X1300 Mini Skid Steer
You run a small crew. You bid on residential jobs. You work in backyards and tight spaces. You need a machine that fits your work.
The X1300 mini skid steer is the lightest in its class. Weight is 2,450 pounds. Competitors weigh 3,200 to 3,800 pounds.
That 800 to 1,300 pound difference changes everything for a contractor. Here is why.
1. Less Damage to Customer Property
You drive across finished lawns. You cross-landscape. You roll over sprinkler heads. Heavy machines leave ruts. Heavy machines tear sod. Heavy machines crush irrigation lines.
The X1300 puts less pressure on the ground. Track contact area spreads the 2,450 pounds across a large surface. Ground pressure is 3.5 pounds per square inch. A person walking exerts 8 to 10 pounds per square inch.
2. The machine presses less than a human footstep
A landscaper in North Carolina tested the X1300 against a 3,600-pound machine. The heavier machine left 1-inch deep ruts on the wet lawn. The X1300 left no visible tracks. His customer called to thank him for being careful.
3. Lower Towing Cost
You tow the X1300 mini skid steer with your existing work truck. You do not need a one-ton diesel. You do not need a gooseneck trailer. You do not need a CDL.
The machine weighs 2,450 pounds. A 10-foot utility trailer adds 1,000 pounds. Total tow weight is 3,450 pounds. A half-ton pickup handles this weight easily.
You save money by not buying a new tow rig. That savings buys attachments. That savings buys another machine.
4. The Kubota D1105 Engine
The X1300 mini skid steer runs on a Kubota D1105 diesel engine. This is a 1.1-liter, 3-cylinder engine. It produces 24.8 horsepower. Kubota builds this engine for compact tractors, excavators, and skid steers.
The D1105 has a reputation for reliability. Rental yards report 8,000 to 10,000 hours before major engine work. A replacement engine costs $3,200. Many contractors never need one.
Fuel consumption runs 0.4 to 0.6 gallons per hour. A full tank holds 6 gallons. You work a full 10-hour day on one tank. Heavy digging pushes consumption to 0.8 gallons per hour. You still finish the day without refueling.
4 per gallon for diesel, your daily fuel cost is 2.40 to $3.20.
The engine starts in cold weather. The D1105 uses glow plugs to heat the cylinders. Turn the key to the glow position for 5 seconds. Start the engine. It fires immediately at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. You do not need a block heater until temperatures drop below 10 degrees.
5. What Contractors Do With the X1300 Mini Skid Steer
Here are the specific jobs contractors use this machine for every day.
Fence installation. Dig post holes with an auger attachment. One person drills 50 holes in a morning. Set posts. Pour concrete. Move to the next section. A two-person crew finishes 500 feet of fence per day.
Landscape grading. Level dirt for a new lawn. Spread topsoil across a backyard. Grade around trees and flower beds. The lightweight does not compact the soil. Plants grow better.
Sod installation. Move pallets of sod from the driveway to the backyard. Lay each roll exactly where it goes. One person does the work of three people with wheelbarrows.
Tree and brush removal. Pick up limbs with a grapple attachment. Move logs to the chipper. Load debris into a trailer. No hand lifting. No sore backs.
Irrigation and drainage. Dig trenches for pipes with a trencher attachment. Work between existing trees and shrubs. The machine fits where a full-size trencher does not.
Concrete work. Pour small driveways and patios. Load mud from the mixer into the bucket. Drive to the forms. Dump exactly where needed. No wheelbarrows. No shovels.
Snow removal. Clear sidewalks and driveways with a sweeper or dozer blade. Work after hours in residential areas. The lightweight does not damage concrete or asphalt.
Indoor demolition. Roll through a standard door. Break a bathroom floor with a breaker attachment. Scoop debris with a bucket. Load into a dumpster outside. One machine does the work of five men.
Pool installation. Dig the rough shape for a new pool. Remove dirt from the backyard through a narrow gate. Grade the bottom of the hole. The machine fits where a full-size excavator cannot go.
Hardscape installation. Move pavers one layer at a time. Spread a gravel base for a patio. Carry wall blocks to the edge of a flower bed. The machine saves your crew from carrying each piece by hand.
6. Why Contractors Prefer the X1300 mini Skid Steer Over Heavier Machines
I asked contractors why they chose the X1300 mini skid steer. Here are their reasons. Reason 1. It fits through 48-inch gates. Most backyard gates are 48 inches wide. The X1300 passes through easily. Heavier machines are 52 to 60 inches wide. They do not fit. You leave the machine on the trailer and work by hand.
Reason 2. It does not tear up lawns. A heavy machine leaves ruts. The X1300 mini skid steer floats over soft ground. Your customer does not pay for lawn repair. Your customer calls you back for the next job.
Reason 3. It loads into a pickup truck. Remove the tracks. Roll the machine up a ramp into a truck bed. You do not need a trailer for short trips. You move between jobs faster.
Reason 4. It runs on low fuel. A full tank costs
That runs the machine for 40to60 hours.A heavy mini skid steer burns 1to1.5 gallons per hour. The X1300 saves you 15 to $25 per day in fuel.
Reason 5. It costs less to maintain. Tracks for the X1300 cost
900to1,200 per set. Tracks for a 3,500-pound machine cost
1,800to2,500. Oil changes use less oil. Hydraulic hoses are shorter and cheaper.
Reason 6. One person operates it. You step on the platform and go. No helper needed. No second person to watch the tail swing. No spotter for backing up.
Reason 7. It maneuvers in tight spaces. The machine spins in its own length. You turn around a single tree. You work in a 10-foot-wide alley. You back out of a basement without three-point turns.
7. Maintenance Schedule for Contractors
Do this work on time. The X1300 mini skid steer rewards regular maintenance.
Every 20 hours. Grease the loader arm fittings. There are 6 fittings. Two on the main pivot. Two on the lift cylinder pins. Two on the bucket linkage. Use a hand grease gun. Pump until old grease pushes out.
Every 50 hours. Check track tension. Measure sag between the track and the bottom roller. Spec is 1 to 1.5 inches. Adjust with the bolt tensioner. Clean the radiator and oil cooler fins with compressed air.
Every 250 hours. Change engine oil. The D1105 takes 3.7 quarts of 15W40 diesel oil. Change the oil filter. Kubota part number 16241-32013. Cost is $12.
Every 500 hours. Change the hydraulic return filter. Kubota part number 32421-38460. Cost is $35. Check all hydraulic hoses for chafing. Replace any hose with rubber wear.
Every 1,000 hours. Change hydraulic oil. System holds 5 gallons of 10W40 hydraulic oil. Check the drive belt for cracks. Replace if worn.
Track life runs 800 to 1,200 hours on normal ground. Soft dirt and grass give longer life. Concrete and asphalt cut life in half. Replace both tracks as a set.
8. Who Should Buy the X1300
Buy the X1300 if you work on residential properties. Lawns. Landscaping. Backyards. Side yards. The lightweight protects customer property.
Buy the X1300 if you tow with a half-ton pickup. You do not need a heavy-duty diesel. Your current truck handles the X1300.
Buy the X1300 if you want low operating costs. Fuel is
3perday.Trackslast1,000hours.Oilchanges cost40. The Kubota engine runs for years.
Buy the X1300 if you work alone. The machine replaces one or two laborers. You load. You dig. You move material. You do it yourself.
Buy the X1300 if you go through the gates. Measure your most common access point. If it is 48 inches or wider, the X1300 fits.
9. Who Should Skip the X1300 Mini Skid Steer
Skip the X1300 if you lift heavy pallets. The machine lifts 800 pounds. A pallet of block weighs 2,500 pounds. The X1300 cannot handle it.
Skip the X1300 if you load dump trucks all day. The vertical lift reaches 72 inches. That clears a standard pickup bed. That does not clear a high-side dump truck.
Skip the X1300 if you work on open commercial sites. A larger mini skid steer moves faster and lifts more. The weight advantage does not matter on open ground.
10. Your Next Move
Find a TYPHON X1300 mini Skid Steer dealer near you. Ask for a demo of the X1300. Test it on your own jobs. Dig a trench. Move a pile of dirt. Load your trailer. See the difference light weight makes.
The X1300 is not the biggest mini skid steer. It is not the most powerful. It is the lightest in its class. That lightweight saves your lawn. That lightweight saves your tow rig. That lightweight saves your back.
Contractors choose the X1300 because it fits where other machines do not. It works where other machines fail. It earns money faster than heavier machines.
Get the X1300. Get through the gate. Get the job done. Get home earlier.
