TLB for home construction and 8 acres

JimMorrissey · Oct 21, 2005

With the right attachment on the hoe, I could pull some really big stumps with the L39. They make "root hooks" for backhoes that are basically like a big tallon from a hawk. There's a lot less friction than a bucket and it slices through the dirt to get to the roots and then you snag the top of the stump and pull it free. Pretty cool attachment made for roots and breaking through heavy frost. They are expensive though....just like everything else.

rswyan · Oct 21, 2005

( They are expensive though....just like everything else. )
..... unless you have some scrap steel lying around and build it yourself /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Total cost: less than $5 for the tooth on tip.

JimMorrissey · Oct 21, 2005

Now that's the nasty kind of fang I'm talkin' about /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Good looking "attachment". Love to have one of those for Kubota hoe quick attach! Can you make me one? Excellent welding beads.

mike69440 · Oct 21, 2005

( With the right attachment on the hoe, I could pull some really big stumps with the L39. They make "root hooks" for backhoes that are basically like a big tallon from a hawk. There's a lot less friction than a bucket and it slices through the dirt to get to the roots and then you snag the top of the stump and pull it free. Pretty cool attachment made for roots and breaking through heavy frost. They are expensive though....just like everything else. )

Jim,

One of the crawler Excavators that cleared my land was a brand new medium sized (28,000 Lbs) and equipped w/ hook and hydraulic thumb.

The other excavator with bucket was 39,000 lbs.

They still had to pick and peck around the roots on the larger stumps. I would have thought they could have ripped them out. Then again, some of the Root balls are as big as my L39.

The L39 is a great machine if you only have maybe 50- 100 stumps to remove and have some time, but you would kill the machine working it as a stump remover to clear land.

I really have to be realalistic about what I can do with the L39. I wish it had more HP and weight. Still the BT-1000 is impressive.

mike69440 · Oct 21, 2005

( ( They are expensive though....just like everything else. )
..... unless you have some scrap steel lying around and build it yourself /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Total cost: less than $5 for the tooth on tip. )

You should not have posted your handy work.

Are you taking orders? I think they would be popular!

rswyan · Oct 21, 2005

Jim,

Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yeah, sure ... I could build you one .... provided you aren't in a real big hurry for it (I'm in the middle of trying to finish up the site prep for a new polebarn which I'm having put up before the weather gets really, really bad) I would need some measurements (pin diameter & spacing, center to center - and the amount of "throat" on your 'hoes bucket)

PM me if you wish to pursue it.

rswyan · Oct 21, 2005

Mike,

( You should not have posted your handy work. )
Hmmm ... yeah ... I can see this could be sorta a double-edged sword. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

( Are you taking orders? )
I could be ....like I mentioned to Jim though I have an ongoing project with getting my polebarn up. They were scheduled to start putting it up this coming week .... but unless I can catch a break from the rain I don't think I'll be able to have the site ready by then - I need about another week or so of decent weather to finish the grading and drain system, and trench for the services.

I wouldn't consider committing to any delivery dates before the first of the year. It will only take them about five days to put it up, but once that's done I will still have to pour a floor, and partition off the interior for a workshop, run the electric, move everything down from the old shop, etc, etc.

Let me know if you are interested and whether that sort of time frame is workable for you.

JimMorrissey · Oct 22, 2005

I was thinking around 20-30 stumps maximum. I don't remember any mention of 100s of stumps with rootballs the size of a L39s for you to remove. I am well aware of its capabilities and that of 20K lb+ excavators. If you have 100s of stumps to remove the size of cars, then you purchased the wrong machine for the job.

_RaT_ · Oct 23, 2005

If you have 100s of stumps to remove the size of cars, then you purchased the wrong machine for the job. 

Better yet, get the L39 but let an industrial machine do the tough work, its what they do everyday. I think it is foolish to beat up a machine thats jsut not designed for extreme work. Around here, $800 will get you a tremedous amount of work done with an industrial hoe, its money very well spent. Its why I have never purchased a hoe. I can easily get it done much cheaper for my needs by hiring it out then buying the equipment. Thats not to say though that there are not times when having a hoe would have been super conveniant or super fun.

mike69440 · Oct 23, 2005

( Jim,

Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yeah, sure ... I could build you one .... provided you aren't in a real big hurry for it (I'm in the middle of trying to finish up the site prep for a new polebarn which I'm having put up before the weather gets really, really bad) I would need some measurements (pin diameter & spacing, center to center - and the amount of "throat" on your 'hoes bucket)

PM me if you wish to pursue it. )

I need to take the bucket off this winter as I bent the edge of the bucket with a rook caught between the Mech Thumb and the bucket. I will measure the critical dimensions on the L39 bucket and post them for everyone.

Appreciate the offer.

Mike

PS to Jim & RaT regarding stump removal.

I briefly considered what it would take to stump near 5 Acres of heavily wooded hilly land with the L39. At best I can clear 2000 Sq Ft. in an 8 hour day. I confirmed this by pulling 8 large stumps and a bunch of small ones in a day. So to do one acre would take about +20 days! That's about 200 hours per acre beating the heck out of the little L39.

That's why I hired out the track excavators. ($1200/per Acre and they left the stumps! Ouch!!) Again, even a machine with 20,000 lbs on the L39 equipped with a fang and mechanical thumb had to work the bigger stumps.

100 Stumps are in about 1/2 Acre of forest. That amount of work the L39 could handle easy in about a summers worth of Saturdays. I don't claim that the L39 would be machine for doing that kind of work commercially, but if you like to do this kind of stuff around your home, the L39 can handle 100 stumps.

Comments On My L39:
I had initial problems with the L39. The Loader valve was defective and replaced under warrantee. Also I found the Main Pump pressure was about 150 psig Low. I then set the relief valves correctly.
I can now feel the motor load up while driving forward and using the hydraulics. I was able finally to take a heaping load of soft material with the TL1000 loader. I still feel the 6 ft bucket is too large for the available power of the hydraulics, and the machine would have been better off with a 66" bucket and a bit more lift/curl cylinder on the loader.

However, I think the BH1000 is amazing for the size and weight of this machine. Including operator weight, the L39 with the Thumb and bucket reinforcements, and the items the machine is still a lightweight at 7,500 lbs. I know on no other machine this small with this powerful a hoe.

With my L39 working as it should, I have +70 hours of seat time. I should enjoy the next 70 more with the machine set up. (I was laid up with back surgery.) My work has included grading and filling 3 driveways, burying a junk car, and removing about a dozen good size stumps, rocks etc, and numerous smaller stumps. I have not tried the 3 Pt/PTO yet.

I now have an idea of what my perfect machine would be.

L39 in size, need to keep compact.
Cab with heat and air
Larger 12 wide 27" min. tall front tire, very tight turning circle, extra duty front axle.
A little more ground clearance.
60 hp
10,000 lb weight (I'll buy my "finish mower" at Wall Mart. Goats work too!)
JD Load match feature.
If Shuttle shift, needs a feature that it would reduce tendency to loose too much speed or stop while shifting speeds up a grade or freewheeling so easily down a grade.
Maybe a hydro or CVT is a better choice. This is a hard pick.
Quick detach Loader 72" bucket, 3500 Lb Lift, 6000Lb Breakout.
Front and rear Aux. hydraulics.
Easy to remove, curved boom, solid mounted BH matched to the machine weight similar in proportion the L39/BH1000
BH to have Hydraulic Thumb.
PTO/3 PT equal to any Ag machine.
All for about $40,000!
I wonder if any Chinese tractor product mangers read this?