I have a small JD 4100 with FEL that was used during the construction of our house.
Even though I contracted out all the main digging for the basement and the water line, the 4100 got used a LOT!
Its not clear we saved a heck of a lot of money, but it was very convenient to have the machine there, so it saved a lot of time. I never had to call anybody or run to the rental place for a bobcat just to move a pile of rocks, or load trash, or whatever - I just hopped on the 4100 and got the work done.
Some of the uses:
- Place drainage gravel around foundation.
- Backfill around foundation. This was a bigger job than expected - a larger machione would have been better, but we just plugged away on the 4100 and eventually got it all done.
- Placement and rough leveling of sand in foundation for under basement floor slab.
- Removal of left-over rocks from excavation.
- Emtying the silt fences after large rains.
- Moving various materials, appliances, and tools around as required using forks. Not big enough for a full pallet of stone, or a unit of lumber, but restacking stuff in-place to make smaller loads is still a lot less work than a wheel-barrow.
- Snow removal
- Weed control (mowing)
- Spreading rock for temporary driveway.
- Placement of sand under garage floor slabs.
- Sprinkler system install (using sub-soiler and trencher attachment).
- rough grading of some portions of the yard (some grading was contracted out).
- loading of scrap and debris into dumpsters or the utility trailer for removal. We removed at least 5 30-yard dumpsters and another half dozen trips in a 3500lb trailer.
- removal of mud tracked onto public street using sweeper attachment.
- removal of a retaining wall.
- demolition of an old deck off the old house.
- loading of demolition debris from removal of old house.
- removal of portions of an old asphalt driveway that were in the way (bulk of driveway removed by contractor).
- cleanup of sand pile the stucco crew left behind.
- placement of landscape rock
- supplemental backfilling some settled areas where water-line was dug.
- back-filling behind new retaining wall.
- removal of an old basketball pole (and attached concrete).
- pulling other stuck equipment out of the mud or off of the ice, including a 40' high snorkel-lift and a full-size semi truck (empty).
- moving trailers around (two boats and a utility trailer, they were always in the way).
- moving tractor attachments around (they were also always in the way).
- raking of yard prior to sod.
- tilling of yard prior to sod.
- cutting grass.
Now that I am moved in, I plan to sell some of the attachments, but I am torn on the FEL. On one hand, I don't anticipate having a lot of dirt to move around anymore. On the other hand, if I ever do need to dig or move stuff (especially using the forks), it comes in darn handy.
The landscape rake, back-blade, and sub-soiler are all going to be sold.
The trencher and tiller were borrowed and have been returned.
The front blade, sweeper, and mower I plan to keep - the 4100 is small enough to make a very HD lawn tractor.
The front-mount snowblower I wish was a rear-mount, so I plan to trade it for a 3-pt version.
- Rick
Even though I contracted out all the main digging for the basement and the water line, the 4100 got used a LOT!
Its not clear we saved a heck of a lot of money, but it was very convenient to have the machine there, so it saved a lot of time. I never had to call anybody or run to the rental place for a bobcat just to move a pile of rocks, or load trash, or whatever - I just hopped on the 4100 and got the work done.
Some of the uses:
- Place drainage gravel around foundation.
- Backfill around foundation. This was a bigger job than expected - a larger machione would have been better, but we just plugged away on the 4100 and eventually got it all done.
- Placement and rough leveling of sand in foundation for under basement floor slab.
- Removal of left-over rocks from excavation.
- Emtying the silt fences after large rains.
- Moving various materials, appliances, and tools around as required using forks. Not big enough for a full pallet of stone, or a unit of lumber, but restacking stuff in-place to make smaller loads is still a lot less work than a wheel-barrow.
- Snow removal
- Weed control (mowing)
- Spreading rock for temporary driveway.
- Placement of sand under garage floor slabs.
- Sprinkler system install (using sub-soiler and trencher attachment).
- rough grading of some portions of the yard (some grading was contracted out).
- loading of scrap and debris into dumpsters or the utility trailer for removal. We removed at least 5 30-yard dumpsters and another half dozen trips in a 3500lb trailer.
- removal of mud tracked onto public street using sweeper attachment.
- removal of a retaining wall.
- demolition of an old deck off the old house.
- loading of demolition debris from removal of old house.
- removal of portions of an old asphalt driveway that were in the way (bulk of driveway removed by contractor).
- cleanup of sand pile the stucco crew left behind.
- placement of landscape rock
- supplemental backfilling some settled areas where water-line was dug.
- back-filling behind new retaining wall.
- removal of an old basketball pole (and attached concrete).
- pulling other stuck equipment out of the mud or off of the ice, including a 40' high snorkel-lift and a full-size semi truck (empty).
- moving trailers around (two boats and a utility trailer, they were always in the way).
- moving tractor attachments around (they were also always in the way).
- raking of yard prior to sod.
- tilling of yard prior to sod.
- cutting grass.
Now that I am moved in, I plan to sell some of the attachments, but I am torn on the FEL. On one hand, I don't anticipate having a lot of dirt to move around anymore. On the other hand, if I ever do need to dig or move stuff (especially using the forks), it comes in darn handy.
The landscape rake, back-blade, and sub-soiler are all going to be sold.
The trencher and tiller were borrowed and have been returned.
The front blade, sweeper, and mower I plan to keep - the 4100 is small enough to make a very HD lawn tractor.
The front-mount snowblower I wish was a rear-mount, so I plan to trade it for a 3-pt version.
- Rick
