Ed:

We bought a few pieces of equipment for our pond construction project, which is now in its fourth and final year. The first three were purchased at auctions. We still have two of the auction items and made about 30% profit on the loader we sold. Make sure you have a good mechanic check out any piece you buy and be careful of the brand if you want to retain resale value (parts too). We later found that buying used equipment from a dealer has its benefits also. You'll be amazed at the free demos that you can get when you are shopping for equipment.

That being said, there is a learning curve and an element of danger in doing it yourself. I had friends to help me get going and also had some previous experience. After a few weeks you'll be dangerous (literally). You should also know that it may not be easy to sell equipment immediately when you finish. It took us a year to sell the loader. We also made the mistake of purchasing equipment that was too small to do the work we wanted to do and had to trade up. Since the equipment is 1980's vintage, we are constantly making repairs, which can nickel dime you to death (see brand name).

I have no idea what the scope of your project is, I've had a lot of fun with my ponds but make no mistake, its been four years of hard work that has taken all of my free time both evenings and weekends. It's doable if you are up to it, but get experienced people to help you get started.

One more thing. My ponds are gravel pit type ponds where one bucket of sand removed equals one bucket of water. If you have engineered structures such as a dam, a professional should be hired to complete the construction based on plans certified by a professional engineer. This will most likely be required by your permits. You may be able to help on the earthwork in less sensitive areas.