Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Struck Compact Crawler Dozer

Does anyone have any experience with these little guys? Their web site is www.StruckCorp.com. They look like they would be perfect for cleaning out underbrush and stumps around a pond.

For a base price of $20,000 you are getting a low hp tractor with a gas engine. It looks like a piece of junk that won't accomplish very much of anything. If you have $20,000 to spend, you can get a very, very nice tractor with a diesel engine that will doe twice what that thing will. I'd avoid anything with tracks. If you have to buy a tractor with tracks, then be prepaird for allot of maintenance and expense. They are money pits. Buying an off brand tractor with tracks is even worse.

Eddie

I agree with Eddie. You can get something way bigger and more versatile for the money.

You won't be moving many stumps with such a small unit. Even with a 10 ton, 100hp dozer, or 5 ton, 125hp tractor, you have to finesse a 1 foot stump out of the ground.

I second the tractor idea, i bought a 29 horse kubota 4x4 tractor with front endloader for 14,600
for an extra 6000 you could even add a backhoe and still be around 20000. You cant go wrong with a tractor.

E_W is right on. I researched the compact-tractor market for over 3 years. It came down to Kubota vs New Holland, generally the high-priced end of tractors. The New Holland TC-30 won out. No bells. No whistles. No cup-holder. But, I got 4WD, bucket, scraper-box, 9" auger, 6' mower deck and the heavy-duty #752 back-hoe (that is NOT a toy like most) all for $22,500. The TC-30 is a New Holland, is a Ford, is a Mashu****a, or something like that, the power-train behind the EXTREME

E_W is right on. There isn't enough weight there to do any serious digging. With both small and heavy equipment, it always comes down to weight. I researched the compact-tractor market for over 3 years. It came down to Kubota vs New Holland, generally the high-priced end of tractors. The New Holland TC-30 won out. No bells. No whistles. No cup-holder. But, I got 4WD, bucket, scraper-box, 9" auger, 6' mower deck and the heavy-duty #752 back-hoe (that is NOT a toy like most) all for $22,500. This is still the (approx) same deal in Medford, Oregon. The TC-30 is a New Holland, is a Ford, is a Mashu-something-or-other, the maker of the power-train behind the EXTREME reliability. They have been the engine maker for Ford and NH for ever. The TC-30 (30 hp) looks just like a Ford. I have owned mine for over a year and have never EVER once suffered "buyer's remorse." Plus, I run it all week long on it's 7 gallon tank and it litterally sips fuel. The back-hoe, though a relatively small bucket, is a serious tool for trenching, booming material, large-rock management, or even digging out brush and willows along the bank. Popular Mechanics did a good report (http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/gardening/1273821.html?page=1) that tipped the scales for me, and I have never looked back. Plus, I have the extra cash saved over buying the Kubota, though Kubota is still (probably) the better re-sale value.

oops. Trying to type going down the I-40 in North Carolina and musta hit 'enter' too many times...

The comments above reflect my experience as well. That machine is cute but it won't do much digging and it won't work on soft ground, not enough track on the ground and not enough ground clearance. It'll never dig out those stumps and rocks they show it moving. I also researched the whole idea of hobby farm machinery and concluded that you can't beat a 4WD tractor for most jobs. If I could only have one machine it would be the 4WD tractor with bucket and back hoe. But even a rather large tractor won't do much digging. It'll move already loosened dirt and whatever but don't expect to dig anything with it unless you have a backhoe. The front buckets that come on tractors are rather light duty so if you want to do some serious digging and stump work add the back hoe. My needs were moving a lot of dirt and clearing land of small trees so my research showed that the best combination was a 4WD tractor and a skid steer. I got both for around $20K. A small tractor in the 25 to 30 hp range combined with a good sized skid steer is the perfect combo. I use the tractor for mowing and light duty work and the skid steer for pulling out small stumps, knocking down small trees, cleaning up brush, and scooping dirt. Never mind the fact that I also have a small dozer which came later. Now I use the dozer to do all my stump work and digging. It'll out dig anything other than a medium sized track hoe. Then I use the tractor and skid steer to move dirt and landscape. I guess a large dozer could certainly be a money pit but my little one isn't bad. Despite having three machines I'm a firm believer that the fewer the machines the better since you have to maintain them all. But they all have such varying purposes that I like my current combination.

Branson tractor, diesel, 47hp, 4wd, front end loader, 6' bush hog, box blade, 16' dual axle trailer, heaviest tractor in its class, $23,000.
I have used mine in some serious crap.
Toby

I have been the prod owner of a Kubota L4400 43 hp pto 4x4 tractor for a little over a year now. Purchase price was 19k with matching loader. I managed to move approximately 1000 yds of dirt in about 100 hours cleaning out and digging new areas of my pond in the drought. I have no issue moving hard dirt even with this small machine. The secret is to rip the soil, I use my box blade with rippers to loosen the soil and then move it with ease using the bucket. Even the heavy dozers that I have hired to do the big work for me do this same thing. If your buying any dozer no matter what size you need rippers on it or a drag ripper. If not your wasting time and money running it. Just my humble opinion based on the little bit of work I’ve seen done.

rockytopper,

There is a point when a dozer is big enough to dig dirt and the hardest clay without rippers. Mine weights 40,000 pounds and it's big enough. I've run dozers under 20,000 pounds that could not dig clay. Somewhere between there is where you'll find the magic number. I don't know what it is.

Of course, when you get to the REALLY BIG dozers, they use there ripper for digging rock. Mine is way too small for that.

Eddie

johne deere with front loader does everything round the farm from moving horse poop to leveling of the dam i could go for a backhoe though.

the skid steer by cat or case the ones with rubber tracks[low maints]can dig ,push,fine grade, mud no problem. the most enjoyable machine i ran and leaves very little impact when you have to travel in sensitive areas

mtb,

Yep, I have to agree with you on the skid steer (Bobcat ).

Although mine has tires and not tracks.

Don't know how I managed all them years without one.

Ed

I had a skid steer by Komatsu w/tracks that was very good.