I work 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off. I have about $42,000 right now and $1000/week income. ($1800 house note). with that money I need to buy a truck, trailer and equipment. I figure a tracked skid steer is the most versatile machine right? is that the way to go? I did some research and found out there is plenty of land clearing work in my area. small areas. maybe a dozer? or should I find a cheap skid steer I can buy in cash. ALL input is welcome.
im in the north Houston, tx area btw
Search your area well. Ask someone who is involved into this business. May this will be better for you.
Most versatile for what, excavator or 4wheel drive backhoe may be better. Skid steers are great machines but most versatile, not IMO
This is just my opinion but personally I would rent equipment starting out. rental costs aren't going to be a whole lot different than ownership, you can match the machine to the jobs you are picking up, most rental fleets are newer/well maintained. Besides keeping your start up costs low it will give you a good idea of what type of machine you will want to purchase. Once you start to get established I would then consider a purchase or rent to own type of deal. Keep your money in the bank, use what you need for getting licensed/insured and keep the rest for the unknown.
Your close . Compact track loader or skid loader with over the tire tracks are pretty handy for a lot of tasks . With accommodating attachment's like backhoe , trencher , post hole auger , wood splitter , etc . The possibilities are endless . Move it around with a 1 or 2 ton dump truck & tag trailer .
^^^^^ THIS This is excellent advice. Right now you have more unknowns than knowns ahead of you. I wouldn't want a tracked skid steer as a stand alone machine for land clearing. Also, if you're looking to spend $42,000 on a truck, trailer and machine, I would be very concerned about upcoming maintenance costs on a tracked skid steer that would fit into your budget after buying a decent truck and trailer. If a tracked skid steer is "cheap" the undercarriage is probably ready for replacement. Get a price on the UC before you buy. If you have any doubts, refer back to tylermckee's post .
Some good advice on here! When we started out we knew what we needed dozer backhoe etc. But never researched what brand or model. Just bought the one that was the right size and fit the budget. You then get a machine that breaks down allot and is hard to sell when you figure out it's not for you. One example we purchased a nice JD300 TLB it was constantly blowing lines, a pain in the a## to run and under powered. I noticed most guys around here were running Ford 550's or 555's. We bought a 550 and what a difference it hardly ever broke down. We didn't know machines could hold up like it did. From then on I'd see what others ran and asked around before buying.