What to get for light grading

[ATL Lawn]

http://atlanta-sod.com/gallery/Image117.jpg
http://atlanta-junk.com/DSC00696.JPG

I curentlly sub out all my grading work, but after looking at what i spend on a month on it, i was thinking about doing it myself.


what do you guys recommend for just light scraping up the grass (pics of my sub above). ?

I only have a new dodge 1500 truck, so i need something light weight.

would one of theses really do the job? (or other similar mini skid)

http://www.cpiequipment.com/images/drive_unit_pics/prodigy_004.jpg
http://powerhouseequipment.com/series.html?series_id=8 / PowerHouse Prodigy /or PowerHouse Pro?

i'm really looking to spend less than 10k (is this reasonable)?

Thanks for any comments

[Scag48]

You can't grade ANYTHING with those midget loaders. Get an older full size skid and have at it.

[Gravel Rat]

The cheapest and lightest tool for grading would be a rake :laugh:

Like Scag says get a skid steer it will do the jobs you need to do. A short thing like that Dingo isn't long enough so you will not get a flat surface.

Look at road graders they have the long neck on them so you get a flatter surface it doesn't follow the contours of the ground.

The same thing happens when your trying to grade with a mini excavator blade. The machine is too short so you get waves instead of a smooth surface.

[AWJ Services]

Unless your plan is too leave the yard in bare dirt the attachments for prepping for seed or sod alone will set you back 10k not counting the machine too operate them.
No offense but I very rarely get a chance too just bucket grade a job unless it is for rough grade.

Or as Gravel Rat said get a rake.

[fhdesign]

My advise is to not buy anything until you have more money and experience, learn as much as you can watching your sub, then rent a machine when you're ready. Also remember you'll need to have it delivered, you don't need to hurt your 1500.

[cddva]

You may want to consider an ASV RC30 (http://www.asvi.com/rc30_specifications.cfm). At approx. 3300 lbs I think you should be able to tow it with your truck no problem. The cost is likely to be alot more than what your budget is unless you find a good deal on a used one (but then watch out for the undercarriage wear). You should rent one if you have a dealer/rental center near you and see what you think of the experience as far as buying and doing it yourself.

[DiyDave]

CDDVA has it right. Asv RC30 + 4' Harley rake = profit. I charge $ 120.00/M to prep/grade. The Asv is an awesome little machine, and its built well, tracks are all rubber with no steel to pop out or crack the rubber. I now have 15 attachments for mine!:cool2: :cool2:

[Dirt Digger2]

half the problem is guys with no experience buy machines thinking anyone can push dirt...which may be true, but it takes a lot of skill to get final grade down to a science...i've been running a TL130 for quite a few years now and still have trouble on some jobs...you need to get a few jobs, maybe even your own house where you can...for lack of better words..mess up. It can get very frusterating not being able to get a grade looking good, especially on paying jobs where you must leave it looking good. and like its been said before, skid loaders are not the miracle machines you might think...they can get costly and small on some jobs plus unless you buy a blade, bucket grading can get old...fast

[Fatboy]

You can't grade ANYTHING with those midget loaders. Get an older full size skid and have at it.

REALLY????
I must be doing something wrong then! My Kanga G520 works rather well at grading and back dragging a smooth level surface. Stripping grass is no problem either, open the 4n1 and put the top blade on the ground, backing up peels the grass and about 3/4" of dirt in a 4' wide path for as long as I back up. The sod slides right up and through the blade and lays back on the ground to be rolled up. I'll roll it and then cut it in half so that I can pick up the 2' wide roll and use it somewhere else.

We have a lot of crushed stone driveways here and I can knock down a tri axle dump truck load of stone and spread it 12'X60' and put a finish grade on it with my mini skid steer. In fact I don't even use my tractor/box blade any more. Just did one of these last Friday, took about an hour and a half, and that includes removing the grass and grading a 12'X15' area to pour the concrete apron.

Bigger isn't always better and if you can't do a grade with a mini skid then it's just about a given that you can't do it with a full size skid either.

I'm just glad that my Kanga can't read the posts in this thread or it would probably go on strike for all the false knowledge expressed about mini skids.

Fatboy

[Scag48]

Those mini loaders aren't capable of finish grading tolerances, or if they do it will take at least twice as long to get it there. The wheelbase is so short that you could be off by 1/2" in a 3 foot run pretty easy. Those machines are great for jobs where you can't get a full size machine, other than that, you're wasting time.

[Fatboy]

Well when you consider what Toasty22 originally asked: "what do you guys recommend for just light scraping up the grass", the mini skid steer is a viable answer.
The question of grading with a mini skid is really dependent on customer satisfaction. All of my customers are very satisfied and more than a few are amazed at the quality of work that I perform with my mini skid.

Have a good day,
Fatboy

[GrabRoot&Growl]

Never ran a mini before, can't speak to that. Ran an ASV rc30 under the name of Polaris ASL300?, (I believe this to be true, but at the time was unaware) for some cleanup of mud and debris and grading lots after a flood in Roseau, MN. Where they build Polaris machines. I had never seen one and they had just started under the polaris name, and I couldn't get enough of the machine. It was a hoot to drive on streets, over curbs (slowly) and into peoples yards and then back out to load the truck. I would recommend it over the mini, just because I believe it would be quicker and more versatile - I believe it would have the power to run augers and other attachments as well. The only drawback would be in a tight space, if you spin it, the tracks can drag material their whole length. (That could definitely be operator error, thogh and not the machine)

[Scag48]

I think the mini's have their place, but if you look at the pictures originally posted, you'd seriously be throwing away a lot of time with a mini skid on that kind of square footage. However, if you have to grade an area where you can't get a full size skid, then the answer is simple, the mini skid would be the way to go.

[tallrick]

I used to pull my Bobcat with my 1969 Charger, and it wasn't too heavy. It looks like your sub has an old 743 Bobcat there. From experience the RC-30 is pretty good, although less powerful, but using it with a 4-in-1 means you can both grade, scrape and load debris with ease. You could always get a bigger truck and go with a full size skid loader though.

[ATL Lawn]

He has a 843

Well the other reason i asked, i have MORE small yards than larger ones.
i do a lot of work in 1000-2000sf lawn homes.

i can keep SUBing him for the 1/2acre and better jobs.

i wanted a small machine so i could stop wasting money on day labor, and back breaking work on the yards where access is the problem.

some have very small driveways, or small 40" fence gates.

[RockSet N' Grade]

I passed on a 25K landscape job the other day because I could not get my equipment to function on that site. The mini would skid would have eaten this thing up and been the perfect tool for the job. I have got a gut feeling as the homes in this area get completed and fenced in, the demand for equipment that can shrink from 48" to 36" in width are really going to come into their own leaving the bigger stuff like mine on the street still loaded on the trailer. The mini skids and mini-mini track hoes have a place........question is, who is going to be flexible and creative enough to tap that market while it is still young and hot?

[AWJ Services]

Well the other reason i asked, i have MORE small yards than larger ones.
i do a lot of work in 1000-2000sf lawn homes.

i can keep SUBing him for the 1/2acre and better jobs.

i wanted a small machine so i could stop wasting money on day labor, and back breaking work on the yards where access is the problem.

some have very small driveways, or small 40" fence gates.

Unless you are willing too purchase a Harley Rake for the front of the mini then it will save very little hand labor.

Equipment is efficiency.

For the type of jobs you are talking about a mini skid would be fine.
Bucket,Harley rake and a set of forks would get you set.New around 25k.
Those size jobs one man could do easy.

[tnmtn]

i just bought a toro dingo primarily for surface prep prior to seeding. i had them before and was very suprised at how well they do. depending on the job i either rent a harley rake or the soil conditioner attachment. each has its place. will be keeping my eye out for used attachments to buy in the future.
good luck,

[murray83]

I tend to see a few Dingo attachments pop up on Ebay from time to time buckets,forks,sweepers harley rakes mostly.

Seem to be pretty decent prices for the most part.

[LongviewLandscapeSupply]

We have two dingo skid steers. We get extremely good results with our harley rake and the land planes. We do more work and less mess with these than we do with our 12,000lb excavator with a blade... Driveway grading with crushed rock we can do just as good a job if not better and cleaner with the dingos than the excavator.

I honestly believe its all about the operator...

The harley rake is an expensive attachment, but you can do so much with it its unbelievable.

You can rake areas out, grade, turn up rock in old driveways, rip out grass and weeds... great tool.. the only thing I feel it lacks is a tilt cylinder for up and down..

[Fatboy]

We have two dingo skid steers. We get extremely good results with our harley rake and the land planes. We do more work and less mess with these than we do with our 12,000lb excavator with a blade... Driveway grading with crushed rock we can do just as good a job if not better and cleaner with the dingos than the excavator.

I honestly believe its all about the operator...

I couldn't agree more!!!

Fatboy

[Keystone]

Try calling the local Dingo dealer and see if they have anything used or trade ins that might fit your budget. Just a thought.