Backhoe or dozer rental
hchi...@hotmail.com
that I need to level and grade, and the price I was quoted was about
three times what I had expected. Looks like I could rent a dozer for
a week and pay only about 1/6th the cost of having the work done.
Dennis
I've rented backhoes and Bobcats. Around here they go for $150-250
per day (small discount for weekly rental), depending on the actual
machine. Delivery is extra. Bulldozer rentals are available, but
less common here.
Have you ever operated this type of equipment? It could take some
time to get the hang of it -- it's not as easy as some of the pros
make it look (especially grading). I used to do excavation work 30
years ago as a summer job during college. It takes me a while to "get
back in the saddle" each time I decide to play in the dirt. It is
kind of fun, though. Big boys with big toys, and all...
Dennis (evil)
--
I'm behind the eight ball, ahead of the curve, riding the wave,
dodging the bullet and pushing the envelope. -George Carlin
dfr
> hchi...@hotmail.com wrote
>> Anyone ever rented and used a backhoe or bulldozer? I have some land
>> that I need to level and grade, and the price I was quoted was about
>> three times what I had expected. Looks like I could rent a dozer for
>> a week and pay only about 1/6th the cost of having the work done.
> I've rented backhoes and Bobcats. Around here they go for $150-250
> per day (small discount for weekly rental), depending on the actual
> machine. Delivery is extra. Bulldozer rentals are available, but
> less common here.
> Have you ever operated this type of equipment? It could take some
> time to get the hang of it -- it's not as easy as some of the pros
> make it look (especially grading). I used to do excavation work 30
> years ago as a summer job during college. It takes me a while to "get
> back in the saddle" each time I decide to play in the dirt. It is
> kind of fun, though. Big boys with big toys, and all...
I used a road grader, literally, when doing the dirt initially.
I was a bit sceptical when the operation that provided it
said it was the right tool for the job, but they were right.
Dennis
Agreed, a grader is the right tool for grading and definitely makes
the job easier. Not so great if you also need to move a bunch of fill
from one spot to another or dig out stumps or fill holes, though.
That's when you get into more all-purpose tools like a backhoe/bucket
combination, which can also be used for leveling and grading, but is
not as easy to do. As with most things, there are tradeoffs.
Dennis (evil)
--
The honest man is the one who realizes that he cannot
consume more, in his lifetime, than he produces.
hchi...@hotmail.com
>Have you ever operated this type of equipment? It could take some
>time to get the hang of it -- it's not as easy as some of the pros
>make it look (especially grading). I used to do excavation work 30
>years ago as a summer job during college. It takes me a while to "get
>back in the saddle" each time I decide to play in the dirt. It is
>kind of fun, though. Big boys with big toys, and all...
Nah, haven't used anything like that, but I figure that if I rent for
a week I'll have time to learn, and still save beaucoup bucks. I tend
to err on the conservative side with powerful equipment.
Dennis
That's pretty much how I learned, except it was on someone else's
dime. Looking back with my (more or less) adult perspective, I am
amazed that my boss told a green 20-year-old kid to just jump on a
big, powerful, expensive machine and go to it. Somehow I avoided
killing anyone or doing any major damage (but it was close a few times
:-).
If you have a choice, go for the all hydrostatic drive machines
(probably most rental equipment will be anyway). Much easier. My own
preference is for the John Deere "joystick" type hydraulic controls
over the multi-lever ones used by Case, but YMMV.
The Real Bev
A friend in Arkansas bought a used one, graded his roads, and sold it for
what he paid for it.
--
Cheers, Bev
------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you were trying to be offensive, you would have succeeded if I
hadn't realized you have no idea what you are talking about."
-- FernandoP
Dennis
<bashley1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>dfr wrote:
>> I used a road grader, literally, when doing the dirt initially.
>>
>> I was a bit sceptical when the operation that provided it
>> said it was the right tool for the job, but they were right.
>
>A friend in Arkansas bought a used one, graded his roads, and sold it for
>what he paid for it.
I'm not surprised -- excavation equipment seems to not depreciate very
fast. It is not uncommon to see scruffy old bulldozers manufactured
in the 1940s and 50s for sale for significantly more than they
originally sold new. And I'm talking about well-used working
machines, not collector's items.
Of course, inflation accounts for much of that, but it still can be a
shock to see what they are going for.
Brian Elfert
Do rental places really rent dozers, backhoes, and the like to folks who
have no experience with them?
Sure, they want the money from the rental, but they also don't want a
$20,000 and up machine damaged or destroyed due to inexperience.
Dennis
wrote:
>Do rental places really rent dozers, backhoes, and the like to folks who
>have no experience with them?
>
>Sure, they want the money from the rental, but they also don't want a
>$20,000 and up machine damaged or destroyed due to inexperience.
The rental places that I have seen use a contract that makes the
renter liable for damages beyond normal wear and tear. Evidently it
is sufficient, given that many such places stay in business.
Seems like equipment rental businesses must have a similar
situation/practice as those that rent cars.
Dennis P. Harris
misc.consumers.frugal-living, Brian Elfert <bel...@visi.com>
wrote:
> Do rental places really rent dozers, backhoes, and the like to folks who
> have no experience with them?
>
Not the ones I deal with. For a Bobcat or other small loader,
they will rent to someone without experience provided you
practice on the dirt pile at the edge of their parking lot long
enough to learn how to use it. OTOH, their rates are high enough
that it's probably worth hiring someone who knows what they're
doing to run it so that job can get done within the rental time.
For the big stuff, unless you're a contractor, you'd better be
able to prove that you know what you're doing with a rig, even
just their motorized hydraulic lifts.