Drott vs JCB?

[edessex]

I'm talking older machinery, and ignore the brand names!

I'm trying to line up more jobs levelling farm tracks. These are mostly soil (clay) and some are capped with hardcore and road planings, some have tree roots exposed, etc.

What I want is a machine that can level (bulldozer), carry and deposit material (dumper), self-load (loader), and dig drainage gullies to ditches (excavator).
So one machine that does four jobs! Not a tall order at all. Lol

What I've narrowed it down to is a machine with a front loader bucket, and a backhoe.

...which gives me two options as far as I can see. A tracked loader such as a Drott, with a backhoe. Or your old typical wheeled digger (or JCB) with loading shovel and backhoe.

I can see the tracked machine dealing with the uneven, rough, slippery ground better, but the wheeled machine can drive on the road to get to the job.

Has anyone got experience of using these machines for this type of work? Any advice, or issues I may have overlooked?

Thanks in advance!

 

[deleted user 837354]

Have you got that much work to do? Surely worth hiring what you want when you want it? Get more done in a day with modern kit.

 

[principal skinner]

13t 360 would do all apart from cart material.

 

[edessex]

It's more a case of adjusting the jobs for the machinery I have. So right now, no, but with the correct machinery, yes.

I plan to hire first. But will still be watching the used machinery market.

Would still value advice.

 

[edessex]

13t 360 would do all apart from cart material.

That's why an excavator is off the list.
13t would be too big as well.

 

[deleted user 837354]

That's why it's off the list.

Hire a dumper of the size needed.

 

[edessex]

I just edited my comment btw.

Not looking for multiple machines.

 

[michael N123]

Big digger and tractor and dumper there cheap to hire off farmers/ cowboy plant hire boyos

 

[How much]

No Need for 2 machines
I've used both a drott type machine would be better but not by much , the big advantage would be in tracking in the road but finding one less than 30yrs old would be difficult and one to hire probably even more rare . and to be honest they are not very nice to drive as you get knocked about a lot .
The only down side of them was they are often light on the front end , often to light for serious digging and grading that's because of the weight if the rear digger on a short track frame .

They went right out of favor when 4x4 3cx type machines came available , prior to that very common on most building sites.

that said the 4 in 1 bucket with good sharp cutting edges used partly open it a superb tool for just the type of work you suggest on a 3 or 4 cx and overall would be I think your best option , the bigger front wheels of a 4cx would possibly be an advantage in keeping the job level

 

[catnick]

What about a wheeled 360 with its own trailer?

 

[principal skinner]

Spent enough hours on old drotts to know they are hateful things

Never seem to enjoy driving a JCB type machine.

360 easy to use on all the jobs you describe and can pull the hardcore about plenty before you track it in.

 

[edessex]

Thank you 'how much'.

How did you find the 2WD wheeled ones in mud? As that's one of my concerns.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I've had a play in a 4CX I think it was. Struck me as being ok and a bit of an all rounded but the loader/bucket on it is pretty small compared to a telehandler and the rear limb is just weird compared to a slew.

 

[edessex]

360 diggers won't work for what I'm after, I've already dismissed them.

 

[Courier]

What about a wheeled 360 with its own trailer?

You mean a "Rubber Duck" ?

 

[Courier]

Now thats what you need - Pity it's in NZ.

 

[CPF]

This is what you , Want you can Drive it on the road between jobs,

got a blade on the front , Like for Something similar to this. Also put a 360 rotating bucket on it you’ve got everything.

 

[Joe S]

Find a old jcb project 7 or 8 or a old case 580 sle or a ford 655
im not a wheel digger fan, there a multi-tool can do everything but not very good at anything!
BUT there the only real option for what your wanting on a sensible budget, lets face it a duck and trailer will be the daddy really but many 10s of thousands to do what a old jcb will

 

[Fendtbro]

A good set of questions.. we have tried most systems for levelling/grading roads. Now a track shovel looks good, and it is in the correct hands.. but for someone starting off it’s really hard to avoid diving up and down. By the time you feel the mistake through the seat it’s too late! It will tend to push gravel out to the edge that will trap water on the road and make things worse. It will penetrate most hard surfaces with decent teeth on the front. Old machines now, what about backup? 3cx backhoe similar but front bucket will struggle to break into hard road surfaces. 13ton excavator With tilting ditcher can grade and ditch properly with good operator but pretty slow on any longer stretches. Proper motor grader will break into and profile most surfaces but expensive and needs heavy roller to work with it. Tractor trailers are good for running out capping stone, flat floors with up and over tailgates far better than magic doors for running stuff out. Excavator and tractor is the most versatile setup, especially if the tractor has a heavy ripper and a spreading/grading frame on the rear. These can be made to create some camber on the road and even really basic but heavy duty ones Can do a good job. I think you will struggle to do it all with one machine. Can’t see any point in going smaller than 13ton excavator. They are cheap and productive.

 

[How much]

Thank you 'how much'.

How did you find the 2WD wheeled ones in mud? As that's one of my concerns.

No keep off 2wd you could do a job with one if you have to but 4x4 is the only viable option really 2wd is just more likely to dig holes in what you have just prepared in wet or dry conditions and again anything newer then 25 years old will be 4x4 and anyway and if your looking to undertake this work for others you need something that is going to look credible and business like so you need something that is pretty recent