Takeuchi TL6R delivers stability and comfort for earthwork

Sydney’s boom in large-scale residential development and construction has put pressure on contractors to complete a high volume of work to tight deadlines.

Earthworm Excavations is a contractor that provides comprehensive site preparation packages that include excavation and landscaping, concreting, fencing, infrastructure and other services.

“Our seven machines and 16 operators are kept very busy performing work on projects for some of Australia’s biggest names in large-tract residential development,” said Earthworm Excavations’ Dave Butfield.

“So far, we have completed site works and landscaping for 200 new homes and we have many more to complete.

“Checking out the market for some new equipment to give us improved productivity, we recently decided on purchasing the latest Takeuchi TL6R track loader.

“We have been using a skid steer for some time, however we wanted to see how a tracked loader would perform on our job sites.”

Butfield said he needed a compact loader small enough to manoeuvre its way around residential sites particularly down driveways and into garage spaces. He added the Takeuchi TL6R, with its narrow width of 1.5m and low cabin height of 1975mm is the ideal unit.

“It’s a great size and fits inside the dimensions of house garages, which makes it a very versatile machine, using a 4-in-1 bucket and a broom attachment, the latter of which is used for cleaning roads at site exits,” he said.

He cited the pickup load capacity of 835kg as excellent and even conservative.

“At this rated weight, the machine never feels under stress and there’s enough reach over the side of a bogie tipper for loading,” he said.

“The downside with some of the skid steers is the feeling of instability under a full load. On the other hand, the track machine feels more stable and safe, with the extra weight of all muscle in the back end thanks to an efficient and thoughtful design that eliminates need for a counterweight.”

Operator comfort

Butfield said there is plenty of room in the cabin with efficient air conditioning and low sound levels, even when working all day.

A full-size suspension high back seat gives additional support and significantly reduces vibration for less fatigue and better comfort. Other creature comforts include cup holders, a phone charging port and a radio.

“We’re also happy the TL6R includes all the little extras such as pressure release valve, two speeds, extra hydraulics and a reversing camera,” he said.

“Controls are all very easy and the hydraulic pilot control system gives the machine’s operator a comfortable, positive feel that enables very direct and precise operation.”

The Takeuchi TL6R features large LED work lights for work in low-light visibility.

Great value

“The TL6R is great value for money and has definitely lived up to our expectations for power and productivity,” Butfield said.

“It’s been worked solidly since day one on the job site and more than up to every task we have asked it to perform. It has demonstrated more pushing power than we have been accustomed to, particularly on muddy surfaces.”