excavators can be allot more versatile but difficult to move job to job, have you considered trailer mounted? seem to be more common on the east coast.
The self loaders out here are basically a knuckle boom loader on a log truck frame, most pull a special long log trailer that folds up to sit piggy back on the truck, there is one guy that was running around here last summer with a regular long log trailer behind a self loader... not even sure if his truck was licensed...
Some times get the self loaders to load up a regular log truck before they load themselves, costs a little extra but is still cheaper than owning an excavator.
