Question: Is it even worth investing just $25k in a CTL, or am I better off renting for a few years? In short we are in the throes of buying 100 acres in BC, Canada. We need the equipment to maintain around 1500ft of gravel road, clear snow (lots!), mow, build trails, create some building pads etc. etc. My wife and I have both run skid steers, a Deere CTL and mini excavators and agree tracks are best but pricey. The problem is we will be pushing credit on the purchase and development, so don't want to tie it up in financing equipment just yet. Option A: Spend limited cash on a very used CTL Option B: Buy a cheap UTV with plow and mower then rent the CTL as needed: but this is $3.5k a month and up..... Option C: Buy a skid-steer to start, hope I don't get stuck (no help for miles) and upgrade later I've considered a tractor but we have a fair bit of heavy digging to do and I really need a cab for winter which pushes the price as high as a CTL. I also much prefer having the implement in front. Best flexible option was a toolcat, but they are insanely expensive in Canada! A previous thread suggested a shovel and spade: have both already! My eyes are bleeding reading all the posts and brain hurts from all the options! My thanks in advance!
Get a tractor with a blade and snowblower and hire the heavy work done.
Thanks for the reply Delmer: the heavy work such as road, buildings, septic etc are to be contracted: it's the ongoing maintenance and small works that we need some grunt for. We are too far from town to rely on contractors for these. Had a case compact tractor at my last place and not convinced it's the way to go, but I may have to just for budget.
I'm surprised you haven't had more responses, people must be busy? I guess there's some important details still. How steep is the area you will be working in? and how much snowfall annually? I was thinking a 100 HP tractor from the late 70's or 80's with a cab, maybe loader, and a three point snowblower and rear blade. All relatively cheap and reliable. If your driveway is steep, then 4wd becomes required and the price goes way up. I wasn't thinking of a track loader as my first choice for clearing a long driveway in BC, but maybe I'm imagining more snow than you are? Another option is a backhoe loader, again, not the greatest for clearing a long driveway, or grading gravel either, but it will handle both. The ongoing maintenance and small jobs are where the backhoe is best. Then you get back to the steepness, 4wd can double the price if you get into the real cheap backhoes.
I have finally seen the light lol, you can buy cheap and spend a lot in repairs and be fixing when you could be working, or bite the bullet. I would buy the lowest hour best condition I could afford even if it was smaller than ideal so it's ready when you are and if the work takes a little longer you can spend the time you're not fixing it working it.
A ctl will suck on snow n ice but if you think you can make it work I'd go for it n do side jobs on the side for extra cash but that's just me from central Missouri. cattle man live like there's no tomorrow.
You don't have to spend that much. My first machine cost about 12k and I got what I put into it back out of it when I sold it. Plus I put 1000 hrs on it. Look for an mid sized wheeled machine and get some used steel over the tire tracks for it. I went open cab but my comfort was secondary to my budget. I still like open cabs due to visibility and easier entry. Just test the machine, do this by digging with it hard. Rev it to the limit and see what it will do dig a 4 or 5 foot hole then idle it and see how it sound under load. Check your bucket pins and mainly listen to the engine for good compression and low hydraulic pump whine. Not really anything to be sacred of if it still can move dirt. A 1000 hr to 1500 hr machine should still have some life left in it and you can deal with a 7 k machine with out other heavy duty gear.
My pick would be a 4X4 tractor / "skip loader " . My buddy has a Ford 545 D . Pretty handy as it has 3 point hitch & PTO for implements . Could even mount a 3 point backhoe on it for trenching & digging projects . Pretty easy on fuel and pound for pound the front loader will move material & grade with anything else . Here's one with a cab on it . http://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/construction-equipment/for-sale/11343155/1997-ford-545d
A skip loader would be my pick as well. I wouldn't own a CTL unless I was making a living with it. They're too expensive to run. The Ford/NH 545d will lift 5k, the 445 4k, so they're plenty strong. The old Ford 455D's are also nice machines. Parts are no problem. For just a little more money, more modern skip loaders from Deere, Case and Terex are more comfortable to run, but finding one with a pto is pretty tough. All of them are true construction machines built for the long haul. I wouldn't worry about buying one with 3000+ hrs on it a bit.
Many Thanks! Some great advice folks. Looks like it's wheels rather than tracks for now, but still feels wrong somehow! But sometimes we have to reign in our desires (and projects) to the budget as seems to be the case here. Very surprised at the few comments on 'cheap' CTL's, given their popularity there must be lots around so who is buying them? Many thanks, Andrew
Kinda like a mini excavator, there's not THAT many of them that are functionally obsolete compared to the number of newer ones being used commercially. Something like a backhoe, or 100hp farm tractor there are lots of them retired floating around. There just aren't that many 20 year old tracked skid steers out there, so the price holds up better than a 100hp farm tractor that's too big for most homeowners and not worth the hassle to big farmers.
I would plow with a pickup which of course is a indispensable tool for working on the property also If a wheeled machine is more your budget pick up some over tire steel tracks for the hard work
I rarely chime in anymore but..... If I could only afford one tractor on a ranch or property in the PNW it would be a CTL. Obviously, if you are wanting to ranch or farm you need a farm tractor. The only thing you are not going to do very well is plow snow unless you have a blower. My Bobcat T770 has been a total game changer for us. Low impact, go about anyway, lift huge amounts. Buy a toothed bucket and a clean up grapple and you are getting somewhere. With all the attachments these days you almost have to have one. Consider going to the auction up there in Chilliwack. I am not sure what you have for a budget but I would hope you could pick up something decent for less than 40k. If that is out of the question, go buy a used backhoe for 25k and call it good. After the CTL, I would be a 160 or 210 class excavator with a thumb and be off to the races. Best Regards, CD