hi i am looking to purchase a new hoe im thinking 320D is the way to go, anyone one here have alot of hours in both to compare. I have ran both just not in winter hard to tell in the summer, my problem is by the end of winter we are digging up to 7ft of frost and is very hard and time consuming especially with a 315 the biggest we can haul is a 320 at this point in time we only have a tag trailer and can make do moving it around in the city anyone that can give me some input for my decision would be greatly appreciated thanks http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7311/mahoe.png
well i see this isnt going to be as easy as i thought to get some opinions lol i figured id have a few in no time :Banghead
I have dug frost with a 320 size machine in Alaska. All I can say is use the right bucket and teeth and it will help a lot. Take a look at leading edge attachments. I have their single pointed ripper bucket for my JD 120 and it works great. Make sure the machine you use has a short stick too.
I've never run a 315, but a 320 beats a 318 by a good bit.
Here in Maine we use a ground heater (Heat King) to thaw frozen ground. It thaws about 1 inch hour.. works pretty well. I like to use it when digging around existing services. But the 320 is the machine if you can afford it.
If you need more digging power and can haul a 320 then that is the machine I would purchase. A 315 is popular since both the weight and width of the machine usually allows a permit-less move. I have owned 2 315's and they are one of my favorite size hoe for the reason stated above. In AL a 320 requires an over-width permit, a 315 does not. If you can move the 320 legally and easily, then go bigger. Personally, in my neck of the woods, I would skip over the 320 and go to a 325 since I would have to hire a lowboy to move the 320 anyway. Also owned a 325DL and that was a very nice and powerful machine, I would like to buy another one in the future.
moving is not a big deal we can buy a blanket permit that is good for a year we move it everyday or every second day for sure so getting bigger and hiring a truck would be way to much if i was able to haul myself i would be all over a 324d maybe in a few years well have a semi and lowboy
In my opinion, the power to weight ratio is way better on the 320, we own both plus a 324DL. Right now machines larger than a 320 are priced alot cheaper per HP and LB
When they went to the 315D they put a four cylinder engine in it. They say the four has more horse power but to me the six was a lot smoother and seemed to carry heavy loading a lot better. Like with mechanics tools, buy the best you can afford to fit the particular job situation. In this case I would pick the bigger machine. Good Luck!
Go with the 320 ! ... they are way more popular in Canada than the 315, which make parts availability and resale better..... every-one wants a 200 size machine. Don't get me wrong, the 315 is an awesome machine, I also have a 312, and wished many times it was a 315, BUT that's like the guy that bought the Boat and now suffers from twofoot-itus .... always wishing it was 2' bigger ....LOL I also found that the 320 is a much more stable machine, especially if you are ripping frost, it stays there putting more hp to the ground .... 320D is my Vote ... JMHO ....Cheers and good Luck !
More weight and horsepower will be better for frost. It will get you more footage, if trenching, and more yardage if mass excavating. I own a 315CL and it has been a great machine so far (+/- 4500 hrs so far). I chose the 315 because it fit the type of work and hauling ease that I require. I have a 3x trailer so I can haul a 50,000# machine (320) but it would require an over width permit. If you are doing much trenching, and require the use of a shield, you will need the 320 to work effectively. Especially if you are double stacking the boxes. It's harder to advise as you have only said that you are digging very deep frost. With that limited information I can only recommend the 320.