost of getting a fancy control system. And it drives lovely for it but as you will know - doubles the cost!
I was a big fan (and still am in the right applications) of the pedal control system. If I was to ever fit one to my old 8015, I would go this way, purely because it doesn't get used a huge amount and the rewards by going 4 pipe or full control system just aren't there on that machine. If I ever replace it, I would be looking to get something with 4 pipes as its probably the best compromise between the 3 different systems in terms of both useability and cost. But you already own the machine and adding lines is also expensive.

I don't know how much you use the machine, but if it was less than 3 days a week of paid work, and I wanted to improve how I worked, I would get a tilting bucket made for the hitch I have (I actually started out in this way myself). See how you find that and go from there. The ability to rotate is great once you have it but is a big jump in cost and if the paid work isn't there for it, then at the end of the day we run business's and if it doesn't pay it doesn't get bought. If after a year or so you decide to go tiltrotator, the tilt bucket wont have lost much money - mine certainly didn't and people were queuing up to buy it off me. In fact, selling my old buckets and hitch paid for over 20% of my new tilty.

 

[V8Druid]

@TiltyShaun ..... educate Keif on pedal and buttons

 

[DaveDCB]

S40 on a 1.5 tonner
I run s40 on my 5 ton machine, with no gripper for reference.

 

[TiltyShaun]

@TiltyShaun ..... educate Keif on pedal and buttons

I will reply tomorrow when sober!!

 

[wee_gus]

Here is a little bobcat E20Z that I fitted a Rototilt R1 running S40 so the owner could have the gripper module, on paper this set up is far too heavy for the machine but it handles it very well, this has gone for full ICS control system.

For me I think you need to get the full control system

 

[CPS]

As of right now both quotes are for foot pedal control systems.

I need to call the dealers Monday to talk over some details but it looks like from the quotes the Rototilt is about 9k for a R1 unit with a fixed upper mount and a S40 Hydraulic quick coupler. Note says "requires 2 aux hydraulic circuits and case drain" uses TLE control system.

The engcon is <8k for the EC02 head with a manual quick coupler and $3500 install kit(this includes labor, valve, electric, hoses and coupler).

Where are you based at?

There is a guy near london somewhere running an R1 on a tb216. I can get his details for you.
I am a Rototilt Dealer. There are a few things to watch for when fitting a tiltrotator to a Tb216. One is that the hammer valve is linkage operated meaning that you wont be able to fit a proportional control system. A factory option may be available from Takeuchi but I'm not sure.
A TLE system is a 4 hose system meaning the machine will need 2 aux circuits.
The Rototilt gripper is not very heavy on an S40 36kg. Meaning the whole unit about 140kg depending on spec.
One option I often offer is S30 and a little grab. It lowers the weight of the unit to about 105kg and means its lighter when using a bucket. Yes you have to attach the grab each time .... but it is a lighter option.... and cheaper also.

Feel free to ask me any questions also.

I'm based in Ireland and work Very closely with the UK guys

Aiden

 

[V8Druid]

Here is a little bobcat E20Z that I fitted a Rototilt R1 running S40 so the owner could have the gripper module, on paper this set up is far too heavy for the machine but it handles it very well, this has gone for full ICS control system.

For me I think you need to get the full control system

I'd agree ................ if he can justify the outlay ...... if not .... pedal and buttons'll get him twisting and tilting for a minimal outlay, in comparison and perfectly workable alternative on a budget ... for a start

 

[V8Druid]

Where are you based at?

There is a guy near london somewhere running an R1 on a tb216. I can get his details for you.
I am a Rototilt Dealer. There are a few things to watch for when fitting a tiltrotator to a Tb216. One is that the hammer valve is linkage operated meaning that you wont be able to fit a proportional control system. A factory option may be available from Takeuchi but I'm not sure.
A TLE system is a 4 hose system meaning the machine will need 2 aux circuits.
The Rototilt gripper is not very heavy on an S40 36kg. Meaning the whole unit about 140kg depending on spec.
One option I often offer is S30 and a little grab. It lowers the weight of the unit to about 105kg and means its lighter when using a bucket. Yes you have to attach the grab each time .... but it is a lighter option.... and cheaper also.

Feel free to ask me any questions also.

I'm based in Ireland and work Very closely with the UK guys

Aiden

Virginia ... U S of A, Aiden road trip ???

 

[V8Druid]

Hello everyone,....... knew nothing about adding the 2nd and 3rd aux hydraulics(told me they were not available). ...........
Thanks for reading, I'm going to watch "Are you being served" to get in the proper mindset to understand the responses
Keith

so you have one Aux circuit? .... how is it controlled ??

you're gonna fit right in here with that sense of humor Keif ...... welcome Boyo

 

[GazCro]

Firstly i'm not a tiltrotator hater by any means, in fact when funds allow its something I'm going to invest in myself. But personally on anything under 2 ton the extra weight and build height effect on bucket geometry, I can only see it being any use for landscaping shaping grading works not any form of hard digging work. I'd go with tilt ditcher cheapest and easiest option (even harford tilt hitch would lose a lot of bucket tearout). If you were to go direct mount with a tilty you wouldn't be able to do any trench work deeper than your bucket unless it was as wide as the hitch either. If a tiltrotator is something you've got your heart set on look into a bigger machine (3 ton class upwards) so you can make full use of the investment would be my advice.

 

[DaveDCB]

I notice a guy on socials takes his tilty off on his jcb 2.6 when digging footings etc, personally I think it’s crackers spending all that and not using it!! But it kinda tells me that a steelwrist on a jcb 2.6 isn’t all that.

 

[JD450A]

I notice a guy on socials takes his tilty off on his jcb 2.6 when digging footings etc, personally I think it’s crackers spending all that and not using it!! But it kinda tells me that a steelwrist on a jcb 2.6 isn’t all that.

Quicker for pulling the lines and higher breakout. James knows exactly what he's doing He's on price pulling those footings and is a top draw operator. Not a Bad Businessman either.

 

[DaveDCB]

Quicker for pulling the lines and higher breakout. James knows exactly what he's doing He's on price pulling those footings and is a top draw operator. Not a Bad Businessman either.

Wasn’t a dig at him at all... more the setup as that’s what we are talking about here, Ollie does just fine with his Engcon in the exact same machine. Personally and only personally speaking if I had to take my tilty off for 50% of my jobs I’d be sending it back!

 

[Gunners]

Wasn’t a dig at him at all... more the setup as that’s what we are talking about here, Ollie does just fine with his Engcon in the exact same machine. Personally and only personally speaking if I had to take my tilty off for 50% of my jobs I’d be sending it back!

I’ve seen James taking his off and before I bought mine, I thought I would be doing the same thing but it turns out, the top hitch was a waste of money for me and I don’t think my next setup will have one. For the limited times I ever use a breaker I would just pin it on direct mount. I never take mine off, the slight disadvantage in breakout is made up by the advantage of cleaning out corners from the trench and having a hydraulic hitch to switch buckets quickly or use the ripper if I hit a tough spot. Maybe different if the ground down here was a bit tougher? Hardest stuff I have is clay and stones.

 

[fred]

Here is a little bobcat E20Z that I fitted a Rototilt R1 running S40 so the owner could have the gripper module, on paper this set up is far too heavy for the machine but it handles it very well, this has gone for full ICS control system.

For me I think you need to get the full control system

that rototilt looks less half the size of my engcon S40.

 

[fred]

I’ve seen James taking his off and before I bought mine, I thought I would be doing the same thing but it turns out, the top hitch was a waste of money for me and I don’t think my next setup will have one. For the limited times I ever use a breaker I would just pin it on direct mount. I never take mine off, the slight disadvantage in breakout is made up by the advantage of cleaning out corners from the trench and having a hydraulic hitch to switch buckets quickly or use the ripper if I hit a tough spot. Maybe different if the ground down here was a bit tougher? Hardest stuff I have is clay and stones.

ditto. makes build height too big with a top hitch as well on the 3 tonner imo.