Can a mini do the ground work to build home - slab or piers?

[JWK1]

OK, sounds like the consensus is that it's just not enough machine to do the job. As far as roots and rocks, we're talking about quaking aspen and smallish big tooth aspen. They've grown over the clearing where the cedar was harvested. As far as rocks, I don't know what is considered to be too big. There are certainly a lot of rocks, but nothing I haven't been able to move myself when cutting and stumping the aspen. Oh yes, I did that all myself with a mattock and a small chainsaw. Talk about back breaking work, but I cleared over half an acre without having to pay thousands of dollars to an excavator. It took me a few weeks working 4 to 5 hour days.

So if it has to be slow, that's OK with me, but if the machine just can't do it, well, that's the deal breaker right there.

Thanks to everyone with the feedback.

 

[hayden]

I would spend the extra and get a 4 ton, give or take. You will thank yourself every time you use it.

 

[2manyrocks]

Stones are surprisingly heavy for their size.

 

[etpm]

When our house was built about 18 years ago I had to put in my septic system myself if I wanted to move in in less than 6 months. So I bought a Case 580CK backhoe even though I had zero experience with backhoes or even tractors. To excavate the ditches for the infiltrator type system I had to fabricate a blade that went over the hoe's bucket teeth to give me a 40 inch wide flat blade to make the flat bottom ditches. I did all my digging in sandy loam with tons of rocks. After the septic system install I dug all sorts of ditches around the place, dug up several alder stumps and put in two roads. The Case will dig a ditch 16 feet deep max, at least that's the max reach of the hoe. It is not a light machine. But the hoe really moves the machine around. I would not want a light excavator unless I was only digging 6 inch wide ditches no more than two feet deep, and even then only in easy to dig soil.
Eric

 

[kenmac]

I have a Takeuchi TB 235 and I wouldn't want anything smaller that that. I may trade next yr for something larger

 

[Sonny580]

It wont do your job. You are looking at a 450 Deere or 892 which is an older model. 225 Cat MIGHT do the job.
I am putting in field tile here in central Illinois where diggin is S'POSED to be easy with a AGT L-12 and at 4' your maxed out on depth. Only way to go deeper is to bench down.

 

[laurencen]

when we built the house I planned doing trenching for power, gas and water myself, had access to a small mini thimk it was a 1 1/2 ton, had to trench 1/4 mile and 3 days couple hundred feet went to auction and picked up a Cat 420D backhoe, 2 days later had the water, gas and electric done working on septic, right tool for the job.
since purchased a Bobcat E32, be around the 3 1/2 ton, it has prover more than capable doing piles, screw piles, root removal, landscaping and tons more but could not see that small machine capable of doing the work regardless of the time it takes

 

[Tomtint]

A 5 ton mini could do any of that. the issue may be if you hit any big rocks that it can't pick up. i had a KX121 Kubota and was impressed with what it could do. Sold that and bought a new Bobcat E35 long stick.. Its not as powerful as the KX 121 was but its more comfortable with heat and ac...

 

[nyone]

3,500lb machine. This is my septic in the northeast. Notice the large rocks on the right. 2hrs to dig 80' of drain line 2days to dig the last 20' of the 100' run. You can bent 4in pvc if you really need to. I had to dig that trench wide enough to get the machine down there and build a ramp to pull out that large rock.

I also put a 1,000gal tank in, I just did a light step dig. They also sell low and wide tanks, this wasn't one. I have a 12" bucket and used 2'wide leach chambers. Yes a 2' wide bucket would have been quicker but not a deal killer.

The trick with a small machine is to think and plan your dig.

 

[slckeys]

View attachment 2041880View attachment 2041881
3,500lb machine. This is my septic in the northeast. Notice the large rocks on the right. 2hrs to dig 80' of drain line 2days to dig the last 20' of the 100' run. You can bent 4in pvc if you really need to. I had to dig that trench wide enough to get the machine down there and build a ramp to pull out that large rock.

I also put a 1,000gal tank in, I just did a light step dig. They also sell low and wide tanks, this wasn't one. I have a 12" bucket and used 2'wide leach chambers. Yes a 2' wide bucket would have been quicker but not a deal killer.

The trick with a small machine is to think and plan your dig.

Rocks, yeah I grow those things here too. Was your machine able to move those larger rocks, or did you have to use something else? Been tossing the idea of a mini for here and no idea where to start size wise. Thanks