New to mini excavators. Bigger is better?

[seedyrom]

G’day guys. Newbie here, so please be gentle. I am hoping you can give me some advice.

I’ve never even driven an excavator, but am going to get one for general purposes around my place. I’m not on acreage, but have a fairly steep, bush backyard which I’m looking to level out, fell some trees and move them about. I’m on sandstone, and have some pretty serious floaters in amongst the sandy “soil”. Basically escape the wife and just tool about.

To get to the back yard, it’s going through the garage under the house. I have a hard limit of 2150mm to fit through. That will mean removing ROPS. From looking around the forum, that doesn’t seem like a drama. Seems to be a theme that the instructions to do this are unwritten, but there’s generally 4 massive bolts to undo. So I should be sweet.

Now, in talking to a mate, he said “get the biggest excavator you can afford, as no matter what you have, you will always want more, and a little one will only frustrate”.

That has me thinking of a 5 tonne excavator. It’s probably still a little too big for some narrow areas, but if my mate is to be believed, I don’t want to find out it doesn’t have the chops to lift a big rock out of the way.

then I saw this little beauty. https://www.constructionsales.com.au/items/details/2018-kubota-u35-4/SSE-AD-13987468/?Cr=18
it’s USD $40,000.
More than I was hoping to spend on a back yard toy, as I won’t be generating any income from it. But it’s set up with a thumb, buckets, ripper and rock breaker.

However, it is a 3.5T machine.

Questions:
1. Is removing or tilting a cabin (albeit with some wiring harness connecting) relatively easy to do to get through a clearance issue? Or is it remarkably harder than a canopy?
2. Is bigger better? Or is the benefit of not having width issues/stress, going to outweigh the benefit of lifting capacity. (A 3.5T device would fit in an area I have as a parking area … a 5T would be too wide, so I’d need to leave it parked outside and down a hill).
3. What’s your general opinion on cost for a backyard device? Do you just buy a crummy thing cheap? Or buy as good a machine as you can afford, even if you aren’t using it to generate income?

 

[Willie B]

If I had one machine it wouldn't be a mini excavator. In my life I have owned 6 Tractor Backhoe Loaders, most versatile machine in my opinion.
I have used mini excavators a number of times. In my opinion bigger is better. A three ton mini will dig very efficiently in sandy, level soil. Soil pitched hillside is a challenge for a mini. If tracks aren't level set on firm footing I don't like swinging.
A recent job installing a generator with underground conduits & 1000 gallon underground propane tank began with the customer was going to borrow a 4 ton Kubota mini. He hurt his back, couldn't operate it. I did the digging. Entire site was 30% grade.
Trench digging was efficient work, 60 feet of conduit trench 46" deep, 80 feet of gas line trench 24" deep. Hole for propane tank 6' deep, flat bottom, 12' X 5' took forever! I couldn't reach from one end to the other.
Second day I made concessions to the brevity of life, took my backhoe. I could reach easily to clean the hole. Hoisting the tank would have been impossible with the mini, effortless with the backhoe. Lifting it out a few times for gas installer to make minor adjustments in the floor of the hole; no problem.
The tank had to be backfilled with sand, the trench had to be bedded in sand. 1.3 Cubic Yard bucket made short work of that.
My backhoe travels down highway at 22 MPH, I can move it several miles in the time it'd take to hitch trailer to truck.
Older backhoes had no ROPS structure, newer ones with canopy ROPS can be removed for low clearance. Typically they are less than 8 feet wide.

 

[MG84]

I agree with WillieB on the versatility and value of a backhoe, but not for what the OP is wanting. For one thing, access to the backyard basically eliminates the backhoe right off the bat. Limited space and steep ground also lend themselves more to a mini ex.

You can do a lot of work with a 3.5 ton unit, especially if time is on your side. That said, I've owned a U35-4 Kubota and now a U48-5 Kubota, the bigger unit will do a lot more work and is faster/stronger all around.

A few more questions:
-Exactly how much area are you working on?
-How big of trees/rocks are you wanting to dig out and move?
-What is the approximate volume of dirt that needs to be excavated and leveled?
-Do you have any timeline to get the project done?

Some pics of the area/project would be good too.

 

[IceHole]

That machine I'd expect go for ~30k here.

 

[Legdoc]

I have a Case 580M Series1 that is a very versatile machine but way too large to get into many places on the ranch. So I recently purchased a Kubota KX 033 mini ex with 12",18",24" and 30" tilt bucket. It is very nice to be able to swing 360. The TLB has 3X the power and twice the weight. It can lift, load a dump truck, dig 18' deep and drive down the road. My Kubota SVL-90 CTL can dig, load, accept a smooth or toothed bucket, drill holes, fork lift, lift bales of hay, mix concrete and doze. Every machine has it's place but can be a compromise. IE, a jack of all but master of none.
Nice Case 580, I wish mine had a cab with A/C but I wouldn't part with her!

 

[skyking1]

I operate a 35 sized machine with a cab for a commercial plumbing company. My boss was suggesting 50 but I said no, I can get the 35 into many places a 50 won't go. I have many pictures to prove that out.
1) forget about removing a cab. If taking off the ROPS is going to really happen, don't get a cab machine.
2) yes bigger is better, but smaller is better than a shovel and levers. A 35 is quite remarkable in what you can lift and do. I happen to have a 12 ton also and use that whenever practical.
3) it is your time and money. If you want to save a bunch and get some clapped out junk, and are ready and able to fix it when it breaks, go that route. If you can afford a newer low hour machine, you will probably enjoy many years of trouble free operation.