TLB 3520 or 4120???

[minimax]

I get $60 hr for the 3720, and $75 for the mini-x but rember not to price your self out of the market or on a bid price I get a $1 a foot to dig the trench up to 3' feet deep and one foot wide and a $1 to backfill.

minimax

 

[Rob-D]

Minimax,
While you are right about the speed of your machine most of us buy TLBs for versatility. You machine is ‘application specific’ and limited.

I personally place versatility above speed. You can't mow with your machine and clearing snow with your BH will leave you outside when the rest of us are inside sipping hot coco with cleared driveways.

 

[minimax]

I can mow circles around a TLB( literally) with the mini-x I have a mower head that goes on the end of the arm!! I could try to clear snow with the hoe but the dozer blade would work but I would rather use the 3720 with a cab .I use the mini 60-70% of my work.I work all winter and a TLB wont work in a foot plus of mud,TLB's have there place but they are a jack of all trades and a master of none!Here's a before and after of the mini-x and the mower head! try to mow this with a tractor bushog combo



minimax

 

[Rob-D]

The Mini has its place but it isn't the master of all trades either. Let's be honest you're not going to cut a golf course with those treads and you're not going to beat a good blower with a blade especially in the dead of winter when you have no place to push the snow.

What's the price of that machine new? I'll bet it's not cheap.

How many attachments can you put on it and how fast can you change them? 3PH? Can you even put an FEL on it or a tiller? I don't see a lot of places selling attachments for it. What did that hog cost you? Bet it's not cheap either.

Will the town let you drive it down the road in the summer with those treads?
We have tractors all over the roads here.

Once again, it's a nice machine and it has its place and I'll take my tractor.

 

[minimax]

I'm not trying to start a war, this machine has a brush cutting head on it( 4" cap.) so you wont be cutting a golf course but I can slopes, ditchs, roadsides, small trees, limbing, right of ways, soft or muddy ground.No you dont clear snow with it. Cost of a mini-X is anywhere from $25,000 to 80,000 depending on size,brand,EROPS or OROPS, type of tracks ,attachments,etc.
This mini-x is about $40,000 plus about $10,000 in the mower,brush rake and buckets.As for attachments here we go buckets,thumbs,mowers,brush rakes,breakers,augers,grapples,rotating grapples,rippers,compactors,power tilts,stump grinders,and I could go on,It only takes less than 2 mins. to change attachments. the tracks are steel with rubber pads so they dont hurt pavement but I tralier it to keep the wear down and it would be to slow.
I don't mine if you like your TLB better just more work for me
Here's some more pic's



minimax

 

[jcmseven]

I rented a JD mini-excavator for a weekend about three months ago from our local dealer. It was a nice machine for its purpose. I can say I doubt a tractor with a backhoe would have done the fairly intense excavating I needed to do. I will also say though that if one has some site prep work such as hauling buckets of dirt from one place to another, moving a trailer filled with dirt, etc. or box blading a long section for a floor, etc. I would still prefer the tractor. True, the excavator can do some of those things, but its limited ground speed is inhibitory. If our original poster is going to do some heavy duty or frequent work, investing in one of these neat machines is a good idea; if he is wanting to do "tractor-work" mainly and is dabbling in site prep on a limited basis, he might be out of budget going for one of these machines. I believe his original post really was questioning whether he should go with a large frame or medium frame machine. I suggest a mid frame, unless he wants to buy a different trailer. If he were to go the mini-hoe route, he would DEFINITELY need a new trailer.

John M

 

[minimax]

Well said, I would 2nd the bigger trailer mini-x or the larger frame TLB.

minimax

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

I need to throw in my two cents. I can't see how you'll haul the 3x20 on a 7k trailer? The dry weight of the tractor alone is 2900lbs add the loader and hoe an that's another 2400lbs and the trailers got to weigh at least 2000lbs so the way I see it your 300 lbs over your gvw and thats not including chains other attachments etc. So I think either way you go large or medium frame your going to need a larger trailer. Oh and I'd vote for the 3x20 tractor. Mine's got plenty of versitilty for me.

Matt T.

 

[BloomingtonMike]

A response that is a little closer to home for the OP. Minier, IL has Brad Cross as a JD Dealer. He gets some leased machines back each October and sells them for large discounts. Many come from light duty application area like the Havana golf course. This is where I bought my 3320 and 300X for $17,500 from.

Then there is Sam at Martin Bros here in Bloomington, IL. He has a 4120 or 4320 (cannot remember which) that has a 448 hoe on it that has been there since March. He might be able to work a good deal for you. If you buy from either one of them tell them Mike Heidrick sent you.

Good luck.

 

[KB9UDE]

THANKS MIKE!!

I WILL CHECK INTO THOSE THIS WEEK WHEN I GO TO A JOB SITE UP THAT DIRECTION.