U27 vs KX27

Lancs Lad

Lancs Lad

Well-known member
Maybe we are overthinking things trying to find a towable machine. Sell the plant trailer and buy a gooseneck and tow a better less compromise 3.5t machine compliantly on a B+E licence... without O licence or Tacho? Seems a very grey area.


View attachment 56819
That's been a topic on here before now
Could you be arsed with a tug from every VOSA checkpoint known to man tho 😆
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Breakaway cable and lighting might be a bit awkward.
being 5th wheel it's not subject to breakaway (I don't think) ... as said lx could be a 'challenge' :oops: .. not so on a pick up bed though :rolleyes::giggle:
 
Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
I've tried a Kx027 and thought it was a nice machine- spacious cab and like Vin I didn't find grading with it an issue as some others have experienced. It ticks a lot of boxes being actually towable, proper counterweight and a decent sized engine behind it. I will say though that I was slightly surprised how jumpy it was side on over the tracks. My Tak feels far more planted but then it's another 200kg and I think most of that has gone into the counterweight as the Kubota reach is similar to the heavier Tak etc. I'd definitely buy one though.
 
S

Stroppymonkey

Well-known member
I've tried a Kx027 and thought it was a nice machine- spacious cab and like Vin I didn't find grading with it an issue as some others have experienced. It ticks a lot of boxes being actually towable, proper counterweight and a decent sized engine behind it. I will say though that I was slightly surprised how jumpy it was side on over the tracks. My Tak feels far more planted but then it's another 200kg and I think most of that has gone into the counterweight as the Kubota reach is similar to the heavier Tak etc. I'd definitely buy one though.
Not fancy the bobcat? Sits a bit wider and extra counterweight available.... (I have been reading up)
 
Lancs Lad

Lancs Lad

Well-known member
I've tried a Kx027 and thought it was a nice machine- spacious cab and like Vin I didn't find grading with it an issue as some others have experienced. It ticks a lot of boxes being actually towable, proper counterweight and a decent sized engine behind it. I will say though that I was slightly surprised how jumpy it was side on over the tracks. My Tak feels far more planted but then it's another 200kg and I think most of that has gone into the counterweight as the Kubota reach is similar to the heavier Tak etc. I'd definitely buy one though.
Does anyone have any stats as I'd wager the kx027 must be far the most common 2.7t machine out there ? That's got a few things going for it in regards parts availability and future proofing? Every hire co runs em round here
 
Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
Not fancy the bobcat? Sits a bit wider and extra counterweight available.... (I have been reading up)
Nothing against the machine as a few on here seem happy with them. But nearest dealer is up near Oxford and when I had a price for one he tried to have me over barrel so couldn't be arsed with it all. I'm not going to beg him to get the price down- he should have done that in the first place.
 
Lancs Lad

Lancs Lad

Well-known member
They are a bit Noddy cross track tbf but wouldn't say wildly worse than any other machine?
Chuck's flail about pretty well...
PXL_20230902_144040924.jpg
 
J

jurassic86

New member
I hired and tried various under 3t . I wanted to prioritise weight for towing and I also wanted a counterweight. I had very recently hired machines without an arse and they are way to unbalanced in my opinion . I've owned a Hanix h26 and a Volvo ec18c . I also hired ec27d Volvo , a Wacker Neuson and went to see the yanmar (which I also liked)
I went for the kx27 high spec last year. It's now done 220 hours. The good points , great for towing on gh1054. Very well balanced. Nice spacious cab. Bags of power , I know others have reported not great to grade with but my one is as smooth as silk to grade with , even when you bring in the slew at the same time. The engine is low revving as it's the 4 cyl so it's also very quiet . It's very comfortable to be in for a day , seat is decent and has good adjustment if you're tall and wide.
bad points , the door catch is stiff as feck and one of the windscreen open catches isn't catching properly . I've reported to HRN so should be sorted at 250 hour service. The boom slew is on a pedal on the floor. all the rest of the hydraulics is through the levers . My little Volvo has its boom slew on the lever which I really liked . It annoys me that kubota didn't put it through the levers when they did it with the aux feeds. 🤔
You need to open the bonnet to refuel, if your filling with a drum it's quite difficult to get it in past the end of the bonnet . Just bad design .
The standard lights are s**t. I'm going to swap mine with a decent set of lazer lamps as soon as I get round to it.
The cab switches for lights heater wipers etc dont light up when you have the lights on so it's hard to see them in the dark .

It was so well balanced I fitted it with an engcon tilt rotator . I have it direct mounted . It handles it really well . I've got a engcon grading bucket on it and if you fill it up and turn it away from the machine you can feel it lifting the arse but anything would at that reach . I have a 2ft digging bucket on it which it handles so well I'm going to convert my 2ft 6 bucket for it also .

All in all it's a very good machine, the niggles are annoying but certainly wouldn't stop me recommending it.
Thank you for your detailed post. I am steering more towards the KX as I personally think the extra weight on arse end would certainly help keep it balanced whilst using it around my grounds.

Also the 5 Year Warranty is a deal breaker for me. Bobcat are offering 3 which, whereas the extra 2 years go along way.
 
Lancs Lad

Lancs Lad

Well-known member
I’m looking at a flail for mine but I’m torn between getting one for it or the hitachi . I’ve never used one before . Will that one cut small branches and thicket ?
Yup...nothing more satisfying than starting at the top of a small tree and heading south...

Or possibly watching bystanders making a run for cover 💥

I'd get one for the tachi first though....can't beat a bit more grunt on flail 💪
 
Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
Yup...nothing more satisfying than starting at the top of a small tree and heading south...

Or possibly watching bystanders making a run for cover 💥

I'd get one for the tachi first though....can't beat a bit more grunt on flail 💪
Does having tilty on it make any difference or is it handy enough just on the ordinary hitch
 
S

Stroppymonkey

Well-known member
Thank you for your detailed post. I am steering more towards the KX as I personally think the extra weight on arse end would certainly help keep it balanced whilst using it around my grounds.

Also the 5 Year Warranty is a deal breaker for me. Bobcat are offering 3 which, whereas the extra 2 years go along way.
Shame Kubota aren't offering 5 year 0% I would be all over one like a rash if they were.
 
B

Brendan

Well-known member
Maybe we are overthinking things trying to find a towable machine. Sell the plant trailer and buy a gooseneck and tow a better less compromise 3.5t machine compliantly on a B+E licence... without O licence or Tacho? Seems a very grey area.


View attachment 56819
Thread has been up before, very grey area.
I'm sure the plant trailers is north of 10k and besides a gtw upgrade for the pickups you then need air compressor and what ever else electrics to run the brakes
 
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Monkeybusiness

Well-known member
Tilty be handy as I reckon but never used one with tilty and flail...feeling that you'd struggle alter tilty and flail and get a smooth swing iykwim. But @Monkeybusiness is your man.
You’d not get the oil flow for a flail through a tilty on this size machine so would limit its usefulness a bit, would also probably be a bit on the heavy/noddy side I’d think.
I would give very serious thought to the Kubota with the arse and the new Cat if I was in the market today - my Bobcat is great and has been reliable etc for the 4 years I’ve had it but it looks like it’s been parked on a beach as the paint is so crap (and was from new). It’s enough to put me off buying another Bobcat tbh.
 
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