What to buy?

[Egon]

Think I'd go for a small used commercial TLB which will do the work in reasonable time and give you reasonable reach and depth. It may also allow you to work with just the dipper which really speeds things up.

I've always considered the skid steers are perfect for working on hard surfaces moving loose material in confined areas.

 

[Soundguy]

I will say one thing.. adding to what Egon is hinting at. If you are on dirt.. a skid steer on wheels can become useless real quick. Tracks are way better.

The GC I work for uses a skid steer every now and then when we make building pads for industrial complexes.. and the wheeled skid steers bog down waaaaaaaaaaaaay to easilly in anything but hard packed rock/soil.. or other firm ground. In material that has been excavated, and spread, and rolled... they make ruts and sink fast due to lower cround clearance.. and higher ground pressure due to decreased surface area when compaired to the tracked skid steers.. which, on the other hand.. are pretty good at floating over stuff that even some larger dozers can't.. due to there realitively low ground pressure and overall weight.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[BarryinMN]

Well, a tracked skid steer with 200 hours runs $38K. Deere 332.

If your budget is $10K then a TLB like a Case 580 or equivalent, Allis Chalmers 615/715 etc. Keeps your budget intact and digs to the 14' class. My 36 year old AC615 weighs 8K lbs, trailering is not bad but it stretches 25' long with buckets down. I've always been able to pick up the tractor on the backhoe to get itself unstuck.

A small trackhoe is much more manuverable in tight quarters.

How about a dozer backhoe? This thing will shape your ground and dig holes when necessary You already have a loader tractor so lifting loose soil is no problem. The second tractor can be hitched to a dump wagon to relocate dirt.

 

[weesa20]

I used a Kubota B21 to dig out some good sized loblolly pines today. i rente dit to see how it would work and I wish I had gone with a mini-excavtor instead (the bobcat 331 was $60 more) I think the mini-hoe would dig circles around the TLB and be much more efficient.

My vote is for either a full-sized used backhoe (Case 580 or equal) or mini-hoe.

W

 

[barticus73]

Think I'd go for a small used commercial TLB which will do the work in reasonable time and give you reasonable reach and depth. It may also allow you to work with just the dipper which really speeds things up.

I've always considered the skid steers are perfect for working on hard surfaces moving loose material in confined areas.

Do you guys have some mdel numbers to look for as far as 'smaller' commercial TLB's? What do you guys think about ones like the Bobcat B100/ B250's? Terramites T5C's look like toys to me. What others?

 

[Egon]

I don't have model numbers but of the older ones the case was probably the most popular. Think I would stick to case or John deere after a talk with a dealers service manger considering parts and what had a tendancy to fail.

If it's newer than old it is out of my time frame.