Single Tractor vs Skidsteer AND mini EX combo discussion

[Piston]

Paul,
The other reason I was thinking of the CTL, was because my neighbor has one with a few very useful attachments that I know I could rent from him. He has the RC100 with a Fecon head, a 14" tree shear, grapple, rock bucket, and of course standard bucket. I know the Fecon head is way more than I could afford for an attachment, but renting it from him may not be bad.

Then again, as long as he isn't using it for a job, he MAY consider renting the whole thing. I suppose I should look into that before looking into this much further :laughing:

 

[MBTRAC]

Piston -
Just like "McDonald's" we almost got it all (or at least most it ) from small - big & from Ag Tractors, FEL/BH's, Telehandlers, Skid Steers, CTL's, Excavators, Loaders, Skidders, Traxcavators to Dozers.......etc..... there's times where a specialist "tool" makes it a whole lot easier & times where the multi "tool" is the best choice.

IMO:-
If you want to only to move & clear earth/material an ag tractor is a big compromise but if you want to grow crops & also improve the quality of your land it's the best & only choice......
Piston, from your described intended use a skid steer with low clearance isn't going to be a great performer in the woods as they're also hard on the ground & harder on the operator, an excavator is just plain slow (& costly ) to move around any distance from small job to job, & CTL's are just a money pit so far as the track gear is concerned (more so in the hands of inexperienced operators).
As options I'd suggest machines or combinations thereof similar to our smaller gear pictured below: a small articulated construction loader with a 4/1/grapple/forks, maybe an older industrial FEL/BH (e.g Case 580, JCB ..etc), an 8Wheel Drive 2-3T tipper (capable of 10-15mph & running via hyd remotes log splitters, mounted cranes winches, dozer blades & more ), or if you only want one machine something along the lines of the USA equivalent of our Austrak's (c.70hp skid steer FEL rear mounted BH with front & rear 3PL/remotes/hyd PTO & 2 seats there's just about nothing you can't do with this type of machine & unbeatable in hill country - check out this on YouTube AUSTRAK ON PARADE 10 Minutes of AUSTRAK in ACTION - YouTube)

 

[TripleR]

I really can't improve on the information given so far. No doubt they can do a lot of stuff and at one time we had a mini X and Bobcat 864 skid steer for several months. After the initial projects were finished, they just sat in the shed. We had considered buying, but now just rent when needed. They are too slow and rough riding to use regularly on our property, can't move from one farm to the other without a truck and trailer and we have to go around behind them with a tractor and fix the torn up ground.

We have to have tractors, so replacing them was never a consideration, but for our use in the woods and hills, they just were not a viable option.

 

[jenkinsph]

Hey Steve,
What's the IT tool carrier for the backhoe?

I'm slowly seeing the advantage of having two machines. The more I operate the 410 the more I like it. I just wish it was 4wd and had a grapple! I wonder if my current tractor, and implements, paired with a mini ex would be a better setup than a skidsteer and mini ex. I just look at the skidsteers with HD rotary mowers on them and they seem a lot more capable than a tractor, however, I didn't even consider the ride, and ground clearance as some of you mentioned.

I know I wouldn't be happy with a 3ph backhoe vs. the mini ex, mostly because I end up changing implements a lot, and I'm the kind of person that would leave the backhoe on and "make do" with the 3ph backhoe rather than go through the trouble of changing it out to another implement.
(I'm assuming not having the use of the 410 due to the difficulty in transporting it).

Here a link to the optional IT setup from Cat, it is a quick coupler setup which allows you to change tools in 30 seconds plus hydrualic hoses if required.

Cat Products: Products › Machines › Backhoe Loaders › 420F/420F IT


Lots of attachments available for these backhoes.

 

[Piston]

MBTRAC,
I remember seeing an amazingly impressive list of all your equipment in one of these threads, I'm glad you chimed in. According to your recommendations (which I absolutely respect!) I already have a pretty good setup. I do have the JD410 but like I mentioned, would have to transport it to my land in NH, and if my dad ended up needing it I'd have to pay to transport it back. Although, he mostly only uses it for snow removal and around the house chores, he doesn't hire it out in the spring/summer/fall, so possibly I could leave it up there from spring to fall. I also have my tractor with list of implements in my sig, but I do feel like my tractor is not going to make a huge dent in the forest without taking quite a bit of time.

As for the excavator and how slow it moves, that is certainly an issue. Would you change your recommendations though if I said that I won't be moving it around from place to place, but rather bringing it to my land and leaving it there, to clear the trees/forest for a small building lot? (about 5 acres or so, plus a couple small fields throughout the property)

I've never heard of, or seen, a "tipper" like you posted. That machine looks really impressive, nor have I seen one of those Austrak (or U.S. equivalents!) Those look very interesting.

I wish I could view your link to youtube, but I can't. I'm at work and work blocks youtube.


After thinking about replacing the tractor for a while, I guess I'm not sure I could really give up the tractor long term. Maybe I should keep the tractor, use the 410, and either buy or rent an excavator for my project. I just really like the idea of buying, and having around for when I need it. But maybe an excavator isn't really one of those things that you just "keep around"


Have any of you ever used a tree shear on a skidsteer? My neighbor has a 14" tree shear and Fecon mulching head for his RC100. He did say that I could rent his skidsteer with the tree shear for what it would cost in fuel and wear, but I think for the mulching head he'd wanna operate that, which I could understand. Would I be better off just paying him to do the work?

I did find out some more info about the excavator for sale. It's not a mini like I thought it was, it's a Hitachi 230 LC5 which I guess is around 50k lbs. I do have some pics that I'll try to post.
I can't help but think I could buy this machine, clear the land, then sell it and replace it with a small mini ex, or just sell it altogether and use the money towards my next tractor.

So many choices..... :laughing:

 

[Piston]

Here are some pics.

 

[MHarryE]

I stopped at my nearest dealer to get a quote on a backhoe attachment for my tractor. He said he anticipated a used one coming in soon so I waited, and waited, and waited. In the meantime I did some research and found a very good used mini-ex for $3,000 more than the attachment so we changed our mind and bought it. Lucky for us and the dealer's procrastination. I've used the mini for everything from digging potatoes to demolishing houses, and I have more than paid for it using it to salvage scrap from places I couldn't think of getting to with a tractor backhoe. I also have a dump trailer that I can attach to my tractor, load the mini-ex in it, head out and do something like install a culvert using the tractor to load and haul gravel for fill, then reload the mini and head home. Going by used prices I can get about the same for my mini as I paid for it 4 years ago but right now it's hard to imagine managing without it. Oh, and when I bought this place from my dad I went out shopping for a tracked skid steer but came home with a tractor instead.

 

[Xfaxman]

Xfaxman,
That is an incredibly cool looking machine! It looks very capable that's for sure! How would something like that do for grading trails into a hillside? I assume it's pretty maneuverable.
How much does one of those go for?

Thanks for the pics! Where are the ones of it stuck?

Thanks, it works even better than it looks. It is 4 wheel steer, so it will turn around in a ten foot circle. The front axle is solid with the frame, the back axle pivots at the center, like a tractor front axle. That makes it more stable with the bucket. I use it on a 3-1 grade here on the dam, feels very stable.

For making trails on a hillside it has the lowest center of gravity of any of the machines you are looking at. With a Tilt-Tach and the bucket, or a blade, it would do fantastic. They also make 4-way and 6-way dozer blades that would work.

Here is the Tilt-Tach on my other machine, it fits both.



I have had this one in the silt almost to the top of the tires, and pushed it out with the boom.

Here are pictures of my first Versahandler in the silt. It is message #37.

Ballast - Planted a tractor, hoping for bumper crop!

Please keep your bucket on the ground with kids in the vicinity. Your little cutie looks a lot like my granddaughter and seeing that bucket in the air gives me the chills! That's a really good point. I don't have any kids yet and never really gave it any thought but my little nieces come over...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Xfaxman]

Xfaxman, does your machine have the side to side tilting body and/or the tilting forks. Ive spent many hours on a Gradall 644 (6,000 lbs lift, max lift 44 ft), but never one as small as yours.

No tilting body, (that is done with a hydraulic cylinder from the frame to a pivoting front axle). Mine has a skidsteer quick attach on the boom. I have a Tilt-Tach that I can use on any attachment, Including forks.

JCB makes one even smaller than mine!


JCB North America: Agricultural Telescopic Handlers - 515-40

 

[Xfaxman]

MBTRAC,
I remember seeing an amazingly impressive list of all your equipment in one of these threads, I'm glad you chimed in.

I've never heard of, or seen, a "tipper" like you posted. That machine looks really impressive, nor have I seen one of those Austrak (or U.S. equivalents!) Those look very interesting.

Have any of you ever used a tree shear on a skidsteer?

So many choices..... :laughing:

Since you mentioned a tipper, and this is a place to learn, here is my Dumper, or I call it my 4WD weelbarrow:



Found it on eBay, search dumper, or site dumper.

With my converted three point cutter, I could start at the top of a 18' tall tree, and cut fireplace logs all the way down! :laughing:



Now they make skidsteer tree cutters that rotate for trimming limbs also.

This is one: Precision Manufacturing :: Tree & Brush Removal Equipment