Proper Mountain Excavation Outfit

theyachtman

Hey Gang,

My family just bought some +/- 3000 ft NC mountain property with some serious slope. Roads are roughed in almost to the ridge top. I'd like to clean up what the last guy started, excavate a few cabin sites, and do general maintenance in the future and would like some advice from the forum members on the proper outfit. There's a lot of rock to be chopped and moved around, and what the geologists call evard and saluda soils. To me it just looks like red clay.

I've weighed rent vs. own, local talent vs DIY and wIth a 40Kish budget and I even put my 47' boat on Ebay to make this happen, (Item# 160001269663) I want to try it myself and maybe carve out some future income.

1.) A late model Mini Excavator: Is a 10000 pound machine about right? Too big? Too weak? Stable? Protective? Who offers the best value?

2.) Trailer: Any ole 10000 lb capacity trailer?

3.) Late model diesel Pickup <100K miles. Are we talking '250/2500 or '350/3500' class, or?

4.) Attachments: Rock cutting, Air or Hydraulic? Whose? How many extra tips do I keep handy? Are there augurs that will do rock also?

5.) Spare parts and tools basics?

Thank you in advance for help choosing a good outfit!

jmic

Sounds like for what you're looking to do a 10,000 lb. machine is to light, I'd jump up tp a 30,000lb. machine min.

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___"Remember You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression"______________________
Joe

denick

Joe's right again!

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Nick

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving" Albert Einstein

RobertF

It'd just be 10 more tons of fun!

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-Robert F

Ken@K&R

We are right on the TN side of the mountains. I hope you have experiance doing this. Explosives come into big play around this area also. Don't wanna wake up to another man got crushed by his equipment article. See a few of them per year.

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Ken

jazak

I would get a 312CL, a 908 loader, D5G dozer, a F-250diesel, 4x4, pickup, a tandem dump and a Eager Beaver tag trailer.

Here are some prices from CatUsed.com:

2001 Cat 321CL 2,800hr.s, AC $77,000
2001 Cat D5G 3,700hr.s, Cab, AC $63,000
2003 Cat 908 400hr.s Cab, AC, $55,000
Tandem dump truck $50,000-70,000
Pickup $22,000
Trailer $10,000- $18,000 (New)

Total $265,000 +/-
You could also sell the equipment when you're done using it or you could rent it out with an operator (yourself) and it will make your money back or just start your own excavation company.

You could find some good old 80s stuff and drop the price by $125,00 but then the stuff could be beat the sh!t out of.

tgeb

I would look around and see what the excavating contractors in the area are using, rent a couple pieces for the weekend or maybe a week and then give it a go.

You may find that it would be better to have a contractor get these site pads and roads prepped for you.

The maintenance could be done with a 10K mini and a skid steer.
But for road building and site work you'll likely need some heavy iron that is probably not a good investment if;
(a) you are not experienced in this field, and
(b) not prepared to work the machines every day.

Now to your specific questions,
I would not pull a 10,000 lb machine with a 10,000 lb trailer, you should oversize the trailer a little.
I pull my mini-ex with a 14,000 lb trailer and my 1 ton f-350, but only rarely, short distance and not up and down mountains!
I prefer to pull the mini-ex with my single axle dump and 9 ton trailer (that's 18,000 lbs). Especially in steep terrain.

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Tom

www.gebcon.com