Tractor is on the back burner Lee and even if comes to fruition, it wouldn't work for my lot when it comes to chipping. It would be great for initial clearing out in the open but I'm on top of a hill with very steep grades and small trails. A tractor won't fit and can't traverse where I'd want to go.

 

 

I'm not clearing the land. My excavator buddy is. The size of the stumps and boulders on my property would sent a compact tractor home crying and broken. Just way too many and way too big. It's a job for an excavator... with an excavator... and not a homeowner with a compact tractor. So, what could I really do with it? Dig some trenches for conduit when running power etc.? Move a little fill here and there while building? Knowing that, what do I really need it for? It was an impulse (almost) buy but it really isn't the right thing for me. $40+ grand for something that has limited or no use after we build makes little sense. I get caught up in the cool factor of owning a big orange tractor every few months. I just about talk myself into it. Then I remember that I have no real use of one... So goes my twisted mind...LOL

 

Glad you can dump that chipper Rodney.
Lawyers got involved with the HP ratings of small gas engines a few years ago, and made sure nobody would use such practical means to rate engines again.
If I recall correctly, there was a bunch of class action lawsuit a few years ago implicating about 20 brands/companies of yard equipment, along with the big three small gas engine companies (Briggs, Kolhler, Kawasaki). The same engine depending on what it was installed in would get different HP ratings, and they were telling the EPA yet another figure. Some lawyers figured it out and got rich off it. Some of rest of us might have gotten a check for 30ish bucks.

 

 

 

I thought about that Chris but the reality is, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'd rather pay someone to do it right and do it quickly and pocket the difference... Trust me fellas, there will be plenty of other purchases to be made and share here.


Chad, I remember that now and I think I got a check for my John Deere with a Kawasaki engine. Makes sense now that you cleared it up. Thinking about it though, how are torque numbers any more reliable? If you're going to lie about HP can't you lie about torque? Why not keep it HP and just be honest instead of changing it to torque and confusing everything... Unless you don't want folks to know the difference between the lie and the truth. They must have thought (for example), if a 420 cc engine was 16 HP before and now it's 13, folks will be pissed and either judge us for the change and our previous lie or they will think 13 HP isn't enough and want the wrong motor for a certain application that isn't needed. In reality, who cares what the rating is? If it was 21 and now it's 19 hp but it worked fine all along, no harm, no foul right? Sure it's not right but I'd rather it that way than going to torque where I have to learn all over again what's what. Next thing you know, I'll have to learn the metric system! LOL...

 

Missed this thread for a few days. Regarding chainsaws, no way do I believe the Fire Service only buys Stihl because they are the only ones to perform reliably all the time. They malfunction plenty - that's why the Stihl service department is as busy as the rest. AutoTune works great now, and is technically superior to Stihl M-Tronic. Stihl has Husky's first-gen version of AutoTune and they have tweaked it. I own a landscaping company - I run both Stihl and Husqvarna string trimmers, backpack blowers, hedge trimmers, chain saws, pole saws, power brooms, edgers, etc, etc. I spend a lot of money on small equipment. It gets used a lot. In the last 5 years, Husqvarna products have been significantly more reliable than Stihl. I will admit I haven't run a Stihl saw in a few years (we only have three chain saws - tree work is not a big part of the business - but the last one I had was extremely hard to start. We have a new Stihl dealer in town and I decided to buy some Stihl products this year - just as a test - bought a trimmer, hedge trimmer, power broom kombi tool, and edger. All pro-level equipment, no cheap homeowner stuff. Well, the edger shaft broke, the kombi-tool power head (131R) was extremely hard to start every time, and the trimmer is considered by employees to be extremely uncomfortable as the handle vibrates much more than the Husky trimmers. Some of the guys think Stihl's 4-Mix design which has a torque-based cutoff governor causes the engine to not be in balance at full throttle, while the X-Torq engines in the Husky's rev smoothly much higher. Don't get me wrong - the Stihl engines make good torque and seem to be more fuel efficient than Husky. Anyway - I decided against buying a Stihl blower (although the new BR800 side pull start looks interesting. Just bought two more 580BTS blowers - these things are beasts. Frankly, I don't bother with Echo because it seems to be one grade lower than the top brands.

As for small engines, Briggs rates in lb-ft and most everyone else still rates in HP. Rodney, I think you'll be pleased with the Subaru V-Twin. I've had good luck with their commercial engines. Reminds me of a Honda GX engine. Along with Kawasaki, those are my favorites.

 

A few years back, I purchased a Stihl BG86 handheld blower for homeowner use. I use it to clean the gutters and blow out the garage and drive. I hate that blower. Very hard to start. 8-10 pulls and I use only Stihl gas in it. I also own a slick deals hitachi blower that was reconditioned. That blower is great and only cost $59. This was my first Stihl purchase and I am not a fan.

bruce....

 

In my area, plenty of high skilled skidder and tractor owners who will gladly come to my property and work for cash. Last person I hired worked for $50 an hour. He arrived with a small dump truck and hauled excess dirt away after his project was completed.

Bruce...

 

You can buy a decent used excavator, use it for a year or however long you need, and often resell for the same as what you paid. If you are comfortable working with equipment, it works out pretty well. We bought a used Grove 4x4 manlift for a year long project, then resold for basically the same. Once equipment gets to a certain point it seems to just hold it's value. It's vastly cheaper than renting. The one downside is if something major breaks on the machine while you own it, it becomes worth a lot less and the onus is on your to fix. It's a gamble in that sense. Likewise, a skilled operator will get the job done quicker but you will be paying plenty. I like to take the opportunity to learn a new machine / skill, but not everyone is the same.

 

That's the thing Tyler. I have never used any kind of equipment like that at all and I'm not going to learn on my project. It's just not worth the effort and likely screw ups. I do everything I can and pay people to do what I can't.... I learned that lesson years ago when I was stubborn and thought I could do anything. So, I decided to install my own fence. I took a day off of work, rented a post hole digger, and spent the hour after hour measuring. At the end of the day and after many debates with Maryann about the whole project, it was done. When you stood at one end, it looked like I was drunk doing it. We named the fence our "roller coaster" and I learned a real lesson that day. If you have a task that will be repeated over and over it's worth the screw ups and learning curve. If it's a one time project, just pay someone who knows how to do it perfectly....

 

You're making good points as usual. I also admire you not completing the impulse tractor buying decision. I would have done it. I'm really having a craving for a Mustang with a 6-speed manual right now...and of course there is a new GT350 at the Ford dealer right next door to where I work! Bye-bye Raptor?

 

This is one of the greatest lines there is! I could DIY a lot of things. It could also take 6 times as long as a pro. Free time is something I have less and less of, so I just cut a check and get it done a lot anymore. My fence I cut a check. Tree work I enjoy and will do myself.

Tyler, isn't this the exact wrong time of the year for a 6 speed Mustang? LOL.