Struck Magnatrac mini tracked crawlers

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

Plaindriver

Is it just me, or are you not as pleased with the towable backhoe as you were in your initial review? This go around, you just don't appear to find it as useful as you did in your initial review?

I was dissapointed to hear of its lack of ability to load logs efficiently as this was one use I was considering buying it for. I am glad i read your review before I went ahead and pulled the trigger and bought one.  Your timing was absolutely perfect in keeping me from making a mistake and I thank you for that.

[plaindriver]

Plaindriver

Is it just me, or are you not as pleased with the towable backhoe as you were in your initial review? This go around, you just don't appear to find it as useful as you did in your initial review?

I was dissapointed to hear of its lack of ability to load logs efficiently as this was one use I was considering buying it for. I am glad i read your review before I went ahead and pulled the trigger and bought one.  Your timing was absolutely perfect in keeping me from making a mistake and I thank you for that.

Beaver-I would buy it all over again, its just that it is solely and specifically a digging machine. It is in no way to be considered mobile. I dig about 5 lf of trench, spend 30 sec to re-position, then dig another 5' and so on. Not great for tight quarters. But it is awful strong.
As far as log loading- -if you go thru the pita of establishing the CG on a log, then heft it, your bucket is occupied meaning you cant reloc the unit, you could only drive a trailer under it. Take the max ht of the arm in the up position, deduct the chain length around the log, the dia of log, and the bucket, I doubt you would even have 24" ground clearance. It wouldnt even make sense to mount it to a flatbed and use it only for hefting.

When (and if) the ground ever dries out here, I intend to dig about 250' of French drain, maybe 15" initially and as much as 24" as it progresses. Luckily, the route has a gentle downslope.

PS: Glad you didnt pull the trigger.

[Al_Smith]

Some of those itty bitty little hoe /loaders did pretty good for no larger than they are .Bolens made a nice little unit that would dig about 6 feet deep at one time .You could probabley dig a basement with it given enough time .

Just like taking a 3 foot oak stump with a D4 Cat it's just going to take more effort that if it were a D8 .Then again just about any thing beats  a pick and shovel even a mule with a slip scoop .