Building new home on 1.6 acres.....need a machine

[ovrszd]

Ovrszd, you seemed to know exactly what I am after. If you were to pick ONE machine that can do nearly everything necessary, which would it be?

I'm afraid that's a question that no one can answer. All any of us can do is offer what's the best for our situation. Yours will most certainly vary.

The one thing about this discussion that most concerns me is your admittance that you've never owned a tractor. It will be very easy for you to buy a technical piece of equipment that you can't operate. Not because there's anything wrong with your skills, just because you have no experience in this arena.

Almost anyone can run a backhoe. Select few can operate a backhoe.

I'd like to know that you can run something as complicated as a backhoe before I suggest you buy one.

I only offered my scenario to support the benefit of having certain equipment on hand when building a house and/or improving a property.

Do you have a General Contractor hired to build your house? Or are you a do-it-yourselfer that's going to do most of the work?

 

[biggeemac]

Ahhh, sorry.....my dad is a retired machine operator and can run anything, and will be coaching me on this project. Forgot to mention that. I will have plenty of guidance with this machine.

 

[biggeemac]

I will be doing a lot of the work, and outsourcing some things to subs. My dad and I will be the generals on this project. He knows how to build and develop a property. I am new, so he will be coaching me on every aspect.

 

[ovrszd]

Then why in the World would you be asking us what you should buy?? You have a machine operator onhand that can guide you in a much better way than any of us.

 

[biggeemac]

Well, my dad worked for a large construction/developer, but he has never had much money, so he has always lived el-cheapo. I have money, so I dont have as many of the constraints that he did. I'm just looking for a good swiss army knife to keep onsite. Since there are a ton of options, and I've never made a purchase like this before, I was hoping for some suggestions that are appropriate for my circumstance.

 

[Egon]

Ahhh, sorry.....my dad is a retired machine operator and can run anything, and will be coaching me on this project. Forgot to mention that. I will have plenty of guidance with this machine.

You solution is at hand. Get advice from “Dad”.

From my viewpoint a unit like one of the Kubota B series would serve you well. My JD 4200 with backhoe would be more than enough for you situation.

 

[Egon]

I dunno, but buying a machine for the purpose of excavating ONE foundation, then trying to sell it seem like a much greater risk than just paying someone to excavate, or renting what is needed to do the job yourself.

Just speaking from personal experience. Built my house 99% myself from the ground up. The other 1 % was friends that happened by at the right time... So I do have some experience with where the OP is coming from.

Back filling? I did it by hand with a shovel and wheelbarrow... A bx with a loader would have been a blessing. My bet is a BX TLB would suit the OP fine for miscellaneous tasks on 1.5 acres. Could it dig his foundation? Maybe, but it would probably take several months...

As for a slightly larger tractor, whoever said a B series can't move dirt better talk to my tractor. Over the years it has moved hundreds of tons of fill, mostly dumped by trucks though. Digging and moving virgin earth certainly takes a LOT of time with a small tractor. For example, one day I got 16 tri-axle loads of shale to build up my driveway and fill in behind the house next door that I am renovating. That would be over 300 tons easily. At the end of the day it was where I wanted it...

A couple summers ago, I dug and moved several hundred cubic yards of earth to taper the banks around my pond and up near the house. It was a summer project done when the ground was dry, but it was done with my B2910. Granted, I used my dump trailer pulled by my BX2200 to move the dirt from the digging spot to where I needed it. But both are small tractors...

In my mind, not knowing exactly what the short and long term needs of the OP really are, if I were where I seem to think he is, I would probably buy a BX with a loader and backhoe. The BX is also a pretty good mower, which I imaging the OP will need over the years.

I bought both my BX and B when I had 3.7 acres, 2 of which were old farmland that was overtaken by nature for 50 or more years, so I had a lot of things to do at the time. Frankly, I doubt something larger than a BX would work for me long term if I only had 1.5 acres. On the other hand, if things changed and I only had the original 1.5 acres that the house I built sits on, I would probably not sell my B2910, as it has been the hardest worker here over the years and we are pretty good buddies now...

Little tractors can do a lot more work than many people realize. It’s just a matter of slow and steady!

 

[dragoneggs]

I have been super happy with my BX25D (w/backhoe) on my 1.5 acres. Lots of dirt/gravel moving, landscaping, trenching, etc. Add some forks for miscellaneous. Never thought I would get so much use out of the forks. A small tractor w/BH will pretty much obsolete your wheelbarrow, pick, and shovel. As you age, you will love it even more.

As far as excavation, I would hire out the job as it is a one time event. You can backfill. Mowing can be done on a SCUT but I went with a zero turn so I didn't have to worry about low clearance of a belly mount on my BX or taking off implements to reduce wear and tear on the grass. A small tractor sips fuel, gets into tight spaces, is easy to transport, and is cheaper to maintain. Many folk say to go bigger if you can afford but I would bet that most all of your maintenance will be easy handled by a SCUT on your size property. Good luck with your build.

 

[AllenKY]

With little tractors, loader lift capacity can be a significant constraint. I would be careful to focus on the lift capacity of the loader. Some of the BX size loaders are quite limited. The Yanmar 324 and 424's loader will lift 1,200 lbs. to full height. Put forks on it and that is helpful unloading pallets. Think about the future.

 

[ovrszd]

Well, my dad worked for a large construction/developer, but he has never had much money, so he has always lived el-cheapo. I have money, so I dont have as many of the constraints that he did. I'm just looking for a good swiss army knife to keep onsite. Since there are a ton of options, and I've never made a purchase like this before, I was hoping for some suggestions that are appropriate for my circumstance.

And we are full of suggestions. I'm just wondering why you don't use the resource you have at hand? How much "money" your Dad has and how he "lives" is irrelevant.