Mini Excavator?

   / Mini Excavator? #1  

reggart

New member
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
4
Location
mead, wa
Tractor
Yanmar
I've got 20 acres of timbered property on a mountain in Northern Idaho. I also have 1,000 feet of steep road that I have to maintain. I've been using a Mahindra 2015 for the past several years to log and maintain the road among other things. I've always felt this tractor was about 15hp shy of what I needed for size, power and options for what I'm doing. My long term plan was to get a 30hp tractor with a cab for the winter months.. Lately I've been talking to friends who suggested I consider a mini excavator and keep my old tractor. Thoughts? How well can a 6-way blade on a mini move snow and maintain a road? How well can a mini do at pulling logs off a hill?
 
   / Mini Excavator? #2  
A mini excavator is extremely handy but grading roads isn’t their strong point.
 
   / Mini Excavator?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Yeah I've ran an 8 ton excavator with a 2 way blade and I agree uts not much different than using the loader in a tractor fir grading but the newer ones have 6-way blades which makes it much more interesting.
 
   / Mini Excavator? #4  
Terrible at snow removal and road maintenance. A mini with rubber tracks will slide down any slippery road with compacted snow. Not too bad with pulling logs off a hill but by no means the best option.
 
   / Mini Excavator? #5  
Yeah I've ran an 8 ton excavator with a 2 way blade and I agree uts not much different than using the loader in a tractor fir grading but the newer ones have 6-way blades which makes it much more interesting.

I’m sure you could build a road with one but the final drives are weak and slow. Excavators are made for digging and a dozer is made for dozing.
 
   / Mini Excavator?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Sounds like you guys are recommending I stick with a tractor and upgrade
 
   / Mini Excavator? #7  
Sounds like you guys are recommending I stick with a tractor and upgrade

That would be my suggestion. I don’t think you’re going to be happy scraping the driveway at 2 mph.
 
   / Mini Excavator? #8  
If you have the money you could contemplate a telehandler, sort of a midway solution between the two.

Or if you can fine one in good condition, a grader can do your road and run as or with a log arch as well.

Suppose a trackless would also be a good option.

Other than digging stumps, why were you thinking about a mini excavator? Is there some project coming up that you would like one for? Maybe it is worthwhile.
 
   / Mini Excavator? #10  
I have a 37 HP tractor and a Mini x. They do different things. The mini is great at grabbing logs and putting them in a pile so the tractor can pick them up and move them. The mini sucks for grading anything
 

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