Talk me out of an excavator!

[mike69440]

Where are you going to unload? Today, there was no parking in the ditch, and you have no idea who is going to call the cops using their private land. The state engineers and cops aren't going to let you unload in the road. Some contractors use a mini ex others use a backhoe. The larger production one here has backhoes. They are wide open from one job to the next and may dig 20 holes a day. That's over 1.5 hours loading and not counting your unloading. These guys get paid by the foot, so they don't screw around.

I prefer my 10 ton mini ex in the woods and farm.

I would consider a 7 to 14 ton excavator a small excavator, not a mini.

 

[Drstrangeglove]

I would consider a 7 to 14 ton excavator a small excavator, not a mini.

My friend several excavators up to a cat 330. He says anything with a blade is a mini. So I went with it.

 

[mike69440]

My friend several excavators up to a cat 330. He says anything with a blade is a mini. So I went with it.

It needs a thumb also

 

[4570Man]

I think a M62 will slightly edge out a KX40 pulling a stump or digging out a big rock as long as the TLB can maneuver. In terms of speed, the typical job is done faster with a KX40.

The 40 bucket specs are considerably stronger. The arm specs are closer to the same with a slight edge going to the M62. I don’t see a lifting spec but my money goes to the 40 winning that one since the 40 is using the cylinder in the stronger extension mode for lifting. I don’t have any m62 experience but I owned a M59 before the 40 and the 40 makes a fool of the M59 backhoe.

 

[4570Man]

Where are you going to unload? Today, there was no parking in the ditch, and you have no idea who is going to call the cops using their private land. The state engineers and cops aren't going to let you unload in the road. Some contractors use a mini ex others use a backhoe. The larger production one here has backhoes. They are wide open from one job to the next and may dig 20 holes a day. That's over 1.5 hours loading and not counting your unloading. These guys get paid by the foot, so they don't screw around.

I prefer my 10 ton mini ex in the woods and farm.

I’ve never in my entire life visited 20 jobs in one day and I don’t know anyone else that does either. Snow removal is the only thing I can even think of where that’s possible. If you were doing that I guess the slight edge goes to the backhoe. I keep the transit, chainsaws, gas, oil, tools, cooler, extra implements, fuel tank and whatever else I need on the truck. Street parking isn’t illegal. I’ve never had the cops called for doing it and what are they going to say if they did? Unloading a rubber track machine in the road isn’t illegal either.

 

[Linda White]

You only live once. If you can afford it, and want it, why not own it.....

I ageree with you, we only live once.

 

[Drstrangeglove]

I’ve never in my entire life visited 20 jobs in one day and I don’t know anyone else that does either. Snow removal is the only thing I can even think of where that’s possible. If you were doing that I guess the slight edge goes to the backhoe. I keep the transit, chainsaws, gas, oil, tools, cooler, extra implements, fuel tank and whatever else I need on the truck. Street parking isn’t illegal. I’ve never had the cops called for doing it and what are they going to say if they did? Unloading a rubber track machine in the road isn’t illegal either.

It is a usda funded fiber to the home project. Each thing the contractor does has a price. Boring is the most expensive, and plowing is one of the cheapest. The plow passes a house and they dig a 36 inches or deeper hole to the edge of the ROW place a pedistal and loop of fiber. Rinse and repeat all day. The boring crew has a miniex. They may dig one hole, but it usually stays on the trailer. They just leave a pipe sticking out of the ground and the plow crew will dig back to 36" deep and pull cable through and keep going.


Out of 5 contractors, this bunch has production down to a science.

Also, I live in the deep south. I have no idea what more than a inch of snow looks like. Snow and plow are never in the same sentence.

 

[4570Man]

It is a usda funded fiber to the home project. Each thing the contractor does has a price. Boring is the most expensive, and plowing is one of the cheapest. The plow passes a house and they dig a 36 inches or deeper hole to the edge of the ROW place a pedistal and loop of fiber. Rinse and repeat all day. The boring crew has a miniex. They may dig one hole, but it usually stays on the trailer. They just leave a pipe sticking out of the ground and the plow crew will dig back to 36" deep and pull cable through and keep going.


Out of 5 contractors, this bunch has production down to a science.

Also, I live in the deep south. I have no idea what more than a inch of snow looks like. Snow and plow are never in the same sentence.

Those guys came through my neighborhood a while back and they’re currently working on the opposite end of the county where I am working currently. An excavator showed up for one day but I think the gas company owned it. The fiber guys have been hand digging all the holes and boring between them. Those guys were working on the same street until it was done and then moving to the next one. They would be hauling a mini once or twice a week not 20 times per day.

 

[Drstrangeglove]

Those guys came through my neighborhood a while back and they’re currently working on the opposite end of the county where I am working currently. An excavator showed up for one day but I think the gas company owned it. The fiber guys have been hand digging all the holes and boring between them. Those guys were working on the same street until it was done and then moving to the next one. They would be hauling a mini once or twice a week not 20 times per day.

This is extremely rural. They are using a few 750 deere doziers to do the plowing. When they move to town, they will be doing g 90% directional boring. That will be when they use the miniexs and will blow the cable in with an air compressor.

 

[snowninja]

i live on a mtn so everything on my property is sloped and used my BH75 for years. i bought a U27 cabbed unit last year and have used it alot more than i expected to - cleaning ditches, digging trenches, building ATV roads, burying euthanized pets, clearing snow drifts along my driveway, expanding parking areas, etc, etc,etc. never regretted buying it now i feel bad for the bh75 its been lonely