Kubota kx 61-3

diggerjones

diggerjones

Well-known member
Well it didn't take long for my new toy to give me woes.
Track idler has gone bang. 😣
I've ordered another full unit. Do you just take track off and pull idler out?
20210504_114534.jpg
 
Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
I'll look forward to that😣 i was looking forward to a quick hitch and some nice buckets but looks like I'll have spend on the undercarage😁
What do you mean gone bang!? Which part of the assembly has failed?
 
diggerjones

diggerjones

Well-known member
The bearing is in bits.😣 suppose you could put a new bearing in it. But every else will be worn.
 
Furniss

Furniss

Well-known member
Hope you dont end up like me I bought a 2011 kx71 3300hrs off a mate about a year ago and to date its had

1 x Track motor
2 x bottom rollers
1 x top roller
1 x rocker gasket
Bucket ram
dipper ram
1 x Breaker pipe
Pair of new tracks and sprockets

I got it at a very good price esp in light of whats happened to plant prices but he certainly knew when to get shut 😁
 
diggerjones

diggerjones

Well-known member
I probably will be having to get some of the things you've purchased. This was very reasonable priced. Spend 2k on it and should still be well priced. 🤞😁
 
Mick-the-fitter

Mick-the-fitter

It’s what I do!
The bearings are usually the first to go when tracks are over tightened, when you remove the idler assembly, make sure the track frame and slider are clean before putting back.
 
TiltyShaun

TiltyShaun

Well-known member
Hope you dont end up like me I bought a 2011 kx71 3300hrs off a mate about a year ago and to date its had

1 x Track motor
2 x bottom rollers
1 x top roller
1 x rocker gasket
Bucket ram
dipper ram
1 x Breaker pipe
Pair of new tracks and sprockets

I got it at a very good price esp in light of whats happened to plant prices but he certainly knew when to get shut 😁
I think I have a very similar list at 4500hrs apart from the track motor, rams and sprocket. Mine is older and breaker pipe was operator error or adventure in the trees!! To be fair I have been over the moon with the 71-3 and will happily run it for years to come. Always a game running older plant with parts against depreciation. On this one, parts wins!!
 
diggerjones

diggerjones

Well-known member
I think I have a very similar list at 4500hrs apart from the track motor, rams and sprocket. Mine is older and breaker pipe was operator error or adventure in the trees!! To be fair I have been over the moon with the 71-3 and will happily run it for years to come. Always a game running older plant with parts against depreciation. On this one, parts wins!!
But i don't think there's much depreciation once they get a certain age.😁
 
TiltyShaun

TiltyShaun

Well-known member
It also depends on timeframe you intend to own the digger. When I was contracting and could afford new/newer machinery it made sense to pay the money. I had the Ex60-5 from something like 2003 until 2018. And the manitou from 2004 until 2019. They where not worked hard from 2012 but where paid for and still done a job. Horses for courses. I wonder how long the 2014 Kobelco on the fleet will be with me. It has less to pay back compared to a new machine and can earn its keep doing less hours.
 
Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
Hope you dont end up like me I bought a 2011 kx71 3300hrs off a mate about a year ago and to date its had

1 x Track motor
2 x bottom rollers
1 x top roller
1 x rocker gasket
Bucket ram
dipper ram
1 x Breaker pipe
Pair of new tracks and sprockets

I got it at a very good price esp in light of whats happened to plant prices but he certainly knew when to get shut 😁
Good mate you have there! 😆
To be fair though all those things you’ve replaced I would consider an expected running cost to replace at around 3000hrs so it could do a few thousand hrs now without too much more spent on it 🤞
 
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Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
At a certain point value will level out and be based on condition and what works. You could buy a mint 3 year old digger and be putting tracks on tbf.
Hi had an 8 ton Kubota on hire recently- it had only done 1200hrs and the tracks were knackered!

I reckon cost of ownership works out similar on older gear vs brand new taking into account the additional repair costs of older, but then it’s the downtime that’s the killer.
 
doobin

doobin

Well-known member
Hassle factor. It’s all very well saying you can fix it yourself, but if you can fix it properly yourself then that’s worth £50 plus per hour and needs to be factored in. So new kit wins for me with diggers. Although I have a lot of second hand other things.
 
Furniss

Furniss

Well-known member
Good mate you have there! 😆
To be fair though all those things you’ve replaced I would consider an expected running cost to replace at around 3000hrs so it could do a few thousand hrs now without too much more spent on it 🤞
Yes to all of the above apart from rams at 3300hrs 🤔
 
Furniss

Furniss

Well-known member
Hassle factor. It’s all very well saying you can fix it yourself, but if you can fix it properly yourself then that’s worth £50 plus per hour and needs to be factored in. So new kit wins for me with diggers. Although I have a lot of second hand other things.
New kit yes it nice but I have 3 machines - 8t - 3t - 1.7t and what with all the other kit cant afford to have 3 new machines all the time.... but we are poorer here financially than you u.k based ops 🙂
 
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