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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    southern Fleurieu Peninsula, S.A.
    Posts
    234

    Default Cat 305 excavator

    Hi all, I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this question? I had a look and this seemed the most fitting. I'm pondering getting an excavator in the following months. I want something that can move logs, dig trenches for irrigation pipes, clear gorse bush's and for general jobs around the farm. My budget is relatively small for something like this. Around the $25-35k mark. I'm thinking something like the Cat 305. A five ton machine should do what I want and also be relatively mobile. Although my truck is only a 4 tonner...! I've never driven an excavator before, but I seem to be constantly hiring guys to come to the farm and help me at a premium dollar. I'm hoping to save some money long term by investing now. Any recommendations on brands, sizes, things to look for, how many hours are too many etc. Any advice would be really helpful.

    Cheers,

    Ash.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    back in Alberta for a while
    Age
    68
    Posts
    12,006

    Default

    Hi Sheddie

    before deciding on a machine, you may want to consider what the GVM of your truck is.
    It would be a real pain having an excavator that you can't move to a paying work site because your truck is too small to legally (and safely) tow it.
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Deception Bay Qld
    Posts
    213

    Default

    Hi Ash
    You should have a look at "Heavy Equipment Forums" under Compact Excavators or join and ask your questions there it's a US based forum with a few Aussie's posting also.
    I was in the same boat as you a few years ago and ended up with a 2006 U15 Kubota with 3000hrs for $16,000, now i only have 3/4 acre but with a bad back and garden beds, septic trenches and storm water drains needing repairs it was a easy decission.
    My digger at 3000 hours needs no work at all but was looked after by the previous owner, like you i can't drive it but i am getting better, it come with 3 buckets and i made a mechanical thumb for it with scrap i had lying around.
    Cat parts are expensive so have a look at other brands with dealers near you, Takeuchi, Kubota, Yanmar are all good and Bobcat make a solid 5 tonner but they use their own hitch.
    Have you considered a Backhoe as diggers are not the quickest machine over a long distance and a hoe's 4in1 bucket is really handy, for the budget you have you should get a machine around the 2500hrs with 3 buckets and maybe a post hole borer, try a get a machine that hasn't a lot of computer b/s on it.
    That's my 2 bobs worth don't take it as gospel but i own a tipper and get loaded by 5 to 8 tonners on a weekly basis and talk to the operators about their machines.

    Cheers
    Whitey

  5. #4
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge SA
    Posts
    3,339

    Default

    What ever you do, get one with a grab, so you can load your slabbing mill also
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    back in Alberta for a while
    Age
    68
    Posts
    12,006

    Default

    Hi Ash

    while I'm now retired, in the past I've paid for thousands of hours of work by excavators and backhoes and loaders. The following comments may help in your pondering.

    Excavators are great at digging, lifting and moving stuff, and with an hydraulic breaker, busting stuff up. But they are very slow when moving about. Generally you can walk much faster than a small excavator can travel, if an excavator needed to travel any significant distance between jobs it was better to move it on a trailer. On a farm, it would generally be quicker to walk back to the house than drive the excavator. Variants with low earth pressure are brilliant in soft ground.
    A key consideration is specing a machine down to the size of trench to be dug, so if you're looking for a machine to dig irrigation trenches, you may want to compare the smallest available bucket. Machines much smaller than 5 tonnes may be a better choice for the sort of tasks you've listed.

    Backhoes on the other hand are very much a compromise machine. There big advantage is their mobility, but if you're going to do any serious work off the flat (e.g. in and out of gullies) or loading trucks you need 4 wheel drive. On a construction site, 2 wheel drive backhoes were really just toys. When there was a lot of trenches to be dug, a smaller lighter excavator was a generally better choice than a backhoe.
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    southern Fleurieu Peninsula, S.A.
    Posts
    234

    Default

    A quick update to the post.

    I ended up buying a Kubota 5.5 ton excavator. Its a KX161-3 Super Series. It has three buckets. Jst under 4000 hours and its in great condition. Although it has some hours on it, it'll take a long time for me to accumlate many more. I'm getting used to the controls slowly! I was able to lift a decent size log onto the mill with ease. I'm getting a hydraulic thumb for it soon. I'm liking this machine very much; I'm finding a million jobs to do in it already! received_10153805258632705.jpgreceived_10153805259282705.jpg

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    lower eyre peninsular
    Age
    74
    Posts
    3,577

    Default

    must be a good stack of firewood around your area now?
    I would love to grow my own food, but I can not find bacon seeds

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    southern Fleurieu Peninsula, S.A.
    Posts
    234

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tonto View Post
    must be a good stack of firewood around your area now?
    Yes, the storm we had earlier in the week was one of the strongest I've ever seen. I had 8 trees come down on my property and thousands came down and took out power lines all over the Fleurieu Peninsula. We were without power for two days. I used the generator a few times but its a loud bugger!

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