Could use some advice. We have some work to do for a farmer who is wanting to take pasture ground and convert it to row crop ground. Sereval fence rows with trees of all sizes, some pretty big , that have to be pushed out and piled. Also there are four or five ponds that have to have the dams cut and drained then the mud and muck pushed out and then push the dams in and level off. At first was thinking of buying a 963 but have been looking at some 953s and can get into them cheaper and can move them around with what i already have. But i want to make sure that i can get the trees out without wrestling them out and give the man his moneys worth. Also just found a 977L that is suppose to be in real good shape and the price seemed in line and i was rolling that idea around but i know that moving it around will be something to think about. I hope to do a good job for the gentleman and make him feel like he got his moneys worth cause he is likely to have more work down the road. Any advice on what machine would make the most since I would appreciate it. Rates for the 963 or 977L that I could get are probably around $110. For the 953 would be around $95 -$100. Thanks
i love a 977, but if you get them in soft ground they will find china. i would go with a 953. easy to run, easy on fuel, easy to haul, and easy on the ground. a 953 will take down large trees, it just might take a little longer.
Hahaha - ain't that the truth. You turn a 977 around on topsoil and you're digging a swimming pool.:lmao I would get the 953 - nice machines and remember you have a lot of height leverage to push over trees.
It seems like you are talking about two pieces of equipment. I've got a 963; wish I had a mid size excavator with a thumb. Picking up larger trees seems to work the 963 pretty hard. My bud and his excavator work around ponds. Clearing the trees/stumps, and reaching a long way into areas that would stick my track loader. Like breaching the dam. I'm doing similar work. And I really want an excavator.
Thanks for the info so far guys and I agree with you John B. an excavator would be real nice. Would love to have an excavator and a dozer to work together seems like that would be a nice pairing. Not enough funds for both just yet though.
I do similar work to what you are wanting to do. I have two 953's that work great. they are also great for digging basements. Not to big but deffinetly not to small.
Be carefull when you start shoving the muck out of the ponds. More than likely you will get stuck with that narrow tracked machine. With the tripple bar grousers ours is helpless any where accept the quary. Have you thaught about a nice D6C or D with at least a semi-U and a winch, Just a thaught if your going to be pushing a lot of dirt.
I have worked with several situations such as what you are describing, best advice I can give you is when you start the job, breach that dam first and drain....then go do your other work first and come back to it after a few days or so.....I run a 953 and have had very little trouble with tackling larger trees. It seems to me that a few minutes spent digging around the stump is time well spent when you figure what kind of dammage can come to your machine when forcing things. I'm running double grouser 20 in" pads right now and have to say they are very friendly on the surrounding turf. (as good as tracks can get anyway) the 953 weighs in at about 34,000 lbs. or so and can put a lot of torqe to the ground if used properly. hmmmmmm...... thinking.......I'll bet there are a lot of guys out here right now that would love to have that bit of work!!!