Review of the Kubota SVL75-2 Track Loader

Kubota construction launched into their truck loader series in late 2010, they've been very successful. Our dealership is to deliver 200 of these machines just a robust solid machine. Just some highlights first of all the machine has 74 horsepower, it has a 3 speed transmission, the operating load is rated at 3,285 pounds in real life it'll lift almost 4,900 pounds. Lift height of 119 inches. This machine is spec with cabin air conditioning, with hydraulic bucket coupler, with self leveling. Features that set this machine apart from some competitors, first of all Kubota brought a vertical lift boom to this machine.

The boom raises or lowers in a vertical path, certainly the advantage made loading trucks placing objects high, it doesn't pull back over the cab, we don't lose our floor reach at height. The machine designed from the ground up as a dedicated truck machine, more strength in the boom, more strength in the frame undercarriage than many brands that were designed to skid loaders and massaged into truck machines. Kubota's undercarriage is certainly one of the things that have set them apart from some competitors, their undercarriage supports the truck very well from a wide stand point starting from a double flange front idler. The double flange front idler supports that truck where it's carrying the heaviest load which is very critical, doesn't allow that truck to start to de-track.

The double flange front idler support the truck at the beginning coming back through we have four triple flange bogies to support the truck, continuing back through, our four bogies support the truck. In the rare we have a single idler, the single idler allows the truck to move as its job is to slide and turn, again the weight of your load being carried by the front of the undercarriage, therefore the rare portion must slide therefore that single idler will allow the truck to float and slide creaks less wear on the truck. A feature that we don't think about a lot is the almost 12 inches of ground clearance, just the huge advantage compared to other brands that are running seven inches or so ground clearance. The cab interior is a spacious environment starting with a wide entry way all the way to the bottom of the door. Once you're inside, we sit high enough to give great visibility forward, to the sides even to the rear.

Controls in the machine, very very simple, we have a park break release or auxiliary power switch or work lamp switch. On the right hand side the auxiliary head locks are then controlled by thumb switches here, proportional thumb switches. On the left hand side we have our heat air conditioning controls or hydraulic bucket coupler switch, windshield wash and regeneration delay switches. There is a large hand throttle, a large foot throttle as well, the other two features that we missed, the Livia two-speed on the left hand trigger and a boom float mode on the right hand trigger.

Kubota engineers have designed this machine for serviceability, by removing two bolts in the front cab corners, we can flip the whole cab overhead giving access into the belly pan, a very clean layout to come off our Kubota diesel engine with direct drive to our pseudo attic pumps and our gear pump in the front. Notice the large motor mounts, Kubota engineers stopping the vibration and noise before you even start. It's not bandaging with a fuzzy cab interior, a fuel tank that's almost 25 gallons giving you enough time to run all day without re-fueling, the hydraulic tank which can be filled from the outside, but hoses that are left clean and easy to replace.

The only filter that's under the cab is our hydraulic filter, that whole filter is rated for a thousand hour change intervals. All other filters are in the back engine bay. Again the cab is an isolated capsule connected to the machine with two supports, two rubber mounts to the back, two rubber mounts to the front keeping the vibrator away from that operator structure.

In the engine department of this SVL75 we have the Kubota 74 horsepower turbo diesel, it is a Tier 4 final engine, there's a particular filter that does go into a regeneration cycle every 20 to 25 hours approximately depending on how much the machine is idle. The engine bay itself does allow for accessibility by removing three bolts; bolt one, bolt two and bolt three allowing this whole cooling system to roll back or lowers and then tilt out this top ready where cooling opens to allow that cooling system to come back to about this position now giving nice accessibility to the air filter, to our fuel filter or water separator, to our engine oil filter in the bottom, also plates underneath the belly there for accessibility for drain hoses.

Again you can maybe see the robust design of Kubota's boom structure pointing out to a nine inch width large diameter pins across structure the machine made to handle the kind of traction and force that truck loaders give. I appreciate you spending time with us as we review the SVL75, feel free to contact us at Messick's, our number is 800-222-3373