SHOOTOUT - Skidsteer Vs Mini Excavator

[john_bud]

Yeah, a mini-ex is great for digging holes and trenches. Everything else, it is not good at.

Have you priced the undercarriage? May help you to decide. Some are VERY expensive.

jb

 

[Matt_Jr]

With 6 acres and a $7500 budget I believe you would be much better off trading your tractor for one with a FEL and backhoe.

MarkV

I think MarkV hit the nail right on the head.

 

[JDeereman]

I think MarkV hit the nail right on the head.

If he could do this (trade his yanmar plus $7500) and end up with a fully loaded tlb that met all of his stated needs, i'd say you guys were right. i just don't see it happening. not for that money. bang for the buck has still got to be with the used skid steer loader maybe with a backhoe attachment as pointed out by tractorman99.

Theo

 

[Doug_D]

I bought a backhoe last year for $4000. It痴 an old AC model and leaks, but it will dig a hole and move material (10,000 pounds). For $7500 I think you may be amazed at what you can get if you dig a little on eBay and craigslist. Nothing I would do commercial work with, but jacking around on the farm yes. When you get bored with it, you can sell it pretty easy.

Just my 2 cents.

Then again, I had a friend leave a CAT 318 trackhoe at my house for a couple months while he was working in the area (40,000 pounds). That was a blast! Best tool I have ever used to take out trees

 

[woodlandfarms]

There are so many cool skid attachments to me it seems the way to go. I know you don't have the cash upfront, but down the road you can get trenchers, post hole diggers, backhoes. And I think you can rent attachments as well. Skid seems to be the answer to me.

 

[AndyMA]

If you need to do much digging a backhoe on either a tractor or a skidsteer is no match for an excavator. If you havem't run an excavator you might think so but spend a few minutes on an excavator and you'll never look back.

Andy

 

[crashz]

Hard clay huh?

Sounds like grading will be a priority. Which is probably best done with a box blade or rear blade on your tractor. I can fine grade much better with the reaer blade on my tractor than I can with any loader, and the old skidsteer that we used to have.

It sounds as if you should put a loader on your tractor for moving light, loose material and a box blade to grade and loosen up the hard clay. The skidsteer will dig in clay, but not easily. And not without teath on the bucket.

The mini excavator will dig on clay just fine. One note, If you unload your pick truck with a mini excavator, put some sheets of ply wood down prior to loading the truck. The bucket teeth do nasty things to a pickup bed.

 

[ctown75]

He can't trade his current tractor he needs it for when he gets his 2wd truck stuck.

Ain't that right DFO????

LOL

 

[Botabill]

With 6 acres and a $7500 budget I believe you would be much better off trading your tractor for one with a FEL and backhoe. I think the budget may be on the short end for even that. In my area $7500 for a skid or mini isn稚 going to buy anything that isn稚 a problem. Your area may differ but repairs to either can be substantial.

MarkV

I've got a mini ex and tractor with FEL. The mini is pretty limited in uses but for me has enough use grubbing trees to keep it after my original big reason for purchasing. I agree with Mark that a tractor with a FEL and backhoe may serve your purposes better and may have served mine better as well but the ex is FUN. Oh yes... if you try to unload a pickup with a mini excavator you will find the excavator has ripped through the truck box with one sneeze.

 

[AKfish]

I rented a Bobcat 435 ZTS (~10K lbs) last year and this year have upgraded to a Komatsu U138 (~32K lbs). Monster tree killer!!

Have used skid-steers over the years, too. Case and Bobcat.

I'd go with the suggestion to upgrade your tractor - given your finances and the size of your farm.

Either buy a FEL and box blade for your current tractor or sell your tractor and use the $7,500 to move up to a larger TLB.

AKfish