MESSICK's Trick EXPOSED! Kubota U48-5 50/60 Hour Review! 

Hi Tim, Long time watcher here. Very good video and watching this makes me wish I lived closer! I've met Neil and had a great visit with him - he's easy to talk to and spent a lot of time with me for just a visit. Goodluck with your project - it's a big one!

Always fun to see your videos! This channel has always been such a help. I am now 26 hours into my first tractor. Branson/TYM 2515H and many of my decisions were based off the information I got from this channel over the last few years. Even the most recent upgrade to the tractor, a Redline Systems Rock Bucket was ordered yesterday, was influenced by seeing it work while removing the dirt from the hump in your front yard. (The TTWT code was quite helpful as well) Thank you for all the information you provide!

Pond looks great Tim. I’m one of the guys who said get a long reach excavator. I must say I’m eating my words you’re doing a great job. My dream it to have a pond. We’ve got the room but the paperwork in RI is astronomical. Keep it up.

Wow, what a huge difference you've made in the past few weeks. This series really highlights both the limits and capabilities of the machinery. Very informative for those considering a purchase.

I think the 50 hour service interval is just to protect Kubota in a way. The first few hours of operation on any machine should quickly identify any issues and clean out any factory dust or contaminants that might have sneaked in during assembly. If there were any stray shavings, part protectant oils, or coatings that were missed during assembly the first service should clean them out.

I still chuckle about Neil’s good natured and funny prank. I can see how he would be a good guy to work with. My neighbor also has that machine as well and has nothing but praise for it. It is an impressive unit. You are making progress and I like watching you do it. Blessings.

I like seeing the humor that develops between the dealer, and customer, reminding me of what I like about the area!

The Easter egg was a hilarious idea. Haven't met Neil but he seems like a straight shooter.

50 / 500 is also the standard on most if not all of the Kubota tractors. That was the case for our Grand L that we purchased May of 2022. It has performed quite well, and the info screen on maintenance is a good reminder I imagine the mini excavatorhas a more sophisticated screen, but we are happy with screen. Great machine 🎉

You have moved a massive amount of dirt. Looks great sir. Glad your happy with your machine, it’s very nice.

Neil is a genius. That is called subliminal marketing, so that anything that you may need for your projects, you won’t think of anything place else to buy, other than Messicks. 😊

Some of us lower people don't get to actually deal with Neil when buying equipment! But shout out to their sales rep Lily Nolan for actually getting us out grand l6060 when our local kubota dealers couldn't after being on order for 6+ months. Meanwhile I am using my machine and now even have all three rear remotes installed. Messicks is very far away but worth it

Another good honest review wouldn’t expect anything else from you Tim pond looks great

Glad you purchased one, been Thinking this will be my future machine since they were released

Tim, my side job just got a brand new KX057-5 and as a larger guy the new cab is very roomy and the machine is very nice. We have put 60 hours on it in the last couple weeks and it has done great

Hello from New Orleans Tim. Just wanted to say, even though I have never had a need for a tractor I really enjoy your content. Really nice piece of property you have as well. I'm sure the pond will be nice once you finish it as well.

Hi Tim I thought it was funny as heck that Neil put that Easter egg under your seat. Just for you to remember that Messicks a helping hand with your land. Neal is my go to guy when I need parts. I’m n Michigan. Keep up the great work. I’m learning that I don’t want to let my wife talk me into digging a pond. Lol. Cheers

Let’s get started ! Coming along nicely with the progress

Great series Tim and glad to hear the U48 meets your expectations. I am far from a pond expert but here in low country SC ground water in the pond is pretty much a given since the water table is relatively shallow. I have three ponds on my property and what I found is the ground water fills to a point and then the water shed fills the pond to the over flow point. Even during drought I still have at least the ground water level so the ponds never completely dry up.

That the console gets hot on your leg may not be something that can be fixed by air conditioning, but could be by a better heat shield/sink and insulation in the console. Maybe your critique will get some attention. Your pond project should add a drone's eye view several times within each episode to show how it is changing. The cab seems relatively quiet. Good luck and thanks for sharing.

Good review on the Kubota U48-5. Real good progress on the pond. The Messick's jingle will be in your head every time you run the machine. 😂

I’m a huge fan and I’ve always been even though I’m a kubota guy lol! Pond looks amazing I’ve watched since the beginning your doing a extremely well we own approximately 5 ponds from 1/4 ac to 1 ac here in pa a pond over 10 ft is hard to come by nor needed you and your family will enjoy it for years when done ok keep up the good work!!!!

Good review. I like that Messick's has proven to be a good dealer, wish they were closer to us. Have you considered tinting the windows to help with the heat?

I think you should forget about the click bait and be honest about the content. Your channel is good enough that you don't need click bait. Just saying

The Kubota U an K mini excavators punch way above their weight...Great comment on controls improvement. Engineering is making improvements all the time.. Every design has comprises and you need to be aware of how the machine works and fits you which can be hard when looking at machines with shiney surfaces and lots of control nobs to turn...You need to Counter Jingle next time the excavator goes in to Messicks for service...

Pond progress looks great. Awesome machine. Messick’s is top notch! 😀

Got my B2920 from Messicks and I drove down from NY to pick it up.

Pond project starting to take shape. Keep plugging away. God bless and be safe.

I have rented Kabota mini excavators from Messicks couple times now, and I am by far more impressed with theirs than I am other tractors my dad has a B 3350 and I have to keep a trickle charger on it whenever I’m not using it because the battery will die after three weeks last December, I ranted a U35-4 I was so impressed with that. I was very sad. I was not able to afford to buy it. There is so much I could’ve done with that one It was sad to see it go home.

Thanks for sharing Tim always interesting ❤️💯

Hey Tim, the project is looking great. Keep it up. I was watching where you were scooping up buckets of water and letting it flow across the clay you had placed. Have you thought of using a pump and irrigation sprayers to wet it down periodically to help settle it out? Not flooding it, just wetting it a bit. I think that is a a good idea to help settle that clay into its new home.

For digging over the blade I have never had any problem with any zero tail swing excavator even with a standard blade. Where some of them can get dicey is bucketing material around. We did allot of septic systems so we had large custom built buckets just to move material into place

Great work awesome video !

Love your informative videos😊

Thanks for the video.

I’m enjoying how your channel has grown and the boundaries of what the equipment can do is shown but I do miss not having a sweet corn update this summer….

You had about the perfect year for that project. Light rainfall both last year and this year.

Someone below talked about making small, temporary walls with the clay and filling it with water to see if the water sinks into the ground water. I have NO experience with ponds but water seeks its own level so I'd be very surprised if the pond will stay full if you have ground water seeping in. The higher the water above that level the faster it'll disappear. That's my guess. Good luck and I look forward to seeing the results.

Hi Tim, I got thinking about your blue clay and how you are nervous that it won't hold water as good as you have been told. You could do an experiment. Take some of the blue clay and try to make a clay container. You could then fill it with water from your garden hose and let it sit over night. Something the size of a 5 gallon pail would work. You could use chicken wire to help hold it together if needed

That's a good sized machine, I noticed that it has a stationary boom, as it can't side shift to dig along a wall or offset with a hole for better sight. I would definitely have to research all of Kubota's offerings, I do know that a local municipality bought a new Kubota and they love it. I'm very familiar with the Takeuchi, Kobelco, Bobcat, Cat, and JD machines out of all those makes the Takeuchi has to be one of my favorites in a smaller size the hydraulics seem more powerful when digging and ripping and I like the cab very well.

Big OOPS! Your spec chart reminded me that I needed to calculate the load at the distance I expect to lift it at!!! SOOOO I have to move up to a Kubota KXO57-5 which is on the edge of what I need: so may need the KXO80-4. I like the size of the U48-5 but it can't lift what I need lifted at 14 feet or more! (I need lifting capacity to the side for the job)

i'd like to chime in on your rpm statement. all excavators are designed to run at full throttle. you arent going to hurt a thing running at full tilt, thats how its designed. however with that u-48 you may cause issues with not running it at full throttle. you have a diesel particulate of some sort on there and it needs heat to function properly.

My little Massey Ferguson 1723E also requires a 50hour interval for its' first servicing. Manufacturers require it for the first 50hours of use as that's your initial break-in time on a new machine. It's to flush out any potential metal debris after the rings and other such things have settled from use. Once the first fluid service is done then it's all set to operate up until it's normal period of time. We use my tractor so infrequently that it's still only on 34.7hours of use. When the dealer first dropped it off he said that once it has gone through its' 50 hour break-in period they would drain all of the fluids under warranty and refill with fresh, even the transmission/hydraulic fluid. After that the required service interval moves up to its' normal 100hours of operation. One of the things I asked him while we were on the topic of fluid changes was oil brand and it potentially hurting a factory warranty. I told him that the Polaris dealership tried using that tactic on my friend when he bought a new Polaris Sportsman, telling him that if he changed the fluids with anything other than Polaris branded oil it would void his warranty. I already knew the correct answer. But I asked the dealer for his professional opinion and he said that is illegal and they shouldn't be doing that. He said as long as what you're putting into your machine is the correct weight you should be running the brand doesn't matter. You're free to run whatever oil you like in your equipment. So if you encounter a dealer trying to use that against you, a friend or family member call them out on their BS. They can't force you to use their oil by saying the use of something else will affect your warranty. It's illegal. :)

Wish we had a Messick's in South Africa. Great job with the pond so far. Definitely a good call getting a excavator.

I'm not a pond builder so just an observation (question?) about the blue clay. If it becomes muck when wet, will it not just slough off the sides of the pond at that angle? I seem to remember a Dirt Perfect pond repair video where the hillside was washing out because of a bluish clay. Maybe not the same thing, I don't know.

Have to love the pocking fun from Neil. He sold me on my choice of tractor, even though you almost got me to go green.

Great video!

Tim it’s nice to have some fun in these serious times LOL

I came from a kx040 and to wanted the upgraded cab. Everything is great on my u48 but it does need the extra hp the u55/ and 057 has for the tracks. They also get locked up more in gravel over the the shorter 040 tracks. Like you I am a non cdl contractor. For me to stay legal with my f350 with 11400 gvwr I had to go with a sure track 14gvwr aluminum equipment trailer. It has a payload capacity of 12050lb. Fits and pulls good but wish I could have a steel deck over like I previously had. I run mine mostly at full rpm. Better flow for everything and it only jerks if you jerk it..😊 fyi my u48 cab/angle cat scaled at 11600lb.

I was watching the video before this one when I noticed I was no longer subscribed. Google made me log in and now I am subscribed again.

Great video. Big project.

One of the best episodes. Just plain, honest feedback.

How about tinting the windows? You are getting a handle on it. It is shaping up. I wonder if you can get weight to put on the back of the cab? Great machine.

It would be really cool if you found some sort of hydraulic dump wagon for behind your 5E to help you with relocating the ground. I have one for my 1 series and it’s game changing!

Y’all are funny. I was kind of scared when I saw the title but I saw the other episode from Neil’s channel.

I so enjoy all your videos and constructive remarks on equipment.!!! First class TIM.!!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐®️

Tim, have you talked to your local NRCS office about the pond and your blue clay? They typically have design guides available for free and also have soil scientists that can advise on the blue clay.

I have a KX040 and so far so good. I like the 6-way blade and that was a major factor in my decision. To my knowledge it is the only model w/ a 6-way blade. Great vid - thank you.

I'm looking forward to seeing how you approach the groundwater issue - if it was me, I'd be getting some expert advice on that, especially as you intend to put a liner in the pond. I don't have an answer for you (I'm no expert here) - I'm just rooting for the project to be successful and to ultimately watch "Catch & cook time with Tim"!

That’s pretty awesome!

Think about adding some slop even if it's with sandier dirt over the blue clay from a safety aspect. If somebody or some machine slides in, a gentler slopes could be a life saver.

Nice excavator Tim. That will come in handy around your place. Are you thinking 🤔 about buying a mini-brush cutter for the excavator to manage grass cutting around the pond? Looking forward to seeing more pond videos. God bless you both 🙏

Do the 50 hrs service asap! Kubota has a history of issues with break-in wear failures in excavator transmissions. They found that the small fluid reservoir allowed high break-in wear contamination and resulting trans failure. The fix was to change the fluid early and get the break-in wear out. You are good after that to go a long time between oil changes.

Very nice review. The first regen on my 057-5 was at around 129 hours and 105 hrs after that. The issue with the regen is it warning beep every minute or so. It is annoying.

Tint on the glass, should help with direct sunlight. Just don't make it too dark for night work. Lots of glass on the newer cabs coming out

Interesting the water in the ground your experience is working you are a way better operator I can see it the more you use the machine 😍😍😍😍

I haven’t ran a mini with great AC but tint the windows and it’ll be night and day difference. You don’t need limo with how good ceramic tint is.

I'd think having the groundwater as a supply would be good. Can at least count on it to keep the level up within reason. The review was good on the mini excavator for having 60hrs. My uncle has a small Yanmar excavator probably close in size to yours for his line of work as a contractor.

Regarding your ground water, think of it like this: Water coming IN, can also mean water goes OUT! I would seal with Bentonite while it is open. JMO.

First 50 hour mark I would say is the most important, it's your run in period, more likely to see some metal in oil just to that bedding in of gears against gears especially in the track motors

GREAT Video!!!! Keep working with it....😊🍔🍔🍔🍔

I was pretty disappointed in the title. Not only is it click bait, it's not like you at all. Sarcasm doesn't come off well (if at all) over text.

"He does not change his tune!" He just makes sure the tune is stuck in your head all day. 🤯😁

Making dirt wet does opposite of compacting. When compacting you want as dry material as possible. Compacting is basically displacing air and WATER from soil, compacting forces water to the surface and we rely on sun and evaporation for help in the process.

LOL Neil is a beast

Did u see where they drained that lake in Arkansas? They said there is up to 5 feet of muck and after it dries up it will shrink down to inches. I wonder why it don’t grow back up when wet

How much of this pond clay is finding its way into the house? Was this presented to management as a one or two week project? Keeps on digging. You'll find the bottom of that pond.. some day. Again, great info. Thanks.

I’m worried Tim! I think the ground water is a big issue. If it is coming in it can also go out! You should call in a favor from the big dog! Let’s dig 18. Dirt perfect, I’m sure either one would have excellent advise for you!

Did you trade in the LX 3310 for this machine?

I would highly recommend that you change your final drive oil every two hundred and fifty hours on your machine this size based on my experience working on construction equipment.

I'm building a 34 x 18 + (feet and not inches) raised bed garden at my little building on a 24" grade slope. Ol' skool: shovel and pick mattock for the foundation excavation,over burden relocation,etc. I have a JD backhoe: way too big for this job. Need a mini ex: way too cheap to rent or buy even a used one. So since I have time I'll keep doing it by hand including laying 265 landscape wall block: glued 1 at a time.Will need 10+ yards of a blended garden soil: that I may bring down a loader tractor to work with. Keep things in perspective: the excavator you bought is top of the line:as is your tractors.Any "problems" are straight up first world problems and on the worst equipment day imaginable it's better than a shovel.

Hey Tim , thinking about buying the same machine. Does the cab have plenty of room. I’ve just sit in the kx057-5

Can you add an additional counter weight to the back of the excavator?

At least you admitted early on your title was click bait. I thought someone was finally having the same poor experience I had with Messick's, deceptive product listings and overpriced.

Given there is no water source other than rain I would think you want the ground water to come up. Otherwise when you hit drought conditions you will have a drying up pond.

To keep oxygen in the pond air stones help and with the other yellow looking clay you have built a ramp you can back your dump trailer in and drop the sides you can get 8 to 10 5075E buckets in the dump trailer vs 2 excavator scoops at a time

60 hours already wow....I think this purchase was worth it!(even if it is NOT a deere) 🤣 And the 5E really made me smile again...really like the 5E series...thanks for that.:)

Our pond is spring fed like you’ve got.

Lol Tim I would of planted the messicks song too.. I think it's funny..

I really like my U48-5. I have zero complaints with it. Solid machine!

Does Kubota make an add on counterweight for your machine to help counterbalance the machine?

I’ve never clicked on a video so fast Tim. I was wondering why you said do buy from messicks. Lol. You got me. 😂😂

Grass carp will keep your cattails down as well as any moss or other pond weeds. The key is to put them it before the cattails get started.

Don’t do those clickbait titles. That’s scummy. It was a harmless prank. And a funny one.

Get all the windows tinted will keep cab cool and not running A/C on hi as much

When you complete the pond add a couple of solar powered pump aerators to slow algae growth.

If I ever buy a Kubota machine, it will definitely be from Neil!

I just cancelled my new tractor order with Neil... I guess I should have watched the video first. :(

It is a catchy tune, I stick s in my head too😅

When you said you still had to double check your math with a scale, I imagined you, the removable bucket and a bunch of Jerry cans of fuel, riding separately while Christy drives the mini excavator, truck and trailer to the job site.