I am planning on bidding on a large (>700 acres) mitigation job
Ive been trying to make the jump to bigger jobs, almost went for a 10 mile long roadside project that would have been butter (relatively flat) but just didnt workout. saying that, i also would need a newer bigger machine to do these projects that im looking at upgrading too (i usually just stick to small residential so far).
thats a pretty crappy price for the equipment, unless you meant per month. i know i can get what i need for less than that a month, pure rental. I would like to get into a machine as purchase though cause its much less expensive in the long run (if you can keep her busy).
how much are you looking to spend? sounds like you may be working in snow, no? you want wheeled or tracked?
i have gone thru this for about the last year and am still nowhere really. the only tracked machine that i have demoed that was worth a #### in poor traction conditions was the Supertrak (steel single grouser tracks). that thing was a hause, and built on the CAT platform, had the great hydro system and other comforts (in my opinion) that come with a CAT. however, too pricey. The stability of this machine was phenomenal. even better than the rubber tracked regular CAT skidsteers.
I have tried to make numbers work on a few jobs, but this type of work is hard to justify due to it being a purely expense related forestry job, there is essentially no money back if your mulching. however, if you could grind the material, you could recoup costs (till the market is flooded and a major buyer (like Smurfit here) says no more material.).
right now, I am looking into a less manuverable machine in the woods, a wheeled machine with tracks (steel) because the expense is significantly less than anything else (I can get a nice used one with most attachments for less than 50K not including the mulcher head). to accompany it, i am trying to get something together for mulching the materials at a landing for sale as hog fuel or whatnot.
I recently considered a D3 or something similar and with minimal modification could make it a killer woods machine (mulching, cutting, etc.)
sorry for the long post, this is what i spend my office time working on for this coming season...