Ireland’s Oldest Working Takeuchi
Ireland’s Oldest Working Takeuchi
The search for the oldest working Takeuchi in UK and Ireland focused the minds of many of our older Takeuchi customers. We heard about great stories about why they loved their Takeuchi so much, how many hours they worked, what they remember and lots of old machine pictures were submitted that we have added to our vintage gallery.
In Ireland Tom Galligan in County Cavan got in touch. A retired contractor he bought this second hand vintage 1990 model, a Takeuchi TB025.
Tom purchased this classic machine in around 2008/2009 from a hire company in Bedford and has enjoyed years and years of good service from this machine, amounting to more than 6000 hours on the clock. The actual machine manufactured in 1990 and originally shipped to Switzerland before arriving in the UK.
For those unfamiliar with a TB025, it was the predecessor of the popular TB125. The TB025 came in unfamiliar orange and white colours. One of the early Takeuchi branded machines it looks like the oldest working machine in Ireland, now some 32 years old.
Tom said he bought the machine then based on reputation, in 2008 the familiar red and grey Takeuchi mini diggers had a great record with hire and utilities companies. When he went looking for an excavator a friend told him to only buy a Takeuchi.
Tom says the machine has never let him down it is so dependable even some 30-plus years later. Even though an old model it still had some key design features: joystick control, heated cab albeit via a fan under the seat and up-overhead front window and sliding side window as well as two auxiliary ports.
The machine had many hours with a Bedford based hire firm and yet still Tom got many more years. It has only had two track changes in the past 14 years even though the machine has been put through its paces in tough ground in Ireland. As for parts, together with a local fitter anything mechanical or hydraulic is easily fixable. He says the machine likes him as a driver and would most not likely suit someone else, he is familiar with the TB025’s little nuances in operation.
The machine, like Tom is now semi-retired and still now working in and around his home but is certainly still capable of doing a good day’s graft.
A Vintage Machine that has stood the test of time.
