Older grandson has been building a landscaping/lot clearing/property maintenance business as a side hustle from his ATV/snowmobile Mechanic day job.

Busting his butt, working days off and weekends and stays busy just on word-of-mouth. He started with a John Deere compact tractor, loader and a chainsaw. In the last year he's added a grapple, a stump grinder, a box blade and a forestry winch.

Business is steady enough that he decided he could keep a mini excavator busy. After looking at clapped-out and overpriced used ones, he decided to bite the bullet and go new.

24" regular bucket, 30" smooth ditching/grading bucket, hydraulic thumb and a quick-change adapter. If things stay busy, he plans to add trenching bucket and a mulcher head next year.

For a kid that was basically a juvenile delinquent as a teen, he's really got his shit together.

Good on him


I want to play with it

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
Good on him

I want to play with it

Me too! He'll bring it down after he gets caught up a little. He lives about 100 miles away and I told him I'd happily pay fuel costs for truck and excavator. We can keep it busy here for most of a day pretty easily.

Plus there's work to be done at his Mom's place.

quote:

go new

And quality!

Toy companies are making some awesome products.

quote:

For a kid that was basically a juvenile delinquent as a teen, he's really got his shit together.

generally speaking, its best to get the delinquent stuff out of your system while you are still a juvenile, doing it as an adult can be bad juju.

That's great that he's out and creating a business.

The hydraulic thumb is totally worth it.

Good for him. I am guessing that machine is close to $60k new. Use it for a few years and then trade in for a 35G or 50G
He is going to find that machine is great for some stuff. But to small for a lot of things. How is he moving it around. I too am envious.

I would like to know purchase details if willing to share.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
The hydraulic thumb is totally worth it.

The friend who taught me how to run one says you shouldn’t even be able to call it an excavator without a hydraulic thumb.

Nice. I'm sure it weighs more than it looks.

**** Edited to add ****
Recently, I've had a real need for one that size. I may rent one once I have my to-do list complete.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jupiter,

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
How is he moving it around. I too am envious.

I would like to know purchase details if willing to share.

Used (don't remember the year) F250 and a new 8K-ish trailer.

He's pretty closed-mouthed about his finances but he's also a wheeler-dealer that will spend a month working a deal to get the best price. I believe the bare machine runs about $39K, so I'd guess mid-40's as equipped. That might be low, but I wouldn't dare ask him.

The property he bought listed at $225K and he closed the deal for $173K before the big bubble. When he told me his offer I laughed and said there's no way in hell they'll accept that. Could've knocked me over with a feather when they bit.

EDIT: I took a chance of getting told to indulge in some single-participant fornication ( ) and asked him for a ball-park cost. He said it listed in the mid-50's and he got it out the door for high 40's I suspect they're not moving a lot of equipment in that capability/price range in this economy.

Yep. I'm jealous too.

Sounds like your grandson not only has a very good head on some broad shoulders, but he's also got real ambition, and great business intuition. These days, you've got to be proud.

He texted me this morning and said they unloaded it last night and dug up a stump in front of the house.

His older boy, Jayden, is 10 and he said the boy picked up on the controls almost immediately and said "This is the coolest thing ever!"

He told me (only partially in jest, I think) that he'll have Jayden operating the excavator loading brush while he limbs and bucks up logs with the chainsaw.

Might be a while, but I can definitely see that happening. As long as OSHA doesn't get wind of it...

Back in the late 80's I hired one of these to clear up the site of an old garage building after we'd knocked it down. That took most of the morning but for one reason or another the hire company didn't get it back until late the following afternoon.

It's amazing how many little jobs you can find around a few houses that can only be done with one of these fantastic little items.

So, let me go out on a limb here....PHPaul's latest project is to find and restore an abandoned old steam-powered excavator from the 1930's. Looking forward to hearing about it, in-progress pics are mandatory.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
So, let me go out on a limb here....PHPaul's latest project is to find and restore an abandoned old steam-powered excavator from the 1930's. Looking forward to hearing about it, in-progress pics are mandatory.

Say...

Nope, but there WAS an interesting old Case 310 dozer on Craigslist. Claimed it ran and drove, wanted $500 for it.

I'm thinking it was either a scam or he dropped a zero when typing the ad. Had to pass in any event, the contents of the cookie jar got spent on a brand new! toy, to be announced when it arrives.

PHPaul, I have a couple questions. How is your grandson doing with his excavator. Is he happy with it? Wishing he got a bigger one?

Plz ask him for his thoughts on the JD 27D Model. Slightly bigger than his. I do not think it is a current model. It is a 26hp 6300lb machine. I am looking at a used one with a couple thousand hours and in the mid to upper $20k range. It is a open unit not enclosed.

Thanks. Email is in my profile if you wish to communicate directly.

ORC, I'll get in touch with him and get his thoughts.

EDIT: I texted him, he's out on a job right now but will get back to me this evening.

I'm confused, why is the Deere dressed like a Cat?