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Renting a Skid Steer Loader
QUESTION:I've lost faith in the excavation business...
I've been trying for weeks to hire an excavator with a dozer, but the
places I've used in the past are no longer in business, others don't answer
their phones, the ones with answering machines never call back, and the
ones I actually get to talk to promise to call me back and then I never
hear from them again. It's very frustrating and is wasting time I could
actually be building.
So, I'm thinking about renting a skid steer loader (Bobcat) for a day and
doing the work myself. Of course, I've never used one of these before, so
I'm a little apprehensive.
Can a skid loader be used to dig up a lawn and level a small 40'x40'
building site? It's mostly level now, maybe 6" higher on one side. I simply
need to take out the sod and make it level for building.
In addition to leveling out the building site, I would like to remove some
brush and small stumps in another area of the yard. Again, it's basically
level, just lots of weeds and twigs. It's the stumps that I'm concerned
about. They're alder stumps about 4" to 6" across. They generally don't
have very good root systems, and the dozers push them out of the way like
they're laying on the surface. I can even "wiggle" a few of them with my
foot. But I'm curious how the skid loader will deal with these?
I don't think the skid loader could push out a stump like the dozer can,
but could I use the loader to dig around the roots to get it out? Or, dig
down far enough that I could cut it off below ground level?
The guy at the rental yard makes the skid loader sound easy to use (they
deliver it), but I'm interested in hearing from others who have used
them...
ANSWER: I used to own a John Deere 4475 skid steer about the size they rent.
Running a skid steer takes a little practice to get used to it. The trick is
in using it to level. This is difficult as you are dealing with a 5 or 6'
bucket! I used a 20' 8x8 post I had to drag and level things when I worked
the ground. Taking out sod pretty easy. gouging the heck out of the ground
easy too!
a 6" tree would be no match for a skid steer you could put a chain around it
and pull it out or just drive into it!
If you do get a skid steer have them deliver it the night before this will
allow you to get working at the crack of dawn as opposed to 2 hours after
they open. They are going to charge you by the day so you might as well
have it for the day.
Leveling ground also involves backing the skidsteer with the blade
perpendicular to the ground. You need to make sure there is nothing to hit
when you are backing!
When they drop the skidsteer off have them check the oil, hydraulic fluid
and anti-freeze before they leave!
Skid steers are all about torque Lots of power you should see all the damage
my EX did driving it!
As long as it just needs to be rough you should have no problems once you
see how much fun you have you won't want to stop!
Ear protection is also desirable. I used a pair of radio earmuffs! If they
have a spare jug of Diesel they can drop off that will be good if the unit
is not gas Going full throttle which you should can use up a bit of fuel!
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