Avoiding the wrong Kubota mini excavator sizes and choosing the optimal machine size can save you time and money. Whether you’re working in confined spaces on residential homeowners’ jobsites, or taking on large commercial developments, it’s crucial that you have the right tool to get the job done. Keep reading below to see the various sizes of Kubota mini excavators and find out which one is best suited for your work.

Selecting the right Kubota mini excavator size is crucial for maximizing efficiency on your job site. From ultra-compact models perfect for tight spaces to larger machines for heavy-duty work, understanding the Kubota mini excavator size chart can help you make an informed decision. Whether for residential, landscaping, or commercial tasks, this guide covers everything you need to know about choosing the right mini excavator for your project.

Now that you understand why size matters, let’s look at the different Kubota mini excavator models and what they can do for your business!

Understanding Kubota Mini Excavators

Kubota mini excavators are known around the globe for being reliable, compact, and powerful. They’re designed to be versatile and perform well. This has made them an excellent choice for many jobs, especially when you’re trying to get into places that bigger machines can’t fit. The real value of Kubota mini excavators is their powerful capabilities in a compact package, which allows them to get into tight places and still perform!

They come in different sizes and types to fit the work environment ranging from ultra-compact models designed to fit in very tight spaces to larger units built for heavier work. You might be handling smaller jobs like digging backyard drainage ditches, digging trenches for utilities, or handling bigger jobs like digging a foundation for a building. Whatever size job you need to do, Kubota has a mini excavator designed to do the job for you.

Kubota mini excavators have advanced hydraulic systems that allow them to lift and dig like crazy for such a small machine. They have easy-touse controls that make it easy for someone to learn to operate. They can
really increase your productivity for an experienced operator. Plus, they’re a low maintenance, very fuel-efficient machine that will offer you a costeffective way to dig for years to come!

To choose the right Kubota mini excavator, you have to understand what is needed on your project and what sizes are available. We will look at the Kubota mini excavator size chart in a little bit and breakdown key specifications like weight class, digging depth, and maximum reach for each size. You need to be able to decide which Kubota model is right for the needs of your project to make sure you buy the machine that’s going to be most efficient, most powerful, and provide you with the best overall value.

Kubota Kubota mini excavator sizes Chart

You need to compare by specs. What does it weigh? How deep can it dig? How far can it reach? How much power does the engine have? These are the things you need to focus on. That’s why I mentioned that my dealer had failed me. He didn’t point out that the Kubota U17 was at the top of my 1.5-ton class for reach and digging depth. I had to come to that conclusion on my own because no one had explained the different factors to me and then applied those factors to the machines I was shopping for.

Here’s a Kubota mini excavator size chart to make your selection process easier. This chart highlights the core specifications for popular Kubota models, helping you match the right size to your project’s demands:

These measurements apply to standard travel position. Specifications are based on published information at the time of printing and are subject to change. Outside of the Kubota line, most mini-excavators will be similar to these models. While size is not a perfect determinate of digging power, having a larger machine generally means you will get more work done faster. Either 4.5-ton machine can usually do the same amount of work as the 6-ton machines, but obviously, the larger machines will do it faster.

• Weight Class: The weight of the mini excavator can determine how nimble it is and how big of a job you can do with it. The smaller machines are often used for residential and landscape jobs while the larger machines are meant for the commercial side of things, site jobs, and larger excavation jobs.
• Digging Depth: This is how far the blade will dig into the ground. Deeper is better for trenching or laying pipe, foundation work. Not as deep is for smaller jobs where you don’t need to go down as far.
• Max Reach: This is how far the blade will reach away from the machine. This matters because it helps to keep from having to move the entire vehicle when you’re trying to dig. You can reach a long way and dump a load between two buildings or over a utility so you can dig without having to move the machine around too much.
• Engine Power: A big engine generally means that this particular machine will pick up more, lift more, and do it faster than a smaller machine. Suitable for pick-and-carry and commercial applications where you need more lift.

By looking at the chart, you can quickly determine which Kubota mini-excavator model is best for you. If you need a tiny machine for a small job around the house or you’re a landscaper and you have a residential job to do, you need the K008-3 or the U10-3. However, if you are working with commercial dirt, roads, trailer parks, larger projects including roads, small ponds, or a little bit of digging, you’re in the KX series. If you get much over a 40- or 50-acre project or if you’re working in rock quarries, site prep, small commercial building, etc., then you really need to get into the larger mini-excavators.

Small Kubota Mini Excavators(1-2 Ton Class)

Kubota’s K008-3 (0.8 ton) and U10-5 (1 ton) mini excavators are about as small as you can buy into in this market. They are hard to beat for a job in a tight spot where you can’t track in with a larger machine. Both have strong hydraulic systems and impressive digging depth for their size.

Key Applications:

• Landscaping: Ideal for small back-garden jobs to bed out some trees, reshape a flower bed, dig a little trench to lay some cable or irrigation line through, or such like. They can dodge in and around the back garden without knocking the fence over or running over your new flower bed.
• Utility Work: Great for residential work doing utility lines for electricity, gas, water, whatever you need to trench. You can get in tight places and dig a trench without tearing up the lawn or taking out the homeowner’s mailbox. You can dig off either side, and they do a great job.
• Demolition: These little machines are an awesome tool for light demolition such as tearing down a small house, knocking out concrete block walls, or pulling up pavers. Again, the reason they are so cool for residential demolition is you can get in close and get to work in tight corners where most machines can’t reach.
• Excavating in Tight Places: These are the guys well known for getting in the inner city and doing work. If you’re doing city work where you have to swing in through the mall and then go around the new skyscraper, these guys will do the job.

Why Choose Small Kubota Mini Excavators:

All of these machines are smaller, but people love them because you can drag them around. They are lightweight, yet still very productive. They’re easy to move, so you can take them with you. They excel for a little bit of work behind the house or around the neighborhood when you don’t have much room but need a machine to perform.

Medium Kubota Mini Excavators (2-4 Ton Class)

Moving up in size you have the Kubota U17-3, Kubota U27-4, and Kubota KX033-4. These machines range from about 2-4 tons. Generally speaking, the operator or company looking at a U17-3 “chooses one to make it go” with weight, size, and performance in mind. These machines, packed in a heavier body, can do more work than the little ones, and even more range, but to at least some degree you have sacrificed the ultra-tight access most of the time.

Key Applications:

• Residential Construction: Behold the Kubota U17-3 and Kubota KX033-4. When you need to dig footers, put in small drainage pipes, dig your trench for a water line to the barn, or anything else required to make the place livable, that’s where the majority of these machines live day in and day out.
• Landscaping: A U27-4 or something similar can go on a landscaping job and set a tree. It can be used to clear a space for a garden or a water feature. You can dig a pond. It can be used for everything around the property that needs to be done.
• Trenching: If you are installing a drainage system, running water lines or electricity to the shed, putting in an irrigation system, or countless other tasks, a medium-sized excavator will give you the reach and depth you need to get the job done quickly.
• Utility Line Installation: If you are installing utility lines in a residential area or light commercial area, this is the guy you call to come dig the trench, set the cable, move the stuff out of the way, and cover it all back up.

Why Choose Medium Kubota Mini Excavators:

These machines can also do anything pretty much that the smaller guys can do; they just pack a lot more weight and are capable of doing things that the little machines can’t handle. Your little guys were hitting the top end of their weight range, but these units are just ramping up to the bottom end. If you need the power, access, or something between here and there, one of these guys from Kubota should do you proud.

Medium Kubota Mini Excavators (4-6 Ton Class)

For the bigger jobs needing more power and a little more machine, Kubota offers the KX040-4 and KX057-4. They weigh between 4-6 tons and are designed to move a bit more dirt when the little fellows can no longer keep up. If you are doing more power-demanding operations where you are really lifting a lot of weight or you need more speed, or when you just need a bit more machine to get the thing done, this is when you move up to machines this size.

Key Applications:

• Commercial Construction: Ideal for big excavation work like digging the footers for a commercial building, road work, or utility work where you need to do a bunch of big digging.
• Trenching: Typically used to dig trenches for water, gas, or sewer lines. For residential use, this size excavator is used whenever the trench needs to be deeper or wider than the smaller machine can handle.
• Excavation and Grading: Digging up something big, loading it out, or grading with the blade on your backfill. With these mid-sized machines, you can do a lot in one pass because you move more material.
• Attachments: Your mid-size machine will have more advanced attachments than the smaller machines. You’ll see some really nice stuff available for these machines to run like hydraulic hammers, hydraulic thumbs to pick stuff up, or augers to drill holes.
• Earthmoving and Demolition: Like the typical 55-hp KX057-4, these machines are used for earthmoving and some fairly heavy demolition work.

Why Choose Larger Kubota Mini Excavators:

Even though they are smaller, people like them because they are extremely versatile, and the digging power is really nice. If you need a piece of equipment, a mini excavator you can drag around, a lightweight machine like this can do the job. They are good machines as long as the digging power is going to meet the job requirements. Even though they are small, that doesn’t mean you are limited in what you can do with them.

How to Choose the Right Kubota Mini Excavator Size

Choosing the right Kubota mini excavator size depends on several key factors:

• Digging or grading depth: If you just need to dig out a basement, crawl space, or small trench, you can probably get away with a Kubota mini excavator with a maximum digging depth of 6-7 feet. For most building projects, a 10-12 foot machine is ideal. If you need to dig out a pond or clear a field, a 12–13-footer would be better.
• Post digging depth: Pay attention to the straight down digging capability on these machines. It needs to be the right depth for the piers that will hold the weight of your structure. If you need to dig 4–5 feet down to sink a pier, a 6-foot or deeper machine is fine. If you need to go 8 feet down, it may take you a couple of different methods and machines.
• Trenching speed: How big and deep is your trench, and how much time do you have? A larger machine will get more work done faster. You also need to consider soil conditions, rocky ground, water in the ground, and how many trees and roots you have to dig through.

By using the Kubota mini excavator size chart, you can consider the specifications that matter most for your project and make sure you get the right machine for the job.

Kubota Mini Excavator Performance in Tight Spaces

Kubota mini-excavators are the masters of tight spaces when you need precision and maneuverability. The Kubota K008-3 and U10-5 models are perfect for working in tiny areas, such as between buildings or in a narrow driveway. These models are in such tight spaces that you would never be able to fit a skid steer loader or larger front-end loader. If you need power, torque, and more importantly, hydraulic capacity to do some hard work, these models might be ideal because they’re so small and compact. They also have enough power to do real work.

Kubota Mini Excavators for Landscaping Projects

In landscaping, you often need a machine to do a lot of different jobs—from digging and trenching to grading and lifting. Kubota mini-excavators are a popular choice for landscapers because a mini-excavator can do so many different things that a skid steer loader can’t do but is still small enough to work around residential areas and in suburbs.

For landscapers, the sweet spot is the Kubota U17-3 and the Kubota KX040-4. These two models provide the best reach, digging depth, and above-ground power for any type of landscaping work. These are great machines for preparing the soil bed for planting, putting an irrigation system in, or leveling a spot for new hardscape features.

Conclusion

Choosing the right size Kubota mini excavator is crucial to ensuring you get the most work done as quickly as possible for the least money. By reviewing the Kubota mini excavator size chart and understanding your needs from the machine, you can choose the right model for your specific job. Whether you're working in a small space, working on a residential landscaping project, or digging with a larger machine, a Kubota mini excavator can meet your needs. 
If you need other help, please consult HIXEN Company, we have 15 years of experience in selling second-hand construction machinery. Discuss your project needs and get their advice. When you're not sure what to do, always rely on the experts. Please feel free to contact me.