Mrs. Suggested that we might consider a Mini-Excavator in our future.

[KilroyJC]

Another guy I know was picking rock and had the bucket up in the air. Saw something he wanted to pick up and stopped and got off walking under the bucket. His pant leg caught the dump lever and he got an 80# rock on the head. 6 months hospital and permanent brain damage. Consequently no matter how wet, dirty, and ugly that bucket is step in it to get on and off.

I never had cause to walk under a raised bucket on the Bobcat.

The only time I did ANYTHING on the Bobcat with the bucket raised, it was to grease it (a couple fittings were much easier to access with the arms up), and I blocked it with a length of 4x4 before turning off the engine.

I wouldn’t even walk under an empty bucket Without it blocked.

 

[Creamer]

.... I will get the wife to come help before I walk under a raised bucket."

Not sure how to take this one Ed.

1) you want to make sure your wife sees the bucket land on your head
2) your wife can hold up the bucket while you are under it safely
3) you figure the two of you can hold the bucket better than one

 

[dirttoys]

Not sure how to take this one Ed.

1) you want to make sure your wife sees the bucket land on your head
2) your wife can hold up the bucket while you are under it safely
3) you figure the two of you can hold the bucket better than one

I wondered if I left that a little open........... I would respectfully ask her to do what I need to get out of the seat to do, then I would carefully explain the process, then I would yell when she did it wrong, she would cry (this is when she would like to see the bucket fall on my head), and I would apologise..........

We can only stand this a few times a year

Best,

ed

 

[KilroyJC]

Doesn’t this always happen?

right now is a bad time for me to do anything, having just restarted with my seasonal job, which runs into mid April.

last night, on CL, a 1989 Kato450 shows up for $10G. About 50 miles away.

I haven’t shown it to Mrs yet, because I would

A) have to come up with the sum right quick (possible but a bit of a juggle), and

B) I would need to get an experienced heavy equipment mechanic to give it a once-over-lightly and a /.

Discussionnfor over the weekend.

It does have a second set of tracks, but the windshield is long gone, and the seat needs at least three rolls of duct tape. . .

Hour meter is non-functional. . .
and who knows what other sins.

BUT if it is usable and (more importantly) reasonably reliable, that would be a VERY capable machine for a dilettante hobbyist!

 

[EddieWalker]

Be sure you can find parts for it. Hoses are easy to have made and cylinders can be rebuilt, but where will you get a starter, or water pump, or anything that wears out? Something that old can be very hard to repair.

 

[5030]

If I need one, I rent from Black Swamp and they deliver.

 

[sd455dan]

Doesn’t this always happen?

right now is a bad time for me to do anything, having just restarted with my seasonal job, which runs into mid April.

last night, on CL, a 1989 Kato450 shows up for $10G. About 50 miles away.

I haven’t shown it to Mrs yet, because I would

A) have to come up with the sum right quick (possible but a bit of a juggle), and

B) I would need to get an experienced heavy equipment mechanic to give it a once-over-lightly and a /.

Discussionnfor over the weekend.

It does have a second set of tracks, but the windshield is long gone, and the seat needs at least three rolls of duct tape. . .

Hour meter is non-functional. . .
and who knows what other sins.

BUT if it is usable and (more importantly) reasonably reliable, that would be a VERY capable machine for a dilettante hobbyist!

A Bit bigger than a Mini ex at 25000+ lb. Moving it will cost some coin as well. Almost into a 312 CAT size of machine. Should be able to do some real work and quickly.
easily cover the tasks:
-log transport/loading with sawmill
-stump removal
-drainage ditch maintenance
-road maintenance
-construction/overhead lifting
-brush pile burning

The engine number looks like possibly a Mitsubishi but maybe not.

Agree with Eddie about checking out parts availability

Also be interesting as to which boom dipper set up it has as well at least three combos were available.

Having it checked out by someone knowing what to look for is also a real good idea as posted earlier.

 

[5030]

For 10 grand, it's most likely flogged hard. You have the tools and expertise to restore it?

 

[KilroyJC]

Be sure you can find parts for it. Hoses are easy to have made and cylinders can be rebuilt, but where will you get a starter, or water pump, or anything that wears out? Something that old can be very hard to repair.

From the Kato website, that model is still in production. I am sure there are updates, though

1989 had a mitsubishi diesel.

but yes, and that is why I want to hire a mechanic to evaluate it.

 

[KilroyJC]

For 10 grand, it's most likely flogged hard. You have the tools and expertise to restore it?

I have some heavy tools, I owned a 1981 Bobcat 610 for 7 years, and I ain’t afraid of learning more.

I am sure it is tired, rode hard & put away wet, beaten like a rented mule, etc.

But if it is basically usable, I could care less about cosmetics.

But I am still up against the temporal/pecuniary issues, so this is probably just a pipe dream. . .

 

[KilroyJC]

WTH - Here are the pix from CL. maybe I get 5 Powerball numbers…

so it has some rather obvious sins, the big question is what are the non-obvious sins? No thumb is a bummer, too…

 

[5030]

Thumb is easy. The rest, not so much. I would imagine all the pins will need replaced and the undercarriage looks to be maybe 20%. it's flogged and hard.

 

[EddieWalker]

There is a line where you go from getting a deal, to buying a never ending project that sucks the life out of you as you get poorer every time you use it.

I'm a huge fan of buying used, but I'm also to that point in my life that I don't want to spend all day wrenching on a machine so I can use it for a few hours the next day. Or waiting weeks for the parts to arrive, then wrenching on it to get it running, only to have something else break on it.

Sometimes, saving money will cost you a lot more then if you spent a little more upfront. I would pass on this machine. I wouldn't even take it if it was offered to me for free.

 

[ovrszd]

There is a line where you go from getting a deal, to buying a never ending project that sucks the life out of you as you get poorer every time you use it.

I'm a huge fan of buying used, but I'm also to that point in my life that I don't want to spend all day wrenching on a machine so I can use it for a few hours the next day. Or waiting weeks for the parts to arrive, then wrenching on it to get it running, only to have something else break on it.

Sometimes, saving money will cost you a lot more then if you spent a little more upfront. I would pass on this machine. I wouldn't even take it if it was offered to me for free.

My brother had a TLB like that. I used it 3 or 4 times as much as he cleaning up our farm. Forget the money, it never ran as many hours as I spent working on it. When he had his sale it brought $15K. He chastized me for not buying it...... I have $8K in my ole 555 and rarely work on it.

My Dad would say this excavator looks like it's been rode hard and put away wet.

 

[EddieWalker]

I paid $18,000 for my 2wd open station 1998 555E backhoe with 1,800 hours on it almost 20 years ago. I have over 8,000 hours on it now and it's been pretty reliable. Hoses and cylinders have pretty much all been replaced and rebuilt. I'm on my third starter and I just replaced the mechanical fuel pump for the 4th time last month. It's starting to smoke a little when I start it up, but otherwise, I just change the fluids on it, keep it greased, and it keeps working. If I could go back in time, I would buy 4wheel drive. That was my big mistake, but I've learned to live with 2wheel drive, but it's always painful when I get it really stuck bad and I have to destroy a lot of land dragging it out with the hoe.

I think that I would really enjoy and get a lot of work out of an excavator, but I also have too many other things that I need to build on my land that need my money more then an excavtor. I also really like being able to take out a tree with the hoe, pick it up and carry it to the burn pile with the grapple, and never having to get out of the seat, or get on another tractor.

When I start clearing my late brothers 40 acres, I'm going to haul it there and leave it there for awhile. The big advantage to this is that I only have to have one tractor there to do just about everything. I'll need to bring the grapple and the front bucket, but with the Quick Attach, it's pretty simple to change from one to the other. The grapple sucks at carrying dirt to the hole the tree left after it comes out. I'll also dig a huge pit to burry the burn pile, which is fast and easy with the hoe, then fill it up with the bucket, and smooth it out by back dragging. Once the grass grows back, there will be no sign that there was a pit there.

You cannot do a lot of these things with an excavator. If you have an excavator, you also need something with a loader.

 

[sd455dan]

edit, Sorry crossed up posts.

 

[dirttoys]

There is a line where you go from getting a deal, to buying a never ending project that sucks the life out of you as you get poorer every time you use it.

I'm a huge fan of buying used, but I'm also to that point in my life that I don't want to spend all day wrenching on a machine so I can use it for a few hours the next day. Or waiting weeks for the parts to arrive, then wrenching on it to get it running, only to have something else break on it.

Sometimes, saving money will cost you a lot more then if you spent a little more upfront. I would pass on this machine. I wouldn't even take it if it was offered to me for free.

This mostly describes my life!! Although it probably isn't quite that bad, and I do have time.

One thing that my be in favor of the OP; If you want a mini and end up with full size, it will be far more tolerant if only do the work of a mini a few hundred hours a year, it could very well last a long time with little effort.

Sad to say, as much as I would love a 25 ton machine, I would miss the crap out of the blade.

Best,

ed

 

[KilroyJC]

Just want to thank everyone for their ongoing contributions to the discussion — YOU ALL are GREAT!

 

[OWTM]

The primary tasks on our woodlot/not-yet-hobby-farm would be:

-log transport/loading with sawmill
-stump removal
-drainage ditch maintenance
-road maintenance
-construction/overhead lifting
-brush pile burning

Now, this is not going to happen anything soon.

I will not be buying anything new unless Ed McMahon shows up on my doorstep with a big check.

I have never operated a tracked excavator - my whole heavy equipment experience is a Bobcat 610 skid steer.

ANY/ALL input /suggestions/comments etc gratefullynaccepted!

I have a KX057-4 Excavator, SVL97-2 Skid Loader, and and MX5400 Tractor. I cut lots of firewood, saw lumber on the mill, clear land, burn brush, dig stumps, maintain about 4 miles of trails, a mile of driveway and much much more. Guess what machine gets the most hours on it per year? Excavator by far, you find uses that you never dreamed of an it makes life so much easier.

 

[KilroyJC]

I have a KX057-4 Excavator, SVL97-2 Skid Loader, and and MX5400 Tractor. I cut lots of firewood, saw lumber on the mill, clear land, burn brush, dig stumps, maintain about 4 miles of trails, a mile of driveway and much much more. Guess what machine gets the most hours on it per year? Excavator by far, you find uses that you never dreamed of an it makes life so much easier.

It looks like we are going tomorrow and taking advantage of 0/0/36mo. deal on a KX033. It will be an open canopy off the lot, because the full-cab ones are on back order (the current waitlist is 851, so minimum 5 months wait...).