As autumn crept around the corner and Compact Equipment’s annual compact excavator review loomed, we thought it would be a perfect time to get out in the field and test drive a compact excavator with a few reputable contractors.

With the help of Bradley Machinery, an equipment dealer in Kent, Ohio, CE organized a test drive of the Yanmar VIO35-3 mini excavator (a mid-range unit in Yanmar’s VIO line) around northeastern Ohio with Precision Directional Boring, a directional drilling contractor, and Reliance Mechanical LLC, a plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company.

The Yanmar VIO35-3 is an 8,000-lb compact excavator with a digging depth of up to 11 ft, 1 in. The true zero swing house makes it ideal for working in close quarters, yet it can provide more than 5,700 lbs of digging force while remaining well balanced.

This machine is built to dig, says Dean Bradley, owner of Bradley Machinery. Its most common applications include trenching or backfilling and loading trucks. The machine offers a small footprint of approximately 5 by 7 ft, with a ground contact pressure of less than 5 psi and either a canopy or cabin operator compartment.

Over the years, mini excavators have become more versatile and more reliable, Bradley says. Specifically, zero tailswing machines have become stronger and better balanced, and the Yanmar is a good example of this evolution.

“The Yanmar in particular, as a zero tail machine, is one of strongest on the market,” Bradley says. “It’s a very balanced machine when digging. The digging depth capability is the best in the market for a zero tailswing machine in its weight class. The ability to service the unit and its large cabin area make it a formidable competitor in the zero tailswing market.”

Compared to 10 years ago, the mini excavators dig deeper and faster and the hydraulic pressure and flow have increased.

“The Yanmar is very easy to operate,” he says. “It’s a three-pump system. It’s more smooth and powerful than it was in the past.” Also, coordination between the boom and bucket curl has improved, so the instruments are more precise.

Precision Directional Boring, Brunswick, Ohio
Precision Directional Boring specializes in directional drilling for on-grade sewer projects and installation of water lines and wire utilities, says consultant Will Roth, who got the chance to see what the VIO35-3 could do in the field. The company used the machine for more than two weeks, on an average of three days a week, for spot excavation work. Precision typically uses a Coyote compact excavator.

What were your primary uses for the Yanmar?
Crews for Precision Directional Boring used the machine to excavate 8-ft holes throughout a directional boring project to install pipelines. The holes were used to check the position of underground utilities and to connect the pipes together.

What did you like most about using the VIO35-3?
It was an extremely well operating machine. It was extremely smooth and well balanced. [The Yanmar] was set up very nicely to work on the engine and to do oil changes. The added maneuverability of the Yanmar with the zero tailswing helped Precision Directional Boring in its project. We put it in some pretty tight areas. Normally, we’re working in tree lawns, where we have to get in really close, working around buildings and power transformers.

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What qualities do you look for in a compact excavator?
One that is easy to operate and is reliable. Creature comforts are nice, but it’s more about how the machine operates in
the field.

What is your experience using compact excavators?
I’ve been in the underground business for 45 years. [Precision has] owned a mini excavator for four years.

How did the Yanmar compare to other machines you have used?
It was less jerky and it had a smoother operation. The zero tail helped quite a bit [with maneuverability]. It didn’t really have any limitations; it had a lot of power. The quick disconnect [of the buckets] is a nice feature. I don’t think anyone would have to add much to the machine, just different bucket sizes. A nice feature about the size [of the VIO35] we had was it could be put on a trailer without needing a CDL.

Reliance Mechanical LLC, Cleveland
Reliance normally uses a Gehl compact excavator for its excavation needs, says Ron Brenner, a Reliance journeyman plumber for 2 1/2 years. The company provides plumbing, heating and air conditioning service in northeastern Ohio. Brenner used the Yanmar for a week to perform excavation work near a home. Brenner has used both compact and larger excavators throughout his career.

How did the VIO35-3 perform in the field?
I was using the machine to replace gas lines from the street to a house. We dug a 4 by 4 ft hole by the street. The lines near the house were too shallow, so then
I trenched the line from the house about 25 ft out to where it was deep enough. The cab was really comfortable. It wasn’t cramped at all. The controls were really accessible.

And for a small machine it had a lot of power. I was ripping out stumps and it didn’t rock. It felt very stable. For a small machine, it was very sound. I operated [the Yanmar] for 50 hours, and it didn’t even use a quarter tank of gas. I greased it up once while I had it. And it was very easy to find the fluid checks.

How did the Yanmar compare to other machines you typically use?
I really liked the no tail in the back. When I was working close to the house, I could easily swing out and dump. The controls were really smooth. And I didn’t notice a blind spot at all. I had good visibility the whole time. [In other machines] I had to lean over to see past the posts of the canopy. For how compact it was, it was really stable. It took out some nice sized [tree] roots, and I didn’t experience any rocking. It was also very quiet running.

What are some advantages the Yanmar had over other machines?
The quick-release design of the Yanmar hydraulic quick coupler was simple to operate. When I switched out the bucket, it took two minutes, which was at least half the time it has taken on other machines.

What are some drawbacks you noticed about the machine?
I was using the backfill blade to lift some concrete, and it didn’t extend far enough to reach as far as I needed. That could have gone out longer.

What qualities do you look for in a compact excavator?
Reliability is No. 1. It would have been nice to see how it ran in the winter, to see if it started up well. Good response with controls. I’m usually digging up live gas mains and service lines. Sometimes I have to dig 12 in. below the pipes. So when I stop, I want the bucket to stop. The machine does what you want it to. If you’re used to Cat [standard] or Deere [ISO] controls, it switches back and forth.”

Bradley Kramer is an editorial assistant of Compact Equipment.

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