Im 22 I have no skills in the trades I never liked construction. All I had was a chainsaw and I started by finding customers on craigslist, Id do some tree work for them and theyd hire me for more work and Id have them rent the excavator.. Fast forward, Now I have my own dump truck, equipment trailer and 5 ton excavator (ive ran anything from a mini to a medium sized machine) its very versatile and you can run it anywhere. And loyal customers who remember when you did a perfect job even when you didnt have the means to do so, it all falls into place if you have a skill for operating the joystick like its a video game. Its making money while having fun. The most important part on a machine is that its heavy enough and has a hydraulic thumb

Make your own power jack. Cut the crank off, weld a socket to the stub and then use a battery impact wrench to raise or lower the trailer

Awesome video I own a landscaping company in South Georgia. We started with a used TL8 track skid steer and a new d2e high side dump trailer it worked great. 2nd year in we added a cx 37 mini x 11000 pounds machine and it was a game changer absolutely get the hydraulic thumb I can do so many jobs from trenching to tree removal the most useful machine I have. Year three added a case 380 track machine it it the biggest track machine without government juice aka def. Awesome machine and service. Year four we have added Harley rake and 19 ton mack dump truck. We continue to grow our fleet with attachments for this machine . We also added a gooseneck trailer year two but used dump trailer to haul equipment for years. Couldn't agree more in my case a back hoe is useless. Thanks for videos they have helped me with purchase great videos and content stay safe.

Stanley your words of wisdom will benefit so many novice guys and probably save then from bankruptcy too!!!

I have an S185 and I love it. I use it mostly for things around my house and plowing snow in the winter. It is honestly the best thing I own. I’ve used it for the odd job here and there. The dump trailer is also a must. I use it constantly

...unless you live in the mountains! Then, buy an mini-excavator first. For a first size, I had a Bobcat E-26. It was perfect - could pull off the canopy and get indoors or cut away a mountain for a home pad. I had a straight blade, 24" bucket, 12" bucket, and a thumb. I cut new roads, trenched in commercial buildings and exterior for all kinds of things, cleared land, did basement waterproofing, stacked finger boulder walls, repaired lots of crushed stone drives/pads, and did a lot of tree felling. ...excellent size, cost. Paired with it a '99 F-550 dump truck and a 16', 10,000lb equipment trailer.

This is such valuable knowledge to be passing on. Thank you so much. I’m just getting started in the dirt business and love the content.

I fully understand that a backhoe isn’t amazing at everything but starting my landscaping business it certainly allowed me to do jobs to grow and eventually get my kx040. I’m still working on getting a skid. There’s also jobs where I don’t want to take 2 pieces of equipment to as I’m solo and it just makes time sense and small much more forgiving on lawns. Excavation I could definitely see it being different though!

I loved the instructional view from an experienced contractor, I've been watching the various jobs that your company has been worked on for a few years now, Thank you Stanley & company

Hatred of backhoes is unfounded, especially considering the construction grade Kubota TLB's that can drop the backhoe for 3 point implements. Think of it. A dump trailer hauling a Kubota TLB can do everything the skid steer and excavator can and more with one trip. It certainly can't do the individual tasks as quickly as a skid steer or excavator, but you have to consider the cost of three machines and the time to haul them individually to the job site. Kubota's L47 has comparable performance specs to a mid-sized skid and a Kubota KX040 and all you have to do is flip the seat around.

Everything he said about the trucks is so true. This ain't 1990 where the biggest gas motors only made 200hp. These modern gassers make plenty of power and with maintenance and care last as long as any frame they make. Modern diesels make stupid power but the emissions systems are killing them

I’ve never been in the residential industry. So when I started my business I had no clue where it was going to lead me so I rented everything and only owned a 3/4 ton pick up and hand tools. I used my profits to buy grade laser, water pumps, battery powered tools, chop saw, and etc. without having loans on small equipment I was able to be versatile with different pieces of equipment. I was able to use my capitol and a LOC to start funding commercial projects. It allowed me to get into a larger revenue projects with larger equipment.

I started with a Bobcat CT 2040 tractor and a 20’ Deckover trailer. I picked up driveway grading, storm tree clean ups, brush hogging, and post drilling. I always looked for palletized goods hauling. Bulk sheet material for home builders can be picked up at the box stores. Now I have a 14k Lamar dump trailer and I’m looking for a mid size excavator to grow with.

For residential landscaping a mini skidsteer is a brilliant machine. My Toro TX1000 wide track with the turf tracks replaced with dirt tracks and multiple attachments has made me the bionic man :)

The old saying is a backhoe isn't the perfect tool for any one job but it can do every job.

I’ve been in the business seven years because of this man I started watching some of his videos about eight years ago and made me fall in love with dirt working construction ! His information is on point.

I retired 3 years ago and got a $5k Chinesium Jinma 2 cylinder diesel. With 3 attachments. Having fun learning how to use it and tricking it out.

4in1 bucket is on the skid steer is another bell and whistle virtually standard here in Australia

My first machine was a brand new 883 Bobcat Skid Steer. That machine was a huge part in building a company. 2 years later I purchased a new John Deere 310SG backhoe. Another great machine that I still have in the fleet. Currently we have 1 track loader 2 skid steer loaders 2 mini excavators 1 backhoe and 5 3 yard wheel loaders. It all started with the 883G skid steer, we ran the hell out of that machine for 20 years. The year we got the machine we got a blizzard where the bobcat ran for 8 days without shutting off. For a first machine you can’t go wrong with a skid steer!

First timer on channel and I’m thinking about starting my own business. GREAT pointers and advice. Kabota, Bobcat and John Deere dealers are near me. I’m leaning heavily towards Kabota. I’m loosing my factory job (plant closing) so I will be a whole new business from ground up. Truck, trailer, skid steer, mini trackhoe and few different attachments. Was thinking about grinder/mulching head so that jumps me up to largest body size with high flow pump. My goal is to clear lots, grading, tree & stump removal, driveways or right way cut-ins… I have a friend who wants/needs me to come with him again to run a crew on mowing and reclaiming right aways that run through Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. On the road work yes but I can learn and hone my skills while working for him. I have major decision ahead and if I decide to stay home work for self…more decisions ahead concerning equipment. Lots to consider and pray about. Good video and congrats on your lifelong successful commitment working dirt. I assume we are alike in that we want to make a decent living; not get rich overnight. Anything that comes in fast can and probably will leave just as fast. The turtle might not win all the races but he does always finish each race.

I do facility/ grounds maintenance at summer camp. We have compact tractors which offers us a lot of versatility. They aren’t the best at everything but they get the job done.

Hey Stanley. Always great content. Your videos have been extremely helpful as I'm nearing my first year in my side business, which at some point will become my full time gig. I've started out with a Mahindra 38hp tractor, only because i needed something for my property. After many neighbors in my area started calling and asking to me to spread gravel, dirt, move rocks, ect i decided to start the business since i saw a need and a way to make the money back on the machine. I'm still very green in this line of work but continue to push myself outside my comfort zone to learn more, and that's where your content has helped me greatly. Next years purchase will start with an excavator (because i too think a backhoe is inefficient) and since i already have a loader on the tractor, i can skirt by for another year without a skid. I also like the tractor because of the rear pto, where i run different implements, cheaper. However, there are downsides to that too. It takes time to build up the equipment, used excavator - 25-45k, used dump trailer - 5-7k, used skid - 8-15k. Plus hearing "you brought home another piece of equipment!?, where are we going to put that!?" lol.

Thank you sir! Been dreaming about getting into this kind of work. I rented an excavator to get some work done on my little farm. Turns out I love operating! I’ve been working in the corporate world for 20 years. Been thinking while the market is up turn some earnings into real equipment. We are living in the twilight zone, working in the woods is the only way to stay sane! I’ve learned a lot from you. Thanks!

One issue that’s not directly related to the choice of equipment is what, if any, licenses are required to operate loaders, excavators, and other earth moving equipment in your state. In my state a hoist license is required for all uses with only one exception, agricultural purposes.

Great video bro!! Thanks for the advice!

I just bought a kubota m62 with thumb, graple / root rake and 1 yard bucket... all quick attach. No regrets. I can dig out a 40"+ diameter stump, grab it with the graple and then bring in a couple scoops of dirt to cover the hole with just 1 machine. I can work it hard for 8 hours on 15 gallons on diesel. With the crawl mode, i can trench without having to turn the seat around.... but i understand your point that it's not as efficient for each task as the machine dedicated to that task. Hauling 1 machine to a site certainly has an advantage.

This was a good video. I started out with a shovel and a garden rake. Later i got a push mower. I knew as yard work started coming in i needed a leaf rake and wanted to get serious in the material moving so i bought me a wheelbarrow. I should have bought a tarp when i got the wheelbarrow but i didn't want to spend more money. Last year I bought me a wagon. It has the big pneumatic tires. I wish i would have got them foam filled but was to excited with how easily it rolled to think about future regrets. Now that im all set up and in business im thinking my next investment should be geared towards health benefits. Seriously thinking of purchasing a large igloo to keep Gatorade in. I think they are cheaper than a yeti and should work about as well.

We operate with several mini skids doing landscaping in tight residential areas and I wouldn’t choose a different machine for that application. The mini skids go to 100% of our sites. Full sized loader maybe half. And the minis are being developed further every year to lift more weight.

Interesting perspective, don't disagree.. Homebuilder who does his own back fill, landscaping, etc. Started with a Kubota B7800 with a Land Pride tiller, worked the heck out of it (still own it), then added a Takeuchi TB 235-2 mini ex for digouts, utility work, boulder installs. Kubota landscape tractor does most of the work a skid loader would do except moving heavy pallets of retaining wall block, so now use a heavy strap with the mini-ex to slide the pallets (which isn't time efficient, but gets it done). Only thing I'd add is an angle blade to my Takeuchi. Good video, keep em coming.

Started with a Bobcat T190. Then went to a SVL75-2 and a Kx040. Sold the SVL75-2, bought a SVL97-2. Still have the KX040. Will probably add a wheeled unit fairly soon. I wouldn’t buy an excavator without the thumb, period. Completely agree on the closed cabs, even if you want to run it open like I do much of the time. The only thing I disagree on, but this is very budget driven, is the 3/4 or 1 ton truck. I use a 550 now and wouldn’t ever step back down. I completely get the cost side getting started. But once there, there is no comparison to this truck and a 3/4 or 1 ton. Truck related as well, I absolutely hated working out of a pickup even though I did it for years. A service body is a gsme changer as well. This was one of your best videos. Kudo’s.

My first time using a skid steer was an S185 I rented to clear an acre of land to build our house. That thing is a great all around beast. I had a tooth bucket which was great for uprooting saplings and getting honkers unstuck, not to mention hogging out a 100’ x15’ driveway down 12” and dumping and leveling out the gravel. The S185 is a great piece of equipment. For a pro starting out I suggest getting both a blade bucket and a tooth bucket if you can afford it. It’ll make the machine more versatile.

I got a JD 110 tlb.... its been a great tool for just about anything, it takes attachments in either end with hydraulic provisions..

I do concrete work, mostly flatwork in central ND. I own a S185, and just bought a T66. I like the T66 for taking out driveways, especially if there has been any moisture…. It doesn’t leave ruts the way the wheeled machine does. Totally agree with the benefit of having a dedicated equipment trailer over using the dump trailer to haul all equipment….. my dump trailer hauls the 185…. Equipment trailer hauls T66

Excellent, instructive video! Well done!

I’m not disagreeing with 95% of what you said, however I think a sub compact tractor should have made the list, I can pick up logs with a grapple, dig out stumps with my backhoe, grade dirt roads with my land plane, brush hog with my tractor and many more jobs depending on attachments, it’s not the fastest or best to for the job but it will get allot of jobs done and many of them with one machine, personally I have completed a verity of jobs with this one machine. By the way great video and I’m glad you brought up the topic 👍🏼

All this nice equipment looking brand new! Put it to work already!

Kubota articulating loader with backhoe attachment is what I’ve used. Turns on a dime, great visibility, larger wheels that are all the same size, you can move the bucket or hoe side to side with the steering and fantastic reliability. Many attachments available as well.

100 % agree on your points today. Only Unit I'd add to the fleet, is a compact tractor. Especially for a personal use property owner that needs to brush hog, grapple logs, loader work for bulk materials or spray chemicals, etc...although most people who are watching this, and own acreage, already have one.

What about forestry mulching , lot clearing? Tracks for sure I would think on the skid , right?

I really appreciate the fact you added the caveat that it is job dependent.

Thanks for the video been torn between what equipment to buy. Been working in a plant for years as a electrician I'm burnt out. Been buying equipment slowly got a tractor with a grappler and front bucket, Ram 3500 dually diesel, and a 14k trailer. Do you still recommend the skid steer over the mini x or would my tractor get me by til I get a skid steer. mostly land clearing and dirt roads and stuff like that to do here in North Carolina. Anyone in the comments happy to hear your thoughts as well. Thanks

I started two years ago saying i was only going to mow. Now I just bought a bobcat E35 as we are doing Hardscapes and retaining walls. I know that i need a skid steer, but I either need to pay something else off or hit the lottery (which I don't play! Lol) I'm not sure if it was a mistake, but i feel like I can get more done with the mini and wheelbarrows will still carry stuff if I can't get the material close enough with my 3/4 ton with a dump insert.

For PA the State police have a chart on the website that explains the weight of truck, trailer and load where you would need a CDL or not. It may be the best chart out there for that. Even better than talking to the officers that go through the training for checking trucks.

I have 12 ton and 33 ton excavators and do house digs, builds and landscaping. Buying a skid next. I use portable screeners for stripped house site soil and use it for lawn areas. 😊

Crazy coming on a million subs I’ve been here for a bit good to see

FANTASTIC CONTENT! Thank you! 🕵‍♂

I don’t really miss our backhoes, BUT I could dig 1,800’ at 4’ deep and also a thing called a water box that measured around 12’ by 8’ by 6’ deep all in one ten hour day. Was glad to switch to larger excavators but no chance a mini would even come close to the production of a backhoe. This was done in an agriculture field on a daily basis in the winter while irrigation was off in the Columbia basin Washington.

Never skimp on trailers. Good axles that are sized right to carry the load and brakes. Nothing like going 60 and trying to stop a trailer with 10k+ of equipment on it. I've had some scrap/demo guy tell me the opposite about tracks and tires. They like tracks because rebar, angle iron, sharp concrete, etc can't deflate a track.

If I had Stan's money, I would buy at least one of everything.....seriously!!!😁😁😁

what an amazing video, Stan your channel has been a huge blessing to me

1 million subscribers coming soon for a reason. great video.

We have built driveways, additions , complete houses, septic systems, and everything in between with a backhoe. Before they had skidloaders and trackhoes, guess what piece of equipment you used? A backhoe

This was the best informational video for beginners on KZfaq I’ve seen.

Excellent video Stan! What would you buy first for plowing snow? Skid loader or compact wheel loader? And which make and model?

When I got my compact jd1025r, a trekker was an option so I grabbed that and a worth it. As of pallet fork pockets, I finally took some brush hog transport blocks, Cause they are shipped standing up vertically on 6x4 rectangle tube(2 angles welded together) that's 19.5"long, at least the ones I got, and welded some under the trailer and it works so far. Never know when you'll need forks right?

A backhoe can definitely be a viable option as u dont need a pick up strait away Plus u can drive to and from sites without a trailer and rent skips to hual of spoil or deliver materials and can pallet stuff of id say atleast a 4 in 1 bucket with fold away forks like the JCB's 3cx and 4cx till and a roto demo graple for the backhoe arm till u get ur own dump trailer or truck my uncle to carry his motor bike to jobs in the loader bucket if the machine was staying at the site overnight or a few day's when he work for the local council his had the 4 in 1 bucket with fold away forks rear roto demo grapple a breaker and a few other buckets he had a long ditching bucket but in the Uk we use them as a all purpose buckets u can grade, strip top soil grass, pay load out waste and load materials like gravel, sand ect had a trench bucket and a rock bucker plus a ripper

For sure skid loader 100% or on a super budget a tractor if your learning I started with a tractor graded with it for 5months and did weed abatement with it and odd jobs saved my money and bought a tracked skid loader as I like the dirt work mostly and love it I have a Takeuchi TL10 tell ya what it never breaks

Awesome video stan its a great 1000 foot view but like you said every application is different . Where i vary from you is i will always take a track skid steer over a rubber tire one ....lower ground pressure , better traction in dirt work ( snow removal is a different story ) and it opens up a lot more work in soupy wet conditions .

Thanks Stanley for the great advice. I’m a large property owner and I really think that I should be looking for one of those turf loaders. The Telescoping boom on it just seems to be way more user friendly if you just need to go easy on the equipment. That ANTS dump trailer is just the best idea. How is it for handling firewood logs and firewood since that track may not be able to survive direct hits by logs?

A full sized backhoe is hard to beat for any excavation company. We use ours all the time it doesn't dig as easy in most places as our excavators or move materials like our tracked machines but it gets used one way or another more times then the other machines especially on bigger job sites just jump in the backhoe and do whatever is needed vs the other machines.

Important to point out Kubota Track loader vs. other enclosed cabs. You started to show it at about 20:00 and that's the roll up door vs. the side opening. I have an SVL for that very reason vs other makes. I've had many instances that it would have been inconvenient to have a side opening door. I'd also say a 75hp machine would suit most needs over a 90 hp.

Great info I'm getting tired of the upkeep cost and gas prices of diesels- I was thinking about going down to a 2500 but was wondering if it would haul- you can get a nicer 2500 with less miles than a one ton thanks for the info

I'm not in business. I am not a businessman, but my trencher paid for itself six times over. I got one of those toe behind trencher / backhoe was the predecessor to the betsco one. That machine that's one cylinder. Diesel blasted me four hundred thirty five gallons of diesel money. Half a gallon is roughly eight hours of work. I had to modify it to deal with the terain in the area I was from, that modification cost $35. I got it with a nine inch and twenty four inch buckets. I still wish I could have afforded that erky jerky quad.

My first was a mini dump truck. Its a gas powered f450 second was a medium skid. And now a mini excavator.

the type of equipment you buy is very subjective to what jobs you have to do. one of my first jobs was doing field tile repair and installing intakes in corn fields and we used a backhoe and it worked perfectly. all the jobs were close enough to drive it to the jobs.

Ya tracks are the way to go but ive been stuck with tracks and that when you know you done screwed up.

For your first piece for equipment in landscaping i would say a compact tractor with front lorder with a skid steer coupler so you can use all the skid steer attachments and it cheaper then a skid steer and you can use it for mowing scarifying aeration hedge cutting and spraying and pulling trailers all doe a zero turn might be better for mowing but when you're on a budget you have to go for the most versatile piece of equipment you can afford 😂😂🤑🤔💬

i started with a asv130 forestry package and i love it. dose what i need it to do the next is going to be a mid size mini x.

With the dump trailer make sure it's got rear supports so that when you load your machine you don't tip the trailer and run your truck down the road. Also, with the mini excavator, make sure you get one with at least a manual coupler if not a hydraulic coupler. I think the perfect size is a 3 or 3 and 1/2 ton machine to start out with.

Kobelco sk85 2 p boom rototilt r3 with paletforks various buckets and a sort graph. Sometimes i rent a small dumper.

I got a bobcat e42 5 ton it's great for towing behind my 2500 pick up truck

I must be doing it right Stan, KX 057, SVL 75-3, dump truck and equipment trailer and no employees, I'm having fun!

Hey Stan..... what machine would be the best for building a berm and a range? in a field

Stan thanks for the insight to what you have purchased. Do you tow the Kubota 97 track machine with a pickup? Doesnt that machine weigh over 11k? Thanks for your time.

Great point!

Thanks for the great content 👍

I'd like to point out that if you are going to buy a backhoe, it will make more money than a miniex overall for a skilled operator going on their own. You can work road jobs digging curb work, utilities, subdivisions and sidewalk programs better than a mini/skid combo because of the travel potential. You plow more snow and you can load trucks more efficiently in the sun or snow. Skid/ miniex has a much easier learning curve and that's probably where new startups have the advantage. I own both setups. Backhoe wins on concrete/snow/ civil works, but never on startup size landscaping.

I understand your points regarding backhoes, but in my case, having the right compact tractor, with its huge versatility, is akin to a Swiss Army knife: Loader, grapple, forks, snow plow, PTO for tiller, mower, bush hog, and of course-the detachable backhoe. The business I’m getting into is property maintenance-where there’s no emphasis on any particular type of work-necessitating a focus on one particular type of machine. So hence why to me a compact tractor with all the versatility-including a backhoe, seems to be the best route. But I’d be open to comments on this, especially since I haven’t yet pulled the trigger on this machine. Currently have an older Kubota compact tractor, but don’t want to invest in a backhoe for it due to its age. Rather trade it for a new machine and start out fresh. Looking forward to comments/advice.

Interesting video! It's cool to see the difference in how you guys choose equipment. I would never buy an excavator without a tilt rotator, huge time safer. It's also interesting how you guys use skidsteer, here in Sweden it's a pretty rare thing to see. Wheeled excavators are quite common here in Sweden also.

great video goes over a lot of things / one thing im wondering about tho is about the backhoe how is that for say a home owner who has maybe 4 acres dirt road/drive way i mean ik backhoes are not great at anything but ur getting 2 in one that can go anywhere on the acres just about even in the yard / and it can do most jobs esp ones ur doing on ur own time n money / 2nd witch isnt something i see very much but hows a backhoe attachment for a skid steer ? for doing things like for ur own use / i mostly ask this bc im in the market for an older backhoe/ skid steer and im not sure what one i should place 1st when it comes to buying , most of the work i need is drive way grading and snow plowing with light clearing noting crazy just a path up in the woods to get flower bed dirt so in a way i think a skid steer is gonna be good bc idc if i mess the yard up some i just want a 1 and done type of set up / any in put? thanks for reading and hope u guys are all well .

In the uk hardly anyone buys equipment any more it’s usually just rented or leased as the job requires. Maintenance and repairs are therefore the hire/lease company’s problem. Rare to see an owner operator anymore.

Trailers. I got by for years using dump trailer as skid loader hauler, and small loader tractor hauler. Today I would get a GN dump with tandem duals. You put fuel tank in truck, oils hook trailer with skid. You unload, load dirt, brush, etc haul, dump, return. I never have had tracks. Rarely wished I did. I regret not buying a mounted tire/rim skid loader. Only twice I damaged tire bad. But to be able to zip off/on worth it. Forks my cousin borrowed them. I told him his kid would demand a set. His kid bought a brand new set. *I had told the father of nice used sets cheap*. But kid in construction. He wants, he buys.

Great video.. another video idea I would love to see Milwaukee m12 underground locator

Just starting my own tree service and I've been debating between a mini loader with a grapple or a grapple trailer.

I would not completely rule out a backhoe, if you get a good one. On a daily basis I wouldn’t be able to do what we are doing without a backhoe. It must be said the backhoes we run are articulated ones which makes a hell of a difference. I can do every thing a skid loader can do including leveling driveways, and I can also dig like an excavator, the one I’m running currently is even able to run a tilt bucket and a hammer, and we also have one with an extender hoe and tiltrotator. On the site I work on, we also have 10 ton machine with a tiltrotator, and a wheeled 18 tonnes excavator. And the one machine that is guaranteed to be used every day is the backhoe. The backhoe I’m running is a Hydrema 906E, weighing about 9 tonnes, but I would not change it to the ones you are referring to in the video, but I could change it to an older Hydrema model, like the 806, that was built in the late 80’s to the early 90’s, and still be about as productive. But I also have to mention, when recommending backhoes, that they have a higher skill requirement for the operator for being effective, so if you are new to equipment, don’t buy a backhoe, but if you are used to running equipment consider a backhoe if it suits your applications.

The man on the seat the ultimate investment , be a good operator before going on ur own .

Stan I agree but what year your pickup is. Here in Minnesota I'm looking to get a one ton due to tab fees. But after 10 years ya my pickup I have now is cheap at 50 a year.

With the uptick in capacity ratings (900 plus lbs.) for stand on skids and your work was in tight areas where would you put that on the list?

I’m just getting started in the civilian market. I ended up buying a new kx057-5 and recently acquired a dump trailer a t590 bobcat and a bigtex goose neck. I’m struggling to find consistent work in my area though.

Or for a dump truck you can do what we do is get a one ton cab and chassis and put a lift on it if you do that I would recommend a Scotts lift hydraulic not electric I have ran both watching the electric lift go up is like watching paint dry and you can hall a lot if you are just starting out it would be perfect we use our trucks for tow snowplowing mulch rock dirt It just does what ever we throw it's way

I do have one issue with what you said about the bucket on the Bobcat, that you may not have heard of, or have availability. You can buy bucket lips that can be purchased in the size you need for your bucket at 300+ a piece and have someone punch, drill, whatever holes along the lip of the Bobcat bucket that would match up with the lips you would purchase for the equipment. At least that's what the company I worked for in Wa state (west coast) would do. Just wanted to let you know. Love your review and advice. By the way, at my age, I'd rather have a push button trailer jack too. 😁

Yep but a medium tire with a stype in it works awesome all year right

Not sure which brands are popular locally, just visit your local QT or Wawa or whatever at 6 any morning. It will be jammed with landscapers and jobber trucks towing equipment, and just take note of brand trends. In my area, Takeuchi CTLs dominate. TL8s and TL10s abound. Bobcats come after that. Bobcat and Kubota for mini excavators. These crews have already figured out works for them, which ones have support, which ones have lowest cost per hour. Not saying base any decision on who's getting coffee or anything like that. Just take notes or recon.

What equipment to run can be a very complicated thing. It depends on so many factors. For me and what I do my 40hp tractor works great. There are many people with skid loaders and mini ex machines...in some cases thoes machines are too large and impactful on the ground. I get calls from people who need work done but not at the expense of destroying the ground. My tractor can dig trenches, put in post holes, grind stumps, till, clear snow...and the next day you can't even tell I was on the lawn. It's truly a Swiss army knife. The biggest benefits for me is the versatility and snow clearing ability. Again, skid steers and wheel loaders are just too big to clear snow in tight spaces like condos and little parking lots. I completed a job last week for a customer where I built a garden, moved large rocks for a garden wall, put in 80 plus post holes, moved a utility trailer and dumped it in the woods and a few other small tasks. It was raining the whole time...a mini excavator or skid loader would not have been able to fit where I fit, tow the trailer, or make the garden...it was just too soft and his property would have been a mud pit. My tractor can till, put it post holes, dig trenches, load, grind stumps, excavate, all in one day, one machine, while it's raining and hardly leave a mark. And I can legally drive it down the road....

Do you like the Kubota track skidder for dirt work? Pros cons? We are getting one at work. We demoed it before deciding on buying it. Its the same one you got here. My biggest complaint is the back up camera sucks in it and the screen is in a dumb spot cause im used to it being on the right in all the other equipment and no mirror to see behind you. I really like bobcats and cats we got a couple case skidders and i hate them.

Im considering buying some of these just for renovating my house built in 1912. What i need done is trenching for drainage and basement work, grading a driveway, demolition of a garage, and digging a new foundation. Should i rent or buy?

1.8 ton escavator for personal property use. Best shovel we ever bought

I started with a Chinese 1 ton excavator digging trenchs for utilities. Towed with a karavan home Depot trailer and f 150 with in a year got big enough up graded to a cat 302.7 and a f250 and a magnatrack mini dozer

You can always weld on a new cutting edge.

In the uk no one uses skid steers,a zero tail swing excavator can do everything needed with a good operator with out the mess of a skid steer especially when it’s wet , you can trench,grade subase to a fine tolerance and different angles ,load a truck or dumper ! Horses for courses