74 hp skid vs 74 hp hoe for building tiny acreage?

[Carl_NH]

Rerod - the footer design you showed we call here in the NE a "floating slab" and I have done two of these on a barn and garage. The footer is 24" deep x 18" wide with rebar in the whole floor and in the trench tied together. It was all poured as one slab.

We chose these due to ledge - and they have worked out fine - just make sure you have a good level pad, compacted stone, and rebar all tied in.

Bottom line- it takes more concrete but less forming time. If you don't have any subsurface issues and easy digging - dig a trench down 4', pour a footer then a wall either block or concrete.

On your choice of machines, I'd vote TLB also, but we all have biases based on our equipment and experience.

 

[shooterdon]

I'm leaning towards a tractor with a ssqa bucket, but a FEL that will lift 1000 to full height is probably to heavy to mow the lawn with later..

I'm guessing I need to stay below 3000 lbs tractor weight to finish mow, but how much will the FELL lift? Plus, will the hydraulics of this smaller tractor be enough to run skid steer attachments?

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If you are looking at attachments that run with hydraulic pumps on the FEL, you will not be able to do that with a smaller tractor. You can run things like a grapple or hydraulic plow using a third function or diverter valve set up. Look at the flow rates for the SSQA attachments you are considering and the flow rate of the tractor (do not include the flow for the power steering pump)

Mowing the lawn with a compact tractor is not ideal. For what you will pay for a mower deck. you can add a couple of grand and get a nice zero turn that will be twice as fast and be more maneuverable. Taking a mower deck off to do real tractor work gets old quick.

IMO, the TYM 2515 offers good back for the buck. It is rated at 2200 lbs on the FEL and over 3000 lbs on the 3PH.

 

[Vigo327]

Im not sure on a weight limit for finish mowing (comes down to tires mostly, i think) but i generally agree that a mower deck for a tractor is a pita compared to a zero turn. I have a 54” drive-over belly mower i use with my Kubota B6100 and it does ok but i cant leave it on all the time and swapping it out is a little annoying.

I think a belly mower is only really ok on a tractor if you can leave it on all the time because you dont mind the width or the lack of ground clearance. If youre going to take it off much youd be better off having a separate mowing machine.

 

[rerod]

If you are looking at attachments that run with hydraulic pumps on the FEL, you will not be able to do that with a smaller tractor. You can run things like a grapple or hydraulic plow using a third function or diverter valve set up. Look at the flow rates for the SSQA attachments you are considering and the flow rate of the tractor (do not include the flow for the power steering pump)

I figured that would be the case.. I imagine I would need a 74 hp tractor in order to have enough flow rate to run skid steer attachments.. Just guessing again.

 

[shooterdon]

rerod, there was only one skid steer attachment I have yearned for and I am glad I did not want it badly enough to piss away a bunch of money.

Nice to have and need are not the same. IIRC, I advised you to make a list of jobs you want done and the cost to have, or rent the right equipment; or to contract some out. It helped me firm up my thinking when I saw the numbers.

For example, there are those who will talk about the backhoe attachment they use once or twice a year for an hour and how glad they are they have it...and you should have one too. For most, that is an $8000 waste of money that is also a PITA to mount, dismount and store. I have twenty acres and have had $1000 of BH work done in 12 years. There are times I wish I had one, but I am glad I don't. It was the right call for me.

 

[rerod]

Rerod - the footer design you showed we call here in the NE a "floating slab" and I have done two of these on a barn and garage. The footer is 24" deep x 18" wide with rebar in the whole floor and in the trench tied together. It was all poured as one slab.

We chose these due to ledge - and they have worked out fine - just make sure you have a good level pad, compacted stone, and rebar all tied in.

Bottom line- it takes more concrete but less forming time. If you don't have any subsurface issues and easy digging - dig a trench down 4', pour a footer then a wall either block or concrete.

Lots of names, but if you look closer at the design I posted, the slab is separate from the "frost protected footing" I'll call it.. I'm not going to try any flatwork, but figured I could DIY the footings, build the garage, and then hire a good finisher to pour the slab. Ive been told a floating slab is considerably cheaper then digging below the frost-line, not to mention the need for wall forms when placing footers 4' down.

 

[eKretz]

rerod, there was only one skid steer attachment I have yearned for and I am glad I did not want it badly enough to piss away a bunch of money.

Nice to have and need are not the same. IIRC, I advised you to make a list of jobs you want done and the cost to have, or rent the right equipment; or to contract some out. It helped me firm up my thinking when I saw the numbers.

For example, there are those who will talk about the backhoe attachment they use once or twice a year for an hour and how glad they are they have it...and you should have one too. For most, that is an $8000 waste of money that is also a PITA to mount, dismount and store. I have twenty acres and have had $1000 of BH work done in 12 years. There are times I wish I had one, but I am glad I don't. It was the right call for me.

Everyone needs to decide that for themselves, it's a very individual thing. And so is the amount of money spent. I generally sit patiently watching the secondhand marketplace for attachments, and pounce on a good deal when I see it. It's easy to spend maybe 1/10 the cost of new that way. Many times I see these outrageous new costs quoted in comparisons, but new cost is not what many of us are paying. This makes a huge difference in how much sense something makes.

Personally, I've got a small JD tractor with a loader, mower deck and box blade that I use for most yard tasks and finish grading/levelling. I have a Ford 555D TLB that I use for tree and stump removal, trenching, carrying/transporting heavy machinery, rough grading/levelling and all sorts of other tasks. I find the combination to be outstanding for my needs. To each their own.

 

[gmgm]

From the requirements: perhaps you need a mini/midi-excavator first for building work.

Then later, sell the excavator and purchase a tractor.

 

[rerod]

From the requirements: perhaps you need a mini/midi-excavator first for building work.

Then later, sell the excavator and purchase a tractor.

I can rent one locally. So that kills the need for a backhoe

 

[rScotty]

Lots of names, but if you look closer at the design I posted, the slab is separate from the "frost protected footing" I'll call it.. I'm not going to try any flatwork, but figured I could DIY the footings, build the garage, and then hire a good finisher to pour the slab. Ive been told a floating slab is considerably cheaper then digging below the frost-line, not to mention the need for wall forms when placing footers 4' down.

I'll take another look at the "frost protected footing" that you posted. Maybe I've missed something.
Did you get that design from someone with experience you trust?

I can rent one locally. So that kills the need for a backhoe

Whatever you end up with will work - I'm sure you know that. I think what you are asking is how much work can you expect the machine to do versus how much you do by hand. After you build ai few houses or shop barns you'll know that. It depends as much on the builder as which machine.

For example, I LIKE to mow grass. It's relaxing. So for me a 500 dollar self-propelled Honda mower is fine. YMMV.

But having a FEL I find absolutely necessary from day 1 through the end of the project and beyond. It doesn't have to be huge but needs to be easy on/off. Minimum is it needs to lift about 800 lbs up higher than I can lift by hand.

What I've found is that even if I were to rent or hire out all the digging work of foundation and underground lines, having a hoe to use as a crane is handy enough that I want it there during the much longer carpentry and landscaping parts of the build. So since I'm going to have one, it might as well do the digging too.

But that's just me and the way I work. Having an excavator would be even better, but I haven't seen an excavator with a loader bucket.

rScotty