Talk me out of an excavator!

[mike69440]

Rent one for a week. That will answer your question of whether or not you need to own one. Weekly and monthly rentals are much cheaper than the daily rate.

Aside from renting, do you have fond memories of playing with Tonka toys as a child?
Did you fix your own bicycle?
If so you are ready for an excavator.

 

[Rustyiron]

This is what I was trying to explain earlier in this thread.
Does anyone need a fast car or a boat, RV, or a vacation home.
You can rent all that chit too!
I had a bunch of Tonka's and Matchboxes not so many hot wheels and always fixed my own bicycle.

 

[mike69440]

Another factor: I have a backhoe for the CK35, so can do most of the digging I may need, although slow

I have an L39 that will seriously out dig the CK35.
A 3 ton excavator has same capacity as my TLB and is faster. My worn out junk 8 ton excavator runs faster digging than a full size backhoe, and is about the minimum I consider for clearing land.

 

[mike69440]

I have a cat 420 and a kubota m62. For most things I do, they do. The only plowing I do is fiber optics. What is snow? An excavator with mats will go where a backhoe won't.

Why a big swiss army knife and an even bigger multi tool? I can see the either the 420 or M62 but would not a CTL, or excavator with blade and thumb be more productive as the second machine?

 

[GWagon]

Or maybe a rental unit?

It's actually a story of a criminal small town Sheriff that leads a department of criminal cops. They escalate situations and violate the rights of innocent citizens. It's fiction based on reality. For reality just search "photography" on YouTube.

 

[13720]

We just purchased a new property thats 48 acres, approximately 25 acres in hardwoods, 20 in pasture, and half of a 5-6 acre pond. I've got the pasture maintenance covered, and have a grapple to clean up downed trees, etc. I've gotten really interested in a 3-5 ton mini excavator with a flail or mulcher head to clean up the woods and pond bank. I've been watching videos lately and they just seem so useful for keeping the underbrush in the woods cleaned out, which makes for a much nicer property. On the flip side, I don't NEED to clean out the underbrush or most of the pond bank, and their very expensive.

Am I better off just leaving the woods natural? Hiring someone with an excavator to come clean up a little? maybe just the pond bank? Or are these things really as useful as they look and a great investment for a landowner?

Dang rent is so expensive. You could pay for one real quick just in clean up work on that huge property. Then start a business with it and hire out. Start a little smaller ? Look at used ? No down side to an excavator. With all the fires around, brush clean up is mandatory. May evan save on property insurance ?

 

[Jaybr]

Did you fix your own bicycle?

I stripped my running/driving 73 bronco to the frame and am rebuilding it, close enough?

 

[whit61]

I agree, but that's an expensive club to join!
Just the price of a mulching head would buy a mini ex. Now I understand that either way he's buying a mulcher, but a CTL capable of mulching is a more expensive power unit than a mini ex. Another thing is an excavator is much more user friendly for a homeowner IMHO.

Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it since I posted this morning, when I started to tally up the tracked skid steer and mulcher combo cost and pretty quickly answered my own question.

 

[DTTNWO]

Get a Power Trac first. I have the 1430 and it does pretty much everything in the woods, especially getting around in tight spots. Made in America.

T12 Class

Compact Tractors, Slope Mowers, Articulated Tractors, Tractor Attachments, Trailer Packages

power-trac.com

Attachments for all your needs. The Brush Cutter is almost unstoppable, I've done some "terrible things" to unwanted vegetation with this thing.

Attachments

Compact Tractors, Slope Mowers, Articulated Tractors, Tractor Attachments, Trailer Packages

power-trac.com

..and hauled around some big 'ol 10' long logs with the 4-in-1 Bucket...

...and the Box Blade fluffs up your gravel driveway real nice.

Then I got the Sany SY35SU Excavator @8500 Lbs. Big enough and small enough for the woods.

...and put this on it with slight modifications to the mount. It eats blackberry bushes and 3"-4" trees for lunch, and limbs trees 12'-14' from the ground.

54" Excavator Brush Cutter -Agrotk - agrotkindustrial

Looking for new Excavator Brush Cutter ?Our Excavator Rotary Cutter Apply to 3-8 tons excavator Fit Caterpillar, only cost $2100.

agrotkindustrial.com

And when all else fails for a Big Job, rent!

Wishing you well.

 

[DTTNWO]

Get a Power Trac first. I have the 1430 and it does pretty much everything in the woods, especially getting around in tight spots. Made in America.

T12 Class

Compact Tractors, Slope Mowers, Articulated Tractors, Tractor Attachments, Trailer Packages

power-trac.com

View attachment 2912346

Attachments for all your needs. The Brush Cutter is almost unstoppable, I've done some "terrible things" to unwanted vegetation with this thing.

Attachments

Compact Tractors, Slope Mowers, Articulated Tractors, Tractor Attachments, Trailer Packages

power-trac.com

View attachment 2912345

..and hauled around some big 'ol 10' long logs with the 4-in-1 Bucket...

View attachment 2912348

...and the Box Blade fluffs up your gravel driveway real nice.

View attachment 2912350

Then I got the Sany SY35SU Excavator @8500 Lbs. Big enough and small enough for the woods.

View attachment 2912351


...and put this on it with slight modifications to the mount. It eats blackberry bushes and 3"-4" trees for lunch, and limbs trees 12'-14' from the ground.

54" Excavator Brush Cutter -Agrotk - agrotkindustrial

Looking for new Excavator Brush Cutter ?Our Excavator Rotary Cutter Apply to 3-8 tons excavator Fit Caterpillar, only cost $2100.

agrotkindustrial.com

View attachment 2912353

And when all else fails for a Big Job, rent!

Wishing you well.

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