Which Would You Choose?

[Jarred525]

O.K. so I am dreaming here, but if you ran into some cash and had the option to buy one of the following to work on your property, which would you choose?

1.) Track Loader
2.) Bulldozer
3.) Trackhoe
4.) Something else

For me, I think I would go with the trackhoe, and maybe get one that has the blade on the front as well.

 

[muddyboots]

None. If i had plenty of money i would hire somebody to do it and watch them.

 

[wayers]

i need a bulldozer right now for the farm i hunt.

 

[BSK]

Me personally, I would love to have a little dozer.

Of course, with my history involving heavy equipment, I probably wouldn't live long if I owned one!

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Definitely the trackhoe

 

[monsterbuck07]

Dozer for me

 

[tn droptine]

Me personally, I would love to have a little dozer.

Of course, with my history involving heavy equipment, I probably wouldn't live long if I owned one!

Especially if there are any train tracks nearby

 

[BSK]

Me personally, I would love to have a little dozer.

Of course, with my history involving heavy equipment, I probably wouldn't live long if I owned one!

Especially if there are any train tracks nearby

Or fire!

 

[huntintn]

lets see, wait I have all of that.............

 

[timberjack86]

dozer definatley! There is only so much you can do with a bucket.

 

[Jarred525]

Dozer definitely ranks up there. I think the bulk of what I would be doing is digging up stumps is why I say the trackhoe. Between the blade on front and our tractor with the box blade, I figure I could smooth everything out. I have a dozer coming in a few weeks to tackle some stumps. I will be interested to see how well it does with them and if he is easily able to get the topsoil off the stumps.

 

[Boone 58]

O.K. so I am dreaming here, but if you ran into some cash and had the option to buy one of the following to work on your property, which would you choose?

1.) Track Loader
2.) Bulldozer
3.) Trackhoe
4.) Something else

For me, I think I would go with the trackhoe, and maybe get one that has the blade on the front as well.

I am assuming you all ready have a tractor, disk, bushhog?...
If not then #4...other.....and this being the "other".

 

[Jarred525]

O.K. so I am dreaming here, but if you ran into some cash and had the option to buy one of the following to work on your property, which would you choose?

1.) Track Loader
2.) Bulldozer
3.) Trackhoe
4.) Something else

For me, I think I would go with the trackhoe, and maybe get one that has the blade on the front as well.

I am assuming you all ready have a tractor, disk, bushhog?...
If not then #4...other.....and this being the "other".

Yep, should have been clear. Assuming you already have a tractor.

 

[Football Hunter]

trackhoe,can do anything with them,IF ,you know how

 

[jmb4wd]

We have all of the above for our family business, and It would be hard for me to decide between a trackhoe, and a track loader.

Both have great features. Over all, a dozer is over rated at digging stumps, as you loose so much topsoil and disturb so much ground getting the stump out.

A trackhoe, you can know down tree, pile it on the side, dig the dirt out of the stump and pack the hole back tight.

Also a advantage to a track loader is the ability to pack trails or roads and or ponds down well. Most trackloaders have narrower tracks which allow for great compaction in digging ponds and building roads.

Since I have both, I will stick with both as my answer!! I know its not fair!!! lol

 

[southernhunter]

i would vote a skid steer."bobcat" we have a couple and i have clear some big areas with them .dug ponds, ect. they are fast and easy to clean up trails with ,and u can buy all kinds of attachments for them .

 

[Boone 58]

Then a dozer or something to move material around cant be beat. Especially if you are in Developemental stages....i.e....needing more food plots developed, and or areas pushed and cleaned up. If i had the allready established things done such as this and i didnt have need for a dozer then i would be looking at owning more equipement such as lime wagons, and or no till drills etc...which are pricey to say the least!

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

Dozer definitely ranks up there. I think the bulk of what I would be doing is digging up stumps is why I say the trackhoe. Between the blade on front and our tractor with the box blade, I figure I could smooth everything out. I have a dozer coming in a few weeks to tackle some stumps. I will be interested to see how well it does with them and if he is easily able to get the topsoil off the stumps.

How many stumps are you talking about?

A few and yes maybe digging them up would be ok.... On a hunting property, we just dug them out and truned the stump down, put it right back in the hole.... dug a little deeper so the extra dirt would cover the rootball once it was back in the hole.

If you have many stumps, it might be more time friendly and cost efficient to use a cutting blade on a dozer. It will cut the stumps off even with the top of the ground.... After a few years, when the stumps finally rot, you may have to take the tractor and boxblade to fill in the holes.... or just disk over it to help fill in.

 

[jmb4wd]

i would vote a skid steer."bobcat" we have a couple and i have clear some big areas with them .dug ponds, ect. they are fast and easy to clean up trails with ,and u can buy all kinds of attachments for them .

I would have to agree for small projects and the ability to move somewhat quickly.

Just another option are these mini excavators. We got this one about a year ago, and its very handy, more that you would think. Ours has a swivel bucket that is great and the blade on the ground will really level and move some dirt considering its size. Also due to its size, it will fit down atv trails.

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[Jarred525]

Dozer definitely ranks up there. I think the bulk of what I would be doing is digging up stumps is why I say the trackhoe. Between the blade on front and our tractor with the box blade, I figure I could smooth everything out. I have a dozer coming in a few weeks to tackle some stumps. I will be interested to see how well it does with them and if he is easily able to get the topsoil off the stumps.

How many stumps are you talking about?

A few and yes maybe digging them up would be ok.... On a hunting property, we just dug them out and truned the stump down, put it right back in the hole.... dug a little deeper so the extra dirt would cover the rootball once it was back in the hole.

If you have many stumps, it might be more time friendly and cost efficient to use a cutting blade on a dozer. It will cut the stumps off even with the top of the ground.... After a few years, when the stumps finally rot, you may have to take the tractor and boxblade to fill in the holes.... or just disk over it to help fill in.

It would be a pretty good number. I had planned on one of these days doing a lot of timber cuts where in some cases I would open the areas up for food plots and such. I like your idea of just flipping the stump over and burying it. Have you noticed a lot of settling when you do this? I guess if you have settling of the dirt you can come back over it in the future and smooth it out.

 

[Jarred525]

i would vote a skid steer."bobcat" we have a couple and i have clear some big areas with them .dug ponds, ect. they are fast and easy to clean up trails with ,and u can buy all kinds of attachments for them .

I would have to agree for small projects and the ability to move somewhat quickly.

Just another option are these mini excavators. We got this one about a year ago, and its very handy, more that you would think. Ours has a swivel bucket that is great and the blade on the ground will really level and move some dirt considering its size. Also due to its size, it will fit down atv trails.

[/img]

I like that Justin. Ability to dig and push stuff out of the way and smooth the dirt out. Would it dig out big stumps pretty well?

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

^^^^

A mini-excavator is great for small jobs..... if you get a good sized mini, it would do more.... but being small, they will have their limits. If you get the biggest mini you would probably be ok for average jobs.... I would suggest getting the thumb attachment on the boom for picking up brush, large rocks, whatever.

I have used several of them when I was installing remediation systems to reclaim and clean polluted ground water. For some of the things we were doing.... it was at it's limits capability wise.


As far as the flipped over stumps...... we cleared a low area that floods.... made it crop plantable, and then during winter, flood it for duck hunting..... so any settling is hardly noticed during planting and hasn't been a problem so far during hunting where we have wadded around in the area.

 

[AllOutdoors]

Trackhoe for me.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

Another thing I would add going with the Mini-Excavator.... besides getting the thumb attachment..... if you get into the bigger of the "mini's" you can get the 6-way blade.... I would for sure get that option.... Otherwise, you WILL have to have a level starting point to begin blading.... if you trying to level an area for say building purposes. The standard, smaller models have the 2-way blade.... up & down only.

 

[Jarred525]

Another thing I would add going with the Mini-Excavator.... besides getting the thumb attachment..... if you get into the bigger of the "mini's" you can get the 6-way blade.... I would for sure get that option.... Otherwise, you WILL have to have a level starting point to begin blading.... if you trying to level an area for say building purposes. The standard, smaller models have the 2-way blade.... up & down only.

Good point. I was wondering if they made those with the 6 way.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I have used several brands (as you can see in the pics).... they were all pretty much the same....

If you have experience running a rubber tired backhoe or a trackhoe.... there is a valve on the smaller models you can turn to switch the controls to what your used to. The bigger mini's should be the same way.

I have run a trackhoe more than a backhoe..... being used to a trackhoe, the controls on the backhoes I've operated, were backwards/opposite.... The valve makes it nice to switch them to your liking.

 

[Jarred525]

I think a mini with the 6 way blade and thumb attachment would be the ticket. Gives you a lot of flexibility.