Trackhoe/Excavators.....

If you were looking for a hoe to grub mesquite with what would you get.

Assuming a used machine.....what brand, year, model and hours.

You looking to buy or rent? If buying, what is your budget? Money is the #1 factor in this equation!

Depends on acreage you will be clearing and if you plan on subbing your self out to the neighbors. Key is to let gov program’s pay for it

Deere 200D LC is what a friend uses. I can get info on where he got the custom head if need be.

At least a 320 Cat.

Not subbing out to the neighbors. Yes I'm going to let the government pay for part of it. Will probably just do a hundred acres per year. The P/O left a huge head attachment I hope to use. As for price.....$60k-$90K.

In that price range, you have tons of options. I would be looking for something with a hydraulic thumb and under 5000 hours.

A Cat 312 or 320 are good size machines for what you are wanting.

What options are available through the government? I have a couple hundred that need grubbed.

You would have to check with your local USDA office and see what programs they have available for your county

He is clearing 10k acres plus subbing out to neighbors some. He has been happy with the Deere
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If you can't fix it yourself find a machine with the best local dealer. Rates will be $150/hr and $3-4/ mile when you need it worked on. I deal with this everyday. If buying used from a dealer ask for svc records. Require current and past oil samples on the engine, final drives, swing gear and hydraulic system. Check chain stretch, putting in a half link on wore out track isnt uncommon but it's a pita and isnt much fun without a track press. My SOP is pump rebuilds at 10k hours. Most hyd oil swap intervals are 4-5k hours unless running attachments(hammers, padding buckets, multiprocessors). Find out all the history you can and preferable stay away from machines that have run powered attachments in the past, they cut hyd oil and pump lifespans in half. As stated above, look for a thumb, whether it be hyd or mechanical. A quick coupler would be preferred. You mentioned having some "head" attachment. Make sure your machine can run it, ie; does it require just aux hyd or does it need a rotation circuit. What pin diameter is the head, what ear width is needed etc.

Great information. Thanks!!!

Most important thing is if you already have attachments buy a machine that fits them. Like said above pin size and ear width are important. I wouldn’t spend my money on a used cat. Plenty of other machines out there for a good price where your not paying for the name. Look for a Deere Volvo hitachi and you’ll be golden. With that price range you can find a really nice machine. Just remember the bigger it is the more it cost to haul. If you ever need to move it. If I was buying one with that price range I would defiantly go hyd thumb. Manual thumbs are a pain.

If I was spending my money i would find a 30k lb class machine. Easily can clear mesquites with it but still be able to have it moved super easy with no permits on a lowboy. And I wouldn’t spend near what your budget is and still get a good machine. Don’t be too afraid of hours but realize there will be a lot of maintenance. I would try to stay around 5k hours.

Let me know if you want me to look at a machine for you.

If resale value is a factor stick with first tier machines (Cat,Deere, Komatsu). As mentioned above, a big factor will be what is in your area as far as parts/service. For instance I know a few Kobelco dealers out here in West Texas where it takes them several weeks to get certain parts.

Someone also mentioned oil samples, when your looking check out Iron Planet, they test the fluids and post the results on the listings.

This is what I would look for if it were me, I spent 14 years in a service truck at a Cat dealer before going back to the oilfield-
Find a machine that weighs in the 45,000 lb range, the smaller ones will disappoint you, I cannot count the number of times our salesman sold a machine that would fit a budget and the owner would always say (it is almost big enough) Find one that has no emission reduction system, has a 60% undercarriage or better, no welds on the boom and stick, no excessive play in the pins, has maintenance records, and good A/C. Look at Deere and Cat. Hitachi makes a decent machine, but it is not on the same level as the before mentioned. I have worked on numerous other brands of machines, and always found them to be sub-par. Last week I helped a guy with a Kobelco, and it was an eye opening experience to say the least.

Careful buying used. Two groups out of west Texas are stealing them faster then one can keep up with. If the deal sounds to good to be true you might ought to walk away. I hate to tell you to go to a dealer cause they inflate prices rather bad, but do your research on used.

For us the neighbors worked real good, some times he operated it.

Thanks !!!