I’ve learned a bunch from forums over the years. Hope to get the same from this one. I’m about to retire and just bought 100+ acres on the side of a hill. I want to terrace it and build roads and house pads, septic fields….etc. what size, how old? No idea what I need. Like to keep the purchase price under 25k. I’m good with repairs and can fix just about anything. Don’t mind buying used and fixing it up.
The size of your property is fairly large. Small gear takes a long time and brakes down like big gear. $25000 is a worn out whatever in this day and age. Do you want to be fixing up the property, or working forever on something on its last legs. Maybe a little to think about. It is your money, your choice on your property. Simon C
Roads and house pads as in many? Are you developing it and dividing it up? It makes a difference.
Welcome to the Forums Bb! Glad to have you. Shimmy's smart assed post is not the way we welcome new members here on HEF so don't let that discourage you. Tells us more about yourself, your background and exactly what you want to do. HEF is here for folks to exchange information from the very knowledgable to the newbies.
Track loader. Preferably with rear positioned engine.
Thanks for the quick replies, there is wisdom even in the more complicated replies. I have thick skin no problem. 35 years military retiring, not planning on developing or dividing it up. Initial plan is to build a small place garage and live in it until I can build the forever house. Probably build 3 small houses for the kids for when they come visit, Airbnb them maybe. Lots of stone on the property also going to learn stone masonry. I’m in no rush, got the rest of my existence to figure it out.
I have ran equipment, owned a JCB 1400b backhoe many years ago. Built a driveway and a pond. Wished I had an excavator back then. So hoping to learn and set realistic expectations on cost compared to age and hours and equipment size. I’m sure there is too big for what I need and too small for the job. Maybe make terraces and plant grapes… raise goats??? Who knows.
Tell us about the location a bit. Lots of stone is great, do you have some soil to go with it? Terracing and working side hills is fairly technical work. Not saying you can't learn it, but there is a lot of room for error and drama there. Some pictures would be nice too. I'd look for something with decent undercarriage, or have a budget to allow for replacement. People like to badmouth ITR, but for a farm machine, a set of new ITR complete tracks would last a lifetime of farming wall building fun. I put new tracks, sprockets, and a few rollers on the 120 for 6500 a few years ago.
The best way to do the job is a big excavator and dozer. A big excavator and dozer for just one project is not going to be very cost effective, and you certainly won't do it for $25,000. A heavy CTL and a big mini will go a long ways, it is what I would go for under the circumstances, but you won't get anything worthwhile in that department for 25k either. Your best bet is probably a backhoe, possibly renting a big hoe to deal with heavy digging, especially if there is a lot of rock. As CM indicated, there is kind of a lot more to this than simply "what machine is best". Do you have any experience operating equipment?
Awesome, good for you and make sure you have fun. Unfortunately, at the price point you have given us, you probably won’t have much to work with. A 25k excavator is probably going to be pretty worn out and you will get dirty. Fortunately, you have us here to help, when stuff doesn’t work. Couple of questions. Do you have Heavy Equipment experience, what about mechanical abilities? How steep is this land? Are you going to be cleaning some of it yourself, or will you have someone experienced with slopes helping? Most importantly, don’t get killed and have fun do it.
about size: Really, there is no "too big" until you get bound up trying to build a really narrow flat spot with a wall below/above it. Bigger is your friend.
Nevermind the backhoe there . . .
If you are not in a big rush, a large skid steer or compact track machine with a grapple can move a lot of trees with the grapple. The size of stumps on your property may take some power to remove, just depends on how many. Hiring a 200 size machine can pull a lot of stumps in one day. There is always the option of a rental excavator like a Deere 60 G size. They can dig quite a lot in a day, but are definitely not 200 size machine. Skid steers are nice to maintain roads and unload items from trucks. A track loader is very valuable also, but to find a good one that is not ready for a $40000 grenading problem, that will be the challenge. Money don't go far these days. Simon C
I think you better up your budget. $25k is going to get you into big trouble, and an even bigger mess. Not trying to dissuade you, just being realistic. I have two excavators, two dozers, a track skidder, and 35 years heavy equipment experience. I'm not sure I have the skills to tackle that site and terrain. Best of luck.
The property was logged about 12 years ago. So no huge timber but lots of stumps in there…mixed with rocks. Mansize stones. Yeah I was considering hiring someone that might also educate me a bit… most folks don’t want to waste their time though. Understandable.
Seriously I would be game to help out, but I am working pretty hard getting my place done. I enjoy this kind of thing, when I can pick the weather etc. If you are really wanting some help, send me a Personal Message. Maybe it can work.
When my last employer closed shop, all the machines went to auction. As their mechanic, I had my favorites. But, I knew the histories, and what was in them. With that said, no matter what you pick, have it professionally evaluated. Myself, I'm partial to either a 314/ 315 size with blade & thumb, or a 320/ 321 with a thumb.
I agree with everyone else that $25K will maybe get you one tired dozer that will still work or a really tired excavator that may not work. And for the excavator, I'm sure you'll want a good hydraulic thumb and maybe aux hydraulics to hammer which add costs. Not sure which machine will be a better first purchase for you. As stated, bigger is better if possible since you won't be transporting it to other sites. Hopefully you pay for it once to get delivered and then someone else down the road pays to haul it off after purchasing it from you. The best news is you're retired and looking for something to keep you busy. And buying tired, used heavy machinery will do just that. Congrats on the 35 years! I'm subscribing to learn on this one. I also have a 100 acres but the area I'm working is fairly flat with only scrub cedar trees. Ain't nothing the challenge like you're dealing with.
I'd opt for a 200 sized machine with progressive thumb. But that is what I always say
My preference in steep country; 12-20 ton excavator with thumb. Enough weight/width (important for stability) and reach (to keep the ‘work‘ further away from the operator station) for safe road pioneering/building. A good size for production dirt work like terracing etc. Don't know about your market but here in BC $25k will buy basically scrap iron…..best to have someone experienced with you when looking at prospective buys. Pioneering roads in steep country with thick bush takes some experience to do safely…. Good luck, looks like a beautiful property!
Thanks for that! Any specific make or model suggestions much appreciated. Puts me on the right track while I search marketplace and auctions. There is an auction that runs in MD which is close to me.
I bought an old Massey Ferguson 165 at auction. It was the best tractor ever!
looks doable man… it looks flat compared to some jobs I’ve been on. A Case 580SM or a Cat 420D backhoe with 3 to 4k hrs….as soon as you get the hang of it you can do wonders with them…you might want to up your budget just a little even on these though. But both of them will have good resale value when you are done with them. Just leave me know and I will buy it
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That terrain looks like my area of upstate NY which means hills, shale, clay, boulders, etc, the ground is like a box of chocolates.... I'd say a 200-250 class excavator would be the dingle most useful tool and then hire out other finer work here and there. Cost of operation on an excavator is low compared to dozers and they're fantastic in wooded properties for pushing trees put up high and taking the root ball with them.
My advice is to shy away from machines with emission control and a lot of electronics on the engine. That really limits your selection but it also limits a lot of exposure to expensive repairs. I have a 1996 Cat 325BL with a strong hydraulic thumb but no emissions and minimal electronics. Machine weighs in around 28 tons and does a lot of work. But it also took me a long time to find it. I passed on a lot of junk that tempted me, especially early on when the "itch" was strong. I also have a 1971 Cat D7F military dozer (rebuilt in '96 then sat in the motorpool for next couple decades) and the only electronics on it is the starter and lights. I can work on my machines with basic tools (albeit they're fairly large and heavy tools). And it helps that Cat machines are built very well (especially the older ones) and I have a dealership close by for parts. Make sure whatever machine you buy that you can get parts for it. Certain machines like an Allis Chalmers dozer will be cheap compared to an equivalent Cat dozer because you can't readily get parts for it any more. I think age on a dozer isn't an issue when compared to age on an excavator. In other words, don't be afraid of an older dozer but I highly recommend listening to the folks here about older excavators. If you haven't done so yet, set up an account at Ritchie Bros auctions so you can view the sold prices of equipment for the past two years in your area. Ritchie Bros is a VERY large auction house so you get a lot of data to level set your expectations. Visiting their auction yards is a fun way to kill time and learn a lot about equipment. Other websites to keep an eye open is govdeals.com, purplewave.com, machinerytrader.com, and any of your "local" auction houses. Search Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace too. I think most folks list machines on Craigslist and Facebook first, then when they don't get the price they want, it's off to auction. And remember this about auctions: Not all machines at auction are junk, but all junk goes to auction. That's not my saying and it belongs to someone on this board (can't remember who) but it is solid advice.
I would buy an old, giant excavator. That’s what all the cool kids are doing, nowadays. Where is Truck Shop? Homeowners buying old giant excavators? Wonder what the world will be like when everyone is a construction equipment operator, HVAC repairman, computer repairman, hardwood floor installer, brain surgeon, dentist, landscaper, politician-oops forgot everyone already is that, chef, well driller, college professor, lawyer, pilot... HeavyEquipmentForums
There's no one piece of equipment that's perfect. My backhoe was fire-saled from a dealer, and the excavator was bought from a contractor who had a bunch of knuckeheads doing 'maintenance' on it. If you are willing to take a chance on someone elses' screwup, you really can end up with some gems. My backhoe is ugly as hell - but starts when I need it and does everything it's supposed to. Excavator starts easy, and is a beautiful machine to operate. I see a lot of those older Terex Dozers (82-30 size) for sale in the $5k to $8k range. No idea on parts availability. If you want older gear, start looking for simple things - radiator hoses, hydraulic seal kits, rollers, wheel bearings depending on what you are looking at. pretend you are buying it and will have to maintain it. It's a bad machine when you can't find parts for it. I don't worry about service and such - I DON'T work for other people, nor do I depend on these machines for a living. Backhoe sat for 6 months doing nothing while I tried to figure out what it's problmes were. Excavator took me an entire summer to go through and fix all the nagging issues that the 'professionals' at the contractor failed to care about. Anyway, this stuff works for me. You should rent a few bits of gear. I tried out a Skidsteer and found out that I'm a TERRIBLE operator of those tippy little bastards when I rolled it on it's face. Cured me of wanting one. your place makes me think dozers and excavators - RENT a few. You'll get to train on someone else's equipment and find out what size gear can do the work at your place. The opinions here are much more valid than mine - I'm really just a middle aged home owner who loves equipment and fixing it. I like using it also, but then again, I like getting it to it's best working state. Some people want perfect gear, other's look at problems with equipment as opportunities for improvement.
Not that Doosan. Example machine: https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/hvo/d/everett-2006-hitachi-zx-200lc-excavator/7824336889.html
One thing about buying a big excavator; It will be a great machine for doing a lot of the rough initial work, but for a lot of other work, such as building houses, spreading gravel, moving stuff around, ect it won't be much use. In the long term you may find it more useful to purchase a CTL and rent big iron when you need it.
Thanks all! Laidback I hope to be in your shoes someday. I’m using this equipment for my purposes on my land. I do enjoy fixing things… my 2001 truck has 350000 miles on it, diesel still going good as new. 7.3.
Plus I’m learning a lot of the terminology, just from your posts… ITR= rubber tracks, CTL compact skid steer, tracked. Good stuff. Is there a prebuy inspection guide out there of things to check for? I know on aircraft there is a list of things to be aware of that you will have to fix but there is also a list of things that you should just walk away from…can’t be fixed or just not worth fixing no matter how cheap. The most expensive airplane is a free airplane.
Take your time and pick out a gem but,,,,,,,, be ready to jump, once you find it.
I hope hes ok havent seen him posting in awhile
Yep, have to act fast on a good one!
Skyking is pointing out some very key details that can make your life much more happier. 1) This is an Hitachi which I think is similar or practically same as a John Deere. I think they share a lot of parts but I'm a Cat guy. Hitachi/JD guys can chime in and discuss the benefits of those brands but I know each is highly respected. 2) This machine has a beefy progressive thumb which is about the best you can find. A fixed thumb like on the Doosan you posted is okay for basic grabbing but it's limited on diameter of what you're grabbing as you have to curl the bucket a lot more to grab smaller items. And that can get in the way a lot of times. A simple hydraulic thumb is better (what I have) but you can still limit out on what you can grab as these thumbs have limited range of motion, like I can't go past center. And the grip capability decreases the further you extend the thumb. On the other hand, a progressive thumb like the one Skyking shows gives the most constant range of grip along with the largest range of motion. Again, the type of thumb is a small detail but it makes a huge difference in machine capability when a lot of picking/placing will be done with a hoe. This machine's progressive thumb: My machine's thumb. And if I remember correctly, I took that pic with my thumb fully extended. A progressive thumb will curl the thumb a lot further, past center and a bit more.
Forgot to mention that the Doosan doesn't have a coupler so to change attachments, you'll be sledging away at heavy pins. And that ain't fun by yourself especially when trying to get them back in. On the other hand, the Hitachi has a coupler (like mine) and you can sit in your cab sipping your coffee from one hand and change buckets with ease with the other hand. Boots won't touch dirt with when changing buckets with a coupler.
Hitachi Straight ZX series. A bit older…. Hitachi EX200-6 Cat 320B, C series Deere 210D series Some examples of good ones in my opinion, there are many more… Our Current ‘big’ machine is a 2004 Hyundai 210-7. Cummins 5.9 mechanical, Kawasaki pumps etc. We got this for $38k 7 years ago. It was a well maintained city of Kamloops trade in at the local Finning dealer, mid-winter (slow sales time here). 3 buckets, no thumb….have always had a pro-link thumb (pretty spoiled…). Have got pretty good at tree work etc without using a thumb. But I would HIGHLY recommend a thumb for your usage. Our experience has been to get the best condition unit you can find and learn to maintain and take care of it. Excavators ‘can’ be pretty low maintenance units in the right hands. But….you definitely do not want to end up with a machine needing a large repair…ie rotec bearing, pumps, final drive motor etc….
ITR is not rubber tracks. You are not getting rubber tracks in a machine larger than about an 8 ton. ITR is an inexpensive brand of replacement steel tracks from China. It is a job that you can do yourself. I did use a mini because I had one. New shoes does not fix everything, but on a potential sidehill job like yours, you want good tracks. It opens up your possibilities of potential machines.
There are a few folks here who posted checklists for inspecting machine. I think @epirbalex and @John C. had a lot stuff posted. There are even videos that are very helpful. If you know aircraft, then it's quite easy to "relax your specs" to understand heavy equipment. And since you know that a free airplane is the most expensive type of plane, you'll do just fine here.... Btw- did you retire out of McGuire-Dix? Lots of a/c over there.
Yes, a pro-link thumb is a lot nicer if possible. Really useful for brush work etc at full reach.
Yup, I learned that the hard way. Bought my machine before I knew the differences between progressive and regular. You can see the scrub cedar I'm "plucking out" in the background of my pic. I can grab the cedar pretty far out but then I have no leverage. When I crowd the dipper closer to my machine so I get max lift or plucking strength, my thumb isn't going past center so I lose grip on the cedar. Curling the bucket much more to increase the grip and the bucket lifts the grab spot off the ground too much and I just tear the top off the scrub leaving the stump. There's a sweet spot where my dipper isn't straight down but slightly out where I get most grip on the stump portion and do a clean pluck. And I almost forgot to mention I bought a 30" toothed bucket that really makes huge difference compared to my 42" smooth lip bucket when plucking cedar. Yup, all small details that I wish I knew before I jumped in. But still glad I bought my machine.
Good description, if the op is doing a lot of brushing no doubt pro-link would be nice. That said I am currently thumbless!
BC- that's pretty country. Makes me want to give up the hot weather and enjoy some mountains.
If you don't have a mini or skid steer handy you had better have some brawny friends . . .
Good points made here. We are on a small acreage and all the big work is long done so the most useful machine for us now is a skid steer…kind of does everything. When I retire from bush work we would sell everything except the skid steer and the Deere 50d (if my wife would let me keep that one!) That said, we have never rented as would rather buy a good machine (very carefully chosen) complete the work then resell. This has always worked for us as price has been recouped or exceeded when selling. Perhaps different in your market but up here a 210 is $8500/month. A solid machine (perhaps like Skyking posted) for 40k or so shouldn’t depreciate much if any over a couple of years.…then sell.
-15c this morning. Come up for a visit if you are ever up this way!
That was my first track change. Now that I have done one, I could get it done with some big blocks of wood and come-along and just the machine. Need good open space and a good hand at single tracking and walking the other side with the boom/swing/stick.
Before you get the big excavator and go at it, have you looked into local building codes to see if you need a grading permit, are allowed to remove trees, environmental approval, septic design and approval, drainage and utility access, and on and on. Skyking can certainly fill you in on all this. Also, when you bought the land, what was it designated use as? You may need to change the designation to build multiple homes. You mentioned you want to build a small garage and live in it. Are you going to live in an RV while you build this? Do you have the garage/home designed yet. If so, what is the footprint size of it? You might be able to get away with just using an old backhoe or 5 ton mini excavator just to get a gravel road in and level out the garage pad foundation.
All great input! First thanks for the specific models and manufacturer… that helps and also the gouge on the progressive thumb requirement. Permitting is pretty lax in that part of Pennsylvania but yes I will check. One doesn’t last 35 years in the military without learning to follow rules! Yes we do have a camper and I’m good roughing it but the better half won’t take much of it. Thankfully the grandbaby lives about 2 hours away and Gigi is more than happy to spend time there. I could also see getting a small house close by and living in that for a while, just until I get my bearings on all this land. Thanks for the reference on the checklist as well. I have flown into and out of McGuire many times but never stationed there…Dover DE, yes Charleston SC Westover MA, DC, Texas. I been everywhere man I been everywhere. Moved 21 times in 35 years, she wants to name the future farm “no.22…”
hey, I still drive a 2001 dodge with 270k miles on it - and it's a gas rig. It needs some work, and I need to finish my shop, etc. that's what the equipment is for! life stays busy for the curious.
What part of pa are you in? Perhaps I could be helpful to look a machine over or something.
Hyndman PA, Buffalo Mills
Even better!!!
Bedford county eh my wife grew up on gravity hill Im about 45 minutes or so away. Dont hesitate to ask
It has already been said, RENT a machine or two or more to see what suits you or maybe complete what you wish to do with rented machine and then try to find a good machine to purchase. Hope this is helpful.
The fun part about working on a project like that is thinking about what the water is going to do. You don't want to make a thing that ends up being " a river runs through it". It takes a little careful planning and a calibrated eyeball or a laser, and then it does become fun. If you've got a traversing road heading downhill, you just bring it into a little uphill bump every now and then and shed that water into some material that won't wash out. You can use logs from the trees that you're taking down as you work or big Stones, but the key to it is not to gather a bunch of water up and try and send it off at once. Send it off as you go. If you're making terraces, then you want to think about whether you want to hold water or get rid of it. Some soils are going to hold too much and then the things you try and grow. There are not going to be happy. Other soils drain out too fast and the goal there is to try and retain the water. It is fun. I keep saying that LOL
I plan on making some contacts up at Penn State find out what kind of programs are available. This is certainly a new chapter, got lots to learn! I’m stoked to get it going.
Time to grab the bull by the horns, you can do it. I vote you buy a machine, learn the ins-n-outs, start on smaller projects and work your way up to the bigger ones. There will be ups and downs, frustrations and hefty repair bills but the wealth of knowledge on here will help you through. When your done you’ll have a wider skill-set and knowledge to pass on, hopefully on this forum.
I’m in the process of reclaiming 50acres. I started with a small Case 350B dozer and a Ford 4500 backhoe about 7 years ago. They’re great little machines and better than dying on the end of a shovel I ran the snot out of them both but they’re not production machines. Buy once & cry once. Now I have a Hitachi Ex120-3 excavator & a Case 850B dozer. What took 50hrs to do on a backhoe is done in 2 hours. Instead of digging around a tree or cutting them down and plucking the stumps later, the whole tree comes out. Personally, I’d stick in the 10-12 ton sized equipment unless you’re planning on going into business for yourself. The bigger the machine, the more it costs to repair and operate. Now is the best time to buy a machine. If it doesn’t start and operate like it should when it’s 20* outside…don’t buy it.
Welcome to HEF @Buffallobull ! There are machines out there in not too bad condition. First one we bought was a International 175C track loader. Then the JD 690B appeared. We get w i d e trails with that one.
OP, go to multiple dealers and let them know you are interested in some equipment, don't mention pricing, they have no idea on your budget. See if you can get some demo's of different types of equipment(different dealer for different type of machine) and then you can see what type of machine will suit your needs the best on your property, and what you feel most comfortable operating. After that, you can really pinpoint on a type of machine within your budget.
Facebook www.facebook.com With an older machine can a progressive thumb be added? High flow pumps required? What year does that not become an issue?
I know that guy. Not a good pick if you want a thumb of any sort that machine has no auxilary plumbing. It would all have to be added. Couple that with the udder lack of a case dealer (nearest to you would be greensburg) probably not the best choice. Groff who was the case dealer in Ebensburg dropped the case construction and is now a deere dealer. They closed the ebensburg store totally due to it being in foster winelands territory.
Ah the plot thickens! Good info Thanks!
I would maybe look at your project as stages, rather than the whole picture. Bring in a contractor to look at your main driveway/ road to the RV pad. And your utilities route. Have him or multiple guys come bid it. Explain where you want to start, and where you want to end, they will be able to look at the grade and tell you what will work and what won't. You'll have options and a expert eye put on it. They will know the utilities companies, who to get the dump trucks from which quarry, and will make you a road that will make access easy in and out, that will hold up to traffic. Excavator/ dozers ctl and whatever else they have in their toolbox. Once you get the RV pad and road in, then you've watched the inital work, and maybe you'll have a better eye for what you want to do. Then maybe you can get one machine, and figure the rest out. Dig basements, clear trees. 4 wheeler paths, road to the big house, a path to the pond you're going to build, or the creek. We do lots of work at different locations, and the people who cut corners on their initial main road/ driveway, end up doing it twice. Need a well? Got to get in a drill rig. Power company has to get line trucks in to bring power. Basement and buildings are going to need concrete and a pump truck. Wood deliveries, and windows and your flooring guy isn't going to want to need 4wd to get to the house. It goes on and on. I'm all for doing things yourself. But I think building in your main road on slopes, changing grades, with trees to remove, is going to be more than you can get done with one machine. That doesn't mean you can't buy a excavator, and clear the trees for the road guy, but maybe just realize, that some things are better left to the guys that do it everyday, with more equipment.
Well that’s a buzzkill! But… you probably are not wrong. I can’t imagine what all that would cost. But I’m still a few months from it first data point is establishing that first estimate. Probably make better decisions from there…. Much of it will determine how far up we put the house and what might perk test. Of course they in love with the sand mounds in PA!
I'll have to disagree with crane op there, but this is what I do. I take an excavator because that is what I have. I'll pioneer, pull trees, and rough grade with it. I brought in a dozer at my place for one weekend, and mostly because I had a friend to sit i the seat and do a nicer job with the rock while I drove the truck on a Saturday. Start here where I broke ground on my home build thread. With that and the dump truck, I pushed the road in up the hill using borrow from the site. HeavyEquipmentForums Same machine, big fir stumps; HeavyEquipmentForums For a machine that is not going to move from site to site, I would want bigger than the 12 ton 120. That's why I say a 200 if you can find the right one. They just reach over and do things that a smaller machine tracks over to do. The problems with a 200: 9.5' wide. Sometimes it cramps your style. That's it, IMO. Too wide or too bound up trying to work close to you in a narrower spot. You learn to deal with it. Reach out and work ahead at an angle. Get two buckets. One with teeth that mesh with the thumb for good dexterity and dealing with the rock, and a big smooth edge for fine grade work and bulking. Once you learn how to move with it, learn how to use a laser. Get a magnetic mount target and set up a grade, and you can run with it and no grade checker.
I built a quarter mile driveway through a swamp with my JCB 1400b backhoe 4x4… only got it stuck once. Had to get a truck wrecker to pull it out! I did lease a tracked dresser front end loader to move tons of fill. But I’m with you that sometimes you just do with the thing you have until you figure out how to do it or you figure out it can’t be done.
I spent an afternoon trying to get some stumps out with an old 12k lb backhoe with no success and went and bought a 27K lb 110 hp excavator and had 6 big stumps out in the first 30 minutes I had ever been in an excavator. 36in bucket. 2005 Case CX130. no thumb and like the guys say it wouldnt be easy to add a hyd one. I know the Cat excav are better. I have a bobcat T550 8500lb CTL and I love it, tree puller attachment is awesome for little stuff. 10,500 lb bobcat high flow would be better but wayyy more money. I have an old Cat D6C and it doesnt get used much.
Thanks again for all the info, I’ll keep lurking here and post if anything happens. On the flip side you know I’m in the market if anyone runs across a good deal close to Bedford PA let me know. Still have a few months before the move back East but I’m always interested in a good deal.
Basically anything can be added but Heavy Equipment is just like Harleys. Anything added at dealer is worth money, anything added by owners are suspect and therefore worthless. To add a thumb to a 25 year old excavator, would likely exceed the cost of said excavator.
^^ so much this. Just wait and buy what you want, ready to go. Patience will be rewarded.
Sounds like a great project your embarking on. Some cab guarding on your machine might be a good idea for working in all that small timber . This is an old picture from my fabricating days back in the 80s ,gives you an idea. Front window guard at a minimum. I built this ripper for my excavator,its pretty handy for stubborn stumps hard spots.Good luck and enjoy your adventure.
When you say a lot of stone, does that include rock layers? I'm a rookie myself but so far it seems like loose rock isn't too bad. When I hit solid at my place it's a big machine with a hammer or cover it back up.
Well, top of the mountain is layers but it has been shedding that rock for millions of years so farther down lots of loose stone. If I want to build a stone castle all the raw materials certainly there!
@Tugger2 ripper in the post above yours will break out some rock. It just depends on the composition. Some if it is like onion layers and really hard, others is sorta pre-fractured and that ripper picks it apart. Maybe the OP can post some pictures of exposed ledge?
Id say ripping is subject to a lot of variables,machine weight , hardness and fracture of the rock ect. But one thing is for sure if you have a quick coupler on the machine its easy to drop the bucket and rip. That guarantees a lot less stress on the boom ,pins and the bucket. The biggest downside with rippers when i built them for guys in the bush was losing them.They would do some ripping on right of way then stab the ripper in the ground for safe keeping,the loggers would come along and load out right of way wood and the ripper would be left buried under branches and bark mulch never to be seen again.
I thought ITR undercarriage was Italian. Trek/DCF is Korean and is also a lower cost option. A track loader is a pretty versatile machine. Curious what type of steel you used for the ripper shank and if it wears fast on the sides? I'd like to put scarifier shanks on a grader ripper and was considering just cutting them out of plate. I know a shop with a CNC plasma that's pretty reasonable. I haven't priced out std. scarifier shanks yet so not sure if there's any savings. Would have to do something for replaceable tips or maybe weld chocky bars on. They have a good thickness of hardfacing with a mild steel backing.
Main aspect for considering, is skills to repair and tooling at hand, NO Orphan Manufacture Machines as parts get really thin really fast where even as cheap to buy terrible expensive to keep moving, Don't Ask, as been there done that. Spent more time Fixing then running, it went down the road. Median Sized Ex will be a great buy and keep tool, as noted make a point to have a keen eye go look at Tracks, all Under Carriage, Hydraulic system and engine for longevity and what should be fixed prior to attempting to move the Castle Rocks. Specifics against Orphan machines is having a supply side dealer close at hand for whatever purchase as a great deal of Oddball Replace often parts can be Make Specific. Get the Ex on site, get used to it, when get into the expansive clearing and roughing locate a rental service and get a decent dozer for shove offs, plan on having a week or two if intend a large swath of materials shoving. Use the Ex for brush pile building After the shove off and eventual burning/burial.
I built that ripper in a hurry on a weekend as i had some concrete to strip on the monday morning. The shank is a chunk of 1 1/4" mild steel. The tooth was cut from a piece of 500 brinell 2" plate id had around for churn bit tips. I ran some Hardcro 63 on the assumed wear areas. I cut a few extra teeth as i figured they might show wear,but the original is still like new. A couple of things make that ripper look good,its only a 303.5 Cat its on and it only gets part time use. If i were you id have your steel supplier burn some QT100 for the shanks at the thickness you need to fit your pockets,then just burn come tips or teeth shapes out of QT400 a 1/2" thicker and just weld them to the tips.Run em a bit and then hardsurface as necessary.If your not out ripping daily id bet they will work fine. Ill add this ,check the price on new ones. I do this now as sometimes custom fab gets pretty expensive over manufactured items.
Black Cat has shanks but I haven't got a price yet. It would be great if I could find some used shanks. It's too bad I need Champion/Volvo shanks. Cat style shanks are far more common and Bedrock has them for a reasonable price.
What about something like this… no thumb I know… Facebook www.facebook.com
It does have the aux hydraulic ran down to the bucket area. Easy to add a thumb with that.
That is some really old iron; mid-late eighties. A Mechanic's special, they call that . . .
good thing about the older machines - they have no special electronics to get in the way - normally. I don't like direct hydraulic valve levers - and I don't like electronic pilot controls. I like/prefer hydraulic pilot controls. yes, it's a lot of plumbing to worry about... but it's the most modern and fine control you can get without all the elctronic doo-dads getting in the way. you are looking at the right stuff IMHO, considering your original post. Keep working up in years until you hit electronic pilot controls or servo controls they may call it. I'm sure there's other names... but whatever. Or work newer in years till the price averages get too high. I did that - looked at several Komatsu grey market rigs from the 90s - you can get them pretty inexpensively - until I found a local one with everything just right for my skills. I'm sure it'll happen for you as well.
Cat put their name on them, but those EL were made by Mitsubishi if I recall correctly. I rented a 200 series in the mid 90's when clearing the current home site. Not much to write home about back then.
I think the EL series were kind of a filler until Cat could come out with their new designs. You don't see many EL's even on the used market.
There is a very good reason for that.
The EL models came about when Kommie came to the scene with a hydraulic excavator far more advanced had what Cat had on the market. Instead of pouring time into R+D they went to Mitsubishi. Never ran an EL so no comment. However the later model Catabishi excavators I've owned over the years were rock solid except for the DEF issues on a 325FL. Had one 325DL made in Brazil that was a good machine as well.
My 2005 Case CX130 is a rebadged sumitomo. It has hyd pilot controls and is very smooth and precise. When you inspect whatever make sure to check the swing bearing for slop. You want none.
Another nugget , thanks!
Hitachi were more advanced than Cat too. I'm not sure there's a bad machine from any of the major players now.
KEY words, "major players"
Sany, Doosan and some others aren't comparable. Most machines based on Japanese designs are good machines. Some earlier American machines weren't that great either.
When you go to buy something, hire a skilled heavy equipment mechanic to go with you to inspect the machine. A couple hundred dollars spent on a mechanic inspecting a machine for you `before you buy it can save you tens of thousands of dollars on the back end on labor and parts, repairing worn or broken items that you didn't know to look for. Even if you are mechanically inclined, you are not going to do a complete under carriage replacement yourself, unless you have the shop, the equipment and the experience. Same thing with cylinder rebuilds, hydraulic pumps or transmission repairs or rebuilds.
Interesting that you don't like Doosan - aren't they South Korean? And don't the make the excavators and such for Hitachi? I agree on Sany, wonderful machines when new, but I'm super glad I didn't bit on the sales pitch. The guy I bought this 50ZTS from replaced it with a Sany equivalent 50-sized machine. He liked it, but didn't feel it had the same power as the old 2001 Deere. That said, it's not given him any actual problems over the course of this past year he says... He's a construction guy using it for digging foundations. I guess it'll be interesting to see how the machine looks and behaves after he's put 3k hours on that one.
Doosan doesn't make excavators for Hitachi. Korean excavators are better than Sany but not as advanced as Japanese designed machines and don't have near as much dealer support.
Could be looking at Gradealls!!!
They made the best rough terrain forklifts at one time. Still have one
For something like this I would build a profile on www.parts.cat.com and learn how to look up machines in SIS by serial number. Of course this is only for Cat machines but if you can look it up, you can see what parts run and their availability. Folks here can tell you an assortment of typical-fail parts so you can get a feeling of $$$. No idea if these older machines are in SIS...but I know a few guys could tell you if had the serial number.
There’s nothing complicated about doing a complete UC on an excavator. It’s just busy work with an impact and torch. Some of the roller bolts will break but you can cut them out with a torch.
While a statement like this is true, it's also very misleading as it doesn't tell the whole story of what it takes to fully remove the cut-off studs in a way that allows for installation of new hardware. Removing hardware is the easy part. To put it in aviation-speak for Buffalobull if he was buying a plane is to say something like "For your annual inspection, all you need is a screwdriver and a flashlight to pop off all the panels and look inside for cracks or rust. It's easy, anyone can do it." He'll understand what this means... My advice to @Buffallobull at this point is to be very wary of buying a machine that needs repairs more than replacing hoses or simple pieces/parts you can lift by hand. Getting into stuff like replacing UC, slew bearings, etc. is easy for those with the right experience, tools, and helpers. But when you're by yourself in the bush with only basic tools and no other machines for lifting, pulling, pushing, etc., those simple repairs are quite daunting if not impossible or even deadly.
When it comes to excavators, there is not much that’s easy. Paying someone, that knows what to look for, is excellent advice. It is one thing if you work on them all the time, to say this or that is easy. There is not much way I would contemplate buying an excavator, without some quality knowledge or someone that’s familiar with the heavy repairs. I just did a turntable hose on an older Dresser and it was a witch, by myself. It didn’t help, that I was laying in a hydraulic slushy, thankfully, the snow drifts kept the wind at bay.
Log into Facebook Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. www.facebook.com Wondering if this is in the size range. Looks like it might be close to what I should be searching for… I missed out on a CAT955 tracked loader this week. 2500 bucks! …not running but for 2500 it would have been worth it to me trying to get it running.
No- don't kick yourself for missing out on that one. You'd be surprised how much $$ and effort it takes to get a non-running machine to be running. And then probably add a few more $$ and hours to make it useful for the long haul. That one may have been the "free airplane that's expensive". I can't give a mechanical reliability opinion on the Hyundai hoe except I like it's pre-emission, has a thumb, and is a good size to get you started. The road pads shouldn't bother you if you smart on where you try to track her.
That hyundai is nice, good size, have to look at it for a better opinion. However, the thing that really caught my eye: https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...place_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks it's a Gravely C10 - wonderful machine. If you can get them with the 'dog-killer' snow thrower, you have a machine that's something else. I've see a guy use one to clean his driveway of winter run-off water because the suction and throw on them was tossing the water over 30' away!
Huh...it's in PA. Too far to go for a leisurely afternoon drive....
I’ve seen a couple bobcat E85s out there in my price range. With hydraulic thumb. Kinda light at 10 tons but what is the consensus on the bobcat quality and size? Considering all the rock on this land I’m also a bit concerned about rubber tracks.
So this picture is from 20 years ago! Shows quite a few logging trails across the property!
Rubber tracks do not like the sides of stumps or rocks, especially if they are wet. Steel tracks are more forgiving but not great on ashphalt. It is up to you. Simon C
I’m still here, got a bit sidetracked on buying a steel building! It should be delivered by end of May. 40x60! It will be a while before it goes up but couldn’t pass up what I thought was a good deal…anyway … how much does it cost to ship an excavator say a 25 ton one, 9 hours from Illinois to Pennsylvania if you guys were guessing?
Could be $3000, could be $8000. Depends on how long you can wait. I had a Cat Challenger hauled from Pennsylvania back here to ND, cost $5000 about 4 years ago. I had a scraper hauled from southern OK that same fall, cost $3000. An excavator will be oversize, may or may not be overweight. I'm going to say you should get it done for $5000.
Google "Uship estimator" which gives great info. If you have time and patience, find a local operator that owns their own truck(s) and let them know you have a back haul ready for them when they're in that area. Just be careful of dealing with shipping brokers (the guys who only own a phone and only coordinate a shipment for you). Somehow a group of brokers in Florida got my number and I got non-stop calls and texts from them for months. After every call or text I'd block them but it was a new number every time that didn't pop up as a shipping company. If I had to do it over again, I would have used a burner phone with them...seriously. While I've had hit/miss service with brokers, they are relentless in cold calling and bugging me so now I only use a couple local guys I trust, even if it costs me a few bucks more. Nice size building you got.
Let me guess. STT Logistics. Those MOD EDIT have been calling me for years. I bet I’ve blocked over 2 dozen phone numbers. They just keep calling on new numbers. Don’t sign up on Uship, cause that’s how they got my number. Most of the quotes I got off that website were way high, anyways. Call a local trucking company and ask them for a quote. They’ll either haul it or broker the load. That’s what I do with a business out of Billings, and they have given me better prices than any website.
Yeah, no need to sign up just to use their estimator. But it does give a fairly good estimate based on actual bids for similar equipment, at least it did for me. Yup, those are the same azzhats. It finally died down but for a while you would have thought I was shipping 50 loads a day and they just wanted a piece of it...at any cost. They were really scummy on how they kept changing their number and used different business name on the caller ID.
We have been fortunate to build relationships with local lowbedder’s…they can do the move and I don’t have to worry…(snow, mud, steep grades etc…) Can you find someone local & go talk to them in person? I don’t even ask the price; as I know they will give a fair deal. We haul off-road and I know the wear and tear on their equipment…a good low bed operator is definitely someone to appreciate! Up here in Canada expect around $175/h for truck…
I talked to a local lowboy guy referred to me by a dealer. Really nice guy and he quoted me a reasonable hour rate. As mentioned above, look for outfits like that close to either end. You might get lucky and be a part of a backhaul, but 18 hours @175 an hour is not going to break the bank. Not saying that is the rate you'll find but it could be close to that or less. Screw those brokers. Take some time and find your own haul. You have lots of trails to choose from on your property, that's sweet.
I’m still looking for the right machine, thought I found one a couple states away but it didn’t pan out. I really like the idea of having a blade on the front to level and back fill as I go along but I’m concerned about the smaller size of the machines. Of course this is the opinion of someone who has zero actual experience. Thanks for the info on the hauling cost that is very helpful info.
Dont go smaller than 27K lb. Also having a track skid loader is awesome for that other stuff.
@LN Pipeline Can you give me their #? Need to move my backhoe and a few tools/attachments from south of Missoula area over near to Billings.
Corcoran Trucking, 406-245-6065.
This one has shown up on Facebook. Might be a contender.
Machinery Trader shows mid 90s models of those going around $25k, 2010 and new going for 60-80k. I can't tell what year that is, but a fixed thumb.... I'd bet on it being in the 90s. the price should be in the mid 20s if you can get it there. that's a 30klb machine with a 90hp engine. at $30k, you are are paying a $1/lb. that's reasonable! I don't know anything about Cat, never operated one much less owned one. I suspect they are fantastic machines, but only a good inspection well tell.
Here is one. Couple more states away from ya tho. Case 135 Excavator + Hydraulic Thumb + Legal Load - heavy equipment - by dealer - sale - craigslist 2005 Case CX 135 SR Excavator This Case 135 Excavator Is Straight From Working On A Farm. It Runs & Operates Good, Plus It Has A Heavy Duty Hydraulic Thumb For Pulling Trees, Sorting Scrap,... springfield.craigslist.org
Nice, I would prefer a hydraulic thumb. It is quite a distance though.
that's a dealer, they offer delivery.
That looks like a B model so that would be a 90's era machine. Ran a few B's but never owned one. Owned a few C, D and F models over the years and still have a D and a newer next gen. IMO the D model machines are the best Cat made with C's being second.
I picked up a Hyundai R130 LC3 about 10 years ago for under $20K. It needed some work but I could use it and repair as I went. It ran good but needed new chains and sprockets and some pins were worn out. I got good at putting the track back on. After a few years, I did the undercarriage. Couple years I replaced the leaking boom cylinder. 2 years ago I did the head gasket. Tackling pins and bushings now. None of this stopped me from doing work with the machine since i wasnt on the clock I would not recommend settling for a fixed thumb. I almost did that and am so glad I found one with a hydraulic thumb.
am so glad I found one with a hydraulic thumb… I’m told this by quite a few folks. So I’ll keep looking for that as well. Thanks for the feedback!
When you’re buying used, you don’t get to pick the color. Personally, I would have some priorities that would be a must have. A hydraulic thumb that comes with a used machine is valuable but if you buy one without a thumb and have to add it, it will be half of what you’re paying for the whole machine.
FWIW we only have hydro thumbs on our mini's and not on our 60K hoes. Had a hydro thumb and QC on a 321CLCR that was nice for certain things but the added weight slowed down production truck loading and laying pipe. Our 321d and 325 both have fixed thumbs that most of the time we take off. Made some pins to go back in the bosses on the stick to keep them from getting debris wedged in and spreading them apart. Horses of courses.
I anticipate needing to pick up quite a few boulders/ rocks. I do mean a bunch! So I think a hydraulic thumb is almost a must. Granted I’m under no time crunch other than the wife wanting a house built sooner rather than later. Depending on perk test site the driveway might be half a mile long! And gotta run power…. Hey it’s only money right?
Lots of “free” raw material for stone walls!
wow, and I thought my rock situation was a problem! You know, there's a really big - Hitachi EX 400 LC-3 - I think these things are some 95klb or so. Getting it there would be the issue. It's got 15k hours, but my understanding is that the big ones like this tend to run for much longer than then little one. Apparently not much resale value in these... Hitachi EX 400 LC-3 Excavator - heavy equipment - by dealer - sale - craigslist Hitachi EX 400 LC-3 Excavator- cab, heat, hydraulic thumb, wedge quick coupler, 15k hours, lots of recent work, rebuilt bucket. kalispell.craigslist.org I'm going to guess you could get it back to your place for under 30k including shipping? I'm sure it would be less, but... well fuel prices are going to skyrocket soon now, so...
Those drive sprockets look mighty warn. But yes not a bad price for that size machine.
IMO that machine isn't worth $30K including shipping from Montana to Pennsylvania. The reason the big machines in this shape are cheap is the life has been gotten out of it, very expensive to fix and shipping is a PITA plus being expensive to repair. These big used machines are cheaper to buy by the pound but exponentially more expensive to repair. Price a 3/4" hydro hose compared to a 2" for example.
simple thumb too. I'll snap some pics on Monday to detail the difference. I will be yanking some trees out of an 18" smooth wall storm pipe.
I love rock fields. Looks like a glacier took a ****. Lol
Yeah it’s crazy there is about 4 acres of man size boulders and larger just dumped on the side of the mountain.
I will keep on about progressive thumbs, in light of your rock supply. The only thing that sets rocks better is a clam with swivel. I am not kidding with those rocks and a machine with a clam and swivel, you could do this anywhere you wanted. with a progressive thumb, it is just a much slower process. With a simple or a fixed thumb, it is relative agony. Do not settle for either of those! You have a priceless store of material on site.
I'd guess some of those rocks are hand placed but that's a very impressive retaining wall.
I have to agree on the thumb. I've got a simple thumb on my excavator and a progressive thumb on my backhoe. That backhoe thumb is really nice, wish it was on the mini. it's a great design, I think when I've got fewer projects, I might just try and duplicate it.
Buy a crusher and sell aggregate! You could pay for your house that way.
Log into Facebook Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. www.facebook.com So you’re saying not worth it to try and put a thumb on something like this guy?
yes, that is a potential can of worms and a lot more money to do it right. 1) notice there is no plumbing at the end of the stick. You have to run that out there, sure. But what about the valve and associated controls? No way of knowing without looking up the S/N. If you have to get it all new, it blows any savings you thought you got on that machine. 2) Unless you are really handy and comfortable with structural welding on the stick, you will hire it all done. Looking at it that way, you are much better buying what you want up-front.
that is all smaller stuff and hand stacked, it was just for reference. That big field of 1 and 2 man rocks he has will make magnificent walls.
If we can get a good perk test done and figure out the septic system I’m trying to figure out out how to incorporate those rocks in the house build. Use them on the facade for the basement foundation maybe and the walls with the chimney.
as George Costanza once said, "it's Pure Gold, Jerry".
What kind of rock? Mostly granite?
Not granite but I can’t recall what they called it. It’s not shale, it’s very hard durable stuff mostly a reddish color. This wall is made from it.
We have rock that looks like that as well. Great for building walls like that one.
here is the difference with thumbs. I approximated it with the 120 today. Fixed thumb, pinned down for doing some picking. it has limited use and you do a whole lot of tracking to get into the sweet spot. Simple thumb. It is loads better than a pinned one, but the difference it clear when you are working. Progressive thumb reach. Less tracking, miles of it over a long week of thumb work. Relief valve is set right and I can chase stuff right out to the end of the reach without dropping stuff. I do not have it mated with the matching 3' digging bucket. I briefly had that on and then swapped on the 2'. It goes tooth on tooth and I can pull a T-post with it. Very handy.
Very nice! Thank you for the pics, worth thousands of words.
I noticed a decided lack of progressive thumb equipped machines in your price range in your area. They seem to be more common out west. Don't let it discourage you. Hold out for the right machine for you.
Yeah progressive link thumbs are not as popular on the east coast as they are the west.
I will say that using a ripper - one that is much longer than a bucket - has made my simple thumb on my excavator very useful. the ripper is the big difference... it has so much curve, it allows you to pick up nearly anything against the thumb. Due to the ripper, my desire for a better thumb has certainly diminished.
I'd say that ripper is actually made for a much bigger excavator but that could be a good thing or a bad thing. Good because it lets you pick things up but bad because it could damage the cylinder or even the stick because the extra length puts too much force on the cylinder and stick if it encounters a large boulder or extremely tough root. I'd be pretty careful with it and not rip the full depth it's capable of.
Probably sandstone or gneiss. Your earlier pictures looks a lot like my place but my trees are very mature. I’ve been putting in roads and trails. Very hilly as well. I’ve been renting a 12k lb ex with hyd thumb. I’ve gotten a lot done with it. I don’t get all this stuff about you needing a 25 ton machine at minimum and all that. A big mini will get a lot of work done too it just takes longer. But really it comes down to how big of a swath are you wanting to make. I’ve went about my work with the desire to make small swaths and do my grading accurately and consisely. I guess if I were opening up huge spaces I would definitely want for a bigger machine. But for small roads, trails, parking areas, retainer walls…I’m fine with a small machine. If I had a 30 ton machine I would have to cut very wide paths anywhere I went because I couldn’t even turn with the size trees I have. My wife would kill me too. She likes it looking more natural. So it’s what you’re looking to achieve in the end. I bought a small mini to tool around on but if I need anything larger I’ll rent. My road won’t support a tractor trailer so it has to be small enough to get it on a roll-back.
No, that's a standard Mongo ripper ... they do make a heavy duty one, but this one is just amazing for my use.
It may be a Mongo ripper but it is much bigger than a typical ripper for that size of machine.
fair enough, just want to point out that Mongo does specify these rippers are for 3-6T excavators, and the heavy duty up to 7T. My excavator is 5T, so right in the middle of the pack. This is the same ripper on a JD 35G (from their site). So that's a bit smaller than mine with a 1.5" thick blade vs my 1" thick blade. Other than that difference, they are both 37" long. that said, you are probably right that it can put high strain on my setup, but I'm still kind of babying my mini, and not really working it to full potential -- I'll be careful. Though... I've sunk it to full depth as a trial, and the excavator rips a wonderful 'starter' trench or whatever you call it and I can then get after a bit easier with my bigger buckets.
I was shocked. I searched Pittsburgh PA for the OP based on just that Facebook link. I put in 20K-60K for weight And the same numbers for price. There was diddly. Plenty of machines but not much in the way of thumbs. I did the same for Portland OR. It was a complete flip flop. There were very few simple thumbs and a ton of progressives. I would venture that a person could pay for the shipping and come out on top. The selection was that much better.
I don't even think a ripper tooth for a 200 size excavator is 37" long.
Thanks for doing that! If anyone runs across one that looks promising please let me know. August will soon be here and we will be leaving the West and headed East to the land. If the far house spot is the only perk spot I’ll be needing to build a really long drive. I’ve gotten a couple estimates on cost to just have it put in….. I could buy a really nice machine.
Eastern Hemlock! This might be the largest tree on the property! Love it.
exactly. I roughed in my 550' driveway with a 25' climb up the bluff with the 120 and dump truck. I hear ya. I could sure use some of your rock there on the left side lol.
Hemlocks are my favorite tree.
My comment was 27K lb minimum, not 27 ton.
This isn’t real is it? 2016 Komatsu PC240LC-11 Excavator 2016 Komatsu PC240LC-11 Excavator General Information: Condition: Used Year: 2016 Make: Komatsu Model: PC240LC-11 Hours: 4,664 Serial Number: KMTPC252VFC095097 Fuel Type: Diesel Horsepower: 177 HP (Net) Drive Type: 3-Speed Crawler Track Transmission: Hydrostatic Engine Size: 6.7L (408 cu in)... gearliftequip.com 56tNrB_UmYHOVsXWgIA
Well I live just across the river from there and I have never heard of them. But if you google the phone number it brings up the company. Just out of curiosity I should go for a little drive. Looks waaay too cheap though!!!
NO.
Hell NO! Bam go see if they'll take $8500 and I'll split the cost with ya! If that big JD 6 way looks good I'll wire the money over - I need a bigger dozer at the dirt dump.
I think the ad is missing a zero.
It sure is a pretty nice website for a scammer though. I need to run to Omaha sometime tomorrow anyway. I will go check it out and report back.
Here is a high time 160. Supposedly rebuilt engine. It is a very handy size. https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/240415671/1999-deere-160-lc-crawler-excavators 120C with Progressive I get a lot out of our 120 https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/238099179/2008-deere-120c-crawler-excavators
I always thought a 160 would be a nice, easily transportable size. We had a Hitachi ZX 120 and also a ZX 135usk) for several years both with progressive thumb. Really good fuel efficient machine. Pretty much the same unit as a John Deere 120 (Isuzu engine?) not sure. Can definitely do a lot of work with a 120. I feel our current Deere 50d doesn’t use a lot less fuel than our previous 120! I can attest to the increased productivity & operator ‘comfort’ when using a progressive link thumb! We did a fair bit of road building & clearing with these machines, a real pleasure to operate. The pictorial that Skyking posted pretty much sums it up…
This could be pretty sweet. A 314 Cat with Progressive and a blade. I always wanted a bigger blade runner. https://www.machinerytrader.com/lis...2000-caterpillar-314cl-lcr-crawler-excavators It's got a zero Butt and bunny feet under it, pretty new guy friendly. Pin grabber too!! That's kind of a grail machine there. Comes with a 36" GP digging bucket, it would swing a 60" cleanup for bulking. Set that blade right and then hog over it for stability.
So where are ya, @Buffallobull ? How much was the driveway quote? I suggest a nice machine is worth more than you think. It will hold value and be a joy to work, rather than make do with a cobbled up piece of crap that ends up costing just as much or more when you either: 1) shell out 10K and I'm not kidding there for a thumb installation. 2) It breaks down for 10K. 3) or both. Buy nice buy it right and when you are done with it, consider parting with it and getting a 20K mini and pocket the rest.
I certainly wouldn’t be afraid of looking far away for the used (perfect) machine. If it rang all the bells and it was 2k miles away, assuming you could help or suggest a return ticket, it is a one time expense after all. While I am happy with my machines, I have traveled a bit to get them. My backhoe, my wife found on FM in Connecticut and that’s almost 3 hours away but worked delivery into pricing.
Facebook www.facebook.com This one is close by and might be real!
The land is located near Hyndman PA, 50k plus for the driveway!!!
In the state as well!!! I do like the blade.
That one does look real and looks like it was well taken care of. I think being a zero tail swing it would be a little harder to work on but that looks like a good size machine.
I don't know... I would buy used and just learn as you go. I did that - bought a used 50ZTS excavator - already told the story, but the machine was screwy from one end to the other. it's a dream now. I spent about the same on repairs as the original purchase, and I'm still under $30k. No way in hell I could have spent $30k on a good or new machine and have it be at the same quality mine is now.
Emissions control systems. They can be a nightmare. That 314 cat is a 2000 model and won't have any of that crap. It could certainly have other problems.
Apples and oranges man, you're talking about a 50. We're talking about 120s to 160s, so the 50k price range is not out of reason.
Not to mention, you know know your machine intimately, like know one else could.
Log into Facebook Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. www.facebook.com This one is in the same time zone! Seems like a reasonable price maybe. Thoughts?
Looks kind of rough. One of the boom cylinders looks to have been replaced and the tracks are starting to bind up. How many hours it has is somewhat important in order to tell how much life it has left or how much it has been abused.
How can one tell if the tracks are starting to bind up? Is it because of that pinch up spot on the top of the tracks?
2008 = emissions.
Yes. Driving it some could free them up.
For the price, it looks like a good machine. I would buy it, if it checked out decent, especially at that price point. It would depend on the emissions.
In addition to an excavator I suspect I’ll need a dozer as well. Found this guy not to far away. Might be too big but dang looks nice for its age, Log into Facebook Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. www.facebook.com
From everything I've read a D155A is near impossible to get parts for especially the engine. The seller may just be trying to get there money back on the undercarriage.
A 155 is a pretty big dozer. Not on FB so no comment on the actual machine. Just remember the bigger the iron the bigger the repair costs. Go price a 2" hydro hose compared to a 3/4 or 1" for instance.
That thing seems like a good machine for the money. As long as you can keep it running and get your use out of, more than likely, you will get all your money back out of it. How far is it from your land?
214 miles
I'd spend the extra cabbage on that 314 blade runner, and rent a dozer when you were ready to tune up your rough works. Rent a 6 way and smooth it all out and done.
I have a Case 580 Super N backhoe, a Dresser TD7G dozer, A GMC Top Kick with dump. Meets my needs. Mobility is important to me. 100 acres takes a while to walk a track excavator, backhoe can travel 20 MPH or more. Backhoe is loader & excavator. I sure wouldn't mind having an 8 ton excavator & track loader, but I'd spend more time moving them. I often tell a story: I'm an electrician, own the equipment to place underground conduits. A customer of mine rents machines from 2 hours away. Says the local company rents machines in poor condition. He wanted a hole 15 feet square, 5' deep. He wanted the surfaces flat enough to pour concrete directly into. Dirt removed was to be placed on a terrace 200 yards away. I told him I could do it cheaper. He would need four round trips to Albany NY with his Ford F350 & trailer to rent & return an excavator & track loader, 16 hours hauling. I brought my backhoe in on a trailer. It was readied, hitched up, and loaded before the morning. I hauled, dug, got out the laser & flattened the bottom suitable for concrete, moved the spoils, and hauled the machine home in one day.
right tools for the job.
Thanks for that perspective! If/ when have to run power to the house site what would that look like cost wise? In ground vs overhead? I’ve been trying to get the local power company to talk to me but I just leave messages and they have yet to call me back.
Your State will have different rules. No set formula to calculate, whether it is your electrician, or the power company the answer is the same. They, or I calculate material cost, estimate labor cost, hope all goes smoothly. Years of experience have taught me only a fool bids assuming all will go smoothly. A number of years ago I was allowed to install primary underground. In my world, primary underground is either 7200, or 14500 volts. I could beat the power company's overhead cost. Here, electricians aren't allowed to build overhead lines at primary voltage. Recent years, Green Mountain Power has big influence with State Lawmakers, I can't run primary voltage underground. I can only place conduit & transformer bases, ground rings. Most recent primary I ran cost $12,000 for me, $36,000 for Green Mountain Power. Their share of the project took 5 minutes one day, three hours another day, later in the day a different two people spent an hour to set a transformer. Here, everything after the transformer of underground is the electrician. Your State likely has different rules. Your electrician likely runs secondary voltage. From the transformer we are limited by physics to about 625 feet. As homes have gotten exponentially more power hungry, that distance has shortened. In 1969 we powered a typical home with 100 amps, only exception to that were the few houses with resistance electric heat. Homes today have heat pumps, electric car chargers, point of use water heaters, induction ranges, hot tubs, pools, ventilation systems using 100 amps. My smallest house to date with 400 amp service is 1600 square feet, 1-1/2 bedroom.
Thanks for all that, every time I start to think I know a little about something someone comes along and illuminates just how ignorant about stuff I really am! Always learning something new! Gotta figure out PA’s rules.
It is more granular than that. It is your power company's rules. They run the show on their gear. In my case they will not run secondary from the transformer to a meter more than 150'. It could go farther but they won't do it to a meter. It is on me to extend past the meter. I will have to buy a transformer and pad, and a fuse pedestal at a minimum. I can dig the primary trench for them and they will lay the conduit and primary to the transformer at a reasonable rate per foot, last I checked. My situation is shaping up to be about 500' of primary and only 70' to the house from the transformer. I will have excellent voltage
Here, they limit the pull from the pole to 550’, any more than that and they have had too much trouble pulling, I put mule tape in for surety. If it has to be more than 550’, they require D boxes every 500’. When I did my house, they required steel conduit and long sweeps at the pole and long sweeps at the transformer pad that I bought and grounded, right at 550’. Then another 150’ to the meter. They required no expansion joints, though I put 4 in anyway. I dug the trench, got it inspected and ran my own conduit. It was 25% cheaper than their 4 to 5 pole quote. They required no sand for backfill, though I did do a 100’ where I had to bust through some rotten ledge. The power company here was very good working with me and even gave me a pamphlet on how to do the sweeps and transformer pad with 2 ground rods with wire. I also added 3 2” conduits for media and security and a 4th at a bar way for a driveway dinger. The tracer electrical conduit tape was expensive and required.
Hi all, I’ve been silent for a while so here is an update. Almost nothing has been done! The permit application and process procedures is mind numbing and I still don’t think I have all that I need. Septic… oh my goodness, that is a long story all by itself. But it is done, permitting from DEP … well it’s finally all submitted and they have 60 days to reply… based on the septic, we have identified the actual house site. Now for the power, 28k from the closest neighbors. But they won’t grant a right of way. So it’s going to be 2 or 3 times more I’m guessing. Still haven’t pulled the trigger on a machine since I still, after so many months, don’t actually have a building permit or a builder. The builder we were working with passed unexpectedly a couple weeks ago. So starting over there as well. Some sellers say stay small on the excavator some say go large. I found a PC 300 in my price range located very close to the land, I’m going to look at it ….it’s really large!
That sucks about all the permits and costs. Hope it works out. Yeah, that PC300 is a big boy for you. If you give the exact model or serial number before you go, I'm sure folks here will give you specific things to look at. I think the 300 has been around for a long time so specific numbers will help.
PC300-5, I’ll get the VIN soon.
it is a pc300lc-3 serial number A15216
That dash 3 machine was irrelevant by the early 90’s. Keep in mind, there is zero parts availability. Not a bad machine, just zero product support. Zero.
Isn't there a thread somewhere in the basement about homeowners and Giant Ancient Excavators . . . ?
I couldn’t do it. I thought about excavating that thread……. Just couldn’t do it.
I heart old Komatsu PC300’s. These dash fives were getting long in the tooth in the early 90’s when I was a Komatsu dealer tech. The dash three was rare as hens teeth, at that point. I tip my orange tin hat to all my Komatsu homies. We had a helluva run, boys.
My first trip to California, was to the Komatsu Training Center, in Torrance. For dash five school.
I take it the aftermarket parts are not available? It being mostly mechanical and no electronics I was thinking it might be something I could work on.
There might be some aftermarket UC parts available, some filters, and of course, hydraulic hoses. That’s it. For funsies take that serial number and try to find a swing motor, or a head gasket.
• Part Number: 6150-17-1813 (replaces 6150-11-1810). Head gasket. And they have a complete seal kit for that engine. S6D125 Engine Part Number: 706-77-10103 Fully reconditioned swing motor, 1500-2800 bucks.
I have rebuilt lots of Komatsu stuff and suggest you listen closely to what Coaldust has said about you not going to find the parts you need. I from experience found a few parts at dealer and then boom, sorry nothing available. Most of the aftermarket is junk and dealers will have none of the wiring harnesses. It will be your decision in the end. Simon C
We just had a discussion about S6D125 engine parts and how bad the KDM aftermarket gasket kit is. HeavyEquipmentForums
Thanks Simon, I admit that I have no practical experience here for sure.
Another HEF member just rebuilt a 6D125 and documented his trials and tribulations. I’m trying to find the thread. Great thread.
I just re-read this thread...LOTS of good info here. Thanks, BuffaloBull, for keeping it going. Good luck on your project. I am deep into resurrecting my grandfather's 20-acre pond that he built in the 1950's...I inherited 90 acres of his 500-acre farm...I got the homeplace, 100 year old house, shops, grain bins, ponds, etc. I bought a 15000 lb. Takeuchi TB370 initially, and learned pretty quickly it did not move enough dirt/sludge for us. I still have that for smaller, close quarters stuff (and I can move it with my F450), but I bought a 2006 CAT 320CL...approx. 50K machine...lots of difference. I can move huge trees, dig stumps, get on mud mats in the pond, and dig...made good progress. 2022 Feb-16 working on canals and pond dam - GaryLayton using the excavator to dredge, clean, enlarge canal and pond dams garylayton.smugmug.com But I reached a point recently (after I bought a CAT 730 haul truck) and realized that it will take forever to finish without help. I recently hired a local land clearing outfit that brought in their CAT 330 with a BIG bucket, 2 haul trucks, a CAT D4 dozer and a lot of knowledge...they have done incredible amounts of work in a few weeks...moved dirt that took me many months to dig out and stockpile...dug out lots more area (and quicker) that I have been able to...and freed me up to do piddling (and important) side work like grubbing areas so they have places to dump, doing (slow) mud mat work...moving mud close enough for their 330 to grab it and stage it for the haul trucks. The knowledge and planning they brought with their equipment have been wonderful. I am about 4 years into a 2-year project...with their help, I am starting to see hope of finishing at some point. I think getting a (not too small) machine to get started and rough out your work (and learn a lot as you work) can be a good path. I am enjoying watching your project happen.
Thanks for sharing the wisdom. Man that’s a lot of earth moving in that video, no rocks! Lucky! I hope to build a pond someday but that will have to wait. Power company is saying 50k to get power to the house
At 50K, you are firmly in off-grid solar territory. How is your exposure? Can you clear out to get some good sun on some ground mounts? With a 50K budget you can build pretty big. I can post up some example builds tomorrow night if you get me some info.
The exposure is West, south West about at the 1500 msl level up the side of the mountain. So no real Sun until about 930, 1000 am. But yes I could clear out a big spot. The house will be propane and electric. About 5000 sq ft total.
$50k would help fund a pretty good used generator and buy a lot of fuel for it, to add on to a solar set up. And you would never have a power bill or outage either.
Agree, the 50k price is just for the wire and the transformer, I still have to dig the trench, lay the conduit and place all the fiberglass junction boxes and the PADs. Power company says that it has to be 3 inch schd 40 pvc pipe! No HDPE…. Ridiculous…. I figure I’m close to 100k just to get power to the house!
Sell the mountainside location, build a house on a more practical lot, and use all the leftover money and buy a big boat . . .
Almost word for word what the wife said!!!
I've always wanted to run a tracked skidder. It a CAT 527?
I've got some hours on a 90s 220LC3 with Denharco stroke delimber. Ran over my beautiful Woods ported MS460 with it one night. Only usable parts was the bar and chain and a fuel cap.
Ahh, somebody else dug the Classic up . . . The most entertaining "school me"thread... My 1st piece of H.E. Two 80ton Hoes Cool forum you guys got here. Hopefully one day I'll be knowledgeable enough to contribute and not just ask dumb questions. They wanted $28k/month to rent a cat385 plus another $10k for transport/setup/etc. So I took the plunge and bought 2 1990's machines. I'm just going to use them for... HeavyEquipmentForums
Perk test site, basic picture of the property. 180 acres…. Anyone need a good hunting property? It boarders state game lands on the other side of the mountain….
Yes yes yes. You selling or offering hunting land? You doing leases or whatever? Looking for hunting land out of state, have been going to NY last couple of years but need a change and how steep is it? Tugging along an 85 year old kid/father.
That was quick! I guess I’m just kidding at this point… but if we decide to sell it I’ll post here first. It has old logging roads all over it. That satellite shot is from google earth from 2000 I think. It is sloped, goes from 1200 ft to 2000ft and then the last 200ft is almost vertical up to 2200 ft. This is it today. Just got the 40ft high cube up there last week!
Does it come with a helicopter?
Nope, just a legal right of way across a rail road bridge! Plenty of room to make a helipad though if you wanted. I do have a bear though!
I just read back through the thread, I never clarified the rock type, Ganister.
I'm the guilty one... I have to look it up again every couple years...
So 16500 delivered on that PC300…still not worth it? If not, is there a price that would make it worth it?
Is this the PC300-3 you mentioned earlier? I'm not very familiar with them but if the guys that know say parts and support are unavailable I'd be very hesitant to purchase it and I'm comfortable working on my own equipment. At the very least pay a mechanic who's comfortable working on heavy equipment to look it over for you before you put any money on it. There'd be no guarantees of course but he should be able to give you an idea if it'll work for a while before dying or if it's already on it's last breath. Ask the seller for all maintenance records. They'll provide some insight as well. Buying and shipping an old machine can be the cheapest part of owning it. Some equipment would be too expensive for me if it was delivered to my place at no charge.
I think I would get it figured out if you even want to build on this site before I bought equipment. Solar and generator three hours from civilization sounds fun if you're 23-43 Not so fun if you're 63, and this is your retirement home. Because you're going to need doctor visits and what if you want to visit the grandkids for a month or go to key West for 2 weeks in the winter? As far as $16,500 being cheap enough, for me, it doesn't matter how cheap a piece of equipment might be, there's some equipment that isn't worth buying no matter what the price is. You've been warned by guys that are familiar with that particular machine. Sometimes spending a extra $10-15,000 upfront for a better newer machine with better support is the best money you can spend. And if you can't afford the extra $10-15,000 now, you sure can't afford it in parts and labor to fix a old machine. Do you want to move dirt, or do you want to wrench on a machine? Posting up 10 pictures of the machine here, will give the experts something to go off of for giving advice. Hiring a local independent heavy equipment mechanic for 2 hours to give it a going over would also be money well spent if you don't know what you are looking at.
A 300 can absolutely do a lot of work and a wide undercarriage provides an extra degree of safety in steep country. Tree work is safer with a larger machine. In my opinion at that price it could definitely be worth buying...do a bunch of work then can resell (for same money as paid) as it is fully depreciated by this point. BUT...... You MUST know how to do a proper inspection; or hire out a full inspection. As stated by others, you must expect major issues obtaining parts---and/or a lot of internet research & time to find those parts..... The concept of a cheap/old machine can only work if the machine is in good enough condition to work (more or less reliably) in its CURRENT condition. It could easily turn into a disaster if say....the swing bearing goes out, or one or both travel motors fail (need good tracking power with a large machine in steep country) We have some experience with this concept...In 2014 I purchased a 20,000+ hour Hitachi EX270 roadbuilder. I realized the seller didn't know the turbo was sooted up and not spinning. Some careful cleaning and lubricating with WD40 and no more rolling coal! Good Hino power plant, Rotek was tight, had tagged/rebuilt main pumps and good strong tracking power. Made us a good income that summer and sold the next season for $22k (paid $14k). That said; I knew how to inspect the machine and what to look for. I spent at least 2 hours going over the machine before I made an offer to buy.... Need to tread very carefully...but if you do find a good unit be ready to act quickly Good luck!
Free. That way, when it dies, you'll have funds to pay someone to scrap it out.
Think of it this way. If you buy a machine, you really shouldn’t be working it do death. These machines are meant to be run. If it’s a decent machine, makes good power after running it a while, tracks pretty decent and at least 50% of undercarriage is there, it’s just a gamble. As BC said, it’s only way to get cheaper, is if it’s dead. Personally though, I have built 2 houses for myself off rough land. Both times, I hired out the majority of the land clearing and excavation and supplemented that by buying a backhoe and completing the stuff that I was comfortable with and had the time to do. Like the driveway and the power and landscaping. By hiring out the heavy work, that let me save enough money and allowed me to have leeway to pick and choose what I wanted to do. This last house, the electrical would have been 80k. I dug 1500’ of trench, bought my own pad, installed my own conduit and still had to pay 9k to have the wire pulled, up to the meter. The driveway, would have been 35k, after it was roughed in. If you are serious about building, find the areas you can save serious money and stay away from areas you can’t. I tried to get pricing on wells, foundation, insulation, the whole gamut. Originally, I was gonna to do a modular, until I found a builder that could get prices on these things, way cheaper that I could. My well for instance, is 440’ down and I got quotes from people I had used in the past and their quotes were insane. The builder I used had it done, by a company I had never head of, for 5k. The foundation, I had quotes for 16 to 24k. He had it done for 8k. There are ways to save money and there are ways to lose it. Just make sure and take a lot of pictures and have fun!
I like your process. I’m at a bit of a disadvantage because I’m new to the area. I had found a local contractor but he passed away unexpectedly a couple weeks ago. Young guy… sad. I’ve built a couple houses as well over the years of moving around in the service. Both custom and subdivision builders. The custom I built the driveway through a swamp and cleared the lot, dug the footers and the septic with an old JCB 1400b. Then dug a pond and basically had a blast doing all that. This driveway is going to be 5000ft + and the power run will be the same. I’ll post a picture of if I can draw it out on google earth.
I was wrong it’s actually about 3800 ft for the power. There are existing logging roads but I’ll need to level out one so that will be about 1100 ft of new road to connect the flat parts.
The 300, yes get it inspected IF!!!!! It has a progressive thumb. No proper thumb, no sale. You have plenty of that kind of work.
No thumb, well there is a mechanical one. Not hydraulic not progressive.
When those things break down in bad locations, they are very difficult to deal with and become a liability. With open center Komatsu hydraulics, that PC300 will empty a drum of hydraulic fluid onto your pristine mountain property faster than you can shut it off. I say it’s worth scrap value minus transportation expenses, on the best of days. But, you do you, caribou. Please keep us updated.
Let me be a yay-sayer. I think there is a cheap machine out there that will suit. You are not too far from coal mining areas. Is this excavator from the guy in everett? What is the current budget allowed now that you have more data? How wide is your access bridge? Looks like an old trestle on the aerial view. I often go to western maryland to trailride and am always looking for new spots so if you want another set of eyes for ideas, let me know. I'm in the "gentleman antique equipment owner club" GAEOC and have had a good time so far. Life is too short not to have ever owned an excavator, etc.
Do they not allow boring? HDPE is what they would be putting in. But in reality 3" sdr 13.5 is a real bitch to get laid down in a open trench especially if it is cold
Sorry I ghosted again, I wasn’t getting updates for some reason. The engineer I spoke with from the power company said pvc only. I specifically asked about the HDPE since it would easier and cheaper. West Penn power??? Found this guy it’s closer to the budget with a thumb. Located in state about 3 hours away from the land. I have not been to the place in Everett yet… I probably need to go by there.
Yes old rail road bridge
How many hours on the Kobelco?
8000ish
Meh, pay someone that knows what they are doing, to go look at it with you. Check undercarriage and tracks, swivel, finals, work it a little. Looks like a smaller dealer, would negotiate oil samples into prospective offer. Looks like a decent size and machine from crappy picture. Doesn’t look like a progressive thumb but hard to tell from pic.
https://www.hollingerequipment.com/inventory/?/listing/for-sale/252614889/2012-kobelco-sk210-lc-acera-mark-9-crawler-excavators?dlr=1&accountcrmid=2107&settingscrmid=2108
Couple of quick thoughts other than the normal things to have checked on an 8K hour machine. Bucket cylinder appears to be leaking. See what appears to be hydro oil on the back of the bucket. Bucket is heavily worn and labeled Neff. Neff was a heavy equipment rental house that sold out to United a few years back IIRC. Rented from Neff several times they were known for renting excavators with hammers. This machine may or may not be a Neff rental and it may or may not have spent most of it's life with a hammer on the stick instead of a bucket. Rented many an excavator with hammer from Neff before I bought one for our 325. See if you can get ownership records in addition to all the other machine info.
It is 3" right and you are talking about a open trench? I personally don't think HDPE in 3-in would be easier than PVC in a open trench 2 in and below absolutely. You could get a guy out there with a line tamer to straighten the pipe off the spool then yes, but my guy down here lives a state over about 3 hours away is $4K a day to show up. Cost wise yes HDPE is cheaper, my cost difference is .25 more for pvc and then add glue but that is minimal for me I pay $15/quart and I can get 1000 feet per can Ish. And as far as labor the walking and bending over is a lot but I only install 20' sticks so half the bending how many feet are we talking and you want me to call this engineer for you lol but seriously I love talking to those planners especially when they spout nonsense that differs from their published specs and makes my life more difficult, I have had more than one say "really it says that,what page did you say that is on?"
Probably close to 3800 ft.
There is a product rated 15,000 volts with the #1 awg copper/ 1/0 aluminum spun around it, .175" thick X linked polyethylene, Then an outer coating equivalent to schedule 40 PVC. Cost is reduced compared to conduit & cable. In VT Green Mountain Power gets what they want. Electricians can involve themselves with the ditching, sand placement, setting transformer bases and everything secondary voltage. I haven't used this product myself. It is promising. It saves material cost, labor, and it can easily run thousands of feet without pull stations every 500 feet.
Where is the best place to buy 3inch PVC?
I’m sure based on my interactions with West Penn power they not interested in any new fangled wire
Well, you might want to repair that relationship as this job can turn out to be very costly or unobtainable. At first my electric company treated me like they didn’t want my business but thankfully I was able to suck up to the female estimator, it ended up halving my bill. Just make sure you get 20’ sticks. I did half my run with 10’ sticks and it sucked. Make sure you plan for 3 2” sticks on top for media and security. Installing electrical services, is one place, it pays to think ahead. I did 3 extra and now wish I had done 4.
That would be a primary wire, I thought we are talking secondary, but even for primary that would be direct bury, the main 2 power companies here won't let you do direct bury and you really shouldn't want to, if it gets damaged you can't just fix the conduit and then pull a new line you have to dig up 500'. On some of the commercial projects I have worked on they make you install a spare, another power company here make you install a feeder to the next property line for future expansion (commercial) @ Buffallobull, I will look though the document you sent this evening when I get home as for where to buy conduit a electrical supply place be where I would start. Tell them you are not an electrician but you want to buy a boatload of conduit did you ever say how many feet you were going? A lift of 3 in is going to be 1,760 ft
Going to need 2 of those probably, 3800 ft run.
Common negotiation to a new development. Power companies call it loop fed, it amounts to twice the capacity of primary. Nobody is going to be receptive to digging up the development to provide more capacity. Loop fed puts double the expected capacity from the start.
Here, secondary is limited to 650 feet for 100 amps. It has been a while since I saw a 100 amp service needed to think of long distance. If you are that remote, you will have solar, with solar you want to approach net zero. 57 years in the trade I have worked on a few homes where "net zero" was the inspiration. Any I have seen wouldn't tolerate a solar field. Typically they are located in a forest. Might get two hours direct sun on their limited solar area on half the roof. These houses have 1/4 acre heated floor under tile, CERV units exhausting more heat than my heating system produces, intake heaters to compensate. Last "net zero" house has 53 amps input from solar when the sun is full focus on the roof, 400 amp service, loaded 24 hours a day.
Thank you all for the power info, that will certainly be a factor in building but the closest alligator to my boat is still finding the right machine at an affordable price in which I can spend some time and make all this happen! On the KOBELCO the seller got back to me saying they really don’t know, they traded for it and it needs some work on the bucket pins and all the fluids need a change but that it runs and the underneath is about 50%.
-- The machine could have been a rental orriginally we traded the machine in from a contractor in Ny on a newer unit the bucket pins are due for replacment machine runs and operates good needs batteries and should be serviced U/c is about 50% I don't belive it was a hammer machine but they did use it for landclearing and loading a tub grinder
Facebook www.facebook.com Think this guy is too small? It’s got all the things….
Nope. Not nearly what you would want, not close to it enough. UNLESS you could use it for supplemental and hire out the heavy work. Could you imagine grubbing in a driveway, pulling stumps as you go? Would take a long while.
Buffallo- I didn't go back and reread all your posts but have you inspected or sat in many older hoes that were for sale? I ask because I was in your same shoes about 8 years ago. While I wasn't afraid of turning a wrench or getting dirty and was around military equipment for a full career, I had ZERO experience with heavy construction equipment like hoes, dozers, etc. While I learned a lot here from the wise folks, I couldn't really apply any of those learnings until I physically walked up to a machine and played with it. Since I did trips to Dallas and Houston on a fairly frequent basis, I was able to visit the Ritchie Bros yards and walk around and fiddle with the used equipment. Granted, those were fairly large yards with a decent amount of equipment but it did give me a decent amount of learning to better understand relative conditions and get a decent appreciation for pricing (you see past auction results when you register with RB). Within a short time, I could start seeing the differences of hose and pin conditions, normal wear vs. abusive wear, and even more importantly, I could start understanding how different options like thumbs truly mattered. This helped me buy with confidence when I did buy my Cat 325BL and D7F. Point is, visiting a large auction site like a RB even if you're not buying at that moment, you'll start gaining a lot more info than we can give you through the computer.
One last thing I forgot to mention: It will be a gamble when you buy old, used equipment. Period. But here's the way I look at it. Let's say I dump $50k (price, transport, simple repairs, etc.) on a piece of equipment. I use that equipment for 5 years clearing my own land. If I put 1000 hours on it (that's quite a lot when using it just for your own property) and then it immediately turns into a pile of scrap metal for whatever reason, well, I basically rented it for $50/hr. Even if I put 500hrs on it, that's $100/hr. That's still a LOT of hours for home use but you get the point. And sure, that's an overly simplified view of costs as it doesn't include fuel, oil, maintenance, etc. but at the end of the day, you're not trying to make money with a hoe, you're trying to do your own thing on your own land on your own time. So, the gamble is: Can you buy a good enough piece of equipment that will likely last long enough to get what you what done? After it does that job, it's up to you if you want to keep it as a "cool thing" or try to get some money back.
^^^This is so true (LCA078)^^^looking at units on the internet is just not going to cut it.... Have to get in the seat, crawl all over them, start them up and really go over the unit, hopeful with no one looking over your shoulder. Ritchie Bros. is perfect for this, a good starting point. I was at Ritchie Bros. last year in Chilliwack and started up and performed small, limited movements on at least 8 or 10 excavators. I was easily able to immediately eliminate most of them as having obvious flaws (most of which I never could have determined at home on my computer...)
Need to clear a pretty big swath of land to do ground mount solar in the woods, for sure. If you want to go off grid, then the house needs to be smaller than you think and designed for efficiency from the start. You can't draw a big box and then heat it with good thoughts and intentions in the cold weather, and propane will just kick your budget to heck if you don't curb the appetite for it. Passive designs that use what winter sun the house gets and reject the summer heat.
Meh, the new house I built, is only 1300 sq ft, with full basement. Plenty big for us as our retirement home. Kids are gone, only 1 extra bedroom and ability to add more with walk out basement. Every option for cold weather used, spray insulation with R15 over it. Only use approximately 300 gallons of propane a year, for heat, hot water and cooking. Electric, even with outrageous rising costs, still average 180 dollars a month. ROI on solar, with doing the work myself, was still 18 to 21 years. Just not worth it for us. Really should have designed for a wood stove, as our open floor plan would have been perfect. Only issue is, not sure I want the dust, the mess and headache. Grew up with just wood for heat. Looked at doing an outdoor boiler and the ROI on that even sucks. Not to mention, they use a lot of wood. I do think solar is the future but why can’t they make panels, with the ability to defrost, or melt the snow on them. Wish we could get natural gas.
I do agree with the need to go look. There are a RB lot in state and one in MD as well I think. In the meantime I might go ahead and get this old backhoe I found. 1992 JCB. 214 sitemaster 4x4 extendahoe Needs work but for 6000 bucks it might be worth the hassle, I kinda want something to work on. It runs but the steering is locked so I’ll need to work on that. 1800 to get it hauled to the land….
It's a great thing to walk up to a machine and have it start cold on cold mornings like you'll be doing on a mountain. Last thing you want is a beast hooked on ether. Touch the exhaust manifolds before you start a machine to make sure it's had a good cold soak before you try and start it. Another good thing is you can see small items like filters, battery cables, etc. A machine that was well maintained will have new'ish filters, hopefully with a date and hours on them. And battery cables will be sturdy with swedged or formed ends. At a bare minimum, someone should be doing the easy maintenance..and keeping the cab fairly neat (no trash like old soda bottles or empty cigarette packs). If you see old, rusty filters or battery cables cobbled up with auto part store bolt-on terminals...beware of that machine. Or worse, a half dozen empty ether cans in the cab. You see that, you better run. You more than likely won't see these details in pics on the internet.
I do agree with the need to go look. There are a RB lot in state and one in MD as well I think. In the meantime I might go ahead and get this old backhoe I found. 1992 JCB. 214 sitemaster 4x4 extendahoe Needs work but for 6000 bucks it might be worth the hassle, I kinda want something to work on. It runs but the steering is locked so I’ll need to work on that. 1800 to get it hauled to the land
All equipment needs to be looked at. I have literally talked for hours about used equipment from the owners, only to find they literally forgot to mention that the king pins were worn into the axle housing - broken cracked buckets - frozen controls when they stated that "everything works as intended" Please find someone you trust to look at the equipment...
Here is what I found in that publication, 15. Buried conduits shall be rigid PVC, heavy wall, sunlight resistant, listed and labeled, Schedule 40 conduit per NEMA TC2 (i.e., electrical grade). • Raceway: A raceway is an enclosed channel used for holding wires or cables. From the internet: The US National Electric Code (NFPA 70) is the code regulating HDPE conduit use in power applications. Section 353 (2014 edition) specifies that conduit and fittings shall be listed and indicates conditions under which it can be used NEC Article 353 governs High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) conduit, a nonmetallic, flexible raceway suitable for underground electrical applications, including direct burial and concrete encasement I would ask to speak to the construction supervisor and lay out your case for using hdpe, it really is a simple conversation with someone that is looking at the specs. You might have got that old head that is stuck in his ways or a kid that is only doing what he has been told and doesn't actually no any other way
Thank you for looking at that. I’ll try to reengage with them, speaking to a human is difficult. The engineer that came out and did the site survey is my only POC at this point. Older guy, very knowledgeable.
I have found that a little bit of documentation and a cool head will get you pretty far in those type of conversations.
Hopefully this is a case where the older engineer has spent a career speaking with folks who effectively wanted to do a line install on the cheap and dangerous because most folks don't know what they're doing. The engineer has seen it all and knows when the situation will become dangerous with a certain type of person. But once you show that you're educated and will follow the right specs, the trust factor should grow. Sometimes even adding a bit of selective overkill in your own design where you point out "I know the baseline is that requirement but I feel safer doing this for my application" may help.
I was thinking about the snow issue, since there is so much of it! Having those junction boxes sitting on the downslope side on a fiberglass base doesn’t seem smart if trying to plow snow down the slope of the mountain. I’m thinking I should trench on the uphill side of the road or elevate the boxes. Where is the trench usually, for ease of digging do people run it down the center of the driveway and put the boxes off to the sides? Upslope is where the water drainage ditch is and downslope is way below road level and forested.
Around here HDPE is just starting to be recognized as an alternative to PVC. They are starting to use it for potable water and conduit but the approval process is slow. From what I understand, our cousins up north, have been using it for years and a lot of the old timers are not really jumping on that bandwagon. It may not be even acceptable where you are at. 5 years ago, when I built my house, I had asked about it and they wouldn’t even consider it. Much like copper was only allowed for plumbing, it took 20 years, to get Pex allowed.
On a big project I will use HDPE for anything 2" or smaller with a open trench, if I get grief I will tell them I may bore some of this, do you want me to glue sticks together and pull them through? That normally gets a " no you can't do that, you might pull it apart" ok so you want me to use HDPE off a spool? Yes! That opens the door to be able to use it everywhere
Here, we have designers work for the power company. They help with the design of the system. If using conduit you are allowed only 360 degrees of bend. As you may need 180 degrees of bend to change from horizontal to vertical each end, you are limited. No reason not to run up the center of the driveway. Remember PVC shrinks 4" per 100 feet with 100 degree temperature change. When no snow on the driveway, cold sinks lower. It is a concern it'll shrink enough to break. I like to be 36" to the top of the conduit, 6" of sand beneath, 6" of sand above. I dig 46" deep, 6" sand. Conduit is usually 3.5", more sand 9-1/2" deep. Then backfill half way. Warning ribbon, then fill. Certainly makes sense to run on the uphill side unless other reasons prevail.
it is so much more tolerant of casual bucket encounters.
Agreed! PVC will pop and there goes your day
Just an update, lot out on a JCB with a thumb on eBay by 2800 bucks… so close. Anyway I found a guy with a CAT 313 that will rent it for 38 bucks and hour… probably going to go that route first!
Really? That is a hot deal, $304 / 8 hour no tax I presume. What about some form of insurance, that can't be included in the price and if it is what is the deductible? How many hours do you for see using it? How much is the MOB?
1750 for a 50 hour 7 day week with a 150 delivery fee. I didn’t ask about insurance…. Guess I’ll do that.
This is the one that I didn’t win…
I have found when renting equipment and really using it, I go over on the hours, especially in the winter with the warm up time. Just something to keep in mind, it is still better a better price than you will get from the dealership or a rental yard
2001 Cat 315B L Tracked Excavator https://www.rbauction.com/pdp/2001-...ile-app&utm_campaign=mobile-app-link-flagship What would you guys bid on this one!
21,000 hour B model . . . They would have to pay me to come transport it. I am alergic to gambling, maybe somebody else would have great luck with it . . .
As a general rule, I don't recommend buying from Ritchie bros unless you really know what you are looking at, and are competent to repair whatever is wrong with it. I'm not saying that this particular machine is bad, just that you really, really need to be a good buyer at auction. If I'm sending something to auction,as a seller, it's generally because I don't want my name associated with it after it's gone. I have bought from Ritchie Bros before, and have had success, but I feel like I can probably fix whatever is wrong, and buy cheap enough, that I can afford to fix it. But I have a full shop to do it in, and other equipment to tear stuff apart with.
Nice machine! Would really like to look at it hard but sounded good. Would like to hear the pumps and check functions. Probably go around 35k. Looks well maintained. Would really like to know what that L patch is 7’ up the boom? Tracks look good, grousers aren’t too bad, didn’t see the thumb cylinder.
It's a good looking machine for the hours. Go to the auction in person and take a good mechanic with you before you bid on it. That is a fixed thumb. It doesn't have a cylinder. You pin it to the stick in one of three positions. I cannot say how much I dislike this type... Not sure why there's a patch that low on the boom. I can't recall seeing one in that location before.
2018 Takeuchi TB2150 Tracked Excavator https://www.rbauction.com/pdp/2018-...ile-app&utm_campaign=mobile-app-link-flagship What about this one? It’s got it all, 2018
Nice machine! 35 to 40k.
That’s where I’m at on the auction 39k plus fees then transport cost. So figure 45 all in maybe….???
I agree it would be great to check these out but my schedule and the auction timings have not worked out…. And finding a mechanic to go with is impossible these days.
I definitely think I might go to 48k on that, all in, maybe 50k. I think it’s a nice machine and it’s going to be a gamble either way. The wear in the cab, projects the correct hours. You aren’t seeing any evidence of leaking finals, engine looks clean. Would like a look at the swivel joint? Most importantly, nothing is cleaned up to the point of hiding anything. It’s going to be a gamble either way. Best thing you can do, if you get anything, change everything that has fluid out and properly take samples and look at filters. Send out samples and roll some dice.
Wait! Which one we talking about? I like them both but the Cat is the better size, for what you need. The Tak, will go for 46k.
I looked at the pictures a little, looks to me like the boom has been patched over a crack in that area. Not a great looking repair job either.
^^^^^^ That’s kinda what I was alluding to. If that was to repair a crack, it will be a complete fail job. Reasonably certain, that’s why the machine is at auction. That and a manual thumb, why would someone do that? I understand, adding a thumb but for what that machine is, that’s a bad upgrade.
That 315B is the little brother to my 325B and is a clean looking machine for being 25yrs old. The body is in good shape without major damage from swinging into rocks, trees, buildings, or other machines. Looks like a new turbo and fairly well taken care of engine. I really like is it has Cat filters and possibly a couple Cat replacement hoses. As far as a hydraulic thumb, it's possible the machine is already plumbed for a tool as there are two thin hoses that run down the dipper and into the bucket quick disconnect. There are two other hard lines on the dipper that end in a connection block with a short piece of hydraulic line. Maybe someone here can pinpoint what those hoses are far. If the machine has acceptable blow by and the hydraulics are functioning well, it seems like a decent purchase. Especially in that it comes with all those buckets and a quick disconnect. I acknowledge the folks here know way more about potential boom crack issues but that might be a good starter hoe for you. I don't think it was abused as a typical contractor machine run by non-owners. Looks like someone cared for it....except for that 'repair' if it was a repair.
For what it's worth, I only saw 2 other 315B sold in the last couple years on RB. Interestingly both sold for $16.5k. Also note the stick lengths are different for all three (the two sold and one for sale). Looks like the one for sale has the shortest stick which may be beneficial if you do more removing trees and rocks instead of lots of digging. Again, the experts here will weigh in more than I can.
Well I’m locked in on the TB2150 until someone outbids me. If they do I may gamble on the old 315. It’s in PA but 4 hours away and I’m stuck in Chicago right now. Probably won’t make it home until 4 am. Don’t think I’ll be able to go see it. Might be worth a 10k gamble? Both auctions close at the same time so my luck someone will drop a 50k bid in last second on the TB and I won’t have time to bid on the 315.
Best of luck with the auction. Hope all works out for you!
Roll of the dice…. For anyone considering traveling and starting it in Atlanta… don’t do it! I spent 24 solid hours trying to get from ATL to EWR yesterday!! Started at 0500 got in at 0500! Brutal.
Flying right now is out for for sure. We were scheduled to go to a Fastenal conference next week and almost positive going to cancel. Good luck on the Tak.
I see enough in the photos to chase me away. The scab patch on the boom is not near as concerning as the fresh black goo pond around the swing motor. A few thousand to the right welder can fix that bad repair. Most any other machine is going to be dusty or full of debris from logging around a swing motor, not looking like the Exxon Valdiz did a drive by.
Yes, as SkyKing alludes to, you really need to look a machine in person to best understand it. While RB does a much better job of posting photos than most auction sites, it's hard to tell what condition a machine is just from photos. For instance, that black goo that SkyKing refers to assumes he's concerned about a major accumulation of oil or grease. To me, it's just water from the RB pressure washing and the ripples are caused by wind. We could argue all day on who's right by looking at the photos. But in the end, only seeing the machine in person will be the real understanding if it's an issue or not.
Fully agree, must inspect in person! I just did a 1400km round trip to Nisku (Edmonton) to inspect 4 ‘identical’ Cornell water pumps. What looked like the best one at home turned out to have a cracked volute (water not drained in freezing weather!). That pump went for $11,000…The new owner will be in for a very big disappointment… That trip saved us a lot of money. Currently headed home with the best of the bunch at at a very good price…
Glad the pump worked out for you and the trip wasn’t wasted. I will say that RB does a decent job of giving folks the ability to inspect pretty thoroughly. Just short of an actual field trial. They will even jump start most vehicles when asked. Much better service than most local auction houses.
I agree, they are very helpful that way.
No luck on the Auction lost both…next time…
There's no harm in that. I've bid on three different semi trucks in the last three months, and didn't get any of them bought. In just bidding, I feel like it gives me a better idea of what current used pricing is, and I think it also helps me decide what I really want to purchase. I do think that you should spend some time in a Ritchie Bros yard and run 10 different machines. You may find you really want a komatsu, Hitachi, or a Volvo. Or that you prefer a cat or deere, because that dealer is close. I used to buy strictly based on price, because I knew exactly how much I could afford spend (not very much). I've bought machines in the past, that I would never buy now, but it was what I could afford at the time. I've got a little more equipment now, and I still have a monetary limit, but I m a lot more fussy about holding out for a machine I really want. If you plan on living with this machine for the next 10 years, go look at a bunch, and talk to as many guys as you can about what they like and don't like about different brand and size of machines. The right machine is out there, at the right price. Just keep looking - good luck!
Just make sure you do a list. A list of wants and a list of have to haves. If you settle on a machine without a thumb, unless you hit the lottery, you’re never going to get that thumb. You know what work you will be doing and what you think you will have to have. So many times I have settled because of money and I thought it was a good deal. My first 2 backhoes were 2 wheel drive. For the way i use a backhoe and where I live, that will never happen again.
I don't agree totally with this statement. If you want a hydraulic thumb, and you buy a machine without aux hydraulics, then I agree completely. But, if it's plumbed right down to the bucket, it's no big deal to add it. We bought a brand new machine without having the dealer install the thumb, and a machine with 2500 hours without a thumb. I actually used my 290 for a month without a thumb until it worked out to bring it in the shop and put it on.
Lots of by great advice above by both Crane and Harley. But also understand that looking for the perfect deal in older used equipment is about as productive as playing the lottery. There's a chance it will happen...but....well, you understand.
That's what I was saying about that Cat 315B. To my understanding of the pictures, it was already plumbed for aux hydraulics but only an inspection would verify the reality. Since the machine already came with a manual thumb, just use it and learn the benefits and limitations of a thumb so you could make the decision to toss more money at it or not. Welding a cylinder mount on the dipper may have been the only "mod" needed to add a hydraulic thumb, even progressive. What's more productive: Owning and operating a machine with a manual thumb or not owning a machine with a progressive thumb?
Location does make a difference. Out West, you can throw a stick and hit a bunch of good candidates with progressive thumbs on them. It was the way they got equipped out here. I got used to that. I took a look around machinery trader etc and I was really surprised about the lack of progressive equipped machines, the farther east you go looking. Crawler loaders are the opposite. Thinner out West.
Thanks for all the advice! I had made an offer on this link belt that was turned down. They reached out this morning wondering if I was still interested. I said no seems like it has too many issues. https://www.ebay.com/itm/205671937380?nordt=true They did share this bit of information Oh okay, so it drives and runs and we put new batteries in it. But the AC is not working, it shows “service engine soon”light, shows check engine light, shows “electrical problem” light, heavy hydraulic leak around valve bank. We had a tech come out and confirm, and this is all that we know of. No thumb no blade….no deal.
@Buffallobull I'm glad your spirits are still up and you're still actively looking. I do have a question about: The thumb requirement I understand but are you saying a hoe must have a blade to be considered? That will greatly limit your options to the smaller side of a tree-killer but I totally understand if that's what you want.
No, that’s the perfect solution for me. I’m totally open to machines with less options but they have to be in a condition and price so that it makes sense. I can get one without a blade and just buy an older dozer. I can get one without a thumb but it does need the aux hydraulic installed and I can add a thumb. I can still buy that old PC210 and it works, but no thumb, no hydraulics and no blade so it just doesn’t fit the bill.
Okay, I understand the blade is a 'want' not a 'must have' whereas the aux plumbing is a 'must have'. As stated by others here, understanding your list of features, both the 'must haves' and 'wants' will pay dividends for you. Bottom line- stay at it! You have a lot of support here to help you find the best tool and we're all rooting for ya to do it.
I have a friend works for a paving company. They strip off the usually shallow earth down to bed rock, drill & blast bedrock, then crush 5 ton pieces to mix asphalt pavement. They have three 35-45 metric ton excavators. He has always said there is no value in a thumb, didn't understand why I consider it essential on a backhoe. Now he has at home, a 6 ton mini ex. Suddenly he understands my need for a thumb.
When I bought my Komatsu PC200 LC-7 the pictures showed it having a manual thumb. When it arrived the thumb wasn't on it. This was an insurance deal. My buddy that worked at the insurance company was pissed. They had also taken the batteries out after they loaded it on the trailer. Anyway, I ended up cutting up an old dozer root rake and made a manual thumb for it. That was about 10 years ago and it's still being used on the machine. I have run machines with hydraulic thumbs and they are nice. I won't down play that at all. That being said, a manual thumb on the right machine would not be a deal breaker for me. Actually if the machine is being mainly to clear large trees I would prob prefer a manual thumb over a hydraulic. Just my $.02
I got rocks to play with,!
Everybody‘s list will be different. From different operating experiences, to different operating styles. The terrain also has inputs. Think of dealing with that glacier slide, without a blade and a thumb? Can you do it without both, it would suck. One or the other is definitely easier. When I brought up the thumb, it was conditional for the valve and the plumbing. Starting from scratch, adding a hydraulic thumb to a 35k excavator, can easily exceed 12k. Unless of course, you hit the parts lottery and find an exact parts machine that burned, or something. Being patient and having the money, to back up the bid or offer, is key. Also, plan on pricing out delivery in advance, will help the buying experience have that much less of anxiety.
So you have 14.6 bazillion rocks/ boulders to play with.
I do but they are probably going to be used as building material later on. Right now it all about connecting a logging road, and building a driveway...running power along it underground. Putting in a sand mound, excavating the basement...all that. The rock field is further up the hill. I'm taking some advice from here and renting a 313 with a thumb for a week. See what happens.
That's a great way to start. You'll quickly get a feel for how much power, weight, and features you'll want when you buy you're own machine. A while back, I looked into renting before I bought my 325BL but decided not to do after I talked to my local Cat rental and tried to set it up. At that time, they said I needed to get certified to operate equipment (some kind of small short course) and maintain insurance which was frustrating but understandable. But what got me was the "weekly" rental was only 40hrs of machine time. I could never get a straight answer if that was 40 hours of the machine running at operating levels only or if it included idling times. In the meantime, my 325BL came up for auction and I bought it so I never rented. But bottom line, make sure you understand the terms of your rental and then plan around it so you can maximize your rental period.
Here it is 40 hours on the meter so idling or running wide out doesn't matter. I tell them hey if you're charging me based on meter time I'm going to start that thing and start hogging or you can give me a little buffer and I'll let her warm up a bit I also mention the starter, I will turn this machine off and on if I think I am going to sit for more than a 60 seconds. Some places will give me extra time especially in the winter since it needs to warm up to operate. All depends on where we rent from
And don’t forget hour or so needed for the drop and pickup. Make sure you get 40hrs on your site.
My friend since age 13 took over his parents vacation place, greatly enlarged it. He lived a few hours away, but spent a lot of time at his second home. He loved to rent equipment, often a mini ex, or a skid loader. One rainy night he called; "I bent the shiney thing on the front. Can you straighten it?" I went up. He had indeed bent the bucket cylinder's rod in a 90 degree arc. The dipper stick had a black wedge painted on it, or I first thought it did. Then, closer inspection, it was broken. Only the top face was bent, three other sides were broken. "What in God's name were you trying to do?" "I was breaking up ledge." Next morning he called again: "I chained it up so it wouldn't do any more damage." "How will it do more damage?" I asked. "I'm using it to push rocks out of the lawn." An hour later he called to ask where to get hydraulic hoses made. When I wanted to know why he needed hoses, he explained "A boulder fell over the top of the blade, knocked off a hose." If you do rent, I Urge you to pay for the insurance.
Good point, liability comes with it but where would I get damage insurance? It’s not offered with the rental. Small outfit…
Maybe you could add it as a rider to your property insurance?
re: contractual liability. While AI is not a substitute for a lawyer, your favorite AI tool should be able to do a quick summary of your rental contract in plain speak so you have a better idea of what liability you have when you sign. Just ask for a copy of the contract to review before you sign- it's really simple and enlightening to have something like Gemini give you its perspective.
I decline the insurance from the rental company and use my GL policy since I am already paying for it. The yard charges you for it whether you break anything or not and there is a deductible if you do. (I mentioned some this in post #305.) Like the post above I would reach out to your insurance agent and see what options you have through your insurance company. You might also ask the rental yard what they typically do to cover damages if something happens, surely they have a option, I wouldn't let my equipment go out without some type coverage for my machine that the customer was paying for and paying the deductible if we had to use it
Marion Auction PA has a few interesting excavators and track loaders selling tomorrow
Same here we have a rented equipment rider GL/inland marine policy. Used it today to rent a 160 Linkbelt from Equipmentshare.
Well not an excavator but I ran across this little tractor and thought I might could move a few bits around with it! So I’m set for a bit, maybe find some forks that will work on it.
Could certainly get into some fun/trouble with that!
Looks like you will have to do some work on the undercarriage in the not so distant future. Other than that it looks like a pretty tidy machine. Good Luck.
I’ve looked at quite a few and this one had no rust, no leaks, no blow by at all, and fired right up. 32000 lb machine for 16k. I felt like it was a solid deal. Hopefully she will hold up for a while before I need to start replacing rollers and tracks…. Etc
I’d be more concerned with the sprockets from what I can see but it should work well for what you have planned.
The comment I made on the undercarriage had to do with the sprockets looked pretty sharp and the front idler being out towards the end of it's adjustment. It prob has quite a few hours left on it but keep it in the back of your mind.
Congrats!!! That's a nice looking machine and I hope the innards match the outtards in shape and condition. I have its baby brother, a a 941B, and enjoy putzing around it so I know you'll have even more fun on the bigger machine. And don't worry about the undercarriage...at least for a while. The best news for you is that machine has bolt on sprocket segments. You'll get tons of opinions here whether or not to replace your rails soon or run them into complete destruction but either way, learn and play on it before you start dumping money into the undercarriage. If you don't have the full set of manuals, get them now before you play with the machine too much. May want to post the serial number here so folks like Nige can tell you exactly which ones you need. Again, congrats!
That is a loader. It is limited in its function. A farmer here bought one of those 30 years ago. His had a big rock rake that can replace the bucket, but it is a big job to change. They used it to clean up rocks in maybe 100 acres of pasture. They pushed the rocks & stumps into piles, then put the bucket on to move them. Track machines are slow, driving 2 or three yards of rocks in the bucket 1/2 miles to a dump site wasn't very efficient. Their dump truck wasn't real functional. Lots of piles remain in the fields. Limited functionality, it didn't get used frequently, track pins got stuck to the bushings. They wouldn't flex around the sprockets. Last I knew they weren't sure what they were going to do with it. This is not the sort of machine I'd choose as my only earthmover.
I think it will serve a purpose, but no, it won’t be the only machine…. Just the first. I’m still on the hunt for an excavator… the rental 313 gets delivered on the 24th. I just bought a drone so I could take pictures and you guys can laugh at my ignorance.
Anyone know of a place to get a set of Forks that would work on that bucket?
This is my personal opinion so take it for what it's worth... If I was in the OP's shoes I would buy a track loader (as he has done) and rent an excavator when needed. A track loader will do most of what he's wanting to do faster and more efficiently than an excavator with the exception of trenching. IMHO, the only way he could do better than the 955 would be to get a B or D series 953 or 963. @Buffallobull , I don't know where you are in PA. I lived most of my life in PA and ran track loaders almost exclusively for many years before branching out into other machines. They are a hard machine to learn but when you've got them figured out they can do everything a dozer can and most of what people nowadays are using excavators for as well, again, with the exception of trenching. They are at home in the mountains, moving rock, trees, terracing, building roads, pads, ponds, etc, etc... Your only limit is your imagination and experience level. Ask around at some of the older construction companies in the area. Some of them may have an old set sitting in their bone yard. Jay Fulkroad & Sons near McAlisterville, PA has a huge bone yard.
If you are a welder, build forks. Mine are factory built, but repaired many times. AMS builds drop over forks. You won't be pleased with the function of drop over forks. You can't see through the bucket, you can't tilt the tractor side to side. They work better on a rubber tired backhoe, you can swing the hoe to tilt the forks to one side.
I openly admit I've never run a track loader. Friends have several IH 175 track loaders. I see them as a great machine but very limited in function. About half of theirs have Drott 4 in one skid shovel buckets, greatly inproving functionality. The house I'm sitting in had its foundation hole dug by one. "Soil" here is boulders only, nearly no gravel between them. Took him all day to get a single track 8' deep. After that it was knock the bank down, back up & grab the loose rocks from the floor of the dig. It would have been a even worse job with a basic bucket.
Amazon of all places has a set. I put a set like this on our 953 a long time ago. They can be a PITA sometimes but turns the 953 into a crude forklift when you need it. These are not equipment specific just load rated, the ears weld to your bucket. Amazon.com : Titan Attachments Over-The-Bucket Fork Kit, 48" x 48" Pallet Fork Blades for Pin-Type Buckets, Weld-On Mounting Brackets Included, Fits 42" Vertical Bucket Opening : Patio, Lawn & Garden Amazon.com : Titan Attachments Over-The-Bucket Fork Kit, 48" x 48" Pallet Fork Blades for Pin-Type Buckets, Weld-On Mounting Brackets Included, Fits 42" Vertical Bucket Opening : Patio, Lawn & Garden www.amazon.com If I only had to pick one machine to earn a living with it would be a Cat 953 track loader.
Maybe you live in different conditions. Track loaders here are rare & largely unused. We see excavators ranging from1 ton or even less to 55 ton monsters. Near every yard of earth moved sees the inside of an excavator bucket. In the 1960s Abbott Construction had track loaders, bulldozers, backhoes, cable shovels. I feel like it was early 1980s they aquired the first 20 ton excavator. They towed it with a tandem Ford dump truck with gas engine. They've always had working track loaders but rarely move them to a job site. The track loaders stay home in the pit screening, or crushing material, might even load winter sand on occasion.
I put three trailer reciever hitches on the top of my 1.3 yard backhoe bucket. In them I used 2" square tube to make J shaped pieces for the rod. Top rod is 2" round 1045 stock. Uprights for forks are 4" square tube. They enter through 2 X 6 heavy channel forks. These were plenty heavy duty for the Case 580K backhoe they were used with first. The 580 Super N lifts much more weight & my son & I used forks beyond their capacity, bent the horizontals lifting ?7000? LBS. I've straightened them for now. I will replace the horizontal forks with rectangular tube. Couldn't buy 2 X 6 rectangular, so I will cut 2" from 4X6. It'll be a better match for the lift of the machine. If I were designing for your machine I'd upsize everything, and would make the legs longer to see the forks beneath the bucket.
At one time there were 250 track loaders in the county I live in that my Cat PSR new about. This wasn't that long ago we had that conversation. There are probably another 40-50 on farms However a 953 loader can do all sorts of things if it's your only machine to earn a living with. A track loader can clear and grubb, demo small buildings, load trucks, grade pads, dig ponds, dig basements and do all of it very efficiently. An excavator can do all of those task but not all efficiently. Is an excavator and small dozer or large CTL an efficient combo - absolutely however those are 2 machines.
Agreed. I think either a big excavator or a large track loader need a Moruka tracked dump to be efficient. Near everything I want to dig needs to be moved. I have a small dump truck, rear drive only, (28000 LBS), or a one ton Power Wagon dump 4x4. don't own either a track loader or an excavator. I speak from observation only. I have a backhoe. I turn around & move loose soil 1.3 yards at a time. Often the scale of the project doesn't warrant numerous machines.
Finally some progress!
And an oops!
But got it back on
When I was a teen I thought that where we lived in Kennesaw Ga. that every time it rained the rocks would grow, but I believe your place would grow them in a drought. But man you can make some fine roads around the place. Especially if you could get yourself an old grizzly screen.
Might be able to use the bucket teeth as a rake to clear away the bigger rocks. Be extra careful not to dig in where the machine has to push hard and don't dump the bucket all the way down. You can also put the lift arms in float position and back blade with the teeth. I'd try with the bucket at different angles to see what works best.
Haven’t quite figured out the float mode! Not sure how to make that happen.
Finally got my shipping container leveled up, now the doors close so much easier!
Tons of fun !
Great way to learn machines is by renting them and it looks like you're having fun doing it. But there is a downside to it also: Now you're spoiled on a machine that doesn't need to be worked on and it has a beefy progressive thumb.
Yeah it was awesome, I had it for 50 hours but managed to get everything done I had planed in about 30 hours. So I started getting into trouble with it creating more work… but it was well worth it.
Starting to look like a proper road bed!
Progress…slow progress, power line going in… garage pad done . Now I gotta build it. Still looking for an excavator. What you think about this one maybe? https://www.facebook.com/share/1HDZLFjwew/?mibextid=wwXIfr
At 8k hours components start to wear out on this size hoes. Something to think about. My 321DL has 8k and we are spending money on it now as small items come to the end of their life. So far cheaper than a payment and no def.
Nice looking machine for the money. Looks like a reasonable job to convert to a hydraulic thumb. As long as certain hardware is already in. Any machine in that size and condition, is going to have a degree of uncertainty, along with what could be huge gambke. i certainly like it, from behind my keyboard.
I would want to know what they were doing with it, if they were digging in the rock that thing will be wobbly but for the homeowner that may not be a deal breaker.
It's a small independent equipment guy, who has it listed for sale. So there's likely not a lot of back history, and whatever back history there is, should probably be taken with a grain or two of salt. It's a old excavator, none of them were only used by little old ladies to get to church on Sunday morning.
I am not on Facebook so I am limited on what I can see when trying to check out a link from there. This is forum is a social media as I get ;-)
Thanks for taking a look at it. I may try and get by to check it out. It’s amazing how many people post stuff but then never reply to inquiries. Just an update on the CAT 955L she running strong, needs some rehab on the grease fittings and like many of you pointed out will need some undercarriage work… which I’ll get after this winter…probably,
Also a newbie with a mountain property. An OEM thumb and bucket will come very close, but not hit the cab. be careful adding and changing Changing buckets/attachments expands what an excavator can do like tools in a man's hand. A ripper has really helped me and a quick attach makes it feasible. Now I want a grading bucket... Will I need a hammer? I gave up looking for an ex with a blade, spent a lot of time waiting for one There were great deals from far away, but local allows you to examine the machine I watched the market for 3 years, some dealers kept old exs on the lot all that time sitting, can't be good for them, but the dealer doesn't need the dirt for something else so no motivation to sell. With your mechanic skills to separate out the junk, you might want to start going to auctions if you want newer and/or more features included, but knowing junk and fixing junk are 2 different skillsets An owner's manual drilled and cabled to the machine probably means it was auctioned in the past Don't bust your budget as you will need more money down the road Live your dream, but wife maintenance is more valuable
Live your dream, but wife maintenance is more valuable. Wiser words never said! Thanks
They are supposed to come that way new, at least all of my machines have, also my cat attachments also have a tube either welded or bolted on that have one in them.
Same here.
Thanks, Good to know, as those of us buying leftovers for hobby "toys" will never likely get that new car experience. Too expensive if they're not making money. Our only superpower is being able to take months to get them fixed.
Ok so I found an operating CAT 315 CL mechanical thumb, it functions… 29k? 2005 what do you guys think? Shoot can’t post a video….,
Nice. Send a serial and someone can look up the original build. Might have the optional hydraulics already bolted on. Will need hours and other condition info before I can give a thumbs up for ya. Other folks will be able to say ya/nay if it's fit your needs.
11k hours, 50% tracks. Digital does not work…. Did not think to write the serial number down…. Facebook listing https://www.facebook.com/share/1BTjohnhec/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Bought a 315CL new in 2003 - great machine. The C models were good machines, the D models were great machines.
This..........˄˄˄˄˄˄˄
@Nige - I bet his SN is CJC01897. See it???
Yep. Thompson paints the serial # on the boom.
They got good bones. At least parts and support are still largely available and tons of them still roaming in the wild.
You have better eyes than mine, but now I do..... Built 27 Sept 2004. May not have been actually sold by a dealer until 2005 though. I can tell you it was originally sold somewhere really cold (Canada possibly.?) because it had the extra-strength antifreeze in it giving coverage down to -50 DegC instead of the usual -35 DegC.
Brrrr- that's cold. Not seeing the aux hydraulics installed and I only see the dipper/bucket hard lines on the boom so maybe it's a straight machine. Not a deal breaker for him...just not a cherry on top. Still a decent machine but I have no idea of the electronics and emissions differed from my 325B. I do like having a simple machine...
Thanks for the info, I think adding a thumb to it would add another 8 to 9 k to the price tag. Bucket pins are worn out and it’s missing a couple teeth. I wish I could find a local guy to come check it out with me… anyone live close to Harrisburg PA?
there's a big one (to me) near us up here. Not sure what transport would be, but it's a good price: 1989 Caterpillar EL200B Excavator - heavy equipment - by owner - sale - craigslist 1989 Cat EL200B, runs and operates, great for a farm or homeowner looking to save some money! Hydraulic thumb, 36" bucket, cab and front window guard, rear panel guard, hour meter 8700 hours, cab is... www.craigslist.org It's at Reddig Equipment in Kalispell if you want to give them a call - 406 755 7595. anyway, I bring it up because it's got a thumb, and it's a big b*****d for working your land. also, old enough to be worked on by a normal person with good tools.
It's very unlikely to only have 11,000 hours on it. It's a twenty year old machine, and it should get 1,000 to 1,500 hours put on per year- for average use. So minimum hours should be around 20,000 hours. If it was someplace busy, or running two shifts, it could have twice that many hours.
I think it might be a bit too far away from me. I think the transport cost would knock me out.
I know everyone gets focused on total hours but if the machine is tight, starts easy on a chilly morning, has little to no blowby, no odd pump noises when cycling, has good pressures, looks like it had decent maintenance, etc...., I wouldn't be too afraid of a high hour machine for a homestead. I'd be more afraid of a low hour machine that had any of those issues.
So here is a question, back to size! Another astute member here found this guy in PA, it’s double the weight of the CAT 315. I know bigger things cost more to repair but on the functional side do you all think it worth the extra? It has a thumb, rebuilt engine, it was a scrap yard machine so not as much travel time on the undercarriage for an 11000 hour machine. Remember my use case is on 180 acres of mountain mostly building terraces moving rocks and one day dig a pond at the bottom of the hill. Facebook www.facebook.com
The thumb looks small and the cylinder probably won't hold up if you try using it for big rocks or stumps. But the hydraulics are there so upgrading to a proper thumb at some point would be easy.
That Hitachi is a LOT more machine than the Cat. Agree with Mater as it does look like it has the aux hydraulics but that thumb is definitely not gonna hold up long for your mountain work. Looks like someone removed a manual thumb and slapped a small thumb in there for basic function. Being it came from a scrap yard (and being fairly low on price), I'd be extra careful inspecting it as scrap yards aren't exactly the businesses known for keeping up on maintenance. Junk yard maintenance is probably the only maintenance worse than most ranch dozers and hoes receive in my experience but you never know until you put your hands on it. I'm sure there are folks here who can tell you if there are issues with that particular model but it seems to be a straight machine with just typical paint scrapes (not metal damage). And it's a long track model so better for mountain work...for stability anyway. Get your calipers, tape measure, thermal heat gun, nitrile gloves, bag of basic tools, and a printed out list of spec pressures and wear limits for this model and go have fun taking her around the block for a test drive.
I generally shy away from anything that was run in scrapyard work, only because they usually treat the running machines, like the scrap they are trashing. It does look pretty good though, as said, baby thumb on it, that can be easily rectified. I like it.
I bought one scrapyard/junkyard machine a Cat 980B. Never again. We ran the crap out of it. Looked it over for a couple hours. Missed the broken ear on the lift cylinder as well as few other things.
Bigger is not necessarily better. The bigger they are the more expensive they are when they break - and they will break. 2K hours on a rebuilt engine? How many hours on on the pumps, drives, etc?
Rebuilt by who?
Great question.
Well went and checked it out, H block needs some work… replacement… other than that it seemed pretty solid. No major leaks engine ran smooth, no blowby, started right up.
Nice. It's always best to see the machine in person and verify with your own eyes. I see where the H-link has some issues but can't quite make it out in the pics. Damage or just worn out? Were you able to cycle through the functions? Check pressures on the diagnostic pages with cylinders bottomed out? Taste the engine oil for diesel fuel or coolant contamination? (don't do that one....)
Mostly, it moved well, there was zero or almost no play in the swing gear, the hydraulics were very smooth, oil was well used but no diesel smell and no milk shake, the oil cap just bobbled while the engine was running, held my hand over the fill hole and it just was a little push and pull. Hydraulic tank was serviced and to the line, ran it for a good while all temps remained solid. Boom seemed tight bucket pins and bushings worn and H block had been welded and one weld was failing. Hydraulic pump had a small whine under pressure but at 12000 hours I think that’s probably normal. The digital stuff was working but I couldn’t figure out how to get into any of the diagnostic pages… the ones I saw were green…
Look
From personal experience, you don't know what you don't know. And the first excavator you get becomes a friend... especially if you are a homeowner/landowner not running a business. I know how my rig sounds, know what it can do and just love getting stuff done with it. Take the plunge and make a new buddy. it's worth it!
one thing you can do - lift up one track at a time, try to feel the rollers. You can at least feel the bearings -there's a few per side, and depending on track tension, you SHOULD be able to get to them. if the track is too tight... well, figure you're going to be looking at that. I've helped a buddy with that. he was told it had a great undercarriage in good shape, etc. we did the track lift, an as it turned out, I could easily rotate one, one felt like I could move it maybe a 1/4 turn, the inside ones were fine. two did look brand new, and I couldn't rotate them at all (expected to me - good seals, good grease). if you can rotate those lower rollers by hand, it should be slow and smooth with a lot of effort. hey, that picture of the damaged H-bar - where is that? I thought the H-bar was between the wrist and the bucket, but looking at your pictures, I can't see it in the original ad. Here I was thinking this might not be too hard to get to - but ... is this the part that holds the arm on the body? if it's that part, crap, that's a big job.
Elliott & Frantz, Inc. king of Prussia PA
Not familiar with them but that doesn't mean anything. Anyone in the area know of these folks?
Being from the other side of the state the name ive heard it before must have been a ok thing i heard about them if it was bad id probably remember
I assume a simple phone call to E&F with a serial number asking to verify what type of engine rebuild and at what hours is good 'enough' info. Best info is getting copies of the receipts. But if a rebuild was done a couple thousand hours ago and engine starts easily, isn't smoking, has minimal blowby, isn't bubbling the antifreeze and can make spec torque on the pump (which makes spec pressure during bottoming out a cylinder), etc..., isn't that a 'good' sign? I mean don't most rebuilds turn into mashed potatoes within the first couple hundred hours if they're not a solid rebuild? I'm not an engine guy so honestly just asking the experts here.
Well I guess I must be tired of looking, went ahead and pulled the trigger…now it’s down to logistics. Much bigger machine than I intended but ticks most of the boxes and is in my state, about 4 hours away. Long tracks will be an asset on the slope I think.
Congrats! Lots of stuff to do before your put her in the dirt. Get her home, wash her down, change the engine oil, change your filters, test your antifreeze, test your batts, check the other fluids, and verify brakes works. Don’t need those long tracks finding their own spirit and become alive on a slope. Look forward to the pics of her in action!
The perfect machine is never out there, the "I can live with " machine, is what I usually end up with.
Good luck with the machine! I really doubt you will regret a larger machine once you get into tree work or up on a slope. We had a Hitachi EX 270-1 roadbuilder; it was a very stable machine in the mountains and had a lot of digging power. The extra reach of a larger machine keeps trees/roots etc further away from the machine (—-you—-). Safer….
I pulled this out with my mini today, it was all the machine had to get it out of the hole once I got it loose. I thought I was going to have to dig a ramp to get it out. Bigger would have been faster but I run what I got and made it work. Have fun with your new toy and be careful on the hills I mean that sincerely, **** can go wrong in the blink of a eye
congrats on what I think is the best size for a spread like yours. Well done! I have made do with every size to do every thing, and it is maybe 0.05% of the time a machine was too big, LOL! You learn how to be a delicate dancer over time and learn how to sneak around and NOT counterweight stuff. When you have this kind of reach, you can reach out and do things and sneak through places that are barely wider than the tracks. That is the 0.05% stuff. The rest of the time you will rejoice that fat ass and the stability it brings. Rocks and knobs that beat your kidneys purple on a mini, that thing simply pushes down into mother nature. You can track a road in nice with that thing as you build it. IMO I would much rather spend 10K on a thumb for that than a thumb for a small machine.
Is there any place you guys use that sells the full filter kits for doing the routine maint on these thigs? Looking for a transport company now....2500 first quote...
I can't give input on kit availability for Hitachi/Deere but for my Cat I just order individual filters through the Cat Parts website and have them delivered. I could save a few pennies by buying other top tier filters (Donaldson, Fleetguard, Baldwin, etc.) from Napa stores or other online stores but it's not worth the time/trouble for me to determine interchange and chase them down. Again, that's just me. EDIT: One thing I've learned the hard way is the counterfeits/knockoffs on Amazon are getting pretty good. They will list the filter as a Donaldson or such but when you look closely at the pics, it's not labeled as a Donaldson but the paint/print is made to look like one at first glance. Same as Cat filters sold online outside of Cat...too many variables to worry about. EDIT #2: I'm pretty sure your machine uses a high pressure fuel rail so quality fuel filters are pretty critical to maintain longevity...much more so than my low fuel pressure machines. How many miles for the $2,500 quote? I think you said you're 4 hours away from the machine so that seems a bit high but lots of variables for permitted routes may come into play. If you know of a small construction or equipment dealer nearby, you might ask them who they use/know/trust in the local area. That's how I built my short list of 'go to' haulers.
Good quality oil and filters changed at the appropriate intervals are the best and cheapest insurance policy you can buy for any machine.
I just thought of something when I bought my 325BL and had it delivered: My dad gave me an early bday gift that at first I thought was a complete waste of money but after the first time using it, I was sold: a battery powered grease gun. No idea if you have one but would highly consider it as you'll go through a few tubes every time you lube your hoe. And if you want to start a new thread guaranteed to get opinions....start a thread asking which is the best grease and where to buy it. I think only threads about batteries (or welding on equipment!!!) will draw more attention.
I have a DeWalt (before Ridgid made one) and a Ridgid battery operated grease guns. I only hand pump the upper and lower ball joints on the trucks, because the battery operated one doesn't work on them sometimes. You should also look at getting a transfer tank for fuel, 5 gal cans gets real old real fast.
How far away from you is it? And what are the dimensions, (width and weight) as well as how many permits (states)?
Thoroughly second this, if you don’t have a transfer tank already, get one (with a filter on the pump).
I started with one of these for pulling fuel out if the cans https://www.northerntool.com/products/roughneck-12v-fuel-transfer-pump-11-gpm-manual-nozzle-hose-37888
Well folks here it sits! Made it out this morning tracked it up the mountain… let the games begin!
Awesome looking machine. Glad she made it to her new home safe and sound. Looking at your backdrop, I don't think you'll regret going with the bigger machine...at all!
Congrats! Check the slack on those tracks before you get to jiggy with it.
Have fun, be safe! I was just doing some clearing this morning with our 210 and always think: the energy in this tree(s) must be respected. Take time, get off machine if necessary and study how trees may be interconnected with each other. Every species is different….
To BC's point, if you're gonna be clearing trees, you might want to consider tossing a protective grate on your windshield. Looks like you already have the mounts to do so. Doesn't have to be pretty but even a Mad Max style home-made grating would greatly add protection from a retaliatory tree. For me, I mainly clear scrub cedar (Juniper Ashe) so I don't have to worry as much like you will for poking out the glass....
I would use rebar if you can weld if not rebar ties and metal zip ties would probably work. I have never checked price on the factory or aftermarket ones I am sure they are more than they should be I don't do enough clearing and I have a extra poly door that has a scratch in my sightline so it has become my demo door
I've had a backhoe many years, always an enclosed cab. I've pushed trees down since I had a backhoe, before that I winched them down. It takes stumps & all. 10 years ago I bought my bulldozer. I have a few acres crammed with pine trees, many were damaged in a windstorm years back. A good many stubs ranging from 20 feet tall, to 70 feet tall were dead. It was sort of fun to doze them, they offered little resistance. One, 12" diameter at 30 feet up the trunk snapped off a 12 foot long piece of trunk. It came down vertical, obliterated my freshly painted air intake, & flopped over toward me inches away. The moral of my story is: Choose wisely your adversary. Healthy trees can be pushed down with educated risk. Dead trees are utterly unpredictable, don't mess with them.
When clearing trees with an excavator that has the handles/levers on the travel pedals I always work over the idlers just in case a tree tries to join me in the cab. My thought is if a limb comes through the front window and pushes the travel levers it'll back the machine away from the limb rather than further onto it possibly crushing me...
X4 - This ^^^ Had a small pine come through the front window of our 321DL clearing the overburden in a borrow pit. I was sweeping the small pines off a high bank with the sun in my eyes and WHACK! A little 4" pine spear is staring me in the face. Totally my fault for being reckless and fortunately didn't affect the travel levers but it could have. Always clear over the idlers.
It's always the little trees that'll get you...
Trees are totally unpredictable! The ROPS and canopy have saved me a few times from trees breaking off and falling backwards on the machine. Trees and brush have also destroyed the lines on the 4 in 1 bucket. You try to be careful but **** happens.
Great advice! Thanks guys…. I’m not sure what, “work over the idlers”means? I’m guessing turn the machine around so that if an intruder comes through the front it will push those levers back towards you and move the machine back away from said invader.
Spent 2 hours trying to clean all the dirt out of the cab yesterday!
Yup. Idlers are in the front, drives in the back. Just pull straight 'forward' to work on a tree. In your pic below, you have the cab over the drives (facing backwards). If you tracked it up your driveway this way, you pulled the controls towards you to go 'forward' (really backwards from a track perspective).... Not a bad thing and it does feel natural pulling to go forward if you're new to it. Just heed the advice from the experienced ones above.
On a similar note, this reminded me of an arrow I saw on a brochure that I downloaded when you first found that machine. I was interested in how it compared to my 325BL in size/weight/power, etc. Basically I just saw an arrow on the inside front idler wheel and thought it was it printed there for the brochure but maybe it's there in real life to tell operators that's the front of the machine? Maybe some experienced Hitachi hoe owners will chime in on this...
I have 50 acres of very clay-like soils and have a 9000lb machine with a thumb. I learned very quickly that there is absolutely no such thing as getting too big of an excavator or building a shed/garage that's too big. Some 12" stumps have taken me 3 hours to get out when a bigger machine could have done it in 5-10 minutes. Have fun with it and definitely get the battery operated grease guns, hand cranking gets old real fast.
Could be there so the operator knows which way to move the travel controls.
When it comes to clearing trees you can pretty much throw the laws of physics out the window. Expect the unexpected. One of the first times running a dozer years ago the boss had me do a little clearing job with a D6C. It had a homemade cab on it. He showed what needed to be cleared and as he turned to head for his pickup to leave he said..... try not to break any windows.... So i jump on the dozer and start taking down some trees concentrating on not breaking any windows. I was backing up and looking over my shoulder when the opposite side as I was looking a good sized branch came up inside the track frame at an angle through the fan guard, through the engine fan and put a decent sized hole in the radiator!!!! But I didn't break any glass!!!!
I hate clearing trees with a dozer. Much rather have a decent sized excavator like op just bought or a track loader.
Well said! Another way to put it: keep your limbs intact, your heart beating. My family history is populated by men who produced lumber. They cut trees, moved logs, cleared land, sawed lumber, or trucked lumber. The concept of Darwin Awards is people who removed themself from the gene pool before they reproduced. My grandfather was crippled in his early thirties when a log pile fell on him. His son was killed in his early thirties when his 'dozer overturned. On the other side of my family, My great grandfather and his son, both sawyers in a lumber mill were killed in a train wreck on a Sunday afternoon heading back to work a few towns away. Trees can kill, directly, or indirectly. My father beat the odds, died of kidney cancer at age 78. His early life included cutting trees, then trucking logs. At one point he switched to a safer job: industrial electrician. I followed him into that career. 56 years later, I'm still alive!
The other thing about using an excavator to clear trees is that a hoe is designed to pull stuff straight toward the operator, unlike a dozer or loader that is designed to push stuff away from the operator. That doesn't always mean stuff goes the way it should...it just means to be extra careful when trying to uproot a tree by pulling up on the backside roots with the edge of the bucket. Sure is easy to quickly tilt a small tree right into the cab......don't ask me how I know.
Sweep, blow, wipe, just dont get the water hose in there. Your rollin the dice when you do and the house has the odds.
That thumb is not much more than not having one. Treat it carefully, or you won't have one anymore. That 270 will either destroy that cylinder, or you're going to pull the thumb boss off the stick. It's definitely not going to handle much more than 12 to 18" trees and brush.
How it is plumbed is also real important. Some call it port relief. Pressure relief valve is only active when you are activating the valve. Run the thumb out and oppose it with the bucket, you can get pressures far beyond what the cylinder will tolerate. A bent chrome rod is common, but other fails can happen.
If you tear your machine up working in dirt its your own fault. Trees just want to kill you.
Regarding thumb design, I would expect the typical weld-on, all-in-one package with the one middle pivot point like below is weak for any stress other than straight in/out. Yeah, I know this is a pic of a fixed-pin mechanical one but the physics is the same for one with a cylinder. A much stronger design, IMO, is where there are two pivot points are spread apart, like when mounted on the ends of a long dipper/bucket pin. This should allow for stronger grabs where there is twisting, torquing, lopsided, off angle, etc. in the situation. Mainly just tossing this out there for consideration when @Buffallobull starts shopping for his oversized, boulder-tossing, tree-plucking thumb. Similar to excavator sizing, I bet most people have rarely said "Man, I just wish I bought the smaller, lighter weight, more delicate version of a thumb for my hoe...."
Here is one I built for a backhoe with extend a hoe. It pivoted on the second pin above the bucket on the dipper stick, maybe 14" pin length. I found this design worked far better than my present backhoe with an Amulet thumb. The homemade thumb was short enough to grip a rock, or log at full reach, The straight sides allowed me to grip even small trees/logs. Simple bar at the end held large rocks & trees well in a three point grip. Opposing rocks small enough to fit in the bucket worked far better than the Amulet I have now. I'm tempted to cut the Amulet, remove the two hooked points, shorten it, and add a flat plate like the homemade one.
Done
30 gal tank with pump acquired
If you plan on using it more than about 6 hours per day, you'll need to fill it twice.
2nd what @Shimmy1 points out. 50 gallon is kinda minimum, 100 is preferred if it's quite a ways to the fuel station. The only place a 30 is handy, is if you have 500 gallons at the house site, and just a gator/ mule to haul fuel back and forth. Most little utilities don't want 100 gallons rolling around in the bed.
I won’t usually run it that hard I hope. I have the 30 and 3, 10 gallon diesel cans… so I usually stop and fill those up when I fill up the truck as I run back and forth from Dulles and Harrisburg to the land…. Yes I burn a bunch of highway diesel and the station I get it from also sells red diesel so that goes into the CAT and now the Hitachi. My fuel bill keeps climbing!!!
I have a 100 gallon tank built for the back of a pickup. I probably use 400 gallons a year. It seemed I always was trying to use summer diesel in winter. I'd go get 10 gallons of kerosene to prevent gelling. No one I know has ever transferred diesel in any form without a teaspoon of it on them. I always stunk a couple days. Contact with diesel is to be avoided. A couple years ago I was notified my supplier would no longer add kerosene to diesel fuel. When bitterly cold, they would add chemical additives to prevent gelling. I now have a 300 gallon tank, use Howe's additive year round, more in winter.
I used 55 gal drums in the beginning before getting the transfer tanks for the trucks. You will get a feel for what you need and how much of a inconvenience you are willing to put up with, like going to get fuel everyday vs once a week/month
Your fuel bill is just getting started...
that's a nice machine! I'm jealous of that monster, for sure. yeah, clean it up, find the faults, fix them, get to know your machine inside and out. one thing I've found out - side hilling is interesting when you have to carry a rock on the up hill side to keep from tipping. de-tracking at when trying to turn up that hill is NO FUN. and i'm on a little 50. if you are going to be turning about on a hill, make sure your tracks are tight enough not to come off while doing so.
I detracted the CAT 2 days after I got it by trying to grade a side hill. That was no fun, so I’ll be taking my time learning this one and getting those tracks tightened up a bit more. Straight on for now…. Nice gently sloping terraces as I go up!
The good news is you'll appreciate having another machine to help repair the broken one...especially when the helping one is a good excavator. Just don't have them broke down at the same time!
Good luck on the purchase and going bigger. I had a chance to run a Cat 308e2 CR for about 20hrs a couple months ago plucking out pine trees, sewer work and digging a foundation in clay. I got the job finished but it’s crazy the difference 4 ton makes in an excavator. My Hitachi ex120-3 is old but I’d rather dig with it than the smaller Cat.
How's it been going?
I have been away a few weeks...cool to see you got a machine...and battery grease gun (totally a good idea) and fuel bunker. Lots of adventures ahead now. Share some as you go!
Sorry I’ve been MIA for a couple weeks! Been busy for sure. The Cat it doing well and the Hitachi 270 is doing well. Just been clearing and rough grading the house site and working the driveway… so far haven’t broken anything yet. The thumb is useful just not super useful, it was designed for the smaller bucket which I have, but I’m still doing a lot of digging and that bigger bucket gets it done!
Boss lady inspection
You might want to teach her how to run that hoe just in case you need a second set of hands for the unexpected.
The Boss Lady puts the size of the bucket in perspective- you can get a lot of work done with a good sized machine like you have. Glad to hear your turning diesel into productive noise.
I really appreciated the power and reach of our 270-1. Glad to see you are happy with the machine!