Can't figure it out alone. For me it's about the fixing, because I can afford only used.. Yes, I'd prefer a track machine for the stability on inclines and better digging traction, but I'm 68 , 80 miles from the nearest dealer and would have to rig up some kind of hydraulic lift to be able to do anything on the undercarriage. Still I'm looking at 80 acres of selective clearing, some pad and road building and a good deal of terrain variation. Should I stick to wheels, be glad I save dome money and just be ready to handle flat tires?:Banghead
If I were doing a lot of undercarriage work, I would jack the machine up while it was sitting on a flat bed trailer at a comfortable height. As far as lifting the machine, a floor or bottle jack of suitable capacity would work, although I've only ever used the bucket. Block up the rear, use the bucket to lift the front of the machine, install blocks, and work. Orrr just run the front of the machine way up, the tail grounds out on the ground, and block it up front. Personally, I'm a fan of tracks. I have a Mustang MTL325 (Takeuchi TL250) that's getting replaced with a Kubota SVL90-2 tomorrow. Hopefully in the next couple months I can order a Gehl AL540 wheel loader for my less sever work, and working in people's yards doing tree work.
Thanks Lumberjack. Yes, the Kubota looks like a sweet machine. Am looking at a used bobcat t300 with high flow. The service rep at the dealer tells me I'd be looking at 11k for a new drivetrain including idlers. If I can get hoisted safely I might be able to handle it myself for 1/2. Sure makes me focused on condition of used before I buy.
I think there are a couple separate issues to look at. The first is productivity and capability. It is your own property and your own time, no one I assume is paying you, so there are no bigger paychecks coming if you get your projects done sooner. So in short, productivity is not a plus for you. No one here can answer this but you, there are places that a wheeled machine simply cant work. Now you can put OTT's on to get you over some portions of a project. If the job conditions and the project as whole will support wheels than that answers that, and like I said OTT's can get you through some tough portions of the project. The second is maintenance. Tracks don't go flat, but they wear out and cost more money to replace than tires do. Drive motors are expensive on CTL's and BC's have that problem like everyone else does especially on the older machines. I will also lump your financial situation into this section. If your on a fixed income and have a small amount for this entire project that needs to be taken into account. If you have plenty of money to throw at this then I would likely go with tracks regardless. I run tracks because of the productivity increase and in some cases I simply can do more in more difficult conditions. I also have OTT for my wheeled machine and they are very effective in straight dirt conditions. A CTL simply makes me more money at the end of the job, but if I wasn't a contractor than that productivity bump is not nearly as important. If you go through answer for yourself some of the things I lined out you will likely have your answer. On the tire concerns, if you go with Hulks or another high quality L-5 you can almost eliminate flats..
Good points KSSS... So, I'm liking the idea that with some safe lifting up onto blocks I could even do full driveline repairs/maintenance and would not have the hauling issue. Yes, money is a worry, but so is getting done with the last part before the first part grows back. Also, while they can all turn over, I believe the CTL is going to be safer. You have several machines which means you don't have to put in a lot of time making the wheeled machine change configuration. Guess, I'll just suck it up and go with a CTL. Am just glad I don't drink cause if I did I'd sure find good arguments for having just a few more! ointhead
My T250 is the most expensive undercarriage I run, comparing it to a D5G and 953. More detailed information on my experiences in this thread, post #20 - HeavyEquipmentForums Just today I was talking with the pavers on a project we are working on, they have a S250 wheeled machine and my T250 is on the site as well. They were asking about a CTL and how much better it graded having a more stable platform. I told them flat out they didn't want a CTL for the work they do , just too expensive. They would not benefit from the increased cost of running rubber tracks. It's not an easy job to change a track out unless you have another skid with forks to take the track on and off, I have wrestled many a track on and off a machine and the only time I have cussed worse is when working on a Bobcat or changing the frame rail fuel filter on a 6.0 Powerstroke 4x4.:cool2 With all this being said, it comes down to what you want to do with the machine. Is the main goal just selective clearing, road and pad building or will you want it to perform other tasks? If it's just selective clearing, I would be looking at an older 6 way dozer - Cat D3,4 or equivalent. If you will want to trench, drill holes, lift pallets, etc then I would lean towards a skid. If you are on your own time and the budget is not so abundant, I would look at a wheeled machine with OTT's but then again OTT's can be a pain in the arse as well, putting them on and taking them off by yourself. Give us a little more info on what you want to accomplish.
So, CM I'm trying to make about 8, avg 10 acre parcels to sell. Each has it's own terrain features with nice local views, but generally I'm dealing with pretty rocky soil. Hard digging for sure. Actually, I have a pile of very large decorative rocks that came up from the road build that I'd like to be able to move around for eye appeal. Tree cover is a mixture of live oaks and medium sized pine with a lot of shallow rooted thorny brush I want to take out. I'm thinking a good root grapple to work in with my bucket. Because we have access to piped irrigation water, I want to put in some small ponds near the building pads. For that I'm thinking a backhoe attachment that side swivels but operates from the cab. Also, I may have to run utility power underground, so the backhoe will come in handy. A couple of parcels have major work to radically redirect drainage and fill in say 3' deep existing runoff erosion. We have about 1 mile of gravel road needing some TLC with shoulders that need grooming and ditch maintenance. Elevation changes overall are 300 feet with some sections I won't bother with. A 6 way dozer blade would be nice. Of course, if I get a good homesteader to move in I'm likely to get a few calls to move dirt. Should I get my head checked before I try to bag this bear?
That is a plate full. Rock, especially sharp rock, is hard on CTLs. The backhoe attachments in my view (I have had one) are limited in ability. Don't even waste your money getting a 6 way blade for a CTL. I would get a machine that can do the majority of what you have planned, and that may not be a skid steer (wheeled or tracked), and rent or hire out the rest of it. I think a 580M may be the best solution to do the majority of what you want to do.
Thanks for the heads up... Okay, so I'm back to square1. Still a lot better than behind the 8 ball... 580M.... Will start hunting. Thanks again.
People always forget real track loaders like this cat! http://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-Caterp...pt=Crawler_Dozers_Loaders&hash=item338cdc2337 If i had land to clear this is what i would want.
I have Tl150 which I use on the farm and it's the perfect machine for general maintenance of the property . It's no good for the real big jobs. 90plow is right. If I was you I would get a good contractor in to do the initial clean up , grade your roads and sink your dam. I would then use the bobcat to tidy things up and maintain the property. As far as tracks or wheels I would buy a CTL . I've never done it but I'd imagine riding across a farm paddock in a wheeled bobcat would be like riding a bucking bronco.As far as replacing the tracks I have had to replace both sprockets on mine and a couple rollers which required the removal of the tracks which I did on my own on the farm. If I can do it anybody can.
8-10 acre parcels with drives, pads and possibly ponds on is a nice sized project, sounds like fun. Dickyjoe, what is the current state of the property and parcels you want to develop? Any roads or drives already cut in or will you be doing all of this? Utilities - water, gas, elec.? Using a backhoe attachment on a skid to dig a pond would put me a straightjacket, unless it was a koi pond. Same here on the 6 way dozer blade attachment, don't waste your money. Not everyone. Just need some info on this nice sized project and what needs to be done before recommending a machine.
I too like the old track loaders. I would find a G series deere with a 4in1 bucket and a backhoe attachment for what you are doing. A good 555g with backhoe and 4in1 will still be cheaper to purchase and to run than a late model skid steer and attachments Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
Sorry about my delay in replying. My main road is in. So for road building I'm really only doing driveways. Utilities will be just power trenching. Lots will have wells and septic systems. I will have to cut pads for well drilling and of course for building pads. The big part of the job is the brushing, drainage adjustment and small pond digging. I'd like to have a machine I'll keep to handle long term gravel road maintenance and work on my own 22 acre piece. I'm taking a hard look at used 2012/13 bobcat t590 (the upgraded t190) and the 2012/13 cat 259b3. Scarce around here. Any thoughts on that?
I have owned a T190 in the past and from what you describe, a T590 will be woefully small. You can do the job with a T590 it's just going to take longer, a lot longer than using a larger piece of equipment. If your timeline is short to deliver lots to your customers, I would be looking at a D5 or 939 sized loader.
I think KSS is on the right track, a 4x4 backhoe. Now I've never ran one, just looked at them... Kubota's m59 model. They seem to be a decent sized outfit that has the ability to drop the hoe and add 3 point & pto so you can run a box blade or whatever. I believe the loader can be had with skid steer quick attach so it will run all the attachments on that end. No it isn't going to be as powerful as a full size, but it can be bushhogging in the morning and digging a ditch in the afternoon. What I see is that you need something able to do everything, and the backhoe is the swiss army knife, and even more so if it was 3 point & pto.
80 acres, 8-10 lots and building pads using a Kubota mini-backhoe? Pack a lunch.:cool2
True cm, I was reading the I'm almost 70, I want to do everything myself with one machine... we have to remember this is do a lot sell a lot deal, not a commercial earth mover. Cause realistically, for that scope of project your looking at a tandem dump truck, an 15 ton excavator, a 8-10 ton dozer, and a utility tractor for mowing and light maintenance & possibly a tlb or ssl / ctl and a crew of guys to run everything.
Do you guys that run OTT tracks put them on and leave them on or only use them when you have to?
Just want to add a point about my DIY situation... While my plan is to create 8 large parcels (avg 10 acres), there's no market for them right now. So, I intend to work away at this thing hoping the market will revive before I expire....A tough way to make a living, let me tell you.