What's best micro?

[Furniss]

You are in Scotland, try working anywhere in the south of England!!

think I needed a micro once in last 20+ years - france even wider ! 2012 Breton's were generally short but wide so usually 1m digger fits through door

 

[JD450A]

It’s not JUST the width, it’s the approach angle.

This.... And blade/track frame length.

Part of the reason the TB015 has had money spent on it is it's very very short. Provided headroom is there it'll often go places others take micros.

 

[Giles]

Where are yous working where you can’t get in at 760mm ?
I’d struggle to find a gate that narrow , come to think of it I’d be likely stuck before the machine

its also track frame length we did a new path that was 1200 wide but had a 90 degree corner that decended and it had big was to one side and dwarh drystone to the other and the dx10 only just made it rd with the blade etc

like has been said ive been snookered before by a small step etc throwing you at an angle which means bottom might be ok but tops out by 40mm so your scrabbling rd for some ply etc to level you up or over flows, outside tap, gas pipe etc

 

[Bri963]

Another consideration is weight. My K008 is under 900kg and so far I haven’t had issues with it breaking slabs, patios etc. I’ve had a couple of jobs where I think I’d have struggled with an extra 200kg. I had a look at a U10 working a few doors along last summer, and the extra length in the track frame made it a struggle to get around a corner where the K008 would have walked in. I think the SV 08 is short in the tracks as well. Do they still make the SV 05?

 

[hiluxman]

It's certainly fun bending the machines round objects just to get into where you need to be.

 

[doobin]

Another consideration is weight. My K008 is under 900kg and so far I haven’t had issues with it breaking slabs, patios etc. I’ve had a couple of jobs where I think I’d have struggled with an extra 200kg. I had a look at a U10 working a few doors along last summer, and the extra length in the track frame made it a struggle to get around a corner where the K008 would have walked in. I think the SV 08 is short in the tracks as well. Do they still make the SV 05?

Generally the larger micros have larger tracks also so I think it balances out.

I remember I had to provide specs once for a contract and the e10 ground pressure is less than a human standing on one leg. Problems with breaking slabs are from badly laid slabs IMHO.

Shorter tracks sure help for getting around corners though as you say.

 

[Bri963]

Generally the larger micros have larger tracks also so I think it balances out.

I remember I had to provide specs once for a contract and the e10 ground pressure is less than a human standing on one leg. Problems with breaking slabs are from badly laid slabs IMHO.

Shorter tracks sure help for getting around corners though as you say.

I’m not thinking ground pressure so much, more access round corners. The problem with slabs is you don’t know how well they’re laid until you track over them. I agree with what you say re. ground pressure but occasionally there’ll be a time when point loading comes into it and total weight does make a difference.

 

[hiluxman]

I’m not thinking ground pressure so much, more access round corners. The problem with slabs is you don’t know how well they’re laid until you track over them. I agree with what you say re. ground pressure but occasionally there’ll be a time when point loading comes into it and total weight does make a difference.

Yeah the 10.7 ton of 432 was good for punching holes in people's drives

 

[Russell]

Im pretty sure i cracked a slab with the e10 through a ground protection board.

 

[Smiffy]

Generally the larger micros have larger tracks also so I think it balances out.

I remember I had to provide specs once for a contract and the e10 ground pressure is less than a human standing on one leg. Problems with breaking slabs are from badly laid slabs IMHO.

Shorter tracks sure help for getting around corners though as you say.

I think that runs up to larger machines too. I'm sure 2.7t machines are similar in that respect.

 

[Gunners]

There is a new JCB micro due very soon. I've seen it, but not driven yet. Looks very inspired by the Bobcat design which is no bad thing, and to be fair to the 8008 - its lasted a long time, 2005/6 I think they launched that machine - 20 years ago now! A lot has changed from our expectations of a machine in that time and its well overdue an update.
The 8010 I think is the one to have, and sadly, I don't think you can buy them new anymore. But they went down nice and narrow, but had the bigger arm and buckets off the 801 machines. Still terrible ergonomically, but possibly, and I'm gonna say it.... The best fat micro made?

The Bobcat E10 is a great little machine, I just wish it had better loadover height/ bucket crowd and was made better. Oh, and also had better paint. But otherwise a cracking little digger with great power and actually comfortable to drive all day. I did find the roll bar folding backwards can cause issues in tight turns as it lengthens the overall machine which as others have said can be a problem. I know you can take it off but the Kubota roll bar that folds forwards is a better design, and gives you something to hold onto when the thing starts acting like a Steer at the Calgary stampede. Oh, and there's the extender pieces for the dozer blade issue which Bobcat have never tried to update...

The Kubota U10's digging end is just perfect, much better geometry than the Bobcats, and the hydraulics are very good for flow sharing on such a small machine. But the pods don't fold in when you want to narrow it up and get easily damaged. But otherwise I think its a very well sorted little micro, well put together and doesn't suffer from hoses rubbing through at 500hrs. But if you need the 40mm narrower that the Bobcat can do, then I guess there's only one choice.

 

[Brendan]

Not made any more but the Tb108.

New wise.....

E10 if needs to be under 750mm

Sv08 I think will go to 690 but no servos

Not tried or seen the Sany but it's 750mm same as the tb210, latest Kubota with servos and the develon dx10 although the new dx10 has the deepest max dig at 2.2m although not sure if that's a figure with the blade fully down tilting the machine to cheat some extra mm, although it's still 300mm+ than the old dx10/E10

The case/eurocomac looks cool but it's nearly 800mm wide so not really a micro they do a cx12 and 14 both appear to be the same size but more dig depth on the 14

 

[Bri963]

am

Not made any more but the Tb108.

New wise.....

E10 if needs to be under 750mm

Sv08 I think will go to 690 but no servos

Not tried or seen the Sany but it's 750mm same as the tb210, latest Kubota with servos and the develon dx10 although the new dx10 has the deepest max dig at 2.2m although not sure if that's a figure with the blade fully down tilting the machine to cheat some extra mm, although it's still 300mm+ than the old dx10/E10

The case/eurocomac looks cool but it's nearly 800mm wide so not really a micro they do a cx12 and 14 both appear to be the same size but more dig depth on the 14

some good information there Brendan.

 

[Bri963]

There is a new JCB micro due very soon. I've seen it, but not driven yet. Looks very inspired by the Bobcat design which is no bad thing, and to be fair to the 8008 - its lasted a long time, 2005/6 I think they launched that machine - 20 years ago now! A lot has changed from our expectations of a machine in that time and its well overdue an update.
The 8010 I think is the one to have, and sadly, I don't think you can buy them new anymore. But they went down nice and narrow, but had the bigger arm and buckets off the 801 machines. Still terrible ergonomically, but possibly, and I'm gonna say it.... The best fat micro made?

The Bobcat E10 is a great little machine, I just wish it had better loadover height/ bucket crowd and was made better. Oh, and also had better paint. But otherwise a cracking little digger with great power and actually comfortable to drive all day. I did find the roll bar folding backwards can cause issues in tight turns as it lengthens the overall machine which as others have said can be a problem. I know you can take it off but the Kubota roll bar that folds forwards is a better design, and gives you something to hold onto when the thing starts acting like a Steer at the Calgary stampede. Oh, and there's the extender pieces for the dozer blade issue which Bobcat have never tried to update...

The Kubota U10's digging end is just perfect, much better geometry than the Bobcats, and the hydraulics are very good for flow sharing on such a small machine. But the pods don't fold in when you want to narrow it up and get easily damaged. But otherwise I think its a very well sorted little micro, well put together and doesn't suffer from hoses rubbing through at 500hrs. But if you need the 40mm narrower that the Bobcat can do, then I guess there's only one choice.

Still showing the 8010 on the JCB website.