• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Best equipment for house work on 3.5 acres - lots of trees, dirt to be moved, and then some.

aighead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
2,886
Location
Dayton, OH
I'll also brag about my only instance of ingenuity on HEF, though it'd be unnecessary on a skid steer.

Flip over forks on the loader bucket are very difficult to see. I came up with (though I'm sure someone else really thought of it) getting a rear view camera for cars and mounting it to a magnetic monopod camera mount, then sticking it inside the loader bucket and using the monitor to see where your forks are. I find mounting it low works pretty well, like on the inside bottom of the bucket, but anywhere in the bucket, or on top, is much better than nothing. I may upgrade to a second camera at some point that would help see over a forked load. That's the only issue with my camera setup is you have to have a big clear space to set something down because you can't see where it goes. You could, conceivably, leave some space between the load and the loader bucket so you could see through the forks, with the camera, to a mark you have on the floor or something, but that hasn't been an issue for me.
 

HarleyHappy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
997
Location
So NH
Occupation
Welder/Mechanic
I would never spend the money on a grapple, I would build one, if I wanted one.
A 4in 1 bucket would do as well and has quadruple duty for anything else.
That I am considering for my clapped out skid steer as the bucket that came with it is, essentially junk.
Since I need a bucket anyway, considering going with a 4 in 1.
We always take down some trees and cleaning up the tops, requires a lot of labor and burn piles. Matter of fact, I believe we are dropping a few today, in the expectation of a coming storm.
 

houseprojects

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2025
Messages
42
Location
Western NC
I would never spend the money on a grapple, I would build one, if I wanted one.
A 4in 1 bucket would do as well and has quadruple duty for anything else.
That I am considering for my clapped out skid steer as the bucket that came with it is, essentially junk.
Since I need a bucket anyway, considering going with a 4 in 1.
We always take down some trees and cleaning up the tops, requires a lot of labor and burn piles. Matter of fact, I believe we are dropping a few today, in the expectation of a coming storm.
I would if I was retired or jobless. No time to build my own. Plus they don't coat that much. Plenty of used ones on FB.
Here's my backhoe for the day.

Seriously doubt your budget gets this but it is kick ass.View attachment 329813
It def looks like it kicks ass. It def looks like it's out of my budget.
 

PeterG

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2015
Messages
617
Location
United States
Occupation
Contractor
Ok, so if he's going to go with a backhoe, we now know it must be 4WD, have useable tires, and probably best to come with at least a clam bucket, and be located close to NC. With a clam bucket he has at least a grapple way of picking up logs. Also, if he can get one with pallet forks, that's even better.
So with a Budget of 18K, what are best models and their years in that price range? Something like MG84's Case 1990's 480 might be an option?

I'm for still the mini excavator with a thumb and a bunch of buckets, the best sized one for the 18K.
 

houseprojects

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2025
Messages
42
Location
Western NC

LCA078

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2019
Messages
457
Location
Austin, TX
i just registered here and would like to start a new thread about a question on a Caterpillar 304C CR ...
How do i start a new thread?
Thanks for your time
Welcome Nipmuck,

Do this to post:
-Top left, click on Forums.
-Scroll down until you see Excavators
-Start typing your thread title in the box that says Thread title. You should see a drop down of the typical thread tools once you start typing. You'll quickly get used to this board. Very easy and the folks are great for input.

1737251643257.png
 

LCA078

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2019
Messages
457
Location
Austin, TX
Found you the perfect machine....whatever it is. Currently on govdeals.com

Truth be told, I posted that pic of a JD 450 backhoe as a joke thinking it was a Frankenstein merge of two machines by someone with a bold imagination. But I ran across this pic of another one. I'm guessing these are real machines!

IMG_1886-600x450.jpg
 

Georgia Iron

Senior Member
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
1,036
Location
USA - Georgia
Occupation
Concrete building slab and grading contractor
That really sucks. Hopefully there's a tire shop near you who is willing to tackle it with a good repair. Have you seen the Pakistan tire repair folks do what they do?!?! o_O
Yes and I don't have any worry about it all. One of their hired hands did it and it's their rental, not mine. That 800 tire is on them.

I am glad I don't have to answer for it. I can't even count how many ruined tires I have seen on these large building pads. I would bet the metal column supports have claimed 1000s across the country. I watched a dump truck destroy his new tire, sliced right through the sidewall. He barely touched it and that's all it took. The column supports dont move or give most of the time. I saw a concrete truck hit one it busted both tires and bent the column support bolts. Concrete company did not like the repair bill according to the GC.


That cat 420 is well designed machine. It is perfectly balanced the way it is setup. You can pickup dirt and what not in third gear. It takes off and reverses pretty fast in 3rd. It carries a full bucket no problems. Plenty of power with fast hydraulics.

I had both the John deere and the cat on the same day and jumped in and out of both. I was trying to decide which was better. Both would be nice to own.20241127_121603.jpg
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
15,103
Location
Canada
Zoom on in.

If you zoom in, you will see a metal concrete stake stuck in that nice newer tire. Tire is ruined.
Being in the tread that tire isn't ruined. Large plug and thick heavy patch on the inside with a tube and it's good to go. If the sidewall is punctured is usually the death of a tire. If punctures are a big concern there's always foam filling but it's pricey.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
15,103
Location
Canada
Truth be told, I posted that pic of a JD 450 backhoe as a joke thinking it was a Frankenstein merge of two machines by someone with a bold imagination. But I ran across this pic of another one. I'm guessing these are real machines!

IMG_1886-600x450.jpg
Backhoes on tracked machines aren't real common but they aren't rare either. Your earlier pic. of one on a dozer is the least common especially on a small dozer like a JD350. It would practically being doing a wheelie any time you're driving forward. Pretty sketchy if there are hills to navigate.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
15,103
Location
Canada
I would never spend the money on a grapple, I would build one, if I wanted one.
A 4in 1 bucket would do as well and has quadruple duty for anything else.
That I am considering for my clapped out skid steer as the bucket that came with it is, essentially junk.
Since I need a bucket anyway, considering going with a 4 in 1.
We always take down some trees and cleaning up the tops, requires a lot of labor and burn piles. Matter of fact, I believe we are dropping a few today, in the expectation of a coming storm.
I think 4 in 1 buckets are overrated and I have one. For brush and tree's a grapple will pick up more and get under it easier. For digging and loading a 4 in 1 isn't as efficient either. On a longer push a 4 in 1 won't have the boiling/rolling action of a std. curved back bucket.
 

HarleyHappy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
997
Location
So NH
Occupation
Welder/Mechanic
I have never used a 4 in 1 but I have seen them used and they look to be good for regular work and I saw an operator go over to a small brush pile and basically pick up 90% of it and drive off. Granted, this was on a 580 SE and then he went over to a stump I had just dug out and picked it up by the trunk and drove off with it.
It looks like you could do a fair job of grading 3/4” crush on a driveway layout. Certainly not as much push as with a dozer but it’s right in front of you.
Maybe a 4 in 1 is not as usable as I thought.
 

MG84

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2023
Messages
918
Location
Virginia
Truth be told, I posted that pic of a JD 450 backhoe as a joke thinking it was a Frankenstein merge of two machines by someone with a bold imagination. But I ran across this pic of another one. I'm guessing these are real machines!

IMG_1886-600x450.jpg
Those are not that uncommon around here. JD, Case and Cat all offered backhoes for their smaller dozers and track loaders in the 70s-80s. The dozer versions were available and usually had a large counterweight under the front, but the track loader versions were far more common. Lots of small one man operations, home builders, etc bought them as their one and only piece of earth moving equipment. Very versatile machine.
 

LCA078

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2019
Messages
457
Location
Austin, TX
Backhoes on tracked machines aren't real common but they aren't rare either. Your earlier pic. of one on a dozer is the least common especially on a small dozer like a JD350. It would practically being doing a wheelie any time you're driving forward. Pretty sketchy if there are hills to navigate.

Those are not that uncommon around here. JD, Case and Cat all offered backhoes for their smaller dozers and track loaders in the 70s-80s. The dozer versions were available and usually had a large counterweight under the front, but the track loader versions were far more common. Lots of small one man operations, home builders, etc bought them as their one and only piece of earth moving equipment. Very versatile machine.
Well, I learned something new from this discussion- thanks. Looks like backhoes got bigger/better/stronger overtime and the need for a tracked version faded by the 90's.

And to emphasize the wheelie/counterweight comments, take a look at the little dozer's blade in my first pic. You can see a lot of weights stacked up on it.

Here's a pic from the front- 1737297369996.png
 
Top