Excavator

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Spent most of the week working up at the farm. I just have to say, a mini ex is the most useful piece of equipment I could ever own. I use to think a skid steer was the end all be all, but it just sits now. I went to change the oil in it this week and noticed spiderwebs in the tracks! I spent the last day and half working on roads. It’s the only piece of equipment that would be able to do what I needed, including a dozer. Can’t ditch with a dozer like an excavator. Can’t clear trees with a dozer or skid steer half as good as an excavator. If anyone is on the fence between an excavator and a dozer or skid steer, I’d get two excavators before one of those if I had to choose…and I love all kinds of equipment.

 

[SD51555]

Spent most of the week working up at the farm. I just have to say, a mini ex is the most useful piece of equipment I could ever own. I use to think a skid steer was the end all be all, but it just sits now. I went to change the oil in it this week and noticed spiderwebs in the tracks! I spent the last day and half working on roads. It’s the only piece of equipment that would be able to do what I needed, including a dozer. Can’t ditch with a dozer like an excavator. Can’t clear trees with a dozer or skid steer half as good as an excavator. If anyone is on the fence between an excavator and a dozer or skid steer, I’d get two excavators before one of those if I had to choose…and I love all kinds of equipment.

Couldn't agree more. I checked rates on the Bobcat E50 for this year. All in, it's gonna be $1200 for 2 days. That's rent, damage waiver, delivery, fuel, and tax. I'll run out of stuff to do in two days if it dries out enough to get my dirt happenings going again. It sounds like I'm back to holding every drop of water my property can possibly hold, so it's gonna be at least end of July before I can start getting antsy. And that's only if it stops raining immediately.

I started learning dozer techniques last night. Getting ready to tackle that venture in the future.

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Are they easy to learn how to operate? The mini?

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I think so. At first it’s a little bit of curve but after a couple hours you aren’t thinking about every movement. Look around at some of the people who run equipment…I promise you would be able to figure it out!

 

[SD51555]

I think so. At first it’s a little bit of curve but after a couple hours you aren’t thinking about every movement. Look around at some of the people who run equipment…I promise you would be able to figure it out!

Agreed. Also, between youtube and some OEM sites, you can get a ton of classroom knowledge about running equipment. Just being able to watch a skilled operator at high speed fast forward, it's much easier to understand what they're doing. There's a few great youtube channels just for learning excavator techniques. And the mini is the right tool for when you want to go in and do things, but not wreak so much havoc you don't have a woods left.

What takes a little more skill is learning how to operate the machine effectively, and in a way you're not putting excessive wear on it. Not necessarily a concern on rental equipment, but at the same time, I want the people I do business with to be able to keep their stuff running.

 

[bjseiler]

What make/model or size do you have? Wish you had bigger or smaller? I'm going to rent one for a month here shortly and I'm on the fence for sizing. Mostly clearly trailings/openings and some ditch work.

 

[SwampCat]

I have a SIL who operates equipment for a good portion of his living. He is working a job right now for at least the next year where he is operating both a dozer and a track hoe. I need some dirt work done - i have four hundred yards of road that needs to be ditched, re-crowned, and graveled, maybe a couple acres of clearing trees - nothing much over 10”, a pad built for a storage building, and the edge of a hill turned into a small patio/firepit area. His short response, he liked a dozer better for building and a trackhoe better for maintaining. That said, he also indicated an excavator would be best for digging the area for the patio fire pit.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I have a John Deere 50hp. It’s about an 11,000lb machine. It’s any older machine. Nothing fancy at all but a beast. Next size down would be a 35hp, about 7,000lb. You could honestly do everything with that. I mean in a perfect world I’d love an 85 but that isn’t happening!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I have a SIL who operates equipment for a good portion of his living. He is working a job right now for at least the next year where he is operating both a dozer and a track hoe. I need some dirt work done - i have four hundred yards of road that needs to be ditched, re-crowned, and graveled, maybe a couple acres of clearing trees - nothing much over 10”, a pad built for a storage building, and the edge of a hill turned into a small patio/firepit area. His short response, he liked a dozer better for building and a trackhoe better for maintaining. That said, he also indicated an excavator would be best for digging the area for the patio fire pit.

He would know better than me, but if I’m making a new road where I have to clear trees, I’m taking the excavator all day long. A dozer really isn’t meant for taking out trees because it has no leverage. All you can really hope to do is muscle it over. With an excavator, I can loosen up the dirt around it and reach up and push it over and then once I get it over, I can clean the dirt off the root ball and move the tree wherever I want it. And then I can fill in the hole and smooth it out.

 

[jsasker007]

My excavator gets used way more than anything else I own. Running a 50g with a 30" bucket and don't know how I managed without one for so many years. When I'm working in the woods making roads or clearing trails the zero tail swing is a must for me. If I had a bigger machine with the ass end hanging out I guarantee I would have beat the hell out of the back end. Great fuel efficiency also. 5 gallons will last about 8 hours. My only complaint would be the A/C not keeping up in the summer. Open the windows to get a breeze if there is one. Having the thumb on the bucket has been a great feature too. Can go almost anywhere and if you get yourself stuck with the tracks 99% of the time reaching out with the bucket will help enough to get you moving again. A dozer would be stuck. Ground speed is slow but I'll live with that.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

My excavator gets used way more than anything else I own. Running a 50g with a 30" bucket and don't know how I managed without one for so many years. When I'm working in the woods making roads or clearing trails the zero tail swing is a must for me. If I had a bigger machine with the ass end hanging out I guarantee I would have beat the hell out of the back end. Great fuel efficiency also. 5 gallons will last about 8 hours. My only complaint would be the A/C not keeping up in the summer. Open the windows to get a breeze if there is one. Having the thumb on the bucket has been a great feature too. Can go almost anywhere and if you get yourself stuck with the tracks 99% of the time reaching out with the bucket will help enough to get you moving again. A dozer would be stuck. Ground speed is slow but I'll live with that.

Two negatives…as you said holy crap it’s slow. Took me about an hour to get back to the shop yesterday. And…if something big breaks out in the field it’s a huge undertaking. I have a real fear of popping a track on a side hill and never getting it back on

 

[SwampCat]

He would know better than me, but if I’m making a new road where I have to clear trees, I’m taking the excavator all day long. A dozer really isn’t meant for taking out trees because it has no leverage. All you can really hope to do is muscle it over. With an excavator, I can loosen up the dirt around it and reach up and push it over and then once I get it over, I can clean the dirt off the root ball and move the tree wherever I want it. And then I can fill in the hole and smooth it out.

He is speaking in general. I have had an excavator clear a food plot. I had to have a dozer come back in and smooth it. Sure, a track hoe could smooth it - in twice the time. And I agree - a big hoe is better for removing big trees. When he comes to my place, he is bringing a dozer, but he could bring a hoe instead if he wanted to. He did say - 100% - an excavator would be much better for me for all around maintenance. He said he would rent a dozer - and operator - if he was me. But, I am not buying an excavator, either.

Our duck lease has 13 impoundments on it from 5 to 40 acres. Farmer has a dozer and an excavator and backhoe. There is a lot of work for excavator and backhoe - we havent used a dozer, yet

 

[jsasker007]

I'm running the rubber tracks which have been great so far. I ripped one pretty good so I bought a spare to throw on when that track finally gives out. That was about 6 years ago and that ripped track hasn't gotten any worse. I've got dozers with steel tracks and they are a real bitch to get back on. Come alongs strategically placed and heavy pry bars and more patience than I have. First time putting dozer track back on took me about 7 hours and after it was back on I drove it about 12' and it peeled off again! Threw my hat in the mud that day. Second time I had the track back on in about 45 minutes. Was a lot more careful after that with the dozer.

 

[jsasker007]

Reminds me I better pump up my tracks again pretty soon.