Choosing a Compact Excavator
Is your business ready for a compact excavator?
If you’re thinking about buying a compact excavator, the first thing to determine is if your business is ready for one. If you find yourself renting an excavator over and over again, or are continually subbing out jobs that can be handled by your own excavator, ownership may make more sense.
Will owning a compact excavator help you expand your business offerings? Will the excavator you buy today do more than you need it to? Does the compact excavator you’re interested in have the attachments you need to expand your business? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are probably at the tipping point of owning your own excavator.
We would like to introduce you to Kubota compact excavators, the world’s #1 selling compact excavators. Kubota makes conventional swing excavators – the K-Series and the U-Series, zero tail swing excavators which earned a 2019 EquipmentWatch Highest Retained Value Award.
Compact size and big performance.
One reason to consider a compact excavator like a Kubota is the size of the machines. A smaller excavator can go places where a bigger machine can’t go, such as between fences and gates, which is a bonus for landscapers. These compact machines also fit in tight spaces, like inside and in between buildings. A Kubota U-Series excavator has a zero tail swing, which means the body of the excavator doesn’t come across the tracks. No tail swing means the excavator can work next to walls and other objects without having to worry about banging into them or knocking things over.
As a conventional tail swing model, the KX-Series provides more side and lift stability when working. The KX-Series also has a 6-in-1 blade that can be angled six different ways to make filling in holes and trenches or leveling dirt that much faster and easier.
When it comes to power, the Kubota U-Series has four models that range from 16 to 47 horsepower and have a bucket breakout force that goes from 3717 to 11177 pounds, depending on which model you choose. The Kubota KX-Series is available in seven models that range from 10 to 66 horses with a bucket breakout force of 2200 to 14660 pounds. Between the two models, digging depths go from 5’8” to 15’1”.
As you can see, between the Kubota U-Series and KX-Series compact excavators, you’ll have plenty of power and muscle to tackle a wide variety of chores in the construction, demolition and landscaping fields.
The right level of comfort and versatility.
When it comes to operator comfort, one option you’ll seriously want to consider in South Carolina is an enclosed cab with air-conditioning. A comfortable operator is more likely to get more done in a day.
Another handy feature for the operator is the ability to flip a switch to use one of two operating patterns. If you or your crew members are used to operating a backhoe, they can use the SAE operating patterns and those used to running an excavator can flip to ISO operating patterns. Using the operating pattern you’re most accustomed to saves time and reduces the risk of costly mistakes and mishaps.
Both the U and KX-Series have a variable width undercarriage that allows the tracks to be adjusted to fit within the width of the excavator’s body. Rather than having to take down a gate or fence, simply switch a single lever to contract the tracks and drive in or out of a property.
Of course one of the more important accessories on a Kubota compact excavator is a quick coupler and an array of attachments to help you get more work done and tackle new projects. As the name implies, a quick coupler allows you to quickly and safely switch between a wide variety of excavator attachments.
Available Kubota excavator attachments include:
- A variety of buckets
- Hydraulic thumb
- Flail brush shredder
- Grapple
- Compactors
- Auger
The experienced pros at Steen Enterprises can help you match the right attachments to your excavator and the job you’d like them to do.
Ease of maintenance.
As with any piece of construction equipment that runs all day, routine maintenance is a given. Kubota makes it easy to stay on top of regular maintenance by outfitting their compact excavators with wide hood openings and one-sided engine access. Flip open two panels and you have easy access to the air filter, radiator, hydraulic fluid, overflow tank and battery.
We invite you to come out to see our inventory of Kubota compact excavators in person at Steen Enterprises. Our experienced Kubota sales team can help you narrow down the choices to get you the right excavator to grow and expand your business. We stock a good range of both U-Series and KX-Series excavators and various attachments. You’ll also find we have several trailer brands, including PJ Trailers, to tow your new Kubota excavator to the job site.