Mini Excavator Questions

[bonner1040]

I see alot of you guys talk about "minis". To me a mini excavator is a small backhoe/articulated loader thing like this:


At my job we use something like the vermeer s650 that Fiddler just got. Ours is basically a walk-behind forklift with treads.


Then there is what I call a bobcat; some with treads some with wheels.


So whats what? And what do new/used prices on these look like on these machines?

 

[lumberjack]

A "mini" is your second picture (in tree lingo), a mini ex is your top picture, and a full size skid is in your bottom picture.

This is an articulated loader:

 

[sawinredneck]

The first is normally called a mini-ex, Jay called the one he worked with a mini, but once we saw the pics we knew what he was talking about. New they start around $16k and go straight up, used start around $6k depending on condition.
The second is a mini-skidsteer, what most of us call a mini and most of us use. New they can start around $10k and go straight up from there. Used you can find a hard used machine around $2k and up.
Lastly is a skid-steer, Bobcat, skid-loader, cat, lots of names. New they start around $24k and the skys the limit on them! Used, junk starts around $2k and goes right up from there!

 

[bonner1040]

Thanks Carl,

You seem to be an authority on machinery, I appreciate your input. The articulated loader pictured, how wide are those?

Do they make articulated loader attachments for the mini's?

Thanks again, I was hoping you would respond.

 

[bonner1040]

The first is normally called a mini-ex, Jay called the one he worked with a mini, but once we saw the pics we knew what he was talking about. New they start around $16k and go straight up, used start around $6k depending on condition.
The second is a mini-skidsteer, what most of us call a mini and most of us use. New they can start around $10k and go straight up from there. Used you can find a hard used machine around $2k and up.
Lastly is a skid-steer, Bobcat, skid-loader, cat, lots of names. New they start around $24k and the skys the limit on them! Used, junk starts around $2k and goes right up from there!

Thanks!

 

[lumberjack]

Thanks Carl,

You seem to be an authority on machinery, I appreciate your input. The articulated loader pictured, how wide are those?

Do they make articulated loader attachments for the mini's?

Thanks again, I was hoping you would respond.

My loader, the Gehl AL 340, is 50.5" wide and uses full size skid attachments. The AL 140 with turf tires is about 40" wide.

You can get just about any full size attachment made for a mini. What attachments were you thinking about?

 

[bonner1040]

The forklift tines work well for picking up big trunk wood. I see alot of pictures of guys using the articulated claws. I have never used one of those, how much weight/log can you grab?

The advantage of the mini, or walk behind is they are usually narrow enough to make a gate right? How does the Gehl 140 match up to the bigger 340? Does the 40" make most gates? Arent gates usually 36" or bigger?

Which do you think is more useful? bigger, or smaller?

 

[treesmith]

If you have a 340 and a mini, you can use the 340 to set the mini over in a backyard to forward the debris, then lift it out when finished.

Not that I've ever done that....just surmising...

 

[sawinredneck]

The machine comes down to what you want to do, nothing more. I have access to three full size machines, a Case 1845, Bobcat 763 and a New Holland LS160, plus a few years back everybody and their brother got laid off from aircraft and thought they could get rich if they bought a skid steer. The market was flooded. At the time I was looking for a small machine that would do small jobs, fit in a back yard and do the small jobs others didn't want or couldn't do, like cleaning out horse stalls.
I didn't find anything at the time I could afford.
A few years latter and I needed a way to drag and load firewood by myself, lots of ideas got tossed around then Dave hooked me up with a used Thomas. This gave me the option to do small jobs that I was looking at earlier, and get firewood, as well as opening up a lot more tree work.
As for what they can do, the mini can do anything a bigger machine can do, just slower and smaller. You can bust up and haul concrete, just smaller. You can haul dirt and rock, just move less of it. You can haul out rather large chunks of wood with the grapple, but not as much as a full size machine. Every time I go cut wood my dad comments, "Man that thing impresses me more each time I watch you run it!"
The grapple is the BMG, Dave can hook you up there, if you want to use it for tree work, get one, it's just that simple!
You can get a mini in a 48" gate, Carl had a way to get them narrower with skinny tires, but I think the narrowest bucket is 36". But it will get in where a big one can't, or you have to take down a section of fence. A mini wont tear the yard up as bad, you can see better and it's a lot more maneuvrable.
Good and bad with all machines, you have to decide what you expect the machine to do, and why, how you are going to be able to transport it, and why, then figure out what machine works for your needs and expectations.

 

[arborworks1]

Willie convinced me that pallet forks are the most effective means for moving trunk wood with the mini. Brush dragging you can't beat the bmg.

The al140 will get into almost all the same spots a mini will. Ground speed and lift height make it the ideal forwarder.

The gehls are really the perfect machine for treework IMO.

 

[bonner1040]

The gehls are really the perfect machine for treework IMO.

Obviously, I don't see any used ones for sale. A new one is around 26k for the AL140.

What does BMG stand for?

 

[treesmith]

Big Mean Groundie...

Nah, it's Branch Manager Grapple.

 

[bonner1040]

Thanks! I had seen that but didn't make the connection.

 

[lumberjack]

Since buying my Gehl in May, I have used my mini once.

I prefer the 340 to the 140 by far.


What's your budget?

 

[bonner1040]

Oh I am just window shopping Bored at home in the rain and trying to learn. One day I will be in the market and having the base of knowledge certainly helps. Plus it gives us something to talk about.

 

[sawinredneck]

Start here, http://www.topnotchequipment.com/

The attachments are here, http://www.topnotchequipment.com/eshopdetail_cat_4045.Branch_Manager_Attachments.htm

Look around, see what you like then call and talk to Dave, he'll tell you if it will or wont work for what you are after, tell you if he's got used or demo on the cheap and MAKE SURE you tell him who you are, on the Treehouse forum etc., and he'll work with you. Dave's the man!

 

[bonner1040]

Thanks, thats great info.

 

[woodworkingboy]

My experience with the mini "ex" (thanks Andy), is that you can pick up much heavier wood by lifting it up tight along the side of the machine using a grapple, than you ever could with forks or anything else off the front. Talking about a machine with crawler tracks, I haven't used anything with tires An articulated head would be sweet, but a grapple gets you a long way on the machine, for logs and brush.

 

[arborworks1]

I would love to see a set of Mattracks on a gehl 140 or 340. If I'm seeing it right the tracks shouldn't tear up the ground as they aren't sliding like a normal track machine.

Maybe Dave will check it out for us.

 

[lumberjack]

They will still change angle to turn, and given their longer contact patch that would damage turf. And they would be hella expensive. Interesting idea for sure!