[Paul]

Well I needed to get a couple of skinned infield ball fields done and have just been over loaded with precision grading the last couple of weeks. So I broke down and rented a Bobcat track loader with a laser box. Ok it was 8 fields that needed to get done and it took just over 200 hours to finish all 8 fields. That includes excavating 5 fields & trucking all the ball mix onto the fields. Back to the real story......... most of you know I like New Holland equipment but they didn't have a laser box blade ready to go so I talked to Bobcat. The demo convinced me to try it out. What I found neat was that the computer in the skid steer/track machines will run the laser without a control box! Plus the box blade was about $3K cheaper than the last one I bought. Now it does't include the laser receiver but thats one thing you would get when you buy a grade laser. I just rented one from my dealer. The computer in the Bobcat saves a lot of headaches about removing the control box and wiring was much cleaner.

[diginahole]

Cool, I didn't know that. I've been pretty happy with my Bobcat equipment so far. In fact I'm toying with the idea of adding a little more Bobcat iron soon. I've got my eye on a 316 mini ex.

[Stonehenge]

I've been noticing more and more 'scapers around here with mini-x's in their stables.

I'm going to demo a few machines this season, and hope to pick up either a smaller skidder or a mini-x by August, when we will be debt-free.

[diginahole]

I wouldn't use the mini x every day but I think I would use it often enough to make the purchase pay off. The 316 is the smallest mini x available. I could just about put it in my back pocket and walk into a back yard to dig a patio and load wheel barrows with it. I demoed the unit last fall. It doesn't have a fuel gauge and the salesman told me he fueled it up, guess what, he didn't. So... while I was working to get it started again I had 4 guys on shovels doing the work the mini was supposed to be doing. Once the machine was going again it moved along about 3 times as fast as the 4 guys on shovels. I measured it.

At this time of the year we often bring up the ground water from using the skid steer where we probably shouldn't. The mini would tread much lighter and eliminate the problems caused by wet subsoils without having to dig by hand.

At this early stage of my business I don't have money burning a hole in my pocket. I have a feeling a mini x would save me enough time and manpower to justify the purchase. Heck, I've already spent one month's payments on rentals this year.