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

[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...).