The Green Industry's Resource Center

RockSet N' Grade · #21 10-02-2007, 08:22 AM

Go to the rental store and have them (any of them) give you a walk through on their machine. All the technical questions should be answered then. Maybe they would even let you test drive a machine in the yard a bit. Do wheeled skids tear up grass? Answer: not if you go in a straight line and plan your turns to be in areas that are in the work area. Make gentle curving turns instead of sharp turns and the disturbance will be somewhat less. Make sure the turf is dry and not been watered and the disturbance will be less.

tallrick · #22 10-02-2007, 10:35 AM

Also don't forget about the septic tank and/or sprinkler system lines. Most locators will not mark connecting gas lines either. I have seen what happens when a skid steer hit a gas line someone had buried only 10 inches down, NICE! As for lawn that you want to save any machine can leave its mark. As suggested above make sure the lawn is not wet and soggy, but dry can be bad as well. Hard skid-steer tires can crush dry lawns and leave tracks that last for weeks. Both tracked and wheeled machines can tear up grass when making a turn. Best way to avoid this is not to make a turn when the bucket is loaded. Even a wide turn on a skid steer will do some damage when the machine is loaded. Why not practice turning on the lawn you want to dig out first? This way you get the feel for the machine before risking the areas you want to save. The main advantage of tracks is that they don't pack your soil while giving you maximum push for digging.

leathelbuzzkill · #23 10-02-2007, 06:33 PM

got it narrowed down to Deere 322ctl new Holland ls160 or the bobcat 453 with a 21 horse engine hope it is diesel?

has any one drove the bobcat 453 and tell me how good it would be for this kind of lifting?

i called the cat rental store they were charging $195 skid steer $300 ctl and $75 pickup $75 delivery

i am better of renting form Sunbelt

here are a few videos of the 453 the power looks ok on the newer diesel model
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTWiUXscxFM

Fieldman12 · #24 10-02-2007, 10:18 PM

You guys did a very good job cutting that driveway. Only thing that I wonder about though is where they put the garage and where you had to cut the driveway because of that. I wonder if maybe the driveway will get allot of run off from the neighboring house because there lot slope right over into there's or at least it looks that way in the pics. Am I wrong?

leathelbuzzkill · #25 10-02-2007, 10:24 PM

home depot i think rents skid steers i will have to call them wonder what thier rates are? if any one one knows please shout

tallrick · #26 10-02-2007, 11:52 PM

I have never seen a skid steer at home depot, but Lowes has them as sunbelt rentals. Would be interesting if Home Depot actually has loaders available!

Canon Landscaping · #27 10-03-2007, 09:30 AM

it has a very slight drain in the middle of the drive in front of the garage and we graded it so the water would run to it and then around the front of the house

hosejockey2002 · #28 10-03-2007, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathelbuzzkill

if i rent a lowes rental pick up truck to tow the skid steer home and rent a trailer for 24 hours take the rental truck back to lowes get in our car drive home next day go back to lowes and rent the truck again and tow the load back wonder if i would cut the cost down?

From what I've seen, Lowe's rental trucks are not set up to tow trailers. I don't think they have receiver hitches, and even if they did you would need a ball mount ($25+). They also most certainly don't have brake controllers, and I'm pretty sure their limited rental agreements limit the truck from doing anything but hauling a load of stuff home from Lowe's. Unless you happen to own EVERYTHING you need to haul a machine- truck, trailer, chains and binders, you are way ahead money and time wise to have the machine delivered.

I know you basically want to do this for the fun of it, and I don't blame you a bit. I've been there. It's tons of fun to rent a machine and play with it if you've never run one before. So don't try to fool yourself into thinking you'll save a buck here and there by hauling it yourself. If you really wanted to get the best bang for your buck, you'd just hire the job done and get it over with. An experienced guy could get more work done in two hours then you'll get done in a day. Not trying to burst your bubble, that's just a fact. Have fun, and be sure to post pics when the project's finished.