HI HD Equipment Experts. This is my first post and I'm looking for advise for clearing land and moving some soil. My project consist of : a) clearing about 4 acres of trees. The area was previously a corn field about 30 years ago and is typical Indiana clay. The area is now thick with new trees about 6 to 8 in. in diameter. b) creating a pond and using the spoils for a building pad for a storage building and parking area (gravel surface). I'm estimating that I will need to move the material 300 ft. THe total quantity to move is about 7000 CY. The soil can be wet a mucky in the spring but very dry in the late summer. I could hire it out, am working getting quotes. I'm newly retired and would be interested in doing the project myself. After spending many hours on this forum, I think I have an idea on how I would like to approach and would like some feedback. I thought that a track loader, like a Cat 963, would be a single machine that would be able to do both the clearing and soil moving. After completion of the project I would plan to sell the machine. I would still need to figure out what to do about compaction, in any case I would have that problem. Anyone have any thoughts or recommendations for me? Thanks in advance
I looked at a Liebherr 631 yesterday. Seemed like a really good deal. However 2 things held me back. The bucket rise time seemed slow to me and all 3 cylinders where leaking. I felt that there may be a problem with the hydraulic system that is causing both of the problems. I think that a check of the operating pressure could determine if the main pump is week ? Would it be worth taking a hydraulic sample and check for fine metal? Thanks
Possible, but not likely the same problem. Unless the cylinders or rods are damaged, then the leaking is just seals, they don't last forever. It can be comparatively easy, or a major job to take a cylinder apart... The repair manual probably has a procedure for testing the hydraulic pump. It may have a cycle time specification too. Was this at idle or at full throttle? An SOS oil sample kit from CAT is CHEAP for what you get, if you have the time and ability to do it right, an oil sample is great to do. It won't tell you that much about the machine unless it's BAD, it is an oil test, to spot signs over time of something happening in the machine, and when to change the oil.
The Liebherr isn't a very common machine so parts may be a problem. 4 acres of 6-8" tree's wont take a real big machine. A 953 or an older 955, 951, 941 would do the job. A 931 would also do it but take longer. Another option is an excavator and truck to haul the material.
6-8” trees would be a pain depending on the type of tree, they like to bend over. You’d probably be better off mulching all of them. It would help the soil as well, also depending on what you would like to do with it. the dirt work could be done with a track loader. I have done a decent amount of work with land clearing, but with a 973, and with larger trees.