Talk me out of an excavator!

[CoyPatton]

I chalk up 2-4 excavator hours for every tractor hour. I love mulchers, but as you say, they are expensive. But for me it allows me to do things that would otherwise be impossible, so it's worth it. One caution though is that I think around 5 ton is the minimum I would consider for a mulcher. Between the head's weight and the excavator's reach, you will be working a pretty small areas. I have mine on a 8 ton and it works really well.

This was my thoughts when I read 3-5 ton unit. Going just a bit larger makes things go faster and easier. To me reach is always an issue—not so much for digging, but for discarding the spoils, being stable when working around a pond or other obstacles, pushing down trees being able to increase height of reach increase leverage greatly.

 

[whit61]

I’m surprised no one has suggested a tracked skid steer with a mulcher. Seems like that could do all the clearing work the OP mentions, with added versatility with a bucket/grapple etc.

 

[panamaguy]

Or maybe a rental unit?

I bought a used IHI 15 NX and love it. Built a thumb for it and it hads been so handy i would never sell it. You will find more use for it once you own one

 

[treegrowe]

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?

I may be a bad I influence but but the excavator and a portable sawmill I say that 1/2 million board feet and a great business latter

 

[thieany]

Buy it - what a great toy it will be!

Agree

 

[Smokeydog]

Us old timers cleared and maintained land with animals. Be surprised how black angus can keep the woods and paddocks clear. Goats are weed and small tree eaters on steroids. 3-5tons of iron fence. Anyway takes special knowledge and maintenance. We had to have return on investment. Now without animals it is a struggle to maintain what once was.

CTL seems to be machine of choice for brush cleaning in my neck of the woods. Mulching takes Hp. Any work with trees is high hazard and high maintenance. Some machines sure make it look easy. Forest clearing machines aren’t your typical ag tractor or excavator with an attachment. Interesting thread. Always looking for the right combination to match my ability and need.

 

[Russ Lanoie]

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?

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?

Here's how I do my brush mowing. Local golf course even borrowed it to do the edges of a pond because it could reach down the bank. Lots of old Gravely stuff around.

 

[mtncur]

 

[mtncur]

I would highly recommend. Above are some before and afters of some pond bank maintenance and fence row clearing.

 

[brwesi]

I had property to clear to create horse pastures, thick underbrush and trees. I bought a used 3.5 ton mini ex, added a hydraulic thumb and went to work. My purchase criteria was big enough to do the job, small enough for me to move with a 3/4 ton truck. 1200 hours later this has been the most versatile piece of equipment I have ever owned. I am a retired industrial contractor and have the skills and equipment to fabricate at will. I have a trencher, multiple buckets, post driver for up to 3" pipe and a 31" tooth. The trencher is designed for a skid steer, 4' capacity, heavy and needs a lot of oil flow. I can't travel and trench but I can put the blade on the ground extend and cut, then repeat. works fine. I just fabricated a quick attach plate for my mini. There are always times we wish we had a bigger tractor, mower, crane, etc. Most of the time what I have fits my needs just fine. Having the ability to load this machine on a 20', 10,000# capacity tandem axle trailer and haul it to a buddies place and go to work is great. I bought my machine with 1800 hours on the clock. It takes routine maintenance but nothing I would consider excessive. There is no other piece of equipment that is as versatile . Go for it! Feel free to contact me for specific questions or pics.

 

[ChevyKeith]

I bought an old Deere17zts. Little too small for your needs.
My only regret is that I didn't buy it earlier. Its probably still worth what I paid for it and its the best shovel I ever had.

When a sewer line breaks I have friends asking if they can help fix it so they can use the excavator.
You would be surprised how often it will be the best tool for a job.

 

[NYlumberman]

I am pro excavator. In my case I rationalize buying late model low hour 10,000# used equipment as “an asset class”. My entire retirement is the result of saving and investing. The numbers on the computer screen are not as reassuring as the iron in my barn. I probably won’t make money, it won’t go to zero, and I get to use it till then. I rigged a sickle bar on my excavator for pond banks and trimming perimeters. Works fine, but you don’t move a 10,000# machine without leaving a mark, so I have be aware of the ground conditions. I modified the mount after bending the bar my first time out. It took some seat time to get smooth.

 

[Rustyiron]

I’m surprised no one has suggested a tracked skid steer with a mulcher. Seems like that could do all the clearing work the OP mentions, with added versatility with a bucket/grapple etc.

I agree, but that's an expensive club to join!
Just the price of a mulching head would buy a mini ex. Now I understand that either way he's buying a mulcher, but a CTL capable of mulching is a more expensive power unit than a mini ex. Another thing is an excavator is much more user friendly for a homeowner IMHO.

 

[mike69440]

I am pro excavator. In my case I rationalize buying late model low hour 10,000# used equipment as “an asset class”. My entire retirement is the result of saving and investing. The numbers on the computer screen are not as reassuring as the iron in my barn. I probably won’t make money, it won’t go to zero, and I get to use it till then. I rigged a sickle bar on my excavator for pond banks and trimming perimeters. Works fine, but you don’t move a 10,000# machine without leaving a mark, so I have be aware of the ground conditions. I modified the mount after bending the bar my first time out. It took some seat time to get smo

Surely saves your other equipment trying to accomplish what an excavator does best. Seems like a senseable purchase. 5 to 14 tons.

 

[Mackle]

You're talking to the wrong group here--don't wave a steak at a hungry lion.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Don't get one, when you have one you tend to dig some deep holes and make things disappear... ho wait that's a reason to get one... will be right back...

 

[Fxfymn413]

I would hire someone who has the right equipment to get the job done since it will be much cheaper in the long run than paying for and maintaining your own machine.

Any major purchase like this is an opportunity cost since money spent on this is money you cannot spend on something else.

I have an acquittance in the Roanoke area that does this for a living. Look around. I'm sure there are folks near you who can get the job done quickly at a fair price. His skid steer and mulcher run around $100K to purchase.

 

[bordercollie]

Not only is she bought into it, she has offered to pay for half of it, as long as I let her use it. Which scares me a bit.
One time I was out of town on business and she called me complaining that she couldn't get the backhoe to move on the tractor. I told her to take the locking pins out. When I got home, she had dug out a small section of our hillside and had used the thumb on the backhoe to lift railroad ties out of the back of my truck and put them in place to form some steps from one section of our yard to another.

I bought the Kubota U35 pictured in my avatar a few years ago with about 450 hours on it. It was in the mid $40,000s. I wanted a thumb and the adjustable blade and an enclosed cab. It has the rabbit feature but travels really slow even then. I really haven't used it much only 515 hrs on it so far....... just wanted it so bought it. I found that the hydraulic thumb hydraulic lines going down the boom love to snag limbs so it limits my enthusiasm for tossing limbs. One day, I need to add a protective covering for that.
When I've had a bad day or bad weather knocks down a tree though, I can take care of it without the aid of others and without the big Cat 332 of my bil's ,(I think thats the size) getting in the yard. He doesn't think much of my little U35 but I like it for my little chores. He uses his on the farm for big jobs and mine is for me to do my little things - Bad day, I get in it hit the key, turn on the a/c and adjust the radio to answer my phone on ,and the tension goes away with the moving of the problem.

 

[seijirou]

I have one of those unjustifiable, occasional use iron barn ornaments, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Fixastuff]

I have one of those unjustifiable, occasional use iron barn ornaments, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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I rented a e50 for 4 months before buying an tb260. I miss the quiet engine from the bobcat.