I am cosidering buying a mini excavator to use around my lot. I want to make some trails and I would like to put in a barn and some pasture area for 2 to 3 cows. I would be able to trade fire wood and posts to a farmer next door for hay. I currently work in the woods for a living. I am considering working in the woods for myself soon because I have a good portion of woods. That would make the excavator more usful for me too. What are the better brands to look at and would I be better off buying used to save a little money?
Mini Excavator
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Thomas
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How big of a wood lot are you talking about?
Excavator are handy but also limited plus time in getting job done compare to a backhoe with a front end loader.
I yet to know of anyone who uses a excavator just for farm use other than a contractor.
I'm interested in why you consider excavator over a tractor with a backhoe plus a front end loader.
I believe Kubota makes to small excavators and one is a mini model.also there another company call Bobcat.. $$$ /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif to much for my check book to handle. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
I wish you luck and your new purchase shall arrive soon.
Take care and stay /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Thomas..NH
Excavator are handy but also limited plus time in getting job done compare to a backhoe with a front end loader.
I yet to know of anyone who uses a excavator just for farm use other than a contractor.
I'm interested in why you consider excavator over a tractor with a backhoe plus a front end loader.
I believe Kubota makes to small excavators and one is a mini model.also there another company call Bobcat.. $$$ /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif to much for my check book to handle. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
I wish you luck and your new purchase shall arrive soon.
Take care and stay /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Thomas..NH
Anonymous Poster
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I've spent some time looking at them. I have some property that has some places nothing on 4 tires will go (and come back). The L35 would be stuck and the BX you'd have to jump off of before the stack (rops) went under the waves (mud). Excavators are wonderful for their uses, can be unbelievably expensive to repair, especially if someone swings it into a solid object and damages the pivot mechanism.
Yes Kubota makes some nice ones, KX91 121 etc. There are a lot of excavators out there, used ones for sale. Many of these have been brought over from Japan. Although it isn't as bad as "grey market" Ag tractors parts wise, many of the excavators are different if not a US model. I looked at a Komatsu, local dealer said he can get parts fine if I find a parts manual, which he says will be in Japanese. I'm sure there are some heads-up dealers out there that have acquired the books themselves, but it can be a concern. I've heard contractors steer clear of them so resale may be a concern. Check with the dealer before buying on this. Most of the ones in my needed size 7K-9K lbs have rubber tracks, which I am a bit nervous about in the woods. New tracks can be $2K per side! They are used in Japan on the roads. Contractors here mainly use the little ones with rubber tracks for landscaping etc, can go over curbs etc and across lawns, where a steel track would throw up a rooster tail of sod and cement behind it. So resale might be a problem with a steel track machine. I have rented some bigger units 28K lbs. Once you see use one you'll see the benefits, being able to infinitely position the machine left right, back forward and swing the whole thing around it made me feel my tractor mounted backhoe was ridiculously imcompetent. Of course if you want to move dirt or go anywhere the excavators move at about 2mph top speed and that's a BOUNCY ride! They will go up a good incline, some have rather interesting hydraulic or manual parking locks even though the transmissions seem to be like an HST.
If you are daring, you might consider an auction, the biggest company that is running auctions all over the country is Ritchie Bros, last one I went to had literally hundreds of dozers, loaders, excavators 5000lb to 100,000+lbs. I've wondered though why someone would sell something at a no-reserve auction if the item is worth anything. I saw some big pieces of OPERATING equipment GO FOR PEANUTS. Of course I didn't go up on the runway and see what they left behind...oil, parts etc. I'm sure a lot of them are "mechanics specials."
The hoe on an excavator size for size is usually much stronger than an AG tractor when you compare the digging force specs, and they usually have much longer reach. Most of the small ones also have a unique feature in addition to the regular backhoe functions, the boom also swings separately from the "house" or the boom has a pivot in the middle. This allows you the benefits of the old "offset hoes" that you could get on tractors without the drawback of always having an offset hoe. You can dig a straight line towards you with the hoe all the way to the right or left of the machine. If you wanted to dig a rectangular hole 6 x 6 feet this is perfect for that, or digging along foundations or anywhere where clearance is tight.
You also want to get the drop down dozer blade. Although you aren't going to be doing much land clearing with it being a top heavy structure, and you don't want branches and stuff coming up at your face, the blade allows you to make a flat spot to sit and dig. These machines are sensitive to ground conditions and you'll do a lot less time rocking back and forth with a nice flat spot. Putting the blade down while digging also makes the unit much more stable. You can usually only get a drop down blade up to about an 18,000 machine.
A thumb runs $1500-$3000 and is again a great tool if you are doing any woods working. Some machines are already plumbed for the which can save $$$.
One of the first times I rented a bigger machine I wasn't as careful dressing up my working spot. I was ended up rocking back and forth on a tough old root from an old growth tree that had been cut 80 years ago. Didn't figure I'd be there that long so just went slower. I was redigging a ditch that I had previously dug with my backhoe. I was concerned about the sides of the ditch and dug sitting to one side of the ditch. In hind sight I probably should have straddled it or filled it in and started over (best).
Somehow those metal tracks found the root a bit slippery and when I swung the hoe back instead of the hoe coming back the excavator just moved sideways, dropping one track into the ditch. For a second there Mr. Macho was considering calling for his mommy. Probably normal operating angle for a professional. Too bad I didn't have a Tiltmeter in it, I would have enjoyed watching it swing over as I mentally calculated the repair costs to the machine as it took me on a fun ride.
I don't know which is better, a "tractor hoe" or a trackhoe. They both have uses and drawbacks. One fellow on this board has said he has an L35 a BX and KX121 or 161 I think. Well, I'm 2/3 of the way there!
This is a picture of a picture so my apologies for the quality.
http://www.oldcarparts.mygarage.com/images/excavator.jpg
Yes Kubota makes some nice ones, KX91 121 etc. There are a lot of excavators out there, used ones for sale. Many of these have been brought over from Japan. Although it isn't as bad as "grey market" Ag tractors parts wise, many of the excavators are different if not a US model. I looked at a Komatsu, local dealer said he can get parts fine if I find a parts manual, which he says will be in Japanese. I'm sure there are some heads-up dealers out there that have acquired the books themselves, but it can be a concern. I've heard contractors steer clear of them so resale may be a concern. Check with the dealer before buying on this. Most of the ones in my needed size 7K-9K lbs have rubber tracks, which I am a bit nervous about in the woods. New tracks can be $2K per side! They are used in Japan on the roads. Contractors here mainly use the little ones with rubber tracks for landscaping etc, can go over curbs etc and across lawns, where a steel track would throw up a rooster tail of sod and cement behind it. So resale might be a problem with a steel track machine. I have rented some bigger units 28K lbs. Once you see use one you'll see the benefits, being able to infinitely position the machine left right, back forward and swing the whole thing around it made me feel my tractor mounted backhoe was ridiculously imcompetent. Of course if you want to move dirt or go anywhere the excavators move at about 2mph top speed and that's a BOUNCY ride! They will go up a good incline, some have rather interesting hydraulic or manual parking locks even though the transmissions seem to be like an HST.
If you are daring, you might consider an auction, the biggest company that is running auctions all over the country is Ritchie Bros, last one I went to had literally hundreds of dozers, loaders, excavators 5000lb to 100,000+lbs. I've wondered though why someone would sell something at a no-reserve auction if the item is worth anything. I saw some big pieces of OPERATING equipment GO FOR PEANUTS. Of course I didn't go up on the runway and see what they left behind...oil, parts etc. I'm sure a lot of them are "mechanics specials."
The hoe on an excavator size for size is usually much stronger than an AG tractor when you compare the digging force specs, and they usually have much longer reach. Most of the small ones also have a unique feature in addition to the regular backhoe functions, the boom also swings separately from the "house" or the boom has a pivot in the middle. This allows you the benefits of the old "offset hoes" that you could get on tractors without the drawback of always having an offset hoe. You can dig a straight line towards you with the hoe all the way to the right or left of the machine. If you wanted to dig a rectangular hole 6 x 6 feet this is perfect for that, or digging along foundations or anywhere where clearance is tight.
You also want to get the drop down dozer blade. Although you aren't going to be doing much land clearing with it being a top heavy structure, and you don't want branches and stuff coming up at your face, the blade allows you to make a flat spot to sit and dig. These machines are sensitive to ground conditions and you'll do a lot less time rocking back and forth with a nice flat spot. Putting the blade down while digging also makes the unit much more stable. You can usually only get a drop down blade up to about an 18,000 machine.
A thumb runs $1500-$3000 and is again a great tool if you are doing any woods working. Some machines are already plumbed for the which can save $$$.
One of the first times I rented a bigger machine I wasn't as careful dressing up my working spot. I was ended up rocking back and forth on a tough old root from an old growth tree that had been cut 80 years ago. Didn't figure I'd be there that long so just went slower. I was redigging a ditch that I had previously dug with my backhoe. I was concerned about the sides of the ditch and dug sitting to one side of the ditch. In hind sight I probably should have straddled it or filled it in and started over (best).
Somehow those metal tracks found the root a bit slippery and when I swung the hoe back instead of the hoe coming back the excavator just moved sideways, dropping one track into the ditch. For a second there Mr. Macho was considering calling for his mommy. Probably normal operating angle for a professional. Too bad I didn't have a Tiltmeter in it, I would have enjoyed watching it swing over as I mentally calculated the repair costs to the machine as it took me on a fun ride.
I don't know which is better, a "tractor hoe" or a trackhoe. They both have uses and drawbacks. One fellow on this board has said he has an L35 a BX and KX121 or 161 I think. Well, I'm 2/3 of the way there!
This is a picture of a picture so my apologies for the quality.
http://www.oldcarparts.mygarage.com/images/excavator.jpg
gordon
Veteran Member
Good post Del, now tell us how you got it out? Rotate to hoe to the low side lift the tracs level and spin the tracks so you were crosswise with the ditch the ease you way back with the tracks while slowly letting the hoe out.
Easy for me to say while I'm sitting, here dollar signs must have been ringing in your head ! I would love to have one that size on my property for a few weeks---the mess I could make with that and fun too boot.
I told you how to get the third tractor./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
Easy for me to say while I'm sitting, here dollar signs must have been ringing in your head ! I would love to have one that size on my property for a few weeks---the mess I could make with that and fun too boot.
I told you how to get the third tractor./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
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I wish I could say I got it righted myself.
Your method was exactly what was used.
I was afraid if I lifted the boom (I was still thinking in tractor backhoe) it would go all the way over, it was hard to judge sitting (seatbelt fastened everyone?) in the seat. I didn't want to compound the problem and had another fellow do it. He drug the hoe on the ground sideways, pushed the excavator up level and then just jockeyed the tracks around until they were both on solid ground. Looked so simple. That was my first rental experience. I learned a few things, fortunately didn't damage it or injure myself.
I was preparing to burn some stumps, found I could lift up the big ones and drop them removing the dirt. Did that with a big one, as I lifted it the rear of the excavator was starting to leave the ground. When I have a load in my tractor bucket and I feel uncomfortable I am always ready to drop it if I feel the tractor getting tippy (sideways).
Out of that reflex action I released the thumb and let the stump drop with the hoe in the air. WRONG! Should have gently lowered it.
With the ass end of the excavator up a bit when I let go of the stump you can guess what happened, the excavator reared back on it's butt, then the front of the tracks came off the ground and I was in a 30,000 lb rocking chair. WOW.
Kind of like what happens when your side lets go of the tug-of-war rope with everyone else on the otherside still pulling! They all go flying!
Also learned to lift up on roots, not pull them unless they are out of the ground so I can see that I'm not going to fling rocks at the WINDOWS when the root snaps! Didn't break a window they must be safety glass.
Your method was exactly what was used.
I was afraid if I lifted the boom (I was still thinking in tractor backhoe) it would go all the way over, it was hard to judge sitting (seatbelt fastened everyone?) in the seat. I didn't want to compound the problem and had another fellow do it. He drug the hoe on the ground sideways, pushed the excavator up level and then just jockeyed the tracks around until they were both on solid ground. Looked so simple. That was my first rental experience. I learned a few things, fortunately didn't damage it or injure myself.
I was preparing to burn some stumps, found I could lift up the big ones and drop them removing the dirt. Did that with a big one, as I lifted it the rear of the excavator was starting to leave the ground. When I have a load in my tractor bucket and I feel uncomfortable I am always ready to drop it if I feel the tractor getting tippy (sideways).
Out of that reflex action I released the thumb and let the stump drop with the hoe in the air. WRONG! Should have gently lowered it.
With the ass end of the excavator up a bit when I let go of the stump you can guess what happened, the excavator reared back on it's butt, then the front of the tracks came off the ground and I was in a 30,000 lb rocking chair. WOW.
Kind of like what happens when your side lets go of the tug-of-war rope with everyone else on the otherside still pulling! They all go flying!
Also learned to lift up on roots, not pull them unless they are out of the ground so I can see that I'm not going to fling rocks at the WINDOWS when the root snaps! Didn't break a window they must be safety glass.
Thomas
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 29,775
- Location
- Lebanon,NH.
- Tractor
- Kubota B2650HSD w/Frontloader & CC LTX1046 & Craftman T2200 lawn mower.
Thanks for the reply Del.
Those pictures kinda reminded me when I rented a Cat 320 excavator last year to remove alot of stumps....yikes,and yes there were bees to also. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
I read your post and you bought out some good points,and it seems your going to make an investment soon than you realize,and I hope you follow thru./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Stay safe and /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Thomas..NH
Those pictures kinda reminded me when I rented a Cat 320 excavator last year to remove alot of stumps....yikes,and yes there were bees to also. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
I read your post and you bought out some good points,and it seems your going to make an investment soon than you realize,and I hope you follow thru./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Stay safe and /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Thomas..NH
gerard
Veteran Member
You got a lot lf good info in the previous posts. I've gone to a lot of heavy equipment auctions lately and wouldn't hesitate to buy there. Just go with someone who knows how to check the pins, bushings, undercarriage etc. A lot of rental companies buy stuff new, use it a few years, and then auction it. Tough to be at the prices. I've seen minis with under a 1000 hours going in the 8-10K range. In your case I'd go with the steel tracks. Only reason for rubber is lawn damage etc. If you're going to do any trenching or major excavating the tracked machine is far superior to a backhoe. (also more fun! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif ) Start going to the auctions. The machines are all running and you can just hop in and start playing to get a feel for things and see what they're going for in your area. Hit the right one and you can get a hell of a deal. (I saw one of the biggest excavators I've ever seen go for $40K and it was only 3 years old. Just too big for most people so there isn't much of a market. Need overwidth permits, follow vehicles etc to transport. The little machines go for more $ proportionately due to more demand)
I was sceptacle about the rubber tracks with using them in the woods. Like you said steel would be the way for me to go. There are quite a few used minis around to pick from and they all seem like good prices, for the year and amount of hours.
gordon
Veteran Member
Like I said easy to say when I'm sitting at the computer looking at a picture and didn't have my credit card number down for a damage deposit!!!
Did the rocking chair happen at the same time as the ditch slide? That must have been a true learning experience I've never operated a large trac hoe but sure would love to have one at the house for a few weeks, man the stuff I could rip up!
I did much the same with the little loaner B20 I was clearing out a small ditch and had the tires straddling the ditch. I had to turn out alittle to avoid a tree--dumb move-- the tractor slipped down the bank and the loader frame was resting hard on the tree. I wish I would have taken a picture of that. I got out the chainsaw and dropped the tree. Then worked the tractor out the only thing that was wounded was my ego. Should have dropped the tree to begin with but I thought that I could just drive around it--not--.
See what happens when your not safe and try to rush it ends up taking more time and there is the possibility of getting hurt or worse.
Gordon
Did the rocking chair happen at the same time as the ditch slide? That must have been a true learning experience I've never operated a large trac hoe but sure would love to have one at the house for a few weeks, man the stuff I could rip up!
I did much the same with the little loaner B20 I was clearing out a small ditch and had the tires straddling the ditch. I had to turn out alittle to avoid a tree--dumb move-- the tractor slipped down the bank and the loader frame was resting hard on the tree. I wish I would have taken a picture of that. I got out the chainsaw and dropped the tree. Then worked the tractor out the only thing that was wounded was my ego. Should have dropped the tree to begin with but I thought that I could just drive around it--not--.
See what happens when your not safe and try to rush it ends up taking more time and there is the possibility of getting hurt or worse.
Gordon
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No the rocking chair was on flat land. That slide sideways into the ditch was just because I was sitting on a hard slippery root.
del
del