What Machine would you Buy?

[cderekbower]

I have to make 50 acres of forest mowable. I also have to dig a few ponds. I have plenty of time to do this.
Here is the tricky bit.

1. The job is in Belize (my own land).
2. The trees tend to be 1' in diameter up to 3'.

So, I need a fairly big excavator to push over the bigger trees, but if this presents a shipping expense nightmare my money could be better spent digging out the largest stumps with a smaller machine, assuming a smaller machine can push over most of the trees up to say 18" in diameter.

I want to sell the machine when my job is finished and would maybe have to ship it back to the US to have a chance of finding a buyer.

 

[JoeS1989]

Go for a Volvo EC210B or C series! Dont go for cat there junk!

 

[d4c24a]

Ec210b/c

Go for a Volvo EC210B or C series! Dont go for cat there junk!

what did you think of the volvo joe ,compared to the cat 320 D
how much seat time did you get to come to your conclusions
it would give cderekbower more info rather than "cat is junk line"
that seems to be the norm lately :beatsme

 

[oriden]

john deer 200LC sounds like it would work or the cat 320 D

perhaps a small dozer would be a good investment? nothing big just some thing like a D3k or D4?

 

[willie59]

IMHO, I wouldn't care what "brand" it is, as much as I would be concerned about "which brand" has the best parts support in the area. If it runs...it will break...when you need it most!

 

[cderekbower]

IMHO, I wouldn't care what "brand" it is, as much as I would be concerned about "which brand" has the best parts support in the area. If it runs...it will break...when you need it most!

a nice guy sent me an address for Cat in Belize and I looked at their website to see how extensive their business is there. The website is not so good but I have a phone number now.

 

[tootalltimmy]

Are you looking at a new machine or used? I decided to go with something quite new (370 hrs) as I wanted to run it, not fix it all the time. I am finding that the 135 Case is small for loading trucks if you need production- I don't.
It took care of a good sized pine tree easily. I have heard good things about the Isuzu engine.

 

[cderekbower]

john deer 200LC sounds like it would work or the cat 320 D

perhaps a small dozer would be a good investment? nothing big just some thing like a D3k or D4?

I agree that a dozer would be great for the grading and moving around of the brush and unusable logs, but it won't make ponds so easily will it? And what about pushing over large trees? I have watched videos online of dozers and excavators pushing over trees and the excavators seem to do a better job since they can push from higher. I am afraid that with a D3 or D4 I would be left with 100 stumps that I'd have to hire an excavator to come and dig out.

Although, I was originally thinking of using a 1 inch cable in the tree, about 15 feet off the ground to pull the big trees over. It would be time consuming to set it up 100 times with a dozer idling at Belize fuel prices, but no doubt the dozer will be able to exert the necessary pull.

So, if you had to do this with one machine, you would choose the dozer. I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what limitations the excavator would put on me. I am extremely ignorant about heavy equipment.

 

[tootalltimmy]

Do a search on Youtube for excavator clearing trees. I typed
"Excavator trees" and got lots of hits. Good way to do research on what you might need to do the job. Clearing large trees is dangerous work. Your excavator should have full forestry guarding.

 

[Grouser]

I would check into an excavator/dozer like the Bladerunner ED195. Try to find out what kind of root system the bigger trees have and what kind of ground is there. If they are rooted into soft, moist topsoil it should be no problem. Just use the tree as your stump puller by knocking it over with the excavator and uprooting it.

If a 3' diameter tree has a tap root and is embeded in rock you will be suprised how hard they are to get out.

 

[cderekbower]

Are you looking at a new machine or used? I decided to go with something quite new (370 hrs) as I wanted to run it, not fix it all the time. I am finding that the 135 Case is small for loading trucks if you need production- I don't.
It took care of a good sized pine tree easily. I have heard good things about the Isuzu engine.

I am thinking along the same lines as you. I want to get something that will be reliable. Down time won't cost me much as preparing this land will be a full time job for me, but it could be very frustrating waiting for a part to arrive from another country, fighting over the correct duty to pay on it, etc.
I don't need to load trucks. I need to push over thousands of trees and dig several ponds. The pushing over of trees is the thing upon which the decision lies, I believe.
All excavavators will dig and there is nothing fancy about my digging jobs.
If it was easy to ship I would just go for a huge excavator to be certain I wouldn't have to mess around with digging around the roots of lots of trees.

A number of folks are recommending a cat 320D. A popular machine like that would be great for my resale potential.

I am also a fan of Isuzu engines, but I want something others will also believe in for my resale.

 

[cderekbower]

I would check into an excavator/dozer like the Bladerunner ED195. Try to find out what kind of root system the bigger trees have and what kind of ground is there. If they are rooted into soft, moist topsoil it should be no problem. Just use the tree as your stump puller by knocking it over with the excavator and uprooting it.

If a 3' diameter tree has a tap root and is embeded in rock you will be suprised how hard they are to get out.

Grouser, You are on the money! That is exactly what I need. I see lots of dozer blades on mini excavators but your photo is the first I have seen on a large excavator.

These trees have shallow root systems. Tropical forests tend to be shallow with lots of nutrient exchange happening in the top 2 inches. Fairly abundant rainfall also keeps the roots shallow where I will be working. In a hurricane a few years ago every single tree large tree blew over for several square miles.

Sounds like you know what you are talking about. I have been unable to hand-pull weeds with a pencil thick diameter when they have the right root system. Maybe no machine could uproot a 3' tree taprooted in rocky soil.

 

[roddyo]

Excavator and a Chainsaw

Getting the Trees Down is the Easy part sometimes, Moving them after getting them down can be a problem. If you can't afford a Dozer buy a Chainsaw. If you have a big tree you can Block it up to move it.

I have some pictures on my Website of Clearing Timber BTW.

 

[RMB]

312C 315B? it depends also in your budget!

regards

 

[Hendrik]

I would suggest you talk to someone like this mob
http://www.southwestconstruction.bz/default.asp
they may well be able to help you in your project, from advise on purchasing a machine, selling you a machine, hiring you a machine, providing on the job training and selling the machine after the job is done.
As advised in your other thread on machine operations, you will need help to get this done.
There may be other construction companies in Belize (which BTW looks like a nice place).
Far as my recommendation for an ex goes, get the biggest machine you can afford (even if it is a bit older), preferably with a thumb. I would say that Cat would be best because if it breaks down you will find it easier to get back up and running than a more exotic brand.
Have you considered a dozer? They can push over trees and dig ponds (well push out dirt to make a pond). Maybe get 2 with a scrub chain between them

 

[cderekbower]

I would suggest you talk to someone like this mob
http://www.southwestconstruction.bz/default.asp
they may well be able to help you in your project, from advise on purchasing a machine, selling you a machine, hiring you a machine, providing on the job training and selling the machine after the job is done.
As advised in your other thread on machine operations, you will need help to get this done.
There may be other construction companies in Belize (which BTW looks like a nice place).
Far as my recommendation for an ex goes, get the biggest machine you can afford (even if it is a bit older), preferably with a thumb. I would say that Cat would be best because if it breaks down you will find it easier to get back up and running than a more exotic brand.
Have you considered a dozer? They can push over trees and dig ponds (well push out dirt to make a pond). Maybe get 2 with a scrub chain between them

I've been in contact with Peter from SWC. He has estimated US $22 500 to clear 50 acres. It seems like a lot when I have read that 2 bull dozers with a chain can pull over 100 acres in one day. Guys who chop by hand and are very clever at getting big trees to fall on smaller ones will clear 50 acres for US$7500. They will cause no compaction but will leave 90 % of the stumps in the ground.

I have a lot of excavator work to do after the land is cleared, however, so I like the idea of getting an excavator.

With the hassle of getting an excavator to Belize and the high cost of fuel, I may end up spending more than 22 500 if i do it with my own labour and my own machine.

I know that I can pull over every tree with an 8000 lb lift grip hoist for free, but I am looking at a lot of trees. It takes me one year to save 22K at my job. If it only takes me 6 months to pull over 50 acres of trees with a grip hoist then I ought to do it like that. I need to do a calculation.

 

[cderekbower]

ok, I did the calculation... about 8 yrs to uproot the trees on 50 acres with a griphoist. That option is out.

 

[Hendrik]

ok, I did the calculation... about 8 yrs to uproot the trees on 50 acres with a griphoist. That option is out.

:falldownlaugh:lmao
By the time you finished it would be time to start again at the other end.

 

[Case 580e]

go for a cat 315 they are big enough to dig ponds

 

[stumpjumper83]

The 315 cl that I used the other week was nice, it had 4.5 k hours on it and was holding up good. No anyoing rattles or anything. Power was great, fuel use was lower than expected, but i wasn't working it that hard either. Cab was comfortable and the reach was handy. I think that for one machine, the blade runner kobelco's are an excelent compromise to having an excavator and a dozer.