Talk me out of an excavator!

[Jaybr]

We just purchased a new property thats 48 acres, approximately 25 acres in hardwoods, 20 in pasture, and half of a 5-6 acre pond. I've got the pasture maintenance covered, and have a grapple to clean up downed trees, etc. I've gotten really interested in a 3-5 ton mini excavator with a flail or mulcher head to clean up the woods and pond bank. I've been watching videos lately and they just seem so useful for keeping the underbrush in the woods cleaned out, which makes for a much nicer property. On the flip side, I don't NEED to clean out the underbrush or most of the pond bank, and their very expensive.

Am I better off just leaving the woods natural? Hiring someone with an excavator to come clean up a little? maybe just the pond bank? Or are these things really as useful as they look and a great investment for a landowner?

 

[Hay Dude]

Or maybe a rental unit?

 

[scootr]

Buy it - what a great toy it will be!

 

[Mike1955]

Jaunt I can’t do that. I love mine to much! Nothing like it to easify my dirt work chores. You will never regret that move

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Sorry, I am not gonna talk you out of it. I want one too... Been thinking of all the things I could use it for. Like you I could clean around the pond, make trails around the pond.

Just digging a hole to see what's underneath. I find indian artifacts on my property all along after some heavy rains. If there isn't anything there I'd just put the dirt back anyway. Aerating the soil.

The idea of renting is a valid point too though. I could still get those things done I want to do and no maintenance. If I had full access to it 8 hrs a day I am sure there are not an infinite number of things I could do with it.

Especially if you got a mulching head. Didn't know you could put one on a small mini... hmmm.

 

[JeepHead]

You only live once. If you can afford it, and want it, why not own it.....

 

[arrow]

You only live once. If you can afford it, and want it, why not own it.....

and its a blink.
40 years ago is still like two weeks ago to me.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

If I had money to burn I would buy one, because I have a number of projects I need one for. But to be honest, I think once those handful of projects was over it would become a very expensive lawn ornament. Therefore, I rent. But it would be REALLY nice to have my own to take my own sweet time. For the purposes you talk about you can rent one and clean things up and then use your tractor to keep it clean. I do love a forest with a clear understory.

 

[Hay Dude]

I can actually justify one for all the woods/brush clearing we do.
A team of guys with weed wackers w/ saw blades is sure gettin old.
Then there’s the ability to dig rocks out of fields….

Sheesh, maybe I just talked myself into one….

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I can actually justify one for all the woods/brush clearing we do.
A team of guys with weed wackers w/ saw blades is sure gettin old.
Then there’s the ability to dig rocks out of fields….

Sheesh, maybe I just talked myself into one….

From what I know about your business seems like you could easily make some good money with one and make it pay for itself. But for guys like me, a guy that "has a few projects to do" they just don't make good financial sense IMHO. If you have plenty of money sure or buy a $5000 chinese digger to get it done slowly, maybe . But to buy a decent used machine for $30K+, hard to justify for your average Joe.

 

[Jaybr]

Another factor: I have a backhoe for the CK35, so can do most of the digging I may need, although slow

 

[Fixastuff]

I have a two ton open canopy machine, a 6ton cab machine with Engcon and about to get a 3.5 or 4ton cab machine.

So no I’m not going to talk you out of it.

 

[Hay Dude]

I like those takeuchi 15,000 machines on steel tracks.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've gone back and forth on getting an excavator. My neighbor has hired people to work on his place with everything from 8 tones to 45 tones. The 8 ton machine seems to be pretty good at taking down trees and digging stumps, but he had a 15 ton machine there for a very long time, and it got a lot done, a lot faster. But when he decided to buy something, he talked to me about my backhoe, and decided that it was a lot more useful then an excavator.

For me, I have a simple 2 wheel drive, open station backhoe that I can take any sized tree out, cut it to size, and carry it with the grapple on the loader. I can haul a yard of dirt at a time, and it's great for back dragging an area to smooth it out. Having tires instead of tracks means it gets around faster without tearing up the ground.

The biggest negative that I have in getting an excavator is that it's terrible and moving material around. Once you dig up the tree, it sits there while you get something else to pick up the tree and haul it to the burn pile, or cut it into firwood. Once you dig the hole in the ground, you need something else to move the dirt to where you need it. There is nothing better at digging then an excavator, but there is also nothing worse at moving stuff around then an excavator. When my backhoe wears out, I'll but another one. Odds are very good that I'll never buy an excavator, even though I'd love to have one.

And I just thought of another great use for the backhoe. It's fantastic at pulling my other tractors and mowers out of the mud. Just connect a chain to the hoe bucket, and pull. Being able to drive the backhoe to where I'm stuck as fast as possible makes the entire process less painful.

 

[ruffdog]

The last time I had to clear a fence row I asked the neighbor to do it. A few minutes with his Deere 450D and the job was done. In return I help him with some firewood. It's a win/win for both of us.

 

[Jaybr]

I like those takeuchi 15,000 machines on steel tracks.

I have a buddy that works for a Takeuchi dealer, if I decided to get one he’ll be my first call.

 

[TractorTYMe]

 

[Drstrangeglove]

I thought I didn't need one for years. I have 3 daughters, and none will even drive the cab tractor while I shovel dirt in the bucket. Because of no help I decided to buy a kx080 and I love it. It's just their inheritance.

Now, a backhoe sucks and one of those add on things for a tractor really sucks. I say get it if you can afford it.

 

[nyone]

Honestly for two smaller jobs that really arnt even a need to do I wouldnt get one.

I own a 3500lb machine have have dug house foundations out to septic systems. Cleaning up a pond bank or cutting underbrush is not really where a mini ex shines. There all about digging and getting in/out of tight spots.

I have cleaned up logging mess with mine on property i own but generaly that's just pileing tree tops as close to where they fell and burning them.

 

[Hay Dude]

I thought I didn't need one for years. I have 3 daughters, and none will even drive the cab tractor while I shovel dirt in the bucket. Because of no help I decided to buy a kx080 and I love it. It's just their inheritance.

Now, a backhoe sucks and one of those add on things for a tractor really sucks. I say get it if you can afford it.

Backhoes don’t suck for dirt scooping, snowplowing, stuck equipment extracting, and roading from one job to another.