Been thinking about buying an old dozer for my pond work and making log trails/roads on my land. Found a nice old D4 for $3500 but no blade.. Dang.. 😨 looked at a ihc 500c today but I'm sure they'll want more than I want to spend. Missed a Case 310 for $5000.
Someone said that a skid steer with tracks over the wheels might be an option. No idea if they could push much of any dirt but sure could be used for a lot of other stuff. See a Case for $4500 (gas) but then the tracks look like $2000.
Any ideas out there?
Thanks,
Jeff
I have a bobcat T770 and am amazed at what it will lift and push and all around get done. thay are VERY versatile and you can rent almost any attachment for them to do almost anything.
I have a Case 1845c, with OTT tracks and a tooth bucket it is pretty aggresive. I'm certain I could outwork old dozers like a Deere 450b in a lot of situations. A skid steer is much faster and much more maneuverable. I didn't say outpush, mind you, I said outwork. I've done small clearing projects etc for people, they are pretty skeptical of what a "bobcat" can do. Most people have the image of a tiny Bobcat machine with a twin cylinder Onan gas engine when they think of a skid loader. My machine weighs around 6500-7000 pounds with the steel OTT tracks on it. I don't want to toot my own horn, a lot of it is operator, I spent many years in these things getting paid union wages where a high level of productivity was expected. My point is that the machine is capable if you are.
One area these machine don't do well is greasy conditions, and beach sand. That is where ASV machines excel, they float over about anything. In my mind, a skid steer is kind of like my Leatherman multi-tool I keep on my hip. It's not the best at a lot of things, but it is capable. I can move logs around the yard, plow snow, grade the driveway, clear land, prep slabs, not to mention all the attachments you can run with them.
What those guys said. ;) neither one does what the other will do 100%. I'm a diehard NH skidsteer fan, you can find some decent ones for short money if you watch. I would avoid something that's been run in the barn, manure rots them from the inside out. I have a rubber 170 and a track 175, both have advantages over the other. I tried the steel over the tire tracks and they work ok but it's a skid steer with limited ground clearance so keep that in mind.
A skidsteer with a full range of attachments is about the most versatile bit of kit around.
You can lift small logs, push small trees,dig small holes or trenches... All that kinda stuff.
It can do bigger jobs too, if you just whittle away at them one bite at a time, so long as you're patient.
Patience may well be a virtue but it's not one of mine.
In my experience there are no substitutes for sheer tonnage and brute HP when there's serious work to do. I've never seen a bobcat that could shift/clear/ dig as much in a day as I could get done by morning tea with an old D4D, much less one of the big toys. It's that bit bigger tree/stump/rock that you can push without dropping the rippers, plus the option of dropping the rippers... It adds up quick.
The D4D is a much more capable earthmover than any skidsteer. If the machine you are considering has decent undercarriage, (ask your local Cat dealer to measure it), and runs OK, used blades are easily found on the heavy equipment market. Unless you plan on moving the machine to other jobs, the dozer is best. Regards, Clark
I have a 247b cat track skid steer in my landing they are super fast to pile with and don't sink outa sight like one on wheeles
You might want to look at a trackloader with a 4 in 1 bucket, something like a IH 125/ powershift are handy and parts are available. :)
mike
I have a gehl 6635 with around 80 hp weighs close 9000 no tracks but new tires. Love the machine can do alot of work in short order but tires dig down fast without tracks hates the mud.its an older skidsteer andnow ive got an injector seal leaking so she is coming out of the woods soon...
We have a JD 332 and a Cat 299D XHP, both are tracked machines and can do just about anything we ask of them. Extremely maneuverable and they can float over just about any ground. Now we only break out the D3 dozer when we need the extra weight to push a lot of dirt. Transporting them is a little easier too, each is around 12,000lbs as opposed to the 29,000lbs of the D3.
I have owned three skid steers, 2 Bobcats and an ASV. Both Bobcat's have had OTT Grouser tracks. My Dad had a JD 350B crawler/dozer that I ran a bit. In my opinion, the modern day skid steer with tracks is the best bang for your dollar. They are incredibly versatile, powerful, economical to operate, and very dependable.....well, Bobcats anyway!!! Plus you can move them with a pickup truck, vs a float.
And most valuable, nearly any attachment imaginable is available to purchase or rent. I have had several other pieces of equipment that come and go. I will never go without my Bobcat!
My cat 416B backhoe loader is a great all purpose machine. Scrape up the ground with the backhoe and push it with the bucket.
Equipment must be a bit cheaper in your area, any dozer or bobcat in the 3500 to 5000 range, would be ready for the junkyard. I have seen bobcats sell for more with the motor in pieces at auctions.
Well, I am sold on the skid steers but after checking the used prices I'm out of ammo.. But maybe if I see a deal some day. They seem to be about twice the price per lbs compared to dozer.
I stopped at the local machine dealer and looked at some new skid steers, just for fun, and I didn't see much road clearance for in the woods..
Anybody use a road grader in the woods?
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19539/IMG_20150820_202831.jpg)
4WD, lots of heavy iron an maybe a 71 series under the hood..! I bet this baby could pull a log trailer down the road.. 😋
Never saw one used for skidding,but an old timer here converted a retired town grader in to a wood splitter.Couldn't find a log it wouldn't split.
Quote from: 47sawdust on August 21, 2015, 05:28:26 AM
Never saw one used for skidding,but an old timer here converted a retired town grader in to a wood splitter.Couldn't find a log it wouldn't split.
Might not push much dirt and might not turn sharp enough in the woods. Doubt it would do much around the pond. Oh well.. dozing is costly.
Austin-Western !!! there used to be a bunch of them around,probably a 4-71 in that one, pacer 99 or 100 model.the rear steers and the front steers !! shorten it up !!!! ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: loggah on August 21, 2015, 04:12:18 PM
Austin-Western !!! there used to be a bunch of them around,probably a 4-71 in that one, pacer 99 or 100 model.the rear steers and the front steers !! shorten it up !!!! ;D ;D ;D
You hit the nail on the head. They want $2000 for it.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19539/IMG_20150821_101021.jpg)
If I was in my twenties I would grab the grader but now the plan is to sell all my rolling stock and buy a skid steer and utilitie 2WD tractor. Scale back and modernize a bit.
This is the first rig to go to the auction barn. Sunday morning I'm driving this 15 miles... ouch... wish me luck.. 😱
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19539/IMG_20150822_160634.jpg)
Here's my frog pond that I'm tuning up a bit. I have to swing as much slop as possible because the 510 is going on the auction block to.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19539/IMG_20150822_160603.jpg)
You may regret that. Don't know about your way, but around here stuff sells pretty cheap at auctions.
Having said that, at one point we all have to let our treasures go.
Quote from: lopet on August 22, 2015, 10:57:40 PM
You may regret that. Don't know about your way, but around here stuff sells pretty cheap at auctions.
Having said that, at one point we all have to let our treasures go.
Some times it's less than expected, some times about right and some times more. Maybe it averages out. It cost to have too much stuff that you don't have the time to keep up to snuff. Seems like I end up selling low and buying high, that's the story of my life. I'll also be loosing the barn that all this stuff was stored in and that means I have to add on to my other barn more than I would like. It would have been a lot better if 20 years ago I knew exactly the right equipment to get and be done with it..! But it didn't work out that way and I get to keep paying for all my mistakes.... 😨 Oh well I could have worse problems.
Oh I made the trip OK, well at least the first trip.
Well, got all the boys at the auction barn. Put on enough miles to go half ways to Pittsburgh and that's it!!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19539/IMG_20150830_160322.jpg)
My new/used skid steer and utility tractor was also delivered this week. Spent way more than I wanted to but I think it will pay off over the course of ten years.....
A large skid steer is out of my price range so I settled on this smaller one. Seems thight and well built. Also my new road tractor. Needs some work but fits in well.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19539/IMG_20150906_110207.jpg)
Gehl makes a good machine, and that's big enough to do alot of work. That's an International 300 gas tractor ?
Quote from: BargeMonkey on September 06, 2015, 11:18:46 PM
Gehl makes a good machine, and that's big enough to do alot of work. That's an International 300 gas tractor ?
That be it.. 300 Utility to be exact. First job is an alternator conversion and rewired. I changed the 50 year old oil and filter this weekend. Even managed to remove the old oil filter gasket and install the new one that comes with the filter... 😁 Nice tractor to work on. Got a have something to wrench on. In a few years I'll split it and overhaul the TA...😷
The boys are acting up. Skid steer has a flat tire and wouldn't start. Jumped up and down on the seat and she fired right up. Think I'll jumper the seat switch. Amazingly the wheel came off easy. Next trick is to see if I can fix the tire.. 😨
Puffergas,
That was a fine looking Farmall M. Takes me back to the younger days when we had a Super M TA on the farm. My old Dad still regrets the day he sold it. I still have a few scars on the knuckles from that steering wheel spinning... :D.
I've been hunting for one to restore, but they are getting scarce.
Hope the new iron works out well for you !!
Deerguy
Quote from: deerguy on September 08, 2015, 08:19:14 AM
Puffergas,
That was a fine looking Farmall M. Takes me back to the younger days when we had a Super M TA on the farm. My old Dad still regrets the day he sold it. I still have a few scars on the knuckles from that steering wheel spinning... :D.
I've been hunting for one to restore, but they are getting scarce.
Hope the new iron works out well for you !!
Deerguy
Thanks Deerguy.
The M with the FEL I bought a year or two after High School. The other M was my grand fathers that I bought at his auction. They both did a lot of work but are at home best on a field not woods work, IMHO.
The skid steer is amazing. It doesn't seem to tear up the forest floor like I thought it would. Maybe because it mixes the steering not like the older smaller ones. I didn't like the T control at first but after about an hour I got it. Makes backing up as easy as going forward.