Your Kubota KX057-5

Common jobs for the Kubota KX057

The Kubota KX057 has become a favourite in Swedish small contracting. You see it on residential plots, drainage jobs and smaller civil works where it is strong enough for real digging yet still easy to transport. At 5.7 tonnes it is at the top of the mini class and takes on more than you would expect of such a small machine.

On a residential plot the KX057 digs out for foundation, pool and drainage, on a smaller civil job it lays services and grades ground. It drives a digging bucket, grading bucket, grapple and a light to medium breaker, which makes it a complete tool carrier for groundwork, drainage and demolition.

Since the KX057 is so versatile, it often becomes the small firm's only machine. Then it pays to have several attachments so you cover the whole chain from excavation to reinstatement and lighter demolition with the same machine.

Buckets and attachments that fit the KX057

For a 5.7-tonne machine you choose a digging bucket for excavation, a wide grading bucket for levelling and slopes, and a narrow cable bucket for drainage and cable. On groundwork you mostly swap between the grading bucket and cable bucket through the day.

A sorting grapple belongs on the KX057 when you load stone, pull apart and sort spoil. At 5.7 tonnes the machine carries the grapple steadily as long as you do not reach out too far with a heavy load.

All attachments run on the S40 hitch, the standard for mini excavators. With the same hitch you swap quickly between bucket, grapple and breaker without leaving the cab.

Hydraulic breaker and heavy attachments for the KX057

A 5.7-tonne machine drives a light to medium hydraulic breaker for concrete and stone. Since the KX057 sits at the top of the mini class, it takes a slightly stronger breaker than the lightest mini excavators, which is good when you hit rock or old concrete.

Check the oil flow against the breaker spec before you buy. On a machine this size it is often the flow that decides which breaker it handles. Match the breaker to your KX057 so it hits at full force.

An auger drive is useful on the KX057 for post holes, footing piles and planting pits. The auger bit is the part in the drive, and you choose the size by the hole. Keep the attachment weight down and do not auger at full reach on a light machine.

S40 quick hitch and fit

The Kubota KX057 runs an S40 hitch, the standard coupler for mini excavators. Check the attachments are listed for S40 before you buy. With a common hitch you build a set of attachments that all fit and that you swap quickly.

On a 5.7-tonne machine the attachment weight still matters a lot, even though the machine is at the top of the mini class. Stick to attachments the machine can lift at full reach, an attachment that is too heavy far out makes even a strong mini excavator unstable.