# Anyone Want To Help Me Choose A Machine??



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Did you move?


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## Jonbuild (Nov 18, 2013)

Skid steer attachment?


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## Moxley-Kidwell (Jan 28, 2011)

backhoe1 said:


> A guy by me uses a land leveler behind his Cat 420 backhoe, Tee'd off of the extend- a -hoe circuit for auxiliary hydraulics. This way you can have your loader, backhoe, and grader in 1 machine with a cheap attachment.


If you could get something like this set up I would think it might be the best thing for you. Backhoe has the ability to do a wide variety of tasks, just not the best at any of them. With a lot of land or long roads to cover it seems it would be better to have a pretty mobile machine.

A box grader/blade doesn't usually have any downforce from the machine so can't really cut material only with it's own weight.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

griz said:


> Did you move?


Just about 2 years ago. Bought a piece of property. Still in Humboldt.



Delta


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Moxley-Kidwell said:


> If you could get something like this set up I would think it might be the best thing for you. Backhoe has the ability to do a wide variety of tasks, just not the best at any of them. With a lot of land or long roads to cover it seems it would be better to have a pretty mobile machine.
> 
> A box grader/blade doesn't usually have any downforce from the machine so can't really cut material only with it's own weight.


The other one I'd thought about was a loader with a blade on the back. I don't know what it's called, other than a back blade, but it looks just looks a grader blade, attached to the 3-point hitch.

I'll probably see if Untied Rentals has a coupe of the machines I'm thinking about, and try 'em out first.

Delta


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## peteo (Jan 8, 2011)

Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:


> The other one I'd thought about was a loader with a blade on the back. I don't know what it's called, other than a back blade, but it looks just looks a grader blade, attached to the 3-point hitch.
> 
> I'll probably see if Untied Rentals has a coupe of the machines I'm thinking about, and try 'em out first.
> 
> Delta


That would be a skip loader, which would probably be ok for maintaining your roadway but it would probably be a pain to cut ditches with the front loader. If it were me I'd get a backhoe with a 4' ditch bucket and a 4 in 1 on the front loader. A 4 in 1 bucket works decent as a dozer blade for certain applications


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Why not hire/rent/borrow a dozer to cut your ditches then buy the toy, er machine, like a 580 size Case w/a box to maintain the road.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

peteo said:


> That would be a skip loader, which would probably be ok for maintaining your roadway but it would probably be a pain to cut ditches with the front loader. If it were me I'd get a backhoe with a 4' ditch bucket and a 4 in 1 on the front loader. A 4 in 1 bucket works decent as a dozer blade for certain applications


I always thought that a skip loader was the same as a box blade.

The best I can find right now for a rear blade is this. It seems they are more for garden tractors, though. I thought I saw one the other day on a Case.










Delta


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

griz said:


> Why not hire/rent/borrow a dozer to cut your ditches then buy the toy, er machine, like a 580 size Case w/a box to maintain the road.


I'll certainly rent something and try it first.

I'd love to have a grader, CAT 420 loader/backhoe, skid steer, dump truck, etc., :laughing: but I'm trying to economize, and get more use out of the machine.

I'd also like a bit smoother surface than I can get with a loader bucket, hence looking into more grading type machines.


Delta


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Aside from it not being a CAT, this is exactly what I want, if I can cut the ditches with it. I'm thinking with the ripper, it just might work.

It's got a 4-in-1, 4x4, ripper, 6-way tilt box blade, everything.


http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=11392769



Delta


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:


> Aside from it not being a CAT, this is exactly what I want, if I can cut the ditches with it. I'm thinking with the ripper, it just might work.
> 
> It's got a 4-in-1, 4x4, ripper, 6-way tilt box blade, everything.
> 
> ...


That is exactly the type of machine I was trying to explain in post #2.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

griz said:


> That is exactly the type of machine I was trying to explain in post #2.


Yeah, I saw that.

But then a couple guys were saying that it might not work.

I'll probably rent one and give it a shot.


Delta


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## Framer87 (Dec 27, 2014)

I've got a box blade with 5 rippers on the 3pt for the Kubota, and to my understanding you can get 3pt box blades up to 8' wide for full-size tractors. The advantage of a box blade is you can extend or retract 3pt arms to cut angles as well as tilt to cut or back blade, as it has blades both ways. Weight is a non issue, as the fill churning in the blade applies all the downward pressure needed to cut. Scarifiers are a real help as well. I've moved and graded an incredible amount of dirt with a 23 hp kubota on our new acreage.


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## SouthonBeach (Oct 18, 2012)

Dad has a bunch of acreage and several toys to maintain it. 
A dozer is great for moving a large amount of dirt, cutting ditches in and putting a good crown to the road. 
Now if it's really hard dirt, I've had to take the backhoe or excavator and rough in the ditches. ( rocks and roots, hard clay..)
For normal maintenance, it's a 25hp Kubota tractor with a back blade on it. If it's rough I do a little work with the cutting edge to straitened it up. Then I used the back side of the blade to really smooth it out. 

In short, I would want a tractor with a blade on it for maintaining everything quickly. Rent a dozer once in awhile to cut ditches and really move the dirt around to get them in shape. 
Using a front loader has always gotten me a rough rolling road..

That skid steer attachment with the wheels in front looks nice to. Never used one though.


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

They make 6 way dozen blades for skid steers. Not sure a wheeled skid could push them though. A tractor or skid steer with a landscape rake is good for maintaining roads.


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

Get a skip loader. The full size ones have hydraulic angle and downforce on the box blade + rippers. I should work great for crowning roads and the loader will be useful for other ranch chores.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

griz said:


> Why not hire/rent/borrow a dozer to cut your ditches then buy the toy, er machine, like a 580 size Case w/a box to maintain the road.


Totally Agree. Rent a new, high performance, larger machine (d5) instead of dropping $100k, get most of the work done, then get something more versatile but less efficient.

I feel like I've seen a lot of guys buy machines for a job like this, spend a cumulative 3 weeks on it, when they could have rented something and gotten it done in 3 days.


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

Golden view said:


> Totally Agree. Rent a new, high performance, larger machine (d5) instead of dropping $100k, get most of the work done, then get something more versatile but less efficient.
> 
> I feel like I've seen a lot of guys buy machines for a job like this, spend a cumulative 3 weeks on it, when they could have rented something and gotten it done in 3 days.


I also agree, rent a dozer from the Cat Dealer on the monthly rate once every 10 years and buy a skip loader for your every day machine.


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## dulltoothbeaver (May 16, 2011)

Why Skip loader????? Sounds to me as if a 4*4 farm tractor with a front end loader (fel) would be much more useful. Get the box blade for the 3/pt. After the road work is done there are many other 3/pt attachments. Rock rakes, rotary brush cutters, skidder winches, finish mowers , carry-alls, not to mention all the regular farm related attachments ( plows, disks, harrows, hay cutters etc)


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

dulltoothbeaver said:


> Why Skip loader????? Sounds to me as if a 4*4 farm tractor with a front end loader (fel) would be much more useful. Get the box blade for the 3/pt. After the road work is done there are many other 3/pt attachments. Rock rakes, rotary brush cutters, skidder winches, finish mowers , carry-alls, not to mention all the regular farm related attachments ( plows, disks, harrows, hay cutters etc)


Skip loaders have a 3pt hitch, but no pto on the rear iirc.

The advantage is a much more robust box/ripper with hydro tilt and down force. Most 3pts are gravity down, which is ok for finish grading, but will not cut a ditch as efficiently.

ETA: I looked it up and at least the Deere can be optioned with a rear pto https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/tractor_loaders/210l/210l_ep.page?


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