Mini excavators

[Night goat]

Educate me on these please!

I’m going to be starting my big projects on my property soon, with the ultimate goal of building a yurt and getting the water lines trenches from the pump house and all the grading/leveling, making an enclosed garden, expanding my grey water pit, etc lots of stuff I simply just don’t wanna do with a shovel. I Have a feeling a mini excavator would make life a ton easier.

Now my property is up in the mountains by the ski area so it gets COLD in the winter, ground tends to freeze from about November til March. I’ve had up to 4 feet of snow at my place, but was wondering if a mini with a blade would also work as a snow clearing device…

I want one with a thumb for obvious reasons, a drill auger would be nice too…

I’ve considered a skid steer like a bobcat but I have some areas where it’s tight maneuvering so I think the mobility of a mini excavator would reign supreme…

Definitely want a diesel machine.

I like the looks of the Cat 301.5 but I’ve always been a Cat guy.

I’m also wanting to tow it with something like a decent half ton truck or smaller so nothing super heavy 

Id love to hear some thoughts on the subject

I’m considering just buying one over renting because I figure I can always sell it afterwards and get most of my $ back and then I wouldn’t
Be as pressured and won’t rush things

[johnbmyersii]

301.5 is tiny, youll regret it. They have no power, tippy, and you wont be able to do half those jobs listed without spending a ton of time on it. You'll also tear the blade off that machine plowing snow with it. Those blades on minis are for leveling up the machine and light trench backfill, they are not dozers. Get the bobcat or a tractor for snow removal and get at least a 305.5. Also, with a Cat you're paying for a name and expensive parts. John Deere and Yanmar are much superior machines in that class.

[trophyhunt]

kubota all the way, we use the crap out of ours here at work, their pumps are strong.  I we have the 80, but that size gets expensive.

[Jpmiller]

A 35 is a perfect size for most of what you're talking about, except snow clearing which I don't think any mini would do well at unfortunately. I haven't tried it but my guess from living on them for 40-50 hours a week is they won't hold traction pushing snow and you'll end up all over the place. I've never been happy with the kubotas myself but I wonder if I'm just harder on them then they want, I'm a big fan of the takeuchi, bobcat, or even some of the grey market brands like yanmar. The newer machines have a lot of electronics and 7/8 of the time that seems to be the failure point and cause of the most down time. I understand they can fit block warmers onto most of them now so that may be something to look into. You'll find you have a lot more use for it than you though so owning over renting is a pretty good plan if you can afford it. Even stuff like bucking logs is way easier when you grab them and hold them waist high instead of laying on the ground or on the piles.

[teanawayslayer]

The front blade is pretty worthless in the snow. The tracks will want to slide and you won’t have good traction to push a bunch of weight.

[Gringo31]

Tracks and snow don't mix well unless your intention is to just drive over it.  A chained bobcat skidsteer will do circles on the snow and ice compared to a tracked machine.   

[Rob]

I would rent a machine for the major work, and then it sounds like you need a tractor for snow mgt and other work on the property.  The tractor can also be used for finishing work once the major work is done with the rental.

I picked up a 35 HP LS tractor earlier this year and LOVE it.  I am terracing about 3/4 of an acre and it is doing the job well with the FEL and Box blade.  Mgt of the driveway and trail creation are also much easier.  Weighs in around 5K pounds with FEL, box blade and loaded rear tires so very easy to pull with most full sized trucks.  Very maneuverable on treed property and a 1600 lb lift capacity on the front end loader.  (I chose LS as the price point for features was pretty good!)

I have found that a good tractor is an fantastic base platform that you can build off of for your specific needs. 

[MountainWalk]

You’ll slip n slide and throw tracks. Get a good tractor

[Jpmiller]

If you've got grade changes and tight spaces an excavator is going to serve way better than a tractor.

[Duckslayer89]

Sounds like you need an excavator and a tractor

[highside74]

I'd buy a tractor and rent the excavator for the times you need it. You can rent most excavators for a few hundred dollars a day. Generally you can get them dropped off on a Friday evening or Saturday morning and picked up on a Monday for the cost of a 2 day rental.

[Special T]

I'd buy a tractor and rent the excavator for the times you need it. You can rent most excavators for a few hundred dollars a day. Generally you can get them dropped off on a Friday evening or Saturday morning and picked up on a Monday for the cost of a 2 day rental.

This is good advise. A tractor is a multi tool and a excavator is a digger. Plan out your projects and you with both present at the same time you should be able to bang out most projects pretty quick.

Tracks and Snow are like a fat man on ice skates!

[Halo]

I bought a "used", year old, Yanmar ViO55-6A last year with a brush head to go with it, only had 20 hours on it. Best purchase I've ever made.

[Angry Perch]

As stated above, excavator for a week, tractor for a lifetime.

[Mark Brenckle]

I rented one this past weekend to move river-rock around, was very handy for that, tore the heck out of my 'lawn' though. Saved my back a lot of pain but I only put about 3 hours on it (moving 12 tons of rock).
  I have the same tractor pictured above, works amazing for everything I've wanted it to do, but I was dumping these rocks under my deck and around plants that I definitely would have taken out with my tractor.
  It was pretty expensive to rent for a day but worth it for what I wanted to get done. I wouldn't own one, but I'm not doing much of that type work around my place.

[Night goat]

Ok well thank you all so far.

Yeah I called NC machinery today and the 305 sounds like the bare minimum for sure


I like Kubota and yanmars too, I’ve worked on tons of their marine engines, kubota is about dead nuts simple as it gets at least in those regards.

So what about a tractor with a hoe? Can ya get a thumb on a back hoe so I could grab logs and old stumps? Not like, stumps still in the ground, somebody many moons ago just left a pile of stumps right where I wanna start working, they’re not in the ground rooted down, they just got put there and left so they’re all half rotted

[Robinhood]

Ok well thank you all so far.

Yeah I called NC machinery today and the 305 sounds like the bare minimum for sure


I like Kubota and yanmars too, I’ve worked on tons of their marine engines, kubota is about dead nuts simple as it gets at least in those regards.

So what about a tractor with a hoe? Can ya get a thumb on a back hoe so I could grab logs and old stumps? Not like, stumps still in the ground, somebody many moons ago just left a pile of stumps right where I wanna start working, they’re not in the ground rooted down, they just got put there and left so they’re all half rotted



I bought a Kubota B2650 years ago with a back hoe. It came with a mechanical thumb, that I converted to be hydraulic. It works well and is pretty powerful for what it is. It will hold logs tight and it picks up as much as the boom will lift. I also bought a Sany SU35 last year and I have been super happy with it so far. I have only put 120 hours on it, but so far it has worked flawlessly.

[Mark Brenckle]

You can also get a 3rd function on your tractor loader so you can get a grapple for it, that will be my next purchase for my tractor. I wouldn't be able to justify having a backhoe, just wouldn't use it enough to offset renting one for a day.
  We had a giant slash pile on our property, right under the power lines. We hired a gal and her skid steer to do some other work and she moved that pile into 9 smaller piles out in the pasture where I could burn them. Took her about half an hour.

[Rob]

Can't wait to get a grapple!

[Fastass350]

I don’t believe you’ll be towing any decent mini with a half ton pickup especially not the 305. Something to consider is your size, some guys find the cars harder to get into (if you’re going enclosed cab)  Kubota offers a 6 way blade on one or some models so that’s a plus.

[Jpmiller]

If you're using it in winter at all go enclosed cab. I hate em for work because I'm always communicating with my ground guy but especially in the winter having the heater going is amazing, and the ac in summer is nice too except it seems to fail right after the radio.

[lewy]

35 size mini is gunna be about as handy a machine as you can own......if you can run it well

[JakeLand]

35 size mini is gunna be about as handy a machine as you can own......if you can run it well

[Griiz]

I have a Kabota U35 with multiple buckets, rake and a USMower EX30 Flail Mower that I have been very happy with. I've put around 500 hours on with no issues. It's amazing what you can get done with these little machines. You are probably towing 12,000 or more pounds every time you transport it (machine +trailer and attachments and other gear), so you need a vehicle with the brakes and capability to safely haul it. Good Luck!

[highside74]

Can't wait to get a grapple!

They are amazing. I ordered a wicked grapple from Everything Attachments last year and waited 6mo for delivery. It is a game changer.

[Griiz]

Another thing to keep in mind with towing, if the Combined GVW of the stickers on the truck and trailer is over 26,000lbs and the trailer GVW sticker is over 10,000 pounds you need a Class A CDL unless you are getting a farm, RV, emergency vehicle or military exemption. It isn't really enforced but if you get in a wreck or another issue you are likely to get fined and I believe it is a $10,000 ticket. I just got my Class A CDL because of this.

[jvt]

Another thing to keep in mind with towing, if the Combined GVW of the stickers on the truck and trailer is over 26,000lbs and the trailer GVW sticker is over 10,000 pounds you need a Class A CDL unless you are getting a farm, emergency vehicle or military exemption. It isn't really enforced but if you get in a wreck or another issue you are likely to get fined and I believe it is a $10,000 ticket. I just got my Class A CDL because of this.

you may have left something out or the truck stops are not enforcing. i have a pistonbully snowcat on a 12,000 trailer for personal use and often with cops and have no extra license.

[Griiz]

Another thing to keep in mind with towing, if the Combined GVW of the stickers on the truck and trailer is over 26,000lbs and the trailer GVW sticker is over 10,000 pounds you need a Class A CDL unless you are getting a farm, RV, emergency vehicle or military exemption. It isn't really enforced but if you get in a wreck or another issue you are likely to get fined and I believe it is a $10,000 ticket. I just got my Class A CDL because of this.

you may have left something out or the truck stops are not enforcing. i have a pistonbully snowcat on a 12,000 trailer for personal use and often with cops and have no extra license.

If your in a dual rear wheel truck and trailer has a GVW sticker over 10,000 pounds I believe you need a class A CDL. As truck + trailer becomes a combination vehicle. They don't need a scale for this ticket as they just look at the weight stickers on the vehicles. Even if your truck and trailer only weigh 12,000 pounds combined, they still count it as over 26,000 pounds because the sticker weights combine to be over that. I have a friend with an excavation company who beats this by ordering his trailers built to 16,000 pound specifications and has 10,000 pound stickers put on them. That way his non CDL drivers can tow those trailers legally. If they do get scaled and are overweight for the trailer GVW sticker it is a much cheaper ticket and you can almost always beat those tickets with a bunch of loopholes.

[lewy]

Meanwhile there is a 90 year old guy driving a 45’ class A diesel pusher without one 

[HntnFsh]

And if you need a CDL then you need a medical card.

[Rob]

Can't wait to get a grapple!

They are amazing. I ordered a wicked grapple from Everything Attachments last year and waited 6mo for delivery. It is a game changer.

I like the look of their stuff!

[Buckhunter24]

Griiz, when you got your class a, were you able to have your company certify you were trained and just do the tests or did you have to do 160 hour class?

[Griiz]

Griiz, when you got your class a, were you able to have your company certify you were trained and just do the tests or did you have to do 160 hour class?

Last February the state made it so you have to take the 160 hour class. A lot harder to get it now. I should have gotten mine years ago when it was easy and I had people that would sign for me. It cost me $6200 bucks to get CDL. I'm building up equipment and getting needed certifications/skills to work for myself when I leave teaching in a few years.

[kball4]

I bought a used Bobcat E42 couple of years ago and it has been a dream to use.  Maintenance is easy only have had to replace a couple hoses when they leak or blow.  Loads of parts available on Bobcats website.  It also uses very little fuel for a 40HP machine.  A hydraulic thumb is a requirement for a mini for sure.

[Tenkara]

I have a takeuchi tb135 and like it, I run jd 35's at work alot and they are the best all around mini I've ran, kubota are at the bottom of the list. As far as plowing snow they are all pretty worthless. 

[Birdguy]

One of the guys I work with runs an excavator rental business, he primarily uses Bobcats, has had Cat, Kubota, and Sani (sp). He is a fan of the Bobcats for the warranty (being a rental the warranty is a must) he does all the maintenance and replaces a ton of damaged parts. He is currently selling his 2 42s, bobcat offered him $42K buy out or will sell them for him on commission for $52K (before their commission). There is such a demand for them right now that he will get more for them then he paid for them new. He is keeping the 2 Bobcat 35s and the Kubota. He likes the Kubota but says it is "sloppy" compared to the Bobcats. The bobcats have too much power in the hydraulics and people break things because of it. They are an amazing tool and have so many uses. We have an older Komatsu and it has been a great machine even though it was "worn out" when we bought it. Best of luck in getting what you need for your project. IF the prices were not so crazy I woudl be looking for another one in the very near future.

[kball4]

My Bobcat E42 is at 2500hrs, the pins are all very tight no slop.  I've tried to get it stuck a few times in mud and it always pulls me out.  I have used it to plow snow but it really packs it down rather than scrap it off, unless you dig up the top layer of your driveway.  A tractor blade would probably be better for snow plowing.

[2MANY]

Gonna be some cheap used ones soon is my guess.
Go Joe Go.

[Lucky Eric]

Gonna be some cheap used ones soon is my guess.
Go Joe Go.

A bunch are already showing up on craigslist.

[time2hunt]

You may want to look at a backhoe. Pretty much a universal piece of equipment.


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[Mudman]

Bobcat Mini..