How large to do the job?

[Stuk_Again]

Hi all,
Another new guy here with several questions...

I'm considering getting a compact ex to use "around the farm". The main job I have to do is clean up debris from two old barns that fell down. I have a FEL but am concerned about the tires getting nails and it's not very good at dealing with 12+ foot lumber. There are still two walls standing on one of the barns, about 25ft high. The barns were not empty and need to be picked through over several weeks or months which is why I don't rent a machine or hire one w/ operator. The next task will be dealing with replacing a septic system (maybe).
Also I read from one of the posters that he plows snow with his mini-ex which sunds like a good idea to me, so I'm looking at a heated cab model Like Kubota KX161 w/ thumb. I figure a smaller unit would do the job but I also want to add pallet forks and need to lift 1Ton. Question: Are the rated lift capacities "working" of will the machine lift more? According to the spec. the KX161 won't lift 2000lbs with the arm fully extended. And lastly has anyone seen a tree spade on an mini-excavator of this size. Can enough down pressure be achieved to work the tree spade?

How many hours on a used machine is approaching "all used up"

Thanks in advance

 

[Stuk_Again]

More info...

Here are some attachments I came across that I have on my mind...

Figure these would make it pretty versatile.

The fork lifting capacity is my real concern as for the size of the machine, I need to get 2000 lb - 7 foot tall pallets through an 8 foot door so the boom (arm) [nomenclature?] can't be folded up too close to the machine or it won't get through the door.

Anyone?

Link to attachments below

 

[Stuk_Again]

The KX161 with a Naarva Felling head is pretty cool too!

Naarva Grip/Felling head

and the Accumulating Grip

Don't have much (any)need for it but...cool

 

[Stuk_Again]

Does this thing look crazy dangerous to anyone else? Body armor and a helmet would be in order I think.



Bushmaster Video

 

[hvy 1ton]

My question is if you have a tractor with a loader already why do you want to use the mini for all the loader jobs?

You are talking about doing both loader and excavator jobs with an excavator. If going for the one machine for every task i would definatly suggest a TLB over trying to use a mini for loader operations. If you already have a tractor with a loader capable of most of your tasks, i would leave those to your tractor, and use the mini for digging, grubbing, anything you can't do well with a tractor.

You need to think a little more about exactly what you need out of your machines and what your options are. There will always be sacrifices when you try to get one machine to do every thing.

 

[coopers]

hvy 1ton is right. If you have too many jobs that require digging and loader type work, a backhoe would be the wisest investment. You want to get an extendahoe backhoe and throw a thumb on it and you'd be good to go. But trying to get too fancy with attachments on an excavator will just slow things down. Especially when you want to haul material with an excavator. In short bursts, it's ok.

That mower attachment you showed may be good for a tractor or the front of a skidsteer, but for an excavator, it would be dangerous. That mower will throw things 360 degrees, including at you. If you get a brush flail mower such as from here:http://usmower.com/us-mower-products-excavator-backhoe-mowers.php you'll have stuff shooting out in one direction. Even the one that is on this Kubota isn't as covered as the ones from US Mower. I'm not the one in that mini btw.

 

[Stuk_Again]

Thanks for your reply!!!

Well, the loader actually is a TLB. It's a late 1960's A-C and is on it's last legs. The backhoe is broken and hasn't been used in years. I was looking at a mini-ex because the demolition job and septic excavation are my current needs. Moving pallets is only about ten 1 tonne pallets moved 100 feet into a building once a year. As for snow plowing the loader has no cab and I'm getting too old and grumpy to battle the elements any more. As for the tree spade - Nursery application... If a tree spade is on a loader or skid-steer you have to dig an entire row of trees in a field due to lack of ground clearance. Mounted on an excavator the reach will let you grab a tree from the middle of a row. Mostly, I've been reading posts by others along the line of... "My mini-ex is my go to machine" "I clock 4 times more hours on my mini-ex than my loader" "A mini-ex is way more versitle than a loader/skid steer" etc. Which is why I'm here asking.

 

[hvy 1ton]

With the tree spade i would think your gonna need a 120 or 160 sized machine. This depends on the size of tree spade your gonna run, but i would assume it would be about the same size as my neighbor's tree farm. That brings you out of the mini-ex size and unless you get a zero tail swing model your gonna be running out room pretty fast. I don't know a whole lot about tree farming but my neighbors have some of their rows setup so a 10 wheeler can get to any tree. The rest are setup for a skid steer/track loader with a tree spade. They then take a trailer with the trees and a t250 with an auger to plant them.

I think the part your missing is most who people get a lot of use out of their mini have other equipment like a tractor, skid steer, or loader to supplement a mini's deficiencies. Any excavator's largest drawback, mini or otherwise, is anytime it has to move material further than its working radius. Aside from the septic system every one of your tasks involves moving material much further.

Since you need high maneuverability in your tree farm, I think a smaller compact track loader would be a good choice. If you have good dealer support i would look for an older Tak TL130 with a 4n1 bucket or grapple bucket for the barns. Get a tree spade and any other gadgets you would need for tree farming. If you run into a project that the Tak couldn't do just rent a mini for a few days.
Unless you really know what your doing, pay a professional to do your septic system.

 

[Squizzy246B]

The KX 161 will not lift 1 ton in the manner you hope.

 

[coopers]

I agree with hvy 1 ton again. It sounds like your need is more of a loader or backhoe. And yes, most that have a mini trackhoe have other machines too. I'd invest in a good skidsteer or loader (the kubota loader pictured are used by numerous wholesale and retail nurseries and tree farms around here) and then down the road get a older backhoe that you can use now and then for digging.

 

[Alan Mesmer]

Hey - If money is not an object buy both a CTL and a mini ex. If not then IMO go with a TLB with cab. or a CTL. Most common attachments are designed to go with a skid steer / CTL. Even though some attachments can be made to fit a mini ex., a mini ex will do some of what you want but definitely not all of what you want to do efficiently. Check on a monthly rental on a mini ex. if you still need one to pick through the barns or your septic system. I have a KX121 and it is a great machine for excavating and light demo work but my skid steer is much more versitile. I use my skid steer for dirt work, moving pallets of stone, trenching, moving logs to the truck, plowing snow, etc. I can't imagine trying to do this stuff with my mini ex. It would be like going to the Dentist and getting a root canal for the fun of it!
Good Luck.
Alan

 

[Stuk_Again]

Thanks for everyone's input. I wasn't thinking much beyond the demo work which the KX161 would be just right for I suspect. A CTL is probably the best choice. I've got 5 old tractors on the farm suppose I should trade them all in for one useful, reliable machine.

 

[thebobcatkid86]

I agree on the CTL. Plus one with a backhoe attachment would probably take care of your septic system quite easily. Just IMO.

 

[amunderdog]

What i think i learned? or read somewhere...
Thumbs and extendahoes do not play well together.
But i do agree. If a man is only going to have one machine; A Backhoe is the swiss army knife of the equipment world.

 

[Stuk_Again]

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm watching for a good deal since I'm in no hurry and the economy looks like it will get MUCH worse. Not to mention the flu thing.

 

[coopers]

What i think i learned? or read somewhere...
Thumbs and extendahoes do not play well together.

Not true, they work well together.

But i do agree. If a man is only going to have one machine; A Backhoe is the swiss army knife of the equipment world.

I agree 100%

 

[stumpjumper83]

the thing with e-stick backhoes and thumbs is that some backhoes the stick slide such that the thumb would be no where near the bucket with the e-hoe out. New holland & jcb I know put the bucket on the inner section, while case and others put the bucket on the outer section letting a thumb work just fine. Now before you give up on ford/nh & jcb, there are thumbs out there that are designed for them. Helac makes a 4n1 style hoe bucket thats really neat. Brian the spyder hoe guy, has one and posts nice pics of it in the excavator forum.

That being said I'm going to speak up and say that rubber and demo don't go together, I'm not saying that you cant use a tlb for demo, or a rubber tracked mini, but you better be carefull. Demo is best handled by steel tracked machines that can run atop debris and not worry about puncturing a tire or cuttin a track.

Now I understand that its just a couple of barns that you wanna clean up so if you go at it carefully you should be fine, but if I was doing barn demo / cleanup for a living I'd start with a 20 ton excavator on steel, or a trackloader with a 4n1, again steel tracked. Good news is that both cat, asv, & bobcat are offering steel undercarriages on ctl's now. And I think New Holland is going to be soon too.