After I learned of the purchase, I did some research on this Saturday night. It is a Gray Market machine, meaning it was imported to the US without Authorization from Kubota. They offer no manual for it, so I will be making something up as we go.
24 Horse power, and the machine should weigh about 7,000 pounds.
Being I am either the only or one of the only that has experience with this type of machine, I guess I am the lucky one who gets to adopt it. There is not much that can be done about an approved roll cage, unless we can find which model this closely resembles, and purchase one for that. That will be difficult, because all the US versions of Kubota excavators have the cabs on the left side of the boom. Basically when you sit in the operator seat, the boom is on your right. With this one, it is on the other side.
Wayne has been doing some research for Flail mowers. With any luck, the GPM required to run one will match the GPM for this machine and that can be an addition item this can do.
The only down fall to the machine I can see is that it is rubber tired. May have to be careful where we go with it, or the great blue clay of Alna may hinder it's travels.
I told the guys Saturday that a wooden cab may be more appropriate for this, trying to keep it in the right time period and all.
I can say that this excavator WILL be another great addition to the museum. Thank you Ken for finding this and making sure the museum got it.
It will be very useful, and part of the now growing Dirt Division of the WW&F
