Renting a track loader

[silverking]

Well after reading a wealth of info on why i should not buy a used track loader I am looking into renting something along the lines of a 963c to stump about 30 acres. I figure wth a general purpose bucket on this size machine i can finish up in about 2 months or less. My question is what should i be looking at paying for this rental and what would be too much in your opinion? I have inquired about hiring the job out to a local with this exact machine and at his estimate we are right around $25,000. After I picked myself up out of the dirt I thought there has to be a way i can do it cheaper than his $85 an hour, or am I in for a shock?

Thanks,

 

[AlanB]

I guess that is why I just bought a worn out older backhoe and am going to pick at the projects I need myself, and am willing to put in some wrench time along with the "productive" time.

People make money everyday buying and selling used equipment. On your original thought of buying cheap, that is where I ended up.

For me to rent a backhoe (standard) was about, did I mention the word ABOUT $2000 a month for 3 to 6 months, or, $200 a day, or an experienced operator on a hoe for about $1000 a day.

Probably much the same decision line as you were at in your earlier thread.

Good luck with whichever way you choose. I like having the equipment at the end. I think I would puke if after paying $6K on something over a couple months I watched it get put back on a truck and hauled away

Then again, I may die when I get the first parts bill on my new backhoe

 

[dbear]

Another consideration when renting is how they count "1 day." To some rental places, it's 24 hours on your watch; to others, it's 8 hours of clock time on the machine's meter. The later method can add up charges quickly if making a long day of it.

 

[dirtworksequip]

Cat Rental rates on 963C's are going from anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000 per month,depending on the area and the particular machine. You also have to add fuel & grease cost to that. Lets just say 100 gal per 10 hours. I couldn't find what the fuel tank capacity on the 963 was.That part of Cats site is being upgraded.

So, for a 40 hour week your burning 400 gallons per week times 8 weeks or 3200 gallons. Take that times 1.99 per gallon for offroad diesel. $6,368.

Add that to the $10 to $14k rental and I guess you are saving about $5,000.
The big questions is are you capable of running the 963 and getting the work done in 2 months. The other factors on getting it done in this time frame is how many and how big are the trees and how does the ground lay on the 30 acres.

Oh, I just reread your post it said "stump out" That takes a lot more time to de-stump an area than to take out the whole tree. Which makes the $25,000 estimate probably right on.

Sincerely,
Dirt

 

[dirtworksequip]

Most monthly rentals are going to be based on a 40 week. That will be for hours on the hour meter. If you go over that you pay extra for that time.

 

[dirtworksequip]

At least you are on the right track, most guys would choose an excavator to do the work,but give me a track loader for clearing anytime. It will way out perform the excavator. I'm talking equal sized machines. 8 ton vs 8 ton.

I guess if I were you I would be looking for the best track loader I could find for $25k to $35K. You should be able to get a decent machine for that. Of course it will be a lot smaller than the Cat 963, but you can do the work at your leasure and when finished resell the machine and recoupe most of your money. The only expense will be fuel,grease,filters and any parts you may need to buy to keep it running.
Most of the horror stories about used machines come from guys that buy a totally worn out piece of junk and then expect it to do more work than it can handle. If you get a fairly nice machine you should have no problems with breakdowns and down time. If you have any questions I'd be more than happy to answer any and all you might have.
Sincerely, Dirt
Heres a Cat 935C I owned at one time. I paid $37k for it did a hugh amount of work with it on my place,plus probably $40,000 worth of side work and sold it 4 years later for $25k. A machine this size is fully capable of doing the work you need to do, it may take longer,but you will be further ahead in the end.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q259/dirtworksequip/P1010971-1.jpg

 

[silverking]

At least you are on the right track, most guys would choose an excavator to do the work,but give me a track loader for clearing anytime. It will way out perform the excavator. I'm talking equal sized machines. 8 ton vs 8 ton.

I guess if I were you I would be looking for the best track loader I could find for $25k to $35K. You should be able to get a decent machine for that. Of course it will be a lot smaller than the Cat 963, but you can do the work at your leasure and when finished resell the machine and recoupe most of your money. The only expense will be fuel,grease,filters and any parts you may need to buy to keep it running.
Most of the horror stories about used machines come from guys that buy a totally worn out piece of junk and then expect it to do more work than it can handle. If you get a fairly nice machine you should have no problems with breakdowns and down time. If you have any questions I'd be more than happy to answer any and all you might have.
Sincerely, Dirt
Heres a Cat 935C I owned at one time. I paid $37k for it did a hugh amount of work with it on my place,plus probably $40,000 worth of side work and sold it 4 years later for $25k. A machine this size is fully capable of doing the work you need to do, it may take longer,but you will be further ahead in the end.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q259/dirtworksequip/P1010971-1.jpg

Ok well you are thinking right along the same lines as me.
I figured 25k to buy a used machine smaller than the 963c and i could pull the job off in less than 2 months probably, hopefully have no repairs to make and resell after I am done,even at a minor loss just to recoup the cash and still have a 27k estimated job only cost me 5 to 8k with some luck. Now I know renting sucks because of the hour meter deal and really I think I could finish the majority of it in less than 2 weeks, what would be left I can finish with my cut (kubota L4630) in my own sweet time, but coming across the right deal is tuff and thats why I'm on here looking for advice and knowledge from the people who know. I am no expert but I am one of those people who are machine orientated, you show me a machine that I cant master in a short period of time and I will go find a rocking chair and give up. Also I am not against the guys doing this and trying to make a living and I believe the job is worth what they say but I am still somewhat young and trying to build a little bit of heaven.

Thanks again,
Silverking

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

You should get a price break (even if small) for a long term rental. That should help. The shocker is the fuel cost that dirt calculated. OUCH!! At least you could get a large tank and buy bulk offroad to help as much as posslble.

Being the mulcher in the bunch what is your final goal with the land. A large mulching tractor could grind the stumps to the ground in realitively short time and deal with any brush issues on the way to the next stump. Just something for you to bounce around. Robbie

 

[dirtworksequip]

silverking, you can go to machinerytrader.com and do a search for a machine.
There are lots of track loaders in your price range. I'd try and stay with Cat or Deere. Both brands hold up well and parts are readily available. Also try and find something with less than 3000 hours.I'm sure with a little patience and searching around you will be able to find something. Now is an excellent time to buy a track loader as they are almost considered dinosaurs,because excavators are the trend for now. So theoretically you can get a fairly good deal on a track loader. Whats really funny is track loaders are dino's,but the rubber track skidsteers just keep getting bigger and bigger. Soon to evolve into a full sized track loader.

Your just kidding yoursef if you think you will become a master at running a track loader in a few short hours. Although you will be able to get the work done that you need. You will need many hours on it to become even half way good on it. I also know that you will learn many lessons. Just be carefull and remember that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT! You are not invincible, and can get hurt or killed in the blink of an eye.

 

[dirtworksequip]

If you can't tell by now the track loader is my favorite machine. I've owned several CAT machines over the years. Cat 941B track loader,935C track loader,Cat 277 MTL,2-Cat 287's MTL, Cat D3G XL and a Cat 308CCR excavator,but the track loader remains my all time favorite. You can doze,carry material, clear, build roads,ponds and dig your house foundation. About the only thing that you can't do with the track loader is effectively dig a pipe ditch.