Mini Ex uses

[bdog]

In that case go for it. I think it would be a good compliment to your aresenal. I am partial to Deere equipment but I have hauled a bobcat E85 for a guy and it seemed like a great machine and he had nothing but good things to say about it. It was on rubber tracks and if I recall it was close to 20k lbs so not a small machine but sure seemed handy. Like anything else when it comes to moving dirt the more hp and more machine weight the better.

 

[mikesee]

I used a root rake with my Kubota U35 to rip out an 8 foot bramble if Prickers. No way this could be done by hand. Kubota U35 Excavator with Rake---Invasive Shrub Removal - YouTube

 

[Code54]

Sure are handy for jobs like that. Today I grabbed a pine tree that was down, pulled it over with the bucket/arm, lifted it, cut the trunk in several 5' sections and dropped it into my the fire pit and burned it. Total time maybe 15 minutes from "big old dead tree" in the woods to all in the fire and burning....

 

[chopped]

Here is another use for when your bored..

The World's Fastest Operator!

 

[mikesee]

Sure are handy for jobs like that. Today I grabbed a pine tree that was down, pulled it over with the bucket/arm, lifted it, cut the trunk in several 5' sections and dropped it into my the fire pit and burned it. Total time maybe 15 minutes from "big old dead tree" in the woods to all in the fire and burning....

My wife wants every project done as if I were a professional so everything has to be done one two three. Can be easily accomplished with the excavator

 

[threedogs]

My fil has one, he used it to make rows for planting corn in his garden one time, probably not the best tool for that job but I guess it worked.

I know I've seen a YouTube video of a guy using his to open a beer bottle.

There's also a video of a guy picking a guitar, with a backhoe I believe. I'm sure you could do it with a mini ex just as well, probably even quicker.

 

[kthompson]

I have a five ton mini and while you could do most if not all of the digging with a backhoe where I think the excavator has the advantage is speed of digging and dumping. You have much more option on where you can dump with excavator. It is easy to drive along a dig site such as pond banks (current job) with excavator as you just keep driving slowly where as backhoe you have to raise and lower the outriggers. It is also I think more stable going over rough terrain such as ditches or working on slopes (with blade used to level the machine). It has been a few years since I used backhoe and while many like them give me excavator for digging. Now if I want front end loader and will only dig once in a while tlb would be fine, naw I rather have excavator and tractor with fel by far. Yes travel speed is slow but then it is very seldom you did one little hole here and run over there but I have dug many acres of stumps doing just that. Oh excavator with tracks probably does not bog down near as often as tlb does. I have used excavator to pull tractor out of bog many a time but never ever had to pull excavator out of a bog. I rather run excavator than thing I have ever sat on. Now do have one suggestion, I do not recommend a Volvo which is what I have. Their parts are costly and many of their parts are replace a unit that should be able to be repaired. I had bearing out on idler wheel and it was sealed unit, no way to replace the bearing. Seems to be Volvo across product line was talking with neighbor with Volvo marine engine and with Marine mechanic recently and said Volvo marine equipment is same. Control panel in the older mini's is about $4,000 if you can get a price and they have told me the only way to test if that is issue is replace it with new control panel. Wow If you are good with electronics you can find a 10 year old mini Volvo for low price but control panel does not work and thus no systems work. I do trailer my mini if possible rather than drive it 1,000 yards where tlb would run right over there. Oh, in loading a trailer rather do that with excavator then fel anytime. Can place load in each corner as it may need be. Also not near a likely to bump what you are loading.

 

[kthompson]

Almost forgot, if you get a decent size machine with aux lines on the boom a great machine with a cutter on the boom. Must be sure size of cutter is match to the pump capacity but makes a great boom mower. Being on tracks I like for with boom mower you do not run fast and this setup gives you great speed control and cutter control. Pump capacity is the limiting factor and then watch hyd oil temp. I ran mine in the winter and had no issue.

If you have aux hyd lines with forward and reverse a hyd post hole digger would be very nice. Much better than 3 pth as you could reverse if need be due to rock or stump.

 

[Code54]

I ended up buying a 2015 KX91 (Kubota) and am very pleased with it. Other than being slow to move from site to site I must say it is 10x better than a backhoe for general digging. (We have a tractor with loader so that is covered)
Thanks for all the information and please feel free to keep adding to the thread.

 

[kthompson]

At least here that is by far the most popular size mini. I understand reason being towing reasons for license and truck capacity. May not be totally correct. See them on even house sites for the plumbers. Will tell you can dig a bigger stump with it than it can lift out of the hole, you will soon learn how to roll a stump up out of the hole if you doing such digging. A word to the wise regardless of what you are digging with, if there is buried lines around, call before you dig. I hit buried power lines at one of our dtrs house even though my son in law said we are clear of it and he was watching the digging. Fortunate very little damage done.