Hi, I own a pool and spa dealership, we do alot of above ground pools and have always subbed out excavating, decided we are leaving money on the table and want to get compact skid steer, but want something fairly light for transport, but needs to be able to scape upto 6" of turf up , we definitely don't need anything crazy big... was looking at terex R070t, but wondered if it was powerful enough and good brand, open to any suggestions.
Maybe others can chime in that specific model. Being that you aren't moving large quantities of soil, any sized machine should work, do you have any lifting requirements this machine would need to perform? I would purchase a unit based on condition and local dealer support. Any machine is useless if you can't get parts or service efficiently.
If all you need to do is pull up sod for a pool. I would look at one of these ride on track machines. It would be light, easy to transport and you could get it into tight areas which I would believe would be important for some pool jobs. Some of them are pretty impressive capacity wise. https://www.wackerneuson.com/en/us/products/skid-steer-loaders/utility-track-loader/model/sm100/ https://www.vermeer.com/na/mini-skid-steers/ctx100
You could use tracks or tires. A Toro Dingo is another option. A benefit to a stand on machine is you don't have to be a contortionist to get in it. This is important if the operator has to help with other things.
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Consider a sod cutter as well.
The terex you mentioned is the old ASV brand, that terex bought, and sold, and now its back to being a ASV branded loader again. The ASV undercarriage is kind of known for being pretty high wear and expensive to maintain. I don't know what success you will have getting parts from the new ASV for the terex branded loaders. A lot of landscapers like the ASV undercarriage because it doesn't leave much for marks in lawns, and rides pretty nice. You would probably find more info on that particular unit, by searching for info on ASV loaders rather than as a terex loader. There are also some CAT track loaders that use the ASV undercarriage, but the rest of the CAT loader is nothing like the ASV.
You can get ASV parts at Track Loader Parts or Vine and Branch Equipment. Look at ASV RT40. 4 FT wide.
I had an ASV 4810 back in early 2000's. Just like a boat, the best 2 days of ownership was the purchase and sale of the machine. Way too much undercarriage cost even though I babied it as much as I could. 6 derailments in the first 60 hours was just the bad start with that machine and that was just the beginning. If life was flat, sandy ground only and never any rock, it might have been ok but there were still constantly issues to repair. It was a fairly stout machine that took lots of maintenance time to keep it up to running standards. If I was looking for a single machine for installation of pools and other small jobs, I would look into a Mecalac MCR series machine for consideration. It's both a track loader and excavator built into one unit and they make several different sizes of machines. One operator could do most everything needed with one of these units and the proper attachments. I'm not into dirt work any more but one of these could be really handy for landscapers and other small job operators. It would sort of be like an upgraded Kobelco Blade Runner that I rented for a job years ago. I always swore that if I went back to dirt work that a Blade Runner would allow me to work alone efficiently yet still operate both a dozer and excavator at once, without the need for employees. A decent operator can really get productive with a multi-tool like the MCR series and minimize the amount of equipment needed for a job.
You'd want to have good dealer support fairly close by. There are several great multi-use machines out there but you need easy and quick access to parts and/or service. I think that's why some great machines out of Europe have lower sales in N. America.
The 4800 was three generations of undercarriages ago. The new ones, as part of their warranty package, if you de track a machine the dealer will come put it back on. I have 3 of the second generation (RC) machines and the undercarriages are good for about 2000 hours or so. Tracks are usually good for 800-1200 hours. You have to keep the tracks fairly tight. If you hear a popping sound you have a loose track. You better tighten it like now. I have never de tracked one of mine. They HATE rock above 3/4 inch.
I've seen those and they look like a jack of all trades, namely a machine that does a poor job of being a mini ex as well as a CTL. I can't see the drives lasting long or having enough power to push like a CTL with the excavator style undercarriage. I feel like those machines are suited to someone who barely needs either type of machine and it's mostly just moving tiny amounts of material, it's not meant to be used day after day at either task because it's likely far too slow.
I watched their running display at Conexpo. They are more capable than what I would have expected, I was impressed by what they could do. How long they last, I have no idea. They have a lot going on that is for sure and can't be fun to work on. They are highly capable of moving material, at least in the larger sizes. I would demo one if I had a dealer close by.
They are not terrible to work on. Have a dealer near me that subs all field repairs out to us. Not sure about their sales but we have only gone out a handful of times in the last 2 years and most breakdowns were operator error. That were simple fixes
ASV RC30 sit in machine good little machines. Ditch Witch SK1050, stand on machine lots of attachments to use for all kinds of projects. Vermeer S450, stand on machine lots of attachments to use for all kinds of projects.
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I believe they are all narrow enough to get through a standard with fence gate. The Vermeer and Ditch Witch I know you can get forks, trenchers, smooth buckets, clamp buckets, etc... The Vermeer dealer here has a great service department, but the Ditch Witch dealer dose not have a dependable service department. So it might be important to look at that also if your considering a newer machine with any kind of warranty. I'm not sure who is the ASV dealer around me. But they are very easy to work on. Hope it helps. Keep us posted on what you decide on!
Toro bought Ditch Witch but I don't know if they have different machines between Ditch Witch and Toro Dingo's.
Did you buy the Mecalac? We have been selling them for over 5 years now. They make a great machine.
Nope. I was thinking about those while up in Maine earlier in the month. I was needing a small machine to do some work for my in-laws while I was up there. No rental places close to where we stay. My mulching work keeps me too busy to need anything dirt related to add to my fleet. I would still like to try one out some time just to see how much it could get done in a day. I really like the concept of the machine.
Vbelt and son on you tube has a Mecalac. You can get some real world feedback
Shoot me an email when you are interested. We have sold a few in Maine.
I think those look very interesting. I watched the demo at Conexpo last time with great interest. My question would be there is a lot going on with those machines. Do they hold up over time? Parts hard to get in the States are they cost comparable to other OEMs or since they come from France they are even more expensive? Is Mecalac's dealer footprint expanding in the States?
I own a Kubota SVL-75. I have been very happy with it. It is a hydraulic over hydraulic machine. I think the biggest thing with a machine is the dealer. I really like my Kubota dealer and the support that I get.
They are rugged machines. Just like any other machine the better its maintained the more you get out of it in higher hours. We don't have complaints about parts availability with our customers. I think the parts is really on the dealer. They should be stocking the correct amount of needed parts. They are less then the competitor because you are getting two machines in one. The versatility is unmatched.