“From World First to World Leader”

At the time, excavators were predominantly large machines. In small-scale construction projects, such as roadwork in urban areas and residential foundation work, workers often had to rely on manual labor using shovels and pickaxes because large excavators could not access the sites.

One day, Takeuchi received a request from someone involved in residential foundation work: “Could you develop a compact, highly maneuverable excavator that could be used in tight spaces where large excavators could not fit?” This was a major turning point in his life.

“The concept was already in my head. All I needed to do was swing the shovel and make the entire machine slew,” Takeuchi later recalled.

After a process of trial and error, the world’s first 360-degree slew compact excavator, the TB1000, was completed in 1971.

To achieve 360-degree slewing, the machine was equipped with a slewing bearing. The idea was inspired by slewing bearings used at the time to drive parabolic antennas. A U.S.-made hydraulic travel motor was also adopted. The motor had originally been used in airport baggage handling equipment.

When the TB1000 was unveiled, some people made fun of the unprecedented compact excavator, saying, “It looks like a toy! Are you going to display it in your living room?”

However, the small yet highly efficient compact excavator received an overwhelmingly positive response from civil engineering professionals, and word of its outstanding maneuverability spread rapidly. Driven by growing demand for small-scale construction in urban areas, the TB1000 became so popular that production could not keep up with demand for a time.

Takeuchi took its first step as a construction equipment manufacturer. As urban development progressed, demand for compact excavators continued to grow, and everything seemed to be moving smoothly. However, the company soon faced a major challenge: the lack of an established sales network.

Entering the construction equipment market without a distribution network was no easy task. No matter how good the products were, they could not reach customers without the right sales channels and partners.

Takeuchi therefore decided to focus first on manufacturing and entered into OEM agreements with established construction equipment manufacturers.

Takeuchi machines became widely used throughout Japan through the established sales networks of these manufacturers. However, because the machines were sold under other brands, recognition of the Takeuchi brand itself did not grow.

Recognizing the limitations of the domestic market, Takeuchi thought, “The Japanese market is dominated by established construction equipment manufacturers with well-established sales networks. We should look overseas, where the compact excavator market is still largely undeveloped.”

This marked the beginning of Takeuchi’s overseas expansion.

In 1978, Takeuchi began exporting machines under its own brand. Initially, exports were handled through trading companies, but in 1979, the company established a subsidiary in the United States and shifted to direct sales. Takeuchi believed that communicating directly with local customers would provide a deeper understanding of their needs and valuable insights for improving Takeuchi’s products.

Responding to requests from European customers, Takeuchi developed and launched its first crawler dumper, the “TCR50.”

At that time, the mainstream crawler dumpers used an “upper-structure swing system,” in which the cab and vessel (dump bed) rotated together. In contrast, the TCR50 was the world’s first crawler dumper to adopt a “vessel swing system.” By keeping the cab fixed and allowing only the vessel to rotate, the system reduced the turning radius and enabled the operator to smoothly change the direction of the vessel even in confined spaces.

In addition, because the operator could focus on adjusting the orientation of the vessel, the system also contributed to improved operability and safety.

This innovative design later became a standard mechanism for crawler dumpers. The TCR50 stands as a symbol of how a “World’s First” technology developed by Takeuchi evolved into a new industry standard.

In the mid-2000s, environmental awareness was rising worldwide, and efforts toward “zero emissions” and “low noise” operation were beginning to be required in the construction industry. In Europe in particular, regulations on exhaust emissions at urban and indoor worksites were being tightened, and interest in the electrification of construction equipment was rapidly growing.

In response to these changing times, Takeuchi developed the world’s first excavator equipped with a lithium-ion battery, the “TB016E.” In 2006, the model was exhibited at INTERMAT, an international trade show held in Paris, France.

The TB016E was developed as a prototype by replacing the diesel engine of a 1.6-ton-class excavator with an electric motor and equipping it with a lithium-ion battery. Its zero-emission operation, producing no exhaust gases, and its exceptionally quiet and clean operating performance were groundbreaking technologies at the time, making it a pioneering effort in the electrification of construction equipment.

Takeuchi’s commitment to electrification continued with the “TB117e” in 2010, which was exhibited at CONEXPO, an international trade show held in the United States, in 2011, leading to the global launch of the “TB20e” in 2023.

In the early 2020s, demand for compact short tail swing excavators that could operate efficiently while minimizing rear overhang steadily increased, driven in part by the expansion of the rental market.

To meet this growing demand, Takeuchi expanded its short tail swing excavator lineup and introduced the “TB325R,” “TB335R,” and “TB350R” to global markets.

Takeuchi’s short tail swing excavators combine a compact size with excellent stability, delivering top-class performance among short tail swing machines in the same class. Despite their compact size, these models maintain uncompromised performance, offering a wide working range and excellent power. They deliver high productivity and reliability even throughout a full day of operation.

These models were developed based on existing conventional models in the same class. Fitting all the components into a more limited space while maintaining the performance of the existing models was a major challenge.

However, drawing on decades of experience and expertise in compact excavator development, Takeuchi successfully expanded its short tail swing lineup and established the R Series through its unique technology and ideas.