No more shovel and wheelbarrow for me

[Paul Franklin]

Weekend before this one was a beauty in NE Ohio and I wanted to work out in the yard after a long winter.

So I ordered up 10 yards of soil and rented a walk-behind track loader for the weekend. Liike this:

Toro makes one too:

By Sunday afternoon I had pulled out 6 overgrown shrubs, moved 4 large boulders, made a new raised bed with 6 yards of the soil, and did some grading and leveling with the rest of the soil. Had everthing cleaned up and the loader back on the trailer to return in the morning.

No more shovel and wheelbarrow or tractor cart for me when there's lots of soil or mulch or gravel or whatever to move. That loader worked *great* and it made the job downright fun!

I pulled the shrubs by wrapping a chain low around them and using the loader to just yank them out by the roots. The boulders I moved with forks on the loader, and the soil I moved with the bucket.

The thing is only 3 feet wide and it will turn in place, so it's very easy to maneuver. Not as powerful or versatile as a regular track loader or backhoe/loader, but easy for an amateur to handle. Ripped up the lawn some where it was especially soggy, but not too bad. I should have thrown down some scrap plywood in those spots.

Anyway, thought I'd mention it here for those that have big jobs in the yard to do. You can also get an auger attachment; that's be great for doing lots of post holes. Trencher too, I think.

I'm already planning to rent it again in a month or so when the rest of my lot dries out enough.

Paul F.

[bob haller]

I need to install pavers where the dogs run to minimize mud in home in winter, this might do the trick, thanks

[Jerry - OHIO]

What did it cost to rent ?? Jerry

[Paul Franklin]

My local rental place isn't open on Sunday, so if you rent on Saturday you get it for the whole weekend for the day rate as long as you have it back first thing Monday. It was about $180 for the weekend, with the bucket, forks, trailer, fuel (diesel) tax, etc.

Paul F.