Things that are better than a 200 series takeuchi.

[V8Druid]

My mate over here works for them and says he's done a fair few slew ring failures on lowish houred machines which I thought was suprising..... I dont know anything about the make other than they are supposed to be top quality, rep came to see me one day trying to encourage me to try one but as I explained , both budget and size are trop grand for me

by a lot

 

[Storrsy]

View attachment 32095
She's Very, Very Pretty.

You must have good eyesight

 

[Storrsy]

Not better. But definitely found something worse than a TB216....

 

[Furniss]

Not better. But definitely found something worse than a TB216....

You can't just leave it there !

 

[doobin]

I thought those hitatchi were well thought of? What don’t you like about it?

 

[Thomas7740]

I thought those hitatchi were well thought of? What don’t you like about it?

Most complaints I’ve heard of them seem to be operator error/preference

 

[GazCro]

Most complaints I’ve heard of them seem to be operator error/preference

Pretty big issue if you just don't like/click with a machine though.

 

[Storrsy]

You can't just leave it there !

Some of it could be attributed to personal preference- I don't like zero tail machines for a start
Some of it could also be not so much the machine as opposed to what the hire/co or dealer has specified- in this case the Hill hyd hitch is such that you can just about load a 3 ton dumper with out half the s**t falling out the bucket, it just doesn't crowd anywhere near as much as it should IMO, very frustrating. And the grading bucket is 1 meter wide which is very small- perhaps a tactic of the hire co to make it less efficient and easier on the machine
Moving on though, it weighs 2.7t but I keep forgetting that- it feels smaller, the reach/arm feels quite small, the blade is in so close to the tracks that you have to offset fully to get anywhere near clearing up against it, I prefer a long blade myself but guess that's matter of choise
The cab is very cramped, worse than my 1.8t.
The absolute worse thing though is the noise in the cab, it's horrendous I'm sitting in it wearing earmuffs but it a thumping drone much like you might expect in a Chinook or something- even gets through the earmuffs- it's quite an unpleasant place to be IMO.
The machine has done 3.5hrs. there's a distinguished roughness to the slew which perhaps is because it's so new?
It's not bad to grade with, track pedals are quite decent and the seat is comfy but that's where it ends for me.

 

[Storrsy]

Pretty big issue if you just don't like/click with a machine though.

I always think when you move from one machine to another there is a period of adjustment- as they're all a bit different. I've been in this one all day though and can't warm to it

 

[Storrsy]

The bucket fully crowded- can't be right can it!?

 

[GazCro]

I always think when you move from one machine to another there is a period of adjustment- as they're all a bit different. I've been in this one all day though and can't warm to it

You definitely need to spend a bit of time although you can know pretty quick if its for you or not but that doesn't necessarily mean its a bad machine. It's a bit like when you change a machine you've had for 10 years to a new one and you're not quite sure about it. Wait six months and then try the old machine if you can, you probably wouldn't go back.
I'm with you on zero swings they always have you sitting with your head nearly touching the top of the cab and no foot room because of a short cab. Couple that with smaller dig end and often wider track frame than conventional equivalent they are a bit of a myth imho unless you really have a specific job to do and need the biggest possible machine in and no room to swing it (in which case taki's fr's come in, though not a huge fan personally).

 

[Smiffy]

Some of it could be attributed to personal preference- I don't like zero tail machines for a start
Some of it could also be not so much the machine as opposed to what the hire/co or dealer has specified- in this case the Hill hyd hitch is such that you can just about load a 3 ton dumper with out half the s**t falling out the bucket, it just doesn't crowd anywhere near as much as it should IMO, very frustrating. And the grading bucket is 1 meter wide which is very small- perhaps a tactic of the hire co to make it less efficient and easier on the machine
Moving on though, it weighs 2.7t but I keep forgetting that- it feels smaller, the reach/arm feels quite small, the blade is in so close to the tracks that you have to offset fully to get anywhere near clearing up against it, I prefer a long blade myself but guess that's matter of choise
The cab is very cramped, worse than my 1.8t.
The absolute worse thing though is the noise in the cab, it's horrendous I'm sitting in it wearing earmuffs but it a thumping drone much like you might expect in a Chinook or something- even gets through the earmuffs- it's quite an unpleasant place to be IMO.
The machine has done 3.5hrs. there's a distinguished roughness to the slew which perhaps is because it's so new?
It's not bad to grade with, track pedals are quite decent and the seat is comfy but that's where it ends for me.

I was driving exactly the same machine last week but with whites disease. The bucket closes alot tighter than that was loading a drop side lorry with it no problems. The blades seem shorter than the 3 year old version I was on the week before. The hydraulics are lovely smooth and fast. Didn't notice excess noise. The cabs are absolutely horrendous. It's near impossible to use the track peddles. I don't understand why hitachis are so bad for cab space as Kubota u27 feels like sitting in the middle of a warehouse by comparison. The 3.3t is slightly nicer but the extra performance wouldn't warrant needing a lorry to move it. Really it's just a nicer cab

 

[Gunners]

Not better. But definitely found something worse than a TB216....

Yep, totally agree. Such a shame too as the ZX series it replaced were awesome.
I reviewed one some years ago, one of my first review videos I think.
Cheeky plug below

 

[T whiting]

I'm not a fan of Hitachi minis there all horrendously fast and are going a million miles a hour with the lightest touch of the controls. The cabs are tiny too I know im not the smallest but there built for someone that's about 5ft.
The cab on the little konatsu is huge in comparison except the door opening

 

[Thomas7740]

Really liked any I used apart from the cab,don’t know why they couldn’t make it half decent.
As has been said, they are fast, but I don’t think it’s a problem, more a problem with the operator than the machine imo
Ran one beside our ex30 for a week, was an interesting comparison, speed and power were much of a muchness, less reach and stability with the 26. Had no problems working with the 30s buckets. Just that bloody cab is a real let down, that’s one swayed us to the Wacker Neuson over Hitachi.

 

[Storrsy]

I was driving exactly the same machine last week but with whites disease. The bucket closes alot tighter than that was loading a drop side lorry with it no problems. The blades seem shorter than the 3 year old version I was on the week before. The hydraulics are lovely smooth and fast. Didn't notice excess noise. The cabs are absolutely horrendous. It's near impossible to use the track peddles. I don't understand why hitachis are so bad for cab space as Kubota u27 feels like sitting in the middle of a warehouse by comparison. The 3.3t is slightly nicer but the extra performance wouldn't warrant needing a lorry to move it. Really it's just a nicer cab

The noise is a strange thing but it's not just me. My mate who I'm doing the job for had a go and without me sharing my own thoughts the two things he mentioned promptly was it was noisy and the slew felt rough- maybe because it's all so new it needs a bit of time to bed itself in I don't know. Anyway, if I'd ordered it for my own machine if have been bitterly disappointed, agree the hydraulics are pretty decent. Quite smooth and didn't feel short of power to be fair.
Must get a go on the Kubota kx030 sometime.

 

[Storrsy]

Really liked any I used apart from the cab,don’t know why they couldn’t make it half decent.
As has been said, they are fast, but I don’t think it’s a problem, more a problem with the operator than the machine imo
Ran one beside our ex30 for a week, was an interesting comparison, speed and power were much of a muchness, less reach and stability with the 26. Had no problems working with the 30s buckets. Just that bloody cab is a real let down, that’s one swayed us to the Wacker Neuson over Hitachi.
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I agree about hydraulics. Quick enough but wouldn't say it was any quicker than the takeuchis I have. About right really.

 

[Smiffy]

The noise is a strange thing but it's not just me. My mate who I'm doing the job for had a go and without me sharing my own thoughts the two things he mentioned promptly was it was noisy and the slew felt rough- maybe because it's all so new it needs a bit of time to bed itself in I don't know. Anyway, if I'd ordered it for my own machine if have been bitterly disappointed, agree the hydraulics are pretty decent. Quite smooth and didn't feel short of power to be fair.
Must get a go on the Kubota kx030 sometime.

The machine I was on was equally as new, but then the Revs where all the way down as I was digging round utilities. But I didn't notice any noise when loading dumpers. Did it have the key pad by your feet ??

 

[Thomas7740]

I agree about hydraulics. Quick enough but wouldn't say it was any quicker than the takeuchis I have. About right really.

What Takeuchis have you? Last mini I used was a TB228 and it was slow and quite dead. Lovely to drive and really smooth and stable tho

 

[Storrsy]

The machine I was on was equally as new, but then the Revs where all the way down as I was digging round utilities. But I didn't notice any noise when loading dumpers. Did it have the key pad by your feet ??

Yeah! Another stupid thing! Everytime you turn it on you have to faff around with the code.