My new toy - Takeuchi TL130

[arbor pro]

you can't go wrong with either a bobcat mt52 or the vermeer 600tx. Both are very nice machines so good luck with finding the right one. Until you actually own a mini skid though, Blakesmaster and I are unable to allow you into our prestigeous club...

I'll get over it...this time..lol. I'm not saying you had yours listed too high, but I was looking at others that where less with likely more hours before you posted up the price tag. Yours was very nice and I was considering a trip up with my father in law out of the quad cities to take a peek though, he likes it up there. I was going to try for the grapple/ grinder combo deal, but it would have been much later this spring.

Hope this unit serves you well though. I'm going to try and test run the 52 and the vermeer 600 and see what happens. I have dealers close by, and the vermeer might get the edge now as they are my closest chipper dealer and I've dealt with them. Anyone that lets you in the shop with your machine and hands you a wrench to help and listens to you is making serious inroads with me. I was actually teaching their young mech a couple of things about the 1400. On the other hand, a good friend of mine owns the bobcat dealership and it's a stihl shop. Tuff choices, but the first one to put a back saver in my garage wins, right?!

 

[littlenick]

Looks good arbor pro!!! I heard those are great mechines!

 

[treeman75]

Here is a pic of mine from today.

 

[littlenick]

Here is a pic of mine from today.

NICE! I bet thats a hoss with that grapple!

 

[Bigus Termitius]

you can't go wrong with either a bobcat mt52 or the vermeer 600tx. Both are very nice machines so good luck with finding the right one. Until you actually own a mini skid though, Blakesmaster and I are unable to allow you into our prestigeous club...

Can I get pledge status at least?

 

[treefaller25]

If I ever get a new grapple it will be one like this

I have used this bucket on a t300 loader the bottom part of the bucket could be alittle bit longer.helps on those bigger peices of wood.Overall its a good tool to add to the collection

 

[arbor pro]

Can I get pledge status at least?

Pledge, eh? Bend over and assume the position. The initiation ritual is about to begin...

 

[Illini_tree]

Great machine, I run one every weekend. One thing to keep in mind, if you need to mount a brush mower on the machine for any clearing work. The 100 series does not have high flow hydraulics, so make sure to rent a standard flow mower (or any other attachment for that point.)

 

[arbor pro]

Great machine, I run one every weekend. One thing to keep in mind, if you need to mount a brush mower on the machine for any clearing work. The 100 series does not have high flow hydraulics, so make sure to rent a standard flow mower (or any other attachment for that point.)

Thanks. I think it's 16.9gpm with low flow so still pretty decent. Probably won't need to run anything other than a grapple. Used to run a stump grinder on a high flow bobcat 763 and that took forever! don't expect to be getting one again (hydraulic stumper that is) but, if the price is right, who knows.

As for a brush mower, i don't have any real call for that kind of thing around here but good to know that a low-flow mower can be used on this machine.

AP

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Pledge, eh? Bend over and assume the position. The initiation ritual is about to begin...

I'll pass on that then..lol. I've got a feeling I'll get that treatment at the dealership, :msp_crying: no need for twice the abuse for the same status.

 

[arbor pro]

I'll pass on that then..lol. I've got a feeling I'll get that treatment at the dealership, :msp_crying: no need for twice the abuse for the same status.

That's why you don't buy from a dealership... When you get ready to make the leap, let me know and I'll help you find a good used machine (doesn't have to be one of mine - I'm happy to help you find a good deal).

AP

 

[arbor pro]

Got the Takeuchi delivered yesterday. What a monster! About all my 14k dump trailer can handle. Took it to the elm removal jobsite right away and started moving logs. Crazy what it will lift and do. Lots of buttons and features to figure out though. for the longest time, i couldn't figure out how to open up the door from the inside! :msp_biggrin:

Went home pretty impressed with the new toy but started thinking about how little I'll actually use this machine and decided that, while it is an awesome machine, I just can't justify having so much money stuck into something that will get used so little (remember, I'm part-time). So, I listed it on CL and a local Farm Equipment Trader site: 2005 Takeuchi TL130 Cab/Air/Heat Low Hrs for sale from ABERDEEN - at www.farmcountrytrader.com.

I'll get it posted in the AS classifieds today - thought I'd just use this thread that I already started to report on the status of the beast...

AP

 

[Bigus Termitius]

That's why you don't buy from a dealership... When you get ready to make the leap, let me know and I'll help you find a good used machine (doesn't have to be one of mine - I'm happy to help you find a good deal).

AP

Appreciate the help.

Can't believe you're turning the monster so quick, but it makes sense.

 

[arbor pro]

Appreciate the help.

Can't believe you're turning the monster so quick, but it makes sense.

I bought it thinking that, if I decided not to keep it, I should be able to sell it pretty quickly - more quickly than a mini skid anyways. More call for full-sized skid steers than mini skids around here right now. With the hard winter, full-sized machines are a bit harder to come by - used ones anyways.

AP

 

[pdqdl]

I've looked at those but I think I want one with a solid bottom and cutting edge so I can clean up stumps and rakings and haul dirt to fill holes. Otherwise, I'd be switching to a bucket and why have two attachments along on a job when one will do.

Need to find me a good used 66" one for around $1500. If anyone comes across a good used one, let me know if you would.

AP

I have a root grapple (different from the one above) and I wouldn't trade it for one of the silly grapple buckets. Take your root grapple, pick up the straight bucket, then load it onto the trailer and go. Take 'em both! Each has distinct advantages.

There are too many disadvantages to a bucket with grapples; it's just one device doing both jobs poorly.

 

[sbumgarner78]

shear?

ATVGUNS- How do you like that shear?

 

[arbor pro]

Takeuchi is heading to Illinois.

I think there's a new DW sk650 in my near future...

 

[pdqdl]

ATVGUNS- How do you like that shear?

I have a dandy tree shear, but I seldom get to use it.

1. Only a 15" capacity, you need some serious ground clearing to do before it is worth hauling to the job. It is an EXCELLENT way to clear farmers fields of thorny honey locust, or other problem trees infesting large areas.

2. The tree shear really isn't much use unless you have a second large machine to make the trees go away.

Huh?

Well...You just cut down ten 12" locust in the last 10 minutes. So what are you going to do with the big mess you just made? Disconnect the tree shear and go hook up your grapple?

I discovered that a man and a chainsaw, working with the bobcat and our brush grapple was WAY faster than trying to swap implements around all day.

Now when I put the Houle tree shear on the bobcat, and I put my brush grapple on my 5603 John Deere loader (faster ground speed and a longer loader frame), I can cut trees and pile them up for disposal pretty quickly.

Too bad I don't ever get that kind of work anymore.

 

[arbor pro]

I have a dandy tree shear, but I seldom get to use it.

1. Only a 15" capacity, you need some serious ground clearing to do before it is worth hauling to the job. It is an EXCELLENT way to clear farmers fields of thorny honey locust, or other problem trees infesting large areas.

2. The tree shear really isn't much use unless you have a second large machine to make the trees go away.

Huh?

Well...You cut down ten 12" locust in the last 10 minutes. So what are you going to do with the big mess you just made? Disconnect the tree shear and go hook up your grapple?

I discovered that a man and a chainsaw, working with the bobcat and our brush grapple was WAY faster than trying to swap implements around all day.

Now when I put the Houle tree shear on the bobcat, and I put my brush grapple on my 5603 John Deere loader (faster ground speed and a longer loader fram), I can cut trees and pile them up for disposal pretty quickly.

Too bad I don't ever get that kind of work anymore.

I had 5 large riverbank restoration contracts 10 years ago. Had to remove trees up to 36"dbh from a 50 acre floodplain and haul all of the debris a couple of miles to a temporary recycling area. We rented a tree shear thinking that one skid steer would run the sheer while the other would do cleanup. we found that it was faster using both skid steers for cleanup rather than tying one up with the shear. A couple guys who knew what they were doing with saws could do a faster job felling trees - especially on the big ones that needed cut up further. We had the shear on site for two weeks and maybe used it a total of 4 hours.

 

[pdqdl]

Tree shears are pretty good about clearing nuisance trees. They keep the operator away from thorns and underbrush, and they travel quickly from tree to tree.

If you have hundreds of small trees to cut, they pay off big in back strain, dull chains, and maintenance. A decent tree shear is really good for working close to the ground for follow-up mowing, too.

The very best I have found for speed, size, and effectiveness is the Marshal Tree Saw: Tree Removal - Tree Saws - Marshall Tree Saw
It can cut down up to 32" diameter trees, and handles clumps of trees without a problem. It cuts on both sides of the implement, and can be used to cut either left or right. It cuts very effectively at the ground level or below, but they want a LOT of money for it.

I bought the Houle because of the ability to rotate the cutting head 100°, and the fact that it was about 1/2 the price of the Marshall. Among all the traditional tree shears, they are the only one with that capacity that I found, and I think I prefer the single moving jaw over two that meet in the middle. The single jaw approach has a recessed area for the cutter jaw to bury into, so there are no alignment problems or uncut fibers.