Hello All- I'm another new member who bought bunch of a acreage and want to buy a used excavator for ranch and farm work. I bought 100 acres in Central Texas hill country but only want to clear about 1/2 of it. The 50 acres we want to clear is on flat to gently sloping land- nothing dangerous or too exciting. Really we just want to remove the cedar (technically it's ashe juniper, not cedar) and leave all the oaks alone. Land hasn't been touched in over 50 years so most of the cedar is 8-12" at the base with some hitting 24". But it's cedar which means none of it over 20ft tall-- cedar is really just a big bush . And it's thick growth- impossible to walk through. I figured an excavator grubbing with a thumb would be better over a dozer (and more fun!) for selective clearing so I'm on the hunt for a used 20-ton unit. Will also use it to clean out a stock tank, rebuilt some road culverts, etc. Yes, a 20t is probably way overkill from what I read on here but it's what I'm looking for. I prefer is an excavator that's fairly simplistic without the overly complicated electrical systems of newer machines. I'm not too worried about fuel efficiency, fancy engine management, or stuck on a certain brand, etc- I just want a solid machine that is easy to troubleshoot WHEN it breaks. I'm fairly competent in engine/equipment maintenance and diesels don't intimidate me but really don't have time to spend as much time fixing a machine as using it. So, my question is about which year group is better to look at for an excavator? I was thinking a late 90's mainly due to price point but I really don't know much about when the EPA regs and other control systems made excavators complicated. Are there brands that are more simplistic than other? And since I live in central Texas, I have a lot of options for an excavator coming through the Ritchie auctions in Dallas and Houston. I can wait for the right machine...but just need to know the painful ones to avoid.
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