terramite......

[Vman]

i intend to rent a terramite in a few days for 24 hours which allows me 8 hours of running time. i need it to remove some rocks in my back yard, all the trees are down and the stumps ground out, so the final touch is to get rid of the rocks and i will be able to mow without killing my mower and blades.

my question is.......i have never used a terramite or anything like it before, is it simple to learn? or will i be wasting my 8 hours of running time trying to figure out how to use it?

 

[hd_rmblz]

termite

I've used the tractors a couple of times. Really small, powerfull and helpfull for the home owner. As a matter of fact, I liked the loader-backhoe so much I purchased a case 580 for my prop. The questions you should ask are, how much material are you going to move, are you mechanically inclined to operate the machine. Loader operation is quite simple while the backhoe takes time (hand eye coordination) and the big question is MONEY. here it will cost you approx. $300.00 +fuel +delivery. 400.00 is alot of money for 8 hrs.. On the avg. I would guess $70.oo for a pro. 8hrs. will run you ruffly 560.00. Were you benefit is the amount of material that the "pro" could move compared to the novice. What takes you 8 hrs. may take the pro. 4hrs. you ultimatley save by hiring the job out.

 

[Vman]

the cost for rental is 175$ plus 85$ delivery, i have about 50 rocks about 2 to 3 times the size of cinder blocks to dig out, than push them out to the treeline. about 1/2 of the rocks i can probably scrape out with the loader. i looked at it this morning and seems a lil less complicated than i thought, though i will see what happens, it is coming thursday morning, if i can get all the rocks out, i will be happy.
thanks for the input

 

[Vman]

yeeeesh! u got me worried! luckily i have no pipes or lines in the area i have the rocks. my guess is that the majority of the rocks will be under 350 lbs. hopefully i will not make a big mess, gonna keep that on my mind now! gonna hope for the best and be careful. i guess it is gonna be a lil tougher than i anticipated. i will let you know how i make out.

 

[Yellowdog]

the cost for rental is 175$ plus 85$ delivery, i have about 50 rocks about 2 to 3 times the size of cinder blocks to dig out, than push them out to the treeline. about 1/2 of the rocks i can t

rent a skid steer or compact track loader and industrial grapple or industrial grapple bucket. The rocks will probably lift right out of the ground. It's what I do all the time. No muss, no fuss. Boulders up to 1500# come out easy as long as the grapple will hold them. The industrial grapples from bobcat are so strong that the grapple tines can be used as leverage bars to pry rocks out of the earth before you pick them up (letting dirt sift back to the ground). The rock pictured is easily moved with larger bobcat and grapple.

 

[Vman]

thanks for that info....already reserved the terramite, so will see what happens. if it don't do what i expect, gonna consider all the recomendations given here.
BTW, your pic looks like my back yard..but i got about 1/3 the rocks and mine may be a lil smaller.......hey, in this case, smaller is better!!
my plan is to get the rocks on top of the ground, than push/lift them with the loader out to the treeline.

 

[keith c raymond]

Ive used a Terramite on my land some time ago.Good machine ,but it has limitations.You will know in short order if it is large enough for your needs.It sound like your plan is a good one for what you need to do,just be careful if it gets onto close quarters and you are still getting famliar with the controls,good luck.

 

[p38lightning]

It can be a little weak but some rental companies have little rock buckets. If they have one, make them include it. It is slow for moving but it breaks thru the rock alot easier. You can then change back to your bucket just by knocking out a couple of pins and your on your way. The controls can be a bit funny though, try to get the joysticks instead of the five lever, their easier to learn.

 

[Vman]

hey, i did rent out the terramite and all went better than expected! i got out all the rocks in the 1/2 of the time i expected. after the first 1/2 hour i was comfortable with the machine and it went great from there. i actually took out some very large rocks i did not intend to take out cause i assumed they were too big.
when i was done, my neighbor came over and showed me the technique to smooth and level the ground back out using the loader. the next day i used my york rake on my lawn tractor to get up the remaining small rocks. i will post a few picks this weekend.