Hello All, I am asking for some input from some knowledgeable people on what I should do. I have done a lot of digging into this but I don’t have the expertise so that is why I am here. I have 34 acres that is mainly wooded, ½ larger hardwoods and half 15-year-old clear cut. I am looking to homestead on this property and after receiving quotations to underbrush, clear, grade for house and additional barn (one already on the property), and trench water lines to the areas I will need from the existing well I have decided that it will be cheaper to buy something and do it myself. My time frame is three years to start home construction on the property and so I am not in a rush. I have been looking at the 9k to 12k mini excavators and after looking at new and used here is where I am at. I also currently have a 33 horse tractor with front end loader to help. · Will a 9k – 12k machine with thumb do the work · What to look for when demoing outside of: Power loss, joint play, leaking fluids, rough engine and smoke, pump noise and undercarriage. Additionally, I have almost come to the conclusion that if I am going to spend 35k on a good used machine I might as well buy a new Tak TB 240 for less than 10k more. In addition, if I was to stay used I would think that a heavier machine might be better value. I would like to stay ¾ ton tow-able, it is not a requirement but a wish. I do have some experience in running equipment so I am not worried on that end. Just looking for advise and seeing if I have drastically overlooked something.
Just because an excavator has a blade, does not make it a tractor. The blade is only made for a small amount of leveling. Also a rubber track machine is not really meant for rough ground. Those tracks are expensive, and easily torn. We mostly use them in areas with little to no rocks. Landscaped properties, paved driveways, inside buildings. If you want a mini, I would go big enough to have steel tracks. A rubber tire backhoe can do a lot of work for you if your property is not too wet.
I am located in the south and with the amount of weather, water and the soil conditions here working a backhoe off road is not a good idea on this piece of property. I have ran 8K to 30K excavators in the past but i have never purchased or owned one so that is the main point of the question. Am i missing something from a ownership perspective or not thinking something through.
Faced with a similar situation and goals I bought an E35i with just 47 hours on it. Equipped with a quick bucket exchange. Also now have 16", 24", 39" (grading) buckets and a ripper (which attaches in place of a bucket). I looked for several years for a used mini with 1000 hours but all were clearly abused beyond reasonable wear and/or not price discounted sufficiently. Oh yes, a cab too which I recommend unless you plan to be in the woods a lot, and rubber track which is essential for resale on this size machine here. This has worked well for me. As to what to look for in a used mini...for me, low hour meter reading first. I would spend 30 min to an hour running any I looked at and it was pretty easy to determine if it had potential problems I did not want to spend time and money on. I think with your experience you will find the same. If you are open to more downtime for repairs and time troubleshooting, then more hours on a mini might work for you. Reduce your bid price accordingly.
Thank you for the input, I am glad to hear that I am not the only one that is having a hard time finding a mini. I don't mind downtime but the part cost of a pump, engine, or drive motor is what really concerns me. I would hate to buy a $20K machine and have to replace a pump within 6 months cause that would mean i would have over $30K in a very used machine, this is not ideal for me. I was also hoping to stay 3/4 ton tow-able for resale as well. Machines I am now considering Kubota KX 40 Takeuchi TB 240 Cat 305E JCB 45Z or 48Z Bobcat E42 or E45 If anyone has any input on these new machines it would be greatly appreciated.
I’ll give my $.02 worth on the Bobcat E42. Purchased mine early last summer. So far, great machine. If I have one complaint, it would be the perceived or actual lack of real power to the tracks. High speed is nice, but only viable in a straight line on flat or downhill grades. Any turning or resistance requires low speed. Although I haven’t got mine stuck, I just feels like it could easily get in a situation where it is underpowered. I’m cognizant of that and try not to put myself in those situations. That being said it does a respectable job of grading/dozing with the angle blade. Mine has the extendable arm option, which includes a larger counterweight. Neither were on my original wishlist, but I’m very happy with them. I find the digging and lifting capacity to be very respectable. I’ve done some stuff that I would have never thought possible with this size machine. For me, zero tail swing wasn’t important, and I’ll gladly take the reduced width along with a little more lifting capacity. Speaking of size, mine is fairly easily towed with my F250, and it’s nice not to worry about having a CDL. I use mine on several properties, so ease of transportation is important to me. I’ve got a good Bobcat dealer that takes care of me. I seriously considered the Kubota, but my dealer just didn’t match up to Bobcat. Never really considered anything else on your list. Bobcat sort of reins in mini’s in my area. I’ve got no regrets on my decision.