Looking at buying a dozer.

[fried1765]

The mistake too many people make. Buy a Good USED machine, not a piece of junk. In a way, it's FREE anyway, so spend a bit more, and you will get that exra bit back and not have endless down time AND NOT be able to get your money for repairs back. A machine of a certain age with a certain number of hours is worth X amount, no matter how much money you put into it! Don't do it! A friend just buys old junk on "price" and has never had a reliable/productive piece of equipment yet.

EXCELLENT ADVICE !!!!

 

[STERLING351]

Your Dad sounds like quite the character. But, I like people that stick up for themselves and say what's on their mind. You know where you stand.

Yes he is something. So revisiting an excavator idea, how large of one do you thing is needed? Can i get a larger mini-excavator with a thumb to do most of the digging and pushing of trees? Im fine if some trees are too big and i need to cut them with a chain saw and dig out the stump but i dont want to spend all day with the chain saw.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've never owned an excavator, so this is just what I believe to be true. An 8 tonne excavator is equal to a full sized backhoe in power at the bucket, even though it has about 30 less HP. I can take out any sized tree with my backhoe and have taken out both pines and oaks over 3 feet thick at the trunk. If I was buying, i.would start there and work my way up.

Ive been told that you gave to get up to a 16 tonne machine to get past the tippy issues of the smaller machines.

My neighbor bought a 15 tonne Cat excavator and it was very impressive, but he couldn't find enough work for it and sold it after a year. He then hires a 45 tonne excavator to pull all the stump after having his place logged. That cost him more then he made on the timber.

 

[4570Man]

I've never owned an excavator, so this is just what I believe to be true. An 8 tonne excavator is equal to a full sized backhoe in power at the bucket, even though it has about 30 less HP. I can take out any sized tree with my backhoe and have taken out both pines and oaks over 3 feet thick at the trunk. If I was buying, i.would start there and work my way up.

Ive been told that you gave to get up to a 16 tonne machine to get past the tippy issues of the smaller machines.

My neighbor bought a 15 tonne Cat excavator and it was very impressive, but he couldn't find enough work for it and sold it after a year. He then hires a 45 tonne excavator to pull all the stump after having his place logged. That cost him more then he made on the timber.

8 tons is a little bigger than a mini. An 8 ton excavator will be way better than a 350 dozer for clearing land.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would like to say you can do many things with a hoe that you can do with a dozer, but not the other way around. I do know a guy that dug his house basement with a 2 cyl deere dozer, though. I had one here for a summer a long time ago. Fun to play with.

Which gets me to another point. How energetic are you? I am lazy, and want things done quickly and efficiently, or I loose interest quickly. Some guys can do a lot with a little.

 

[STERLING351]

I would like to say you can do many things with a hoe that you can do with a dozer, but not the other way around. I do know a guy that dug his house basement with a 2 cyl deere dozer, though. I had one here for a summer a long time ago. Fun to play with.

Which gets me to another point. How energetic are you? I am lazy, and want things done quickly and efficiently, or I loose interest quickly. Some guys can do a lot with a little.

well im still young and am not afraid of hard work

 

[Industrial Toys]

A friend got a used TEREX tracked loader, maybe three years ago. Not once, has it worked when he wanted to use it. All kinds of electrical issue with the interconnects. The newer stuff can be even more frustrating.

 

[atsah]

Buy something in decent shape that you can afford, maybe have you're dad look at it with you, and work you're land with it and someday you will look back and say, I did all that with that machine and I'm glad I did..

I'm not afraid of anything and like doing things myself, there have been times I bought something that had to be fixed but if I worried about every little thing that "might" happen I wouldn't get much done..

 

[Industrial Toys]

Forget hiring, You said no. What about renting something? I personally don't like it, but it has it's merits. Nice, new, tight equipment and you get to play and learn.

I knew a guy that built ponds for old ladies and all he did was rent equipment as he needed it and hired casual labour. No trucks, floats, repairs, maintenance, tools or shops. Guy owned one late model pickup truck. Maybe, just leased too, who knows.

 

[atsah]

True, you could rent something big and take a week off and clear it for probably $2500-3 grand..

They get $500 a day around here for a 320 Cat excavator or 850 JD dozer.