Takeuchi

Takeuchi TL12V2

$95,000before options, dealer-quotedVertical LiftRubber tracks
Takeuchi TL12V2
Rated capacity of tipping load35%
4,110 lb rated11,740 lb tipping

The bright segment is what Takeuchi TL12V2 is rated to carry; the grey run past it is the rest of its tipping load. Bar length is tipping load drawn to the same scale on every machine on the site, so a short bar is a smaller machine and not a conservative rating.

111 hp of Kubota diesel drives the Takeuchi TL12V2, a large-frame vertical-lift compact track loader. It's one of the highest-capacity CTLs available, prized for its lift performance, durability, and value from the CTL pioneer.

Suits: Maximum lift capacity and durability in a CTL, for heavy-duty crews Its vertical lift path reaches highest at full extension, for loading high-sided trucks and stacking.

Lifting and reach

Rated operating capacityTrack loader rating convention
4,110 lbs
Tipping load
11,740 lbs
Lift height to hinge pin
129.9 in
Lift path
Vertical Lift
Operating weight
13,195 lbs

Power and hydraulics

Engine power
111 hp
Engine
Kubota V3800-TIEF4B
Auxiliary flowStandard circuit
23.2 GPM
Flow type
Standard
Warranty
2 yr / 2,000 hr

Fitted or available

What this machine can be ordered with. Some of these are standard and some cost extra, and which is which moves between trim levels, so check them against the quote rather than against this list.

Vertical LiftHigh-FlowEnclosed CabTwo-SpeedSelf-LevelingA/C & HeatTracksA/C

What owners report

Summarised from the sources listed below. Nothing here was tested by us.

Load and carry is what this machine was built to do. Takeuchi's first vertical-lift track loader was, at launch, the largest vertical-lift machine in the industry, and the geometry change was worth roughly 45 percent more operating capacity than the radial TL12 it came from. Owners use it for truck loading, pallet and pipe handling, aggregate work and site prep, and they talk about it as a machine that out-muscles its price bracket rather than one that feels like a bargain.

The day-to-day experience splits cleanly into good hardware and a troublesome emissions system. The cab is genuinely well equipped as standard - pressurised, air conditioned, roll-up door, suspension seat, 5.7 in display with a rearview camera - and the undercarriage was lengthened with a contact pad between roller and track specifically for ride quality, riding on 17.7 in tracks at around 4.8 psi. Against that, the 111.3 hp Kubota carries both a particulate filter and a DEF tank, and owners report frequent DPF alarms, manual regenerations that will not complete, and shutdowns mid-burn that are awkward to recover from - made worse by a manual that will not let you force a regen the machine has not asked for, and by dealers who lean on the engine maker to diagnose it. Undercarriage is the other recurring cost, with tension checks wanted every shift and track life realistically somewhere between 800 and 2,000 hours depending on how abrasive your ground is.

Contractors whose daily work is moving heavy material up high are the target - loading trucks, feeding hoppers, setting pipe and pallets - and who can support a 13,000 lb machine on a trailer and in a yard. On price it generally undercuts a comparably specified Cat or Bobcat at the top of the class. Before signing, order the high-flow circuit if a mulcher is anywhere in your plans because it is not a retrofit, ask the dealer directly how they handle regeneration faults and how quickly, and if your work is really digging and prying rather than carrying, price the radial TL12R2 - it costs less and breaks out harder.

What owners like

  • 4,110 lb of rated capacity is stated on the conservative 35 percent of tipping load basis that most of the industry uses, so it compares directly against a Bobcat, Cat, Deere or Kubota number with no conversion - and it is near the top of the class on that honest basis rather than a flattering one.
  • The vertical arm was worth roughly 45 percent more operating capacity than the radial TL12 it was developed from, which is an unusually large gain for a geometry change and explains why load-and-carry crews moved to it.
  • A 10 ft 10 in hinge pin and 8 ft 1 in dump height put material over the side of a tandem truck or into a hopper without first building a ramp of spoil to drive up.
  • An 11,737 lb tipping load is what the capacity figure actually rests on, and it is what keeps the machine planted rather than light on the heels when craning a heavy load out at full height.
  • 17.7 in tracks put roughly 4.8 psi on the ground under a machine of this weight, so it stays usable on soft ground where a wheeled loader of similar capacity would be parked.
  • The cab is properly equipped as standard rather than as an option package - pressurised, with a roll-up door, air conditioning, heat, defrost, a wiper, a suspension seat and a 5.7 in colour display with a rearview camera.
  • Full-load raise cycle is 4.0 seconds, which is brisk for a 13,000 lb machine and is the difference between keeping up with a truck and holding it up.

What owners complain about

  • Breakout is the machine's soft spot. Lift arm breakout is 7,109 lb and bucket breakout 7,874 lb, and the cheaper radial TL12R2 beats it on both counts at 8,075 lb and 8,210 lb. The vertical geometry buys carrying and reach, and it pays for them in prying force.
  • Owners report recurring trouble with the particulate filter: frequent DPF alarms, manual regeneration attempts that fail, and machines shutting down during an automatic burn cycle and then proving difficult to restart. The operator manual also restricts forcing a manual regen unless the machine has asked for one, which removes the obvious workaround.
  • When those faults appear, dealers have been slow to resolve them because diagnosis leans on the engine manufacturer rather than sitting entirely with Takeuchi - so downtime is a support problem as much as a parts problem.
  • The 40.4 gpm high-flow circuit that makes it a mulcher carrier is an option. Standard flow is 23.2 gpm at 3,481 psi, which is ordinary for the class, so a machine bought without the option cannot be upgraded into one later in any practical way.
  • Undercarriage dominates the running cost. Takeuchi's own guidance is to check track tension at the start of every shift or every ten hours and to loosen it as packing conditions worsen, and the industry range it cites runs from roughly 800 to 1,200 hours in hard rental duty up to 1,600 to 2,000 hours for contractors doing earthwork only.
  • At 12,865 lb bare and over 13,000 lb with a cab and a bucket it is a one-ton truck and a heavy trailer, and burning around 3.8 gal/hr at 65 percent load from a 32.7 gal tank means fuel is a real line item rather than a rounding error.

Drawn from takeuchi-us.com, kirby-smith.com, compactequip.com, skidsteerforum.com, certegmachinery.com.

What buyers ask

Is the 4,110 lb rating comparable to other brands?
Yes, directly. Takeuchi states rated operating capacity on the conservative basis - 35 percent of a tipping load of 11,737 lb - which is the same convention Bobcat, Caterpillar, John Deere, Kubota and most others use for track loaders. So this number can be set against theirs with no adjustment. Takeuchi also publishes the 50 percent figure of 5,868 lb, but that is not the number to compare across brands.
How bad are the DPF and regeneration problems really?
They are the most consistent ownership complaint on this machine. Owners describe repeated DPF alarms, manual regenerations that fail to complete, and machines that shut down partway through an automatic burn and are then hard to restart. Compounding it, the operator manual does not allow forcing a manual regen unless the machine requests one. Ask any dealer how many of these they have fixed and how long it took before you commit.
Do I need the high-flow hydraulics?
Only if you are running a mulcher, a large cold planer or a similar continuous-duty attachment - and if you are, you must order it, because the 40.4 gpm circuit is not a practical retrofit. Standard flow is 23.2 gpm at 3,481 psi, which runs buckets, forks, augers, grapples and most brush cutters perfectly well. Getting this wrong is corrected by trading the machine rather than upgrading it.
How long do the tracks and undercarriage last?
Takeuchi's own guidance points at roughly 800 to 1,200 hours in hard rental service and 1,600 to 2,000 hours for contractors doing earthwork only, with abrasive or muddy ground pulling you toward the low end. The biggest controllable factors are track tension - checked at the start of every shift or every ten hours, and loosened as packing conditions worsen - along with wider turns, controlled slippage and daily cleaning.
Should I buy this or the radial TL12R2?
Carrying versus digging, and it is a sharper split than the price difference suggests. This machine is rated 4,110 lb against 2,975 lb and reaches higher, so it is the truck loader. The TL12R2 breaks out harder at both the bucket and the lift arm, has fewer pivots in the boom, and costs less, so it is the digging and mulching machine. They share the same engine, the same 23.2 gpm standard flow and the same 40.4 gpm high-flow option.
What truck and trailer do I need?
Plan on a one-ton truck and a heavy trailer. Takeuchi lists 12,865 lb for the machine, and dealer specifications put it between roughly 12,700 lb with a canopy and 13,040 lb with a cab before you add a bucket, forks or a grapple. With attachments aboard you are realistically into gooseneck territory, and that transport cost is a genuine part of owning a machine this size rather than an afterthought.

Put the Takeuchi TL12V2 against

Bobcat T76-2Cat 265John Deere 331 P-Tier

Machines in the same range

The rest of the Takeuchi line
Takeuchi TL11R3

Takeuchi

Takeuchi TL11R3

$92,000

Radial Lift · rubber tracks
2,735 lb rated35% of 7,825 lb
Engine
107 hp
Aux flow
23.1 GPM
Weight
11,980 lbs

First of Takeuchi's new 3 Series track loaders, the TL11R3 is also the company's first with electric-over-hydraulic joystick controls. The 107.3 hp Kubota turbo-diesel drives a radial-lift boom rated at 2,735 lbs, with up to 40 GPM of high-flow auxiliary hydraulics for mulchers and planers. The EH system switches between ISO and H patterns, adds electronic self-leveling and adjustable sensitivity, and an 8-inch touchscreen with standard 270-degree rearview camera anchors a redesigned quiet cab. Takeuchi Fleet Management telematics comes standard for five years.

Full sheet & owner reports
Takeuchi TL12R2

Takeuchi

Takeuchi TL12R2

$88,000

Radial Lift · rubber tracks
2,975 lb rated35% of 8,630 lb
Engine
111 hp
Aux flow
23.3 GPM
Weight
12,590 lbs

Land clearing, forestry mulching, and hard digging are what the radial-lift version of Takeuchi's large-frame track loader is built for, rather than truck loading. The TL12R2's 111.3 hp Kubota V3800 turbo-diesel feeds an available 40.4 GPM high-flow circuit, bucket breakout tops 8,200 lbs, and the heavy 12,590 lb frame with Takeuchi's stout undercarriage keeps it planted on slopes. Where the vertical-lift TL12V2 chases lift capacity, the R2 trades reach at height for a simpler, stronger boom that attacks the ground.

Full sheet & owner reports
Takeuchi TL10V2

Takeuchi

Takeuchi TL10V2

$78,000

Vertical Lift · rubber tracks
2,525 lb rated35% of 7,210 lb
Engine
74 hp
Aux flow
18.8 GPM
Weight
10,270 lbs

Built heavy at over 10,000 lbs with a 74.3 hp Kubota diesel, the Takeuchi TL10V2 is a mid-frame vertical-lift compact track loader from the company that invented the CTL. It sits between the TL8 and TL12V2 for contractors who prize Takeuchi's tank-like construction and undercarriage.

Full sheet & owner reports