Description

What the U35-4 Brings to the Job

10.8 ft Dig Depth The U35-4 reaches approximately 10.8 ft of maximum dig depth — enough to clear New Hampshire's 4 ft frost line with significant margin for water, sewer, electrical, and drainage installations. That reach in a machine under 9,000 lbs is what makes the U35-4 useful on residential jobs where a mini excavator runs out of depth before the trench is finished.

Zero Tail Swing Design Kubota built the U35-4 with a zero tail swing configuration, keeping the counterweight within the track width during full rotation. Working alongside a foundation wall, fence line, or in a tight utility corridor without repositioning is a real operational advantage — on a constrained residential lot, it's often what makes the job possible at all.

4.5 Tons of Pulling Force At 8,996 lbs, the U35-4 has enough machine weight to push through compacted soil, heavy clay, and moderate root systems that a mini excavator can't move efficiently. The step up in breakout force from the 2-ton class is noticeable on any job where soil conditions aren't clean sand or loam.

Enclosed Cab with Heat The U35-4 runs a full enclosed cab with heat, keeping operators protected from wind, rain, and cold across New Hampshire's long shoulder seasons. A sealed cab on a machine this size is not universal in the compact class — it's a meaningful comfort and productivity advantage on any job running into fall or starting in early spring.

Auxiliary Hydraulics Standard auxiliary hydraulic lines at the arm support thumbs, augers, and hydraulic breakers without modification. At 4.5 tons, the machine has enough weight to back a breaker up on fractured ledge and shallow hard material — ask our counter staff which attachments are available at your pickup location.

Standard Trailer Transport At 8,996 lbs, the U35-4 hauls on a standard bumper-pull or equipment trailer rated for the weight class — no lowboy required on most setups, and no oversize permits needed on New Hampshire roads. That transport simplicity makes it one of the most practical machines in the compact class for contractors who handle their own haul.

The Kubota U35-4 fills a specific and useful gap in the excavator lineup — heavier than a mini, lighter than a mid-size, and built to handle the residential and light commercial work that falls between those two categories. At 8,996 lbs and 4.5 tons, it has the breakout force and dig depth to finish jobs that a 2-ton mini excavator starts and struggles to complete, while staying light enough to haul on equipment trailers that most contractors already own and park on job sites where ground conditions make a heavier machine a liability. For the kind of work that comes up constantly on New Hampshire residential lots — foundation cuts, deep utility runs, drainage installs, landscaping with real soil challenges — the U35-4 is often the most practical machine in the lineup.

Kubota built the U35-4 around a direct-injection diesel engine matched to the machine's compact frame, producing enough hydraulic flow to run auxiliary attachments — thumbs, augers, hydraulic breakers — without bogging under load. The maximum dig depth of approximately 10.8 ft puts it well past New Hampshire's 4 ft frost line for water, sewer, and electrical installations, and it handles most residential foundation requirements without needing a larger machine on site. The zero tail swing configuration keeps the counterweight inside the track width during rotation, which makes the U35-4 genuinely usable in tight residential backyards, narrow utility corridors, and sites where a machine with rear overhang would create as many problems as it solves. The enclosed cab with heat is a practical feature in a size class where open ROPS canopies are still common — it keeps operators productive on the variable weather days that make up most of the New Hampshire excavation season outside of peak summer.

The controls follow Kubota's standard pilot-hydraulic layout, consistent with the rest of their compact line — operators with time on other Kubota machines will be comfortable on the U35-4 from the first hour. Rubber tracks keep ground pressure low and protect finished surfaces, which matters on residential jobs where the lawn or driveway that gets torn up during excavation is the homeowner's problem to fix afterward. At 4.5 tons, the machine still leaves impressions on saturated spring ground, so it's worth a conversation with our counter staff if your site has soft ground concerns early in the season.

Contractors and homeowners renting the U35-4 at our New Hampshire locations are typically working on jobs that a mini excavator can't finish efficiently: residential foundation excavation on tight lots, septic system installation and repair, deep utility trenching on properties where soil conditions are tougher than expected, and landscaping projects involving significant grading, boulder work, or pond installation. It's also a common rental for tree and land clearing work where stump and root removal requires more pulling force than a mini can deliver. Our team sees the U35-4 come up regularly on Lakes Region job sites — the combination of tight residential lots, glacial till subsoil, and the frequent need to work around existing structures makes this size class one of the most requested at the counter.

In central and northern New Hampshire, soil conditions are unpredictable enough that having the right size machine matters more than it might in other regions. Sandy loam near the river valleys gives way to compacted glacial till and ledge on the hillsides, and a mini excavator that works fine on one part of a property can hit material it can't move efficiently twenty feet away. The U35-4 handles that range without requiring the transport coordination and day rate of a mid-size machine. For general excavator and backhoe rental needs across New Hampshire, the U35-4 is the right answer when the job has outgrown the mini class but the site and budget don't call for stepping up to 6 tons and above.

Before pickup, a few things to know: diesel only, and the U35-4 is fuel-efficient enough that most full-day jobs run comfortably on a single tank. Transport is straightforward — a bumper-pull or equipment trailer rated for the weight handles it, no lowboy required, and no oversize permits needed on standard NH road routes. If the job involves backfill compaction after excavation, we can pair the U35-4 rental with a jumping jack or plate compactor from our compaction and asphalt equipment lineup. Our best price guarantee covers the U35-4 across all five locations, and contractors doing regular residential work in New Hampshire should look at a charge account to keep rental billing organized across multiple jobs. Not sure if the U35-4 is the right size or whether your job needs more machine? Call us — our staff will give you a straight answer on whether to step up, step down, or book exactly what you're looking at.

Specifications

The U35-4 hauls on a standard bumper-pull or equipment trailer rated for its 8,996 lb operating weight — no lowboy or oversize permits required on standard New Hampshire road routes. Confirm your trailer's rated capacity before loading.

What It Gets Used For

• Residential foundation excavation and footing work on tight-access lots
• Septic system installation, repair, and tank access excavation
• Deep utility trenching for water, sewer, and electrical below the 4 ft frost line
• Stump and root system removal on residential and light land clearing jobs
• Pond installation, drainage grading, and retaining wall excavation
• Landscaping projects involving grading, boulder placement, or significant soil relocation

Questions Renters Actually Ask

What's the difference between the U35-4 and the E20 — how do I know which one to rent? The Kubota U35-4 weighs 8,996 lbs versus the Bobcat E20's approximately 4,300 lbs — nearly double the machine weight, which translates directly to more breakout force, more dig depth, and the ability to push through tougher material. The U35-4 reaches approximately 10.8 ft versus the E20's 8.5 ft, and it handles compacted glacial till, heavy clay, and root-dense soil that slows a mini to a crawl. If your job is a straightforward residential trench on clean soil under 8 ft, the E20 is easier to haul and costs less per day. If you're hitting tough material, need more depth, or the job has grown beyond what a mini can finish in a reasonable timeframe, step up to the U35-4.

Do I need a lowboy or special trailer to haul the U35-4? No lowboy is required — the U35-4 weighs 8,996 lbs, which puts it within the range of a heavy-duty bumper-pull equipment trailer rated for 10,000 to 14,000 lbs GVW with proper loading ramps. No oversize load permits are required on standard New Hampshire road routes at this weight class. Make sure your trailer is rated at or above the machine's operating weight before you load it — if you're unsure, call us before pickup and we'll confirm whether your setup is adequate.

Can the U35-4 handle ledge, or do I need a bigger machine for hard material? The U35-4 can work around fractured and shallow ledge, and with a hydraulic breaker attachment it handles moderately hard material more effectively than a mini excavator. At 4.5 tons, it has enough machine weight to back a breaker up on fractured granite and hard clay — solid continuous ledge will slow it down compared to a mid-size machine, but for the ledge conditions that show up on typical central New Hampshire residential sites, it does the work. We carry compatible hydraulic breaker attachments at several NorthPoint locations — call ahead to confirm availability and we'll have it staged for your rental date.

Kubota U35-4 Instructional Video