Kanga Loader

arras · Mar 8, 2008

I do not see any mention on this forum about the Kanga loaders that is an Australian product. I am contemplating purchasing one. Are there any one on this forum that can give me some advice. I need a machine that can do debris clearing in private back yards, trench digging, auguring holes for planting trees and poles, as well as to be used in the forestry environment to open culverts and miter drains on gravel roads.

LGS Enterprises · Mar 9, 2008

We sell Kangas and Boxers (another similar product) at the equipment dealer I work at. The biggest problem I've seen is people have a unrealistic expectation of what it can do. It's a 12 or 16 horsepower machine that weighs around 1500 lbs, it can not do the same job as a 7000 lb, 60 hp skid steer. It's purpose is to be small enough to go thru fence gates and move small amounts of material. It can trench and auger holes in soil but doesn't work in rocky conditions, it just does not have enough weight or horsepower. They seem like they are pretty reliable when used for what they are designed for, if you try to overwork it they break parts, plain and simple. I would rent one for a week and use it in as many different situations as possible before commiting to the purchase of one.

arras · Mar 9, 2008

LGS Enterprises said:
We sell Kangas and Boxers (another similar product) at the equipment dealer I work at. The biggest problem I've seen is people have a unrealistic expectation of what it can do. It's a 12 or 16 horsepower machine that weighs around 1500 lbs, it can not do the same job as a 7000 lb, 60 hp skid steer. It's purpose is to be small enough to go thru fence gates and move small amounts of material. It can trench and auger holes in soil but doesn't work in rocky conditions, it just does not have enough weight or horsepower. They seem like they are pretty reliable when used for what they are designed for, if you try to overwork it they break parts, plain and simple. I would rent one for a week and use it in as many different situations as possible before commiting to the purchase of one.

Thank you for your reply. What is nice about the Kanga is its mobility. Put it on a trailer and off you go. For the larger units one needs to have quite a lay out to get it relocated. Thanks any way for the good advice.

Tazza · Mar 9, 2008

arras said:
Thank you for your reply. What is nice about the Kanga is its mobility. Put it on a trailer and off you go. For the larger units one needs to have quite a lay out to get it relocated. Thanks any way for the good advice.

Sort of sounds like the Dingo machines we have around here. They are very small, not a great deal of power but ideal for small jobs. I personally never liked them as they can pick up all of a shovel full of dirt at a time... ok, maybe a little more.They run probably 16 or so HP engines and you stand on the back to operate it.

CaptRon · May 12, 2008

Tazza said:
Sort of sounds like the Dingo machines we have around here. They are very small, not a great deal of power but ideal for small jobs. I personally never liked them as they can pick up all of a shovel full of dirt at a time... ok, maybe a little more.They run probably 16 or so HP engines and you stand on the back to operate it.

I own a Kanga w/20hp Honda, I guess that it would be a G520 model. It does an amazing amount of work and it never fails to impress people. I would much rather stand on a machine than to have to crawl in an out of a bobcat type machine. My uncle has a small BC and he really likes my Kanga. My cousin was using this BC and flipped it on it's side. He had to get stitches in his head after they got him out. I've nearly flipped my Kanga several times and did stand it straight up with the forks sticking in the ground. The ability to just step off when things are going wrong is a big advantage. Happened last Saturday, one of the ramps slipped while unloading from my dump trailer. I took a step backwards to the trailer and when I tried to back the machine up the other ramp also fell. This left the bucket on the ground and the rear wheels in the trailer. I reached out and nudged the levers forward and the machine dropped on the step and then down to ground. I stepped right on it off the trailer and loaded a trailer full of topsoil. This machine also loads well in the back of my pick-up, I have a set of 1500# aluminum ramps that I use. The machine is definately a lot more useful than people will give it credt. I even used it to pick an F-150 up to shoulder height to remove the rear axle, got a picture here somewhere. When I bought this a couple of years ago I had to replace some hoses and rebuild a leaking cylinder. Plus I replaced the worn out tires after a tree limb tore off a valve stem. I cleaned up the wheels and welded short sections of pipe to protect the stems and repainted the rims. For most hauling it sits on a single axle 3500# trailer that I modified to carry the attachments which include a standard bucket, 4-in-1 bucket, trencher, auger head w/12" auger, pallet forks, and load carrier/leveller. The trencher works fine but is slower than a dedicated Ditch Witch and not as clean. However it is easy to turn around over the top of a trench and trench from both ends. The auger works really well and I had to regularly auger a 12"x4' deep hole to set power poles. Only one time can I remember that I couldn't do it, as I ran into solid rock. Unlike a tractor mounted auger you can reverse this one and I've seen some good sized rocks come out of the hole. With the forks and a 10' boom pole that I built I could lift a fully dressed 20' power pole straight up and set it in the hole. There seems to be no indication of the size of Kanga that you are looking to buy, a Kid or a larger 520. There are several manufacturers of these type of machines, the original concept is Australian however. All of them will definately carry far more that a couple of shovel fulls of dirt as incorrectly stated earlier in this thread. Unless you can lift a 250# shovel full of dirt. Mine will carry and load 500+# of dirt into my dump trailer each trip. I'm considering selling my complete set-up and single axle Bri-Mar dump trailer. Good Luck, CaptRon

Tazza · May 13, 2008

CaptRon said:
I own a Kanga w/20hp Honda, I guess that it would be a G520 model. It does an amazing amount of work and it never fails to impress people. I would much rather stand on a machine than to have to crawl in an out of a bobcat type machine. My uncle has a small BC and he really likes my Kanga. My cousin was using this BC and flipped it on it's side. He had to get stitches in his head after they got him out. I've nearly flipped my Kanga several times and did stand it straight up with the forks sticking in the ground. The ability to just step off when things are going wrong is a big advantage. Happened last Saturday, one of the ramps slipped while unloading from my dump trailer. I took a step backwards to the trailer and when I tried to back the machine up the other ramp also fell. This left the bucket on the ground and the rear wheels in the trailer. I reached out and nudged the levers forward and the machine dropped on the step and then down to ground. I stepped right on it off the trailer and loaded a trailer full of topsoil. This machine also loads well in the back of my pick-up, I have a set of 1500# aluminum ramps that I use. The machine is definately a lot more useful than people will give it credt. I even used it to pick an F-150 up to shoulder height to remove the rear axle, got a picture here somewhere. When I bought this a couple of years ago I had to replace some hoses and rebuild a leaking cylinder. Plus I replaced the worn out tires after a tree limb tore off a valve stem. I cleaned up the wheels and welded short sections of pipe to protect the stems and repainted the rims. For most hauling it sits on a single axle 3500# trailer that I modified to carry the attachments which include a standard bucket, 4-in-1 bucket, trencher, auger head w/12" auger, pallet forks, and load carrier/leveller. The trencher works fine but is slower than a dedicated Ditch Witch and not as clean. However it is easy to turn around over the top of a trench and trench from both ends. The auger works really well and I had to regularly auger a 12"x4' deep hole to set power poles. Only one time can I remember that I couldn't do it, as I ran into solid rock. Unlike a tractor mounted auger you can reverse this one and I've seen some good sized rocks come out of the hole. With the forks and a 10' boom pole that I built I could lift a fully dressed 20' power pole straight up and set it in the hole. There seems to be no indication of the size of Kanga that you are looking to buy, a Kid or a larger 520. There are several manufacturers of these type of machines, the original concept is Australian however. All of them will definately carry far more that a couple of shovel fulls of dirt as incorrectly stated earlier in this thread. Unless you can lift a 250# shovel full of dirt. Mine will carry and load 500+# of dirt into my dump trailer each trip. I'm considering selling my complete set-up and single axle Bri-Mar dump trailer. Good Luck, CaptRon

Impressive.
I guess the standing on the back has its good points, but for me i rather sit in a seat with a metal cage around me and i know if something was to happen and i roll over or something was to fall on me, i would be totally safe. Sure, i may get cuts and bruises. The best part is you can sit on your butt all day and not get really tired.
Where i mentioned the shovel or 2 of dirt i was referring to a dingo, not a kanga and naturally it was a little exaggerated. I remember seeing one that had a ROC of 300 odd KG, that would be dry weight so with the 4 in 1 bucked, that would have to take off at least 100kg off the lifting capacity.
Whats the drive like on your kanga? is it just standard hydraulic or is it hydrostatic (using variable displacement pumps for the drive motors). Do you find its smooth to drive and turn?

CaptRon · May 13, 2008

Tazza said:
Impressive.
I guess the standing on the back has its good points, but for me i rather sit in a seat with a metal cage around me and i know if something was to happen and i roll over or something was to fall on me, i would be totally safe. Sure, i may get cuts and bruises. The best part is you can sit on your butt all day and not get really tired.
Where i mentioned the shovel or 2 of dirt i was referring to a dingo, not a kanga and naturally it was a little exaggerated. I remember seeing one that had a ROC of 300 odd KG, that would be dry weight so with the 4 in 1 bucked, that would have to take off at least 100kg off the lifting capacity.
Whats the drive like on your kanga? is it just standard hydraulic or is it hydrostatic (using variable displacement pumps for the drive motors). Do you find its smooth to drive and turn?

Tazza, Thanks for the reply. The standing isn't so bad and the visibilty is fantastic. This helps a lot in getting out of the way of falling things. Plus the self leveling bucket does not lift directly over your head so you can't roll it back and dump dirt on yourself. I have done this with my uncle's BC however, right through the top of the cage.
Just to get to the seat of a machine you have to climb over the bucket and then turn 180º to sit down. By the time you do that I'm already cranked and working, in the course of a day this amounts to a considerable time savings. Most of the time an operator won't get out unless he absolutely has to, instead he'll sit there and blow the horn.
Yes, I can load more with the straight bucket but I can load faster with the 4n1 since it is a larger bucket. Unless the 4n1 is already attached then the time savings is lost in hooking up hoses. Plus there is the added advantage of not having to shovel the last little bit of material into a straight bucket.
The drive motors are on the front wheels with a chain drive to the rear wheels. It is standard hydraulic with a single pump. The drive levers are valves that you have to throttle with your thumbs and index fingers. The machine is easy to operate and I've put some total novices on it with just a few minutes of instruction.
Of course a mini is no replacement for a large machine on a large job but they definately have a place on small work in tight places. It doesn't call in sick, disappear after lunch, and you don't have to learn a foreign language.
Bottom line, it works for me and I'm happy with mine.
CaptRon

SS Kanga Hire · Jul 30, 2014

CaptRon said:
Tazza, Thanks for the reply. The standing isn't so bad and the visibilty is fantastic. This helps a lot in getting out of the way of falling things. Plus the self leveling bucket does not lift directly over your head so you can't roll it back and dump dirt on yourself. I have done this with my uncle's BC however, right through the top of the cage.
Just to get to the seat of a machine you have to climb over the bucket and then turn 180º to sit down. By the time you do that I'm already cranked and working, in the course of a day this amounts to a considerable time savings. Most of the time an operator won't get out unless he absolutely has to, instead he'll sit there and blow the horn.
Yes, I can load more with the straight bucket but I can load faster with the 4n1 since it is a larger bucket. Unless the 4n1 is already attached then the time savings is lost in hooking up hoses. Plus there is the added advantage of not having to shovel the last little bit of material into a straight bucket.
The drive motors are on the front wheels with a chain drive to the rear wheels. It is standard hydraulic with a single pump. The drive levers are valves that you have to throttle with your thumbs and index fingers. The machine is easy to operate and I've put some total novices on it with just a few minutes of instruction.
Of course a mini is no replacement for a large machine on a large job but they definately have a place on small work in tight places. It doesn't call in sick, disappear after lunch, and you don't have to learn a foreign language.
Bottom line, it works for me and I'm happy with mine.
CaptRon

Well, I'm going to resurrect this thread... I did a lot of research before buying my first Kanga. - I talked to a lot of landscapers and builders, and the feedback was overwhelmingly that Kanga was the preferred brand of mini-loader here in Australia. A number of people said they preferred the step-on/step-off type of machine over a seated machine because their work entailed frequent stoppages, as well as the fact that the Kanga gives unobstructed views. I have since used this as a good educational point when pitching my machine at new customers and nearly all of them have recounted tales of labourers hitting things in a bobcat because they couldn't see properly. As an example of what the Kanga Kid is good for, I recently did a job that involved augering 60 300mm x 600mm holes for a new fencing project. I started at 7am and was finished by 1.30pm, including regular stoppages to clear rocks/half bricks out of the way, etc. The soil in the area was a mixture of loam, sandstone and clay. I was very pleased with the performance of the Kanga Kid and the customer was also impressed, as he'd thought it would take at least another half day to complete. Yesterday, a customer had this machine out on Dry Hire, with the 4-1 bucket. He was running excavated soil from his back yard to waste bins on the kerb, a distance of maybe 20 metres. He manage to completely fill three 2 cubic metre bins between 7am and 4pm. Needless to say, he was very happy that he could get it done without wrecking his back! I've also just purchased an 8 Series Kanga, a competitor for the S70 Bobcat; this machine is only 1100mm wide with the heavy duty bucket attachment, weighs around 1050kg and lifts 340kg. It is powered with the ubiquitous 25hp Kubota diesel. It also has two drive modes - Work Mode, which produces maximum torque, and Travel Mode, which lets it travel at close to 10km/h. It is an incredibly robust and well engineered machine.

Tazza · Jul 30, 2014

SS Kanga Hire said:
Well, I'm going to resurrect this thread... I did a lot of research before buying my first Kanga. - I talked to a lot of landscapers and builders, and the feedback was overwhelmingly that Kanga was the preferred brand of mini-loader here in Australia. A number of people said they preferred the step-on/step-off type of machine over a seated machine because their work entailed frequent stoppages, as well as the fact that the Kanga gives unobstructed views. I have since used this as a good educational point when pitching my machine at new customers and nearly all of them have recounted tales of labourers hitting things in a bobcat because they couldn't see properly. As an example of what the Kanga Kid is good for, I recently did a job that involved augering 60 300mm x 600mm holes for a new fencing project. I started at 7am and was finished by 1.30pm, including regular stoppages to clear rocks/half bricks out of the way, etc. The soil in the area was a mixture of loam, sandstone and clay. I was very pleased with the performance of the Kanga Kid and the customer was also impressed, as he'd thought it would take at least another half day to complete. Yesterday, a customer had this machine out on Dry Hire, with the 4-1 bucket. He was running excavated soil from his back yard to waste bins on the kerb, a distance of maybe 20 metres. He manage to completely fill three 2 cubic metre bins between 7am and 4pm. Needless to say, he was very happy that he could get it done without wrecking his back! I've also just purchased an 8 Series Kanga, a competitor for the S70 Bobcat; this machine is only 1100mm wide with the heavy duty bucket attachment, weighs around 1050kg and lifts 340kg. It is powered with the ubiquitous 25hp Kubota diesel. It also has two drive modes - Work Mode, which produces maximum torque, and Travel Mode, which lets it travel at close to 10km/h. It is an incredibly robust and well engineered machine.

You sure did your homework on that.
I like the two speed addition too.
The thing i never liked at first glance with these sort of machines iw the times i have seen them used, they really throw the operator around. I hope they have gotten better. Current skidders use vairable displacement pumps, so the movement is a lot smoother than a simple lever that connects to the pump and you don't have as much fine control with.
Again, i assume they have gotten better, so that may not be an issue now.

SS Kanga Hire · Jul 31, 2014

Tazza said:
You sure did your homework on that.
I like the two speed addition too.
The thing i never liked at first glance with these sort of machines iw the times i have seen them used, they really throw the operator around. I hope they have gotten better. Current skidders use vairable displacement pumps, so the movement is a lot smoother than a simple lever that connects to the pump and you don't have as much fine control with.
Again, i assume they have gotten better, so that may not be an issue now.

Well, I know what you mean but in my experience, it really comes down to the skill of the operator. - People who are abrupt on the controls and try to drive a skid steer like it's a car will certainly get thrown around. The wheeled version is also noticeably jerky in comparison to the tracked one. I find that keeping continuous input on both drive levers works best; if you need to turn, just feather the controls on one side. Also, sharp turns are definitely contra-indicated. Not to brag but I hold a commercial helicopter pilot license, so my fine motor skills are pretty well developed. (Having said that, my Kanga Kid tried to buck me off a couple of times, until I found its sweet spot.) BTW, the newer models no longer have a chain drive, just four wheel motors.

Tazza · Jul 31, 2014

SS Kanga Hire said:
Well, I know what you mean but in my experience, it really comes down to the skill of the operator. - People who are abrupt on the controls and try to drive a skid steer like it's a car will certainly get thrown around. The wheeled version is also noticeably jerky in comparison to the tracked one. I find that keeping continuous input on both drive levers works best; if you need to turn, just feather the controls on one side. Also, sharp turns are definitely contra-indicated. Not to brag but I hold a commercial helicopter pilot license, so my fine motor skills are pretty well developed. (Having said that, my Kanga Kid tried to buck me off a couple of times, until I found its sweet spot.) BTW, the newer models no longer have a chain drive, just four wheel motors.

That is what i really noticed on a wheeled machine, the walls flex then skid causing it to buck a bit. The operator wasn't the best at feathering the controls either.
4 wheel motors has always had pros and cons in my head. How do they rotate the the same amount on each side? If one was slightly more leaky than the other they would be fighting each other. I'm sure they have it sorted out though.

SS Kanga Hire · Aug 1, 2014

Tazza said:
That is what i really noticed on a wheeled machine, the walls flex then skid causing it to buck a bit. The operator wasn't the best at feathering the controls either.
4 wheel motors has always had pros and cons in my head. How do they rotate the the same amount on each side? If one was slightly more leaky than the other they would be fighting each other. I'm sure they have it sorted out though.

Man, I don't know how it works but it's certainly effective enough for my needs. FYI, I was on a job all day today with my new 8 Series machine. It performed brilliantly. I filled two 9 cubic metre bins with concrete and soil in less than three hours, with a travel distance of 25 metres for each load. If I get regular work like this, I will end up ordering a brand new 8 Series from the manufacturer, and keep that for my own use.

Tazza · Aug 4, 2014

SS Kanga Hire said:
Man, I don't know how it works but it's certainly effective enough for my needs. FYI, I was on a job all day today with my new 8 Series machine. It performed brilliantly. I filled two 9 cubic metre bins with concrete and soil in less than three hours, with a travel distance of 25 metres for each load. If I get regular work like this, I will end up ordering a brand new 8 Series from the manufacturer, and keep that for my own use.

Nice job.
I was amazed at just how much one of these smaller machines can do in a short time. I was always under the impression that they were essentially a diesel powered shovel, not being able to do a whole lot. My mind has been changed though, they may be small, but they sure can do a lot of hard work.

SS Kanga Hire · Aug 5, 2014

Tazza said:
Nice job.
I was amazed at just how much one of these smaller machines can do in a short time. I was always under the impression that they were essentially a diesel powered shovel, not being able to do a whole lot. My mind has been changed though, they may be small, but they sure can do a lot of hard work.

Mate, you should see what my 8 Series can handle: http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww235/Rainb0wSeven/IMAG2255.jpg

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww235/Rainb0wSeven/IMAG2256.jpg

Tazza · Aug 5, 2014

SS Kanga Hire said:
Mate, you should see what my 8 Series can handle: http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww235/Rainb0wSeven/IMAG2255.jpg

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww235/Rainb0wSeven/IMAG2256.jpg

Very nice
To think, back in they day, all that work was done by hand. We have been spoilt with hydraulic shovels that save our backs.

SS Kanga Hire · Aug 6, 2014

Tazza said:
Very nice
To think, back in they day, all that work was done by hand. We have been spoilt with hydraulic shovels that save our backs.

The perils of buying used machinery: I've spent $1600 on new hoses and couplings. Thank goodness the local Pirtek guy is cool and gets to me promptly!

Tazza · Aug 6, 2014

SS Kanga Hire said:
The perils of buying used machinery: I've spent $1600 on new hoses and couplings. Thank goodness the local Pirtek guy is cool and gets to me promptly!

You are spot on, hoses sure can add up fast. I needed a drive motor hose for a machine, it was about $120, that was fittings only (at a good price too), my dad had hose and a crimper at work. Without that, it would have been even more.

SS Kanga Hire · Aug 7, 2014

Tazza said:
You are spot on, hoses sure can add up fast. I needed a drive motor hose for a machine, it was about $120, that was fittings only (at a good price too), my dad had hose and a crimper at work. Without that, it would have been even more.

Yeah but at least I won't have to think about them for a loooooong time. The couplings I got are Italian made flat-face ones, which cost about $200 each. The OEM couplings are about $30 a throw but I figure that since I'm so reliant on this particular machine, I don't mind buying the absolute best equipment.

Tazza · Aug 7, 2014

SS Kanga Hire said:
Yeah but at least I won't have to think about them for a loooooong time. The couplings I got are Italian made flat-face ones, which cost about $200 each. The OEM couplings are about $30 a throw but I figure that since I'm so reliant on this particular machine, I don't mind buying the absolute best equipment.

And being a rental machine making you money, and break downs cost you money. It's a good idea to fix it right now and let it make you cash.
Those are expensive couplers, but you do get what you pay for. The cheap chinese ones i got worked, but were horrible to hook up.

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