people with micro excavators

I cant make a 1 ton pencil out to own it cost 200 a day to rent I use one about 4 days a year mainly cause we know how to make the 17 fit into places

at this point, I just need something because I went and looked at one job that required a dump truck also but I just want something that can fit in fenced-in yards and won't scare homeowners and maybe a 550 dump truck

Carolina start up said:

at this point, I just need something because I went and looked at one job that required a dump truck also but I just want something that can fit in fenced-in yards and won't scare homeowners and maybe a 550 dump truck

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I'll give you that!
Homeowners want little! They don't have knowledge of excavators, and think a big machine is somehow scary! They have often rejected me, because my 16000 LB backhoe will tear up their yard. Somehow, they believe a 4000 LB excavator with 12" bucket can dig a sterile ditch 46" deep with no lawn damage. I believe you are correct, customer perception is a little excavator is less scary.

Homeowners with pristine lawns have a phobia of any machine on their grass. I've many times been questioned. "Wouldn't a six inch deep 2" wide trench be enough?"
I go into my explanations of why deeper electrical conduits last forever. Mostly, I never hear from that customer, until the other guy installs conduit 6" deep in a 2" wide trench, and it fails in the middle of winter.

Christmas time I got a call on my answering machine Friday evening. A subcontractor for Comcast had ripped up a 50 year old feeder to a mobile home. Dark of night, I made temporary repairs. I told the property owner "It is ESSENTIAL that you replace this feeder this coming week before the ground freezes any deeper!

I was ignored.

Two weeks later: I still don't understand why another subcontractor for comcast was there again. You guessed it! They too plowed up the same feeder! This 150' long cable ended up with 8 patches in it 5 of them under the driveway!

Maybe I'm obtuse, A conduit buried as deep as code requires, deeper in cold climates will NEVER fail. Why torture yourself, and your electrician burying it 6" deep?

Willie B said:

I'll give you that!
Homeowners want little! They don't have knowledge of excavators, and think a big machine is somehow scary! They have often rejected me, because my 16000 LB backhoe will tear up their yard. Somehow, they believe a 4000 LB excavator with 12" bucket can dig a sterile ditch 46" deep with no lawn damage. I believe you are correct, customer perception is a little excavator is less scary.

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well I got a job this week no machines allowed expect lawn mower and chain saw to clear about a 500 yard area and its gonna be a pain

I rented one of the Kubota Micros to trench for an electrical line and to dig a little trash dump on my property. It did the job but, it was slow and struggled in the dry soil. The first machine I bought was a Deere 17D mini-ex (4,000 pound machine), it was much stronger and could still fit through a 4' opening if I sucked in the tracks and folded the blade. Now, I really wish I'd bought a Deere 50 (10,000 pound machine) instead and I'll probably be upgrading it to something in that size range. There are times when a smaller machine is needed but, I don't think there's anything I'm doing with the 17 that I couldn't do with the 50.

BCG said:

I rented one of the Kubota Micros to trench for an electrical line and to dig a little trash dump on my property. It did the job but, it was slow and struggled in the dry soil. The first machine I bought was a Deere 17D mini-ex (4,000 pound machine), it was much stronger and could still fit through a 4' opening if I sucked in the tracks and folded the blade. Now, I really wish I'd bought a Deere 50 (10,000 pound machine) instead and I'll probably be upgrading it to something in that size range. There are times when a smaller machine is needed but, I don't think there's anything I'm doing with the 17 that I couldn't do with the 50.

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And that there is the struggle of being small one machine has to fit a lot of needs I bought a 35 so we would stop abusing our 17 and could still fit in places a 50 wont go and have been very happy with that

If i could build a fleet of small machines it would be a 17 a 35 and a 80. I find those three have the best jump between the sizes.

Bought a micro fleet last month. I had about a months worth of work for myself and want to start renting them out to other contractors. These two are so effective together.

What did the buggy cost

well the clearing job was done with a chain saw a mower and a lot of cussing and well some very questionable tactics that made me happy to be insured