Cwooten,
Size of the machine is not necessarily your best option.
In my opinion the length of the boom is far more important than machine size.
It is amazing just how far a standard boom (20’ – 24’) of a track hoe will NOT reach.
If you can locate a machine with a longer boom, you will be able to reach farther out into your pond to remove silt buildup.
Granted, the bucket may be smaller due to leverage, counter weight and other stuff related to physics that I can’t explain, but the work accomplished will be very rewarding.
I have attached a couple pictures of a track hoe with a 54 ft. boom working on my neighbor’s stock pond. You should be able to readily see the advantages.
Good Luck, Ed
