Looking to buy a trackhoe
09-23-2009, 01:17 AM
#1
I think I can... I think...
Thread Starter
Looking to buy a trackloader
Hey guys I'm looking to buy a track loader to prep a building site. I figure if I can find one for the right price I can do the work myself then sell the machine when I'm done.
Here is one near me....anyone know if the asking price is in the ballpark??
$20,000.00
I'm planning to build on the edge of a hill and build out the hill a bit. Even though I'll be setting piers in the ground I want to use this machine to move and pack the rock for the site.
The plan is to cut into the slope and then pack it in flat to mate with the top of the hill then put up a retaining wall along the side of the hill for stability.There will be a pool in the new area. The bottom of the pool should be at the original ground level which is solid rock.
Here is one near me....anyone know if the asking price is in the ballpark??
$20,000.00
I'm planning to build on the edge of a hill and build out the hill a bit. Even though I'll be setting piers in the ground I want to use this machine to move and pack the rock for the site.
The plan is to cut into the slope and then pack it in flat to mate with the top of the hill then put up a retaining wall along the side of the hill for stability.There will be a pool in the new area. The bottom of the pool should be at the original ground level which is solid rock.
09-23-2009, 03:00 AM
#2
My folks used to be industrial equipments locators, brokers, and we also did the buy/fix/sell thing so this is right up my alley.
Is it worth 20 grand? Well to be honest, the undercarriage isn't anywhere near being 90%, which makes me question it. From what I see, this thing isn't worth 20 grand .... maybe more like 12 to 14 grand. 3900 hours is about normal for a mid 80's excavator but obviously its been rode hard and put away wet.
Let me give you a good example:
http://www.machinerytrader.com/listi...709406df83d2df
This is what 90% undercarriage looks like and this one is 25 grand. I'd be more inclined to buy this one over the one you've posted.
You also need to be careful about who you buy from as well. A lot of folks don't know that industrial equipment is stolen from job sites all the time, and because there isn't much in the way of a "title search" like there is with cars and trucks you could be buying something that's stolen and you'll never know it.
Kris
Is it worth 20 grand? Well to be honest, the undercarriage isn't anywhere near being 90%, which makes me question it. From what I see, this thing isn't worth 20 grand .... maybe more like 12 to 14 grand. 3900 hours is about normal for a mid 80's excavator but obviously its been rode hard and put away wet.
Let me give you a good example:
http://www.machinerytrader.com/listi...709406df83d2df
This is what 90% undercarriage looks like and this one is 25 grand. I'd be more inclined to buy this one over the one you've posted.
You also need to be careful about who you buy from as well. A lot of folks don't know that industrial equipment is stolen from job sites all the time, and because there isn't much in the way of a "title search" like there is with cars and trucks you could be buying something that's stolen and you'll never know it.
Kris
09-23-2009, 05:45 AM
#3
Administrator / Scooter Bum
I was in the same boat a year ago........
I found an experienced operator with his own machine (about the same size) that lived close to my house in the country.
Since construction is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w, he is deperately looking for work.
I have had him "on retainer" and have used him for several earth-moving and stump clearing jobs.
Plus, he works when I'm at work, so I can enjoy my weekend with one less task to accomplish.
He's currently going to prep the yard with topsoil and seed for next year's grass.
Then I'm going to use him to build a 300' X 285' pond next spring.
All for MUCH less than a machine would cost.
I found an experienced operator with his own machine (about the same size) that lived close to my house in the country.
Since construction is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w, he is deperately looking for work.
I have had him "on retainer" and have used him for several earth-moving and stump clearing jobs.
Plus, he works when I'm at work, so I can enjoy my weekend with one less task to accomplish.
He's currently going to prep the yard with topsoil and seed for next year's grass.
Then I'm going to use him to build a 300' X 285' pond next spring.
All for MUCH less than a machine would cost.
09-23-2009, 08:34 AM
#4
I think I can... I think...
Thread Starter
My folks used to be industrial equipments locators, brokers, and we also did the buy/fix/sell thing so this is right up my alley.
Is it worth 20 grand? Well to be honest, the undercarriage isn't anywhere near being 90%, which makes me question it. From what I see, this thing isn't worth 20 grand .... maybe more like 12 to 14 grand.
Is it worth 20 grand? Well to be honest, the undercarriage isn't anywhere near being 90%, which makes me question it. From what I see, this thing isn't worth 20 grand .... maybe more like 12 to 14 grand.
Is that a measure of what kind of shape it's in?
I was in the same boat a year ago........
I found an experienced operator with his own machine (about the same size) that lived close to my house in the country.
Since construction is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w, he is deperately looking for work.
I have had him "on retainer" and have used him for several earth-moving and stump clearing jobs.
Plus, he works when I'm at work, so I can enjoy my weekend with one less task to accomplish.
He's currently going to prep the yard with topsoil and seed for next year's grass.
Then I'm going to use him to build a 300' X 285' pond next spring.
All for MUCH less than a machine would cost.
I found an experienced operator with his own machine (about the same size) that lived close to my house in the country.
Since construction is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w, he is deperately looking for work.
I have had him "on retainer" and have used him for several earth-moving and stump clearing jobs.
Plus, he works when I'm at work, so I can enjoy my weekend with one less task to accomplish.
He's currently going to prep the yard with topsoil and seed for next year's grass.
Then I'm going to use him to build a 300' X 285' pond next spring.
All for MUCH less than a machine would cost.
I don't want to have some guy come in and just back fill the side of a slope and have the side of my house and pool slide off of the hill but I don't want to spend a fortune getting this done right either.
09-23-2009, 09:36 AM
#5
Yeah.
Normally when they say 90% undercarriage it means useful percentage remaining. Looking at the photo posted on CL and the one I provided from the ad, you can see how obvious the difference is and why I questioned it.
Your best bet would be to find someone like Shovelhead has and go that route, or if you can't do that then see what a rental would cost and do it over a long weekend.
Kris
Normally when they say 90% undercarriage it means useful percentage remaining. Looking at the photo posted on CL and the one I provided from the ad, you can see how obvious the difference is and why I questioned it.
Your best bet would be to find someone like Shovelhead has and go that route, or if you can't do that then see what a rental would cost and do it over a long weekend.
Kris
09-23-2009, 09:42 AM
#6
I think I can... I think...
Thread Starter
Yeah.
Normally when they say 90% undercarriage it means useful percentage remaining. Looking at the photo posted on CL and the one I provided from the ad, you can see how obvious the difference is and why I questioned it.
Your best bet would be to find someone like Shovelhead has and go that route, or if you can't do that then see what a rental would cost and do it over a long weekend.
Kris
Normally when they say 90% undercarriage it means useful percentage remaining. Looking at the photo posted on CL and the one I provided from the ad, you can see how obvious the difference is and why I questioned it.
Your best bet would be to find someone like Shovelhead has and go that route, or if you can't do that then see what a rental would cost and do it over a long weekend.
Kris
In reality I don't have the time to actually do it but then I know I'll be there watching the whole time if I get someone else to do it.
I seldom trust anyone that I don't personally or professionally know.
09-23-2009, 10:28 AM
#7
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If you do the work yourself be sure you know and understand the intricacies of the work.
We had a new building going up to be a pharmacy and the person back-filling the wall cracked it in several places because of inexperience. They had to dig out all the material and re-pour the wall.
Sometimes buying the machine and doing the work yourself is like the billboard on the interstate: "It doesn't cost it pays"---that is to let someone else do the work.
We had a new building going up to be a pharmacy and the person back-filling the wall cracked it in several places because of inexperience. They had to dig out all the material and re-pour the wall.
Sometimes buying the machine and doing the work yourself is like the billboard on the interstate: "It doesn't cost it pays"---that is to let someone else do the work.
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09-23-2009, 11:05 AM
#8
I think I can... I think...
Thread Starter
If you do the work yourself be sure you know and understand the intricacies of the work.
We had a new building going up to be a pharmacy and the person back-filling the wall cracked it in several places because of inexperience. They had to dig out all the material and re-pour the wall.
Sometimes buying the machine and doing the work yourself is like the billboard on the interstate: "It doesn't cost it pays"---that is to let someone else do the work.
We had a new building going up to be a pharmacy and the person back-filling the wall cracked it in several places because of inexperience. They had to dig out all the material and re-pour the wall.
Sometimes buying the machine and doing the work yourself is like the billboard on the interstate: "It doesn't cost it pays"---that is to let someone else do the work.
Overkill is something I firmly believe in!!!
09-23-2009, 11:42 AM
#10
Registered User
I wish all home-builders felt the same way.
We looked at one a couple of weeks back that was built on a slope they backfilled and put in a retaining wall. The back deck of the house was sloping away from the house enough that you could feel yourself leaning as you stood on it.
The house itself had foundation cracks that went up through the brick wall and showed visible stress in the roof over the crack. The cracks were pretty much right in line with where the hill stopped and the fill started.
It's a shame, the house was built less than 5 years ago, but looked like it was about to break into pieces already.
We looked at one a couple of weeks back that was built on a slope they backfilled and put in a retaining wall. The back deck of the house was sloping away from the house enough that you could feel yourself leaning as you stood on it.
The house itself had foundation cracks that went up through the brick wall and showed visible stress in the roof over the crack. The cracks were pretty much right in line with where the hill stopped and the fill started.
It's a shame, the house was built less than 5 years ago, but looked like it was about to break into pieces already.
09-23-2009, 01:33 PM
#11
I think I can... I think...
Thread Starter
I wish all home-builders felt the same way.
We looked at one a couple of weeks back that was built on a slope they backfilled and put in a retaining wall. The back deck of the house was sloping away from the house enough that you could feel yourself leaning as you stood on it.
The house itself had foundation cracks that went up through the brick wall and showed visible stress in the roof over the crack. The cracks were pretty much right in line with where the hill stopped and the fill started.
It's a shame, the house was built less than 5 years ago, but looked like it was about to break into pieces already.
We looked at one a couple of weeks back that was built on a slope they backfilled and put in a retaining wall. The back deck of the house was sloping away from the house enough that you could feel yourself leaning as you stood on it.
The house itself had foundation cracks that went up through the brick wall and showed visible stress in the roof over the crack. The cracks were pretty much right in line with where the hill stopped and the fill started.
It's a shame, the house was built less than 5 years ago, but looked like it was about to break into pieces already.
09-23-2009, 02:20 PM
#12
Registered User
That's kinda how it appeared. Plus the retaining wall out back was probably a good 8-10 feet tall over ground level. And the deck was right at the edge of it. That's a lot of filled dirt with a house on it to not do it right.
Let's just say we hopped it the car and left that place without looking back. The owners said they were having a company "look into the foundation issues" and they would let us know the cost to repair. That's one headache I wanted no part of.
Let's just say we hopped it the car and left that place without looking back. The owners said they were having a company "look into the foundation issues" and they would let us know the cost to repair. That's one headache I wanted no part of.
09-23-2009, 02:47 PM
#13
I think I can... I think...
Thread Starter
That's kinda how it appeared. Plus the retaining wall out back was probably a good 8-10 feet tall over ground level. And the deck was right at the edge of it. That's a lot of filled dirt with a house on it to not do it right.
Let's just say we hopped it the car and left that place without looking back. The owners said they were having a company "look into the foundation issues" and they would let us know the cost to repair. That's one headache I wanted no part of.
Let's just say we hopped it the car and left that place without looking back. The owners said they were having a company "look into the foundation issues" and they would let us know the cost to repair. That's one headache I wanted no part of.
09-23-2009, 03:04 PM
#14
Registered User
I would encourage you to find someone who knows how to really operate a dozer. It's easy to drive one, not so easy to do it right. Go to your neighbors and friend in the area, and ask for references. It pays to get someone who knows about soil, and how to do the job right. And go with the piers under the house.
09-23-2009, 03:27 PM
#15
I think I can... I think...
Thread Starter
I would encourage you to find someone who knows how to really operate a dozer. It's easy to drive one, not so easy to do it right. Go to your neighbors and friend in the area, and ask for references. It pays to get someone who knows about soil, and how to do the job right. And go with the piers under the house.
The piers are an absolute must!!!