Dozer or mulcher starting out?

[ultrarunner]

If I was to ever get back into dirt work or work a single machine, I would purchase a Kobelco Blade Runner as it is a full 6 way dozer with an excavator house on the top. I rented one of these for a particular steep, nasty job on a hillside and the machine allowed me to do a variety of tasks with the one machine. As a sole proprietor without employees, this is particularly important for me to be fast and efficient in order to make good money.
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There is a local owner operator here and he runs a blade running with a dump big enough to transport it... always a busy guy... it is a one man show unless he needs the dump truck and has a driver that works with him.

He said the 6 way blade on the excavator puts him in the black.

 

[Chain rated]

I'd go dozer. A dozer has a lower and more predictable operating costs and there's more work for them. A mulcher can have anot operating costs over $100 per hour.

 

[Eagleview]

Get a mini digger like a Dingo that we have in OZ Google them), you will have equivalents where you are . They command $70+ an hour , cost a $1.50 to run and are always busy . They can fit through doorways and are in big demand with plumbers etc . You can carry them on a trailer or pickup and there is no registration costs . Make the trailer a tipper and you can cart away the dirt/debris etc as well as bring mulch/chip/gravel etc to the job . There are a 1001 attachments for them , you couldn't go wrong .

 

[RDrancher]

I'd go dozer. A dozer has a lower and more predictable operating costs and there's more work for them. A mulcher can have anot operating costs over $100 per hour.

I agree. From what I've seen, mulcher / clearing companies seem to have to travel quite a ways to be profitable. Dozer guys seem to have enough work locally to stay busy. Some guys don't seem to mind, but I don't like to travel that far from home.

Undercarriage costs on CTL's are also very high. I have a one, but I rent a CTL/mulcher setup when I need it, which isn't often. There's still good profit to be made without the hassle of maintaining both the head and machine.