[geoscaper]

Everyone is always looking for labor and back saving tools for mulch and topsoil. I was wondering if anyone owns a muck truck or similar machine.

[Bill Schwab]

We use Ingersol-Rand, 21 cubic foot power buggies. I looked into a Muck-truck, interesting design, but it basically uses the same Peerless Trans-Axle that a John-Deere riding lawn mower does. What that actually did was render it unable to carry more than a standard 6 cubioc foot wheel barrow. Other than motorizing your movement, that really does not save you any time. The time saver was in the ability to carry 3 wheelbarrws across the same dinstance at the same speed one is wheeled, if not faster in some circumstances. The other detourant, is the Nuck truck does not use a hydraulic dump cylinder, and with all the hills and grade changes around our part of the world, if the truck was facing up hill, ytou will have a hard time dumping it. For mulch over existng landscape, the buggies can do some damage. If you have bare dirt, or concrete, better yet.

[geoscaper]

Bill:
Thanks for the reply. I would be using it mostly for mulching and topsoil for installs. How much did your buggy cost? It sounds like it's a lot heavier duty than the muck truck.

[Bill Schwab]

Ours have the steel tub option, 21 cubic feet. Removable dual front drive wheels so we can make it 36" wide if we need to. 13 HP Honda motors. List price was $11,250.00. We got ours through a friend who owns a huge rental yard, at cost, which was $7,995.00. The Muck Truck would probably work wel for mulch, but topsoil? I dunno....

[mrgreen_perth]

Hi Geoscaper

There some pics and info on a mini-dumper /barrow from about a year ago on an old thread.

Mini Dumpers

Cheers
Tony

[synner]

couple of guys in these parts use the DR Powerwagon.

http://www.drpower.com/navHome.aspx?SiteEntryMode=0

Not a bad looking unit but I don't think its set up for constant commercial use. I too looked into the Muck Truck but have yet to buy.

[johnkeegan]

For what it's worth, I've owned a Dr. Powerwagon for 6-7 years now and it's worked remarkably well. It's not nearly the machine Bill mentions (which is actually designed for concrete hauling, I believe) but at $1,700 new, it's not nearly the price as well. The Dr. is rated to haul 800lb. but I know it's been over 1000lbs. numerous times. And because of the design of the box (I have the flat bed model) I can easily dump a full load myself, if you load it a little heavier in the front. And I'm no Charles Atlas.
The heavy lug tires will go through anything. And with the 4 speeds and reverse it can get you there and back quickly. We are all amazed at the durability of it. It's designed so overly simple its scary. There's really not much to go wrong. Also, it's light enough that 2 men can lift it on and off a pickup if needed.
I admit that I don't use it as much once I got an ASV30 because the ASV can get into alot of the tight spots where I required the Dr. before. Again, it's not as much of a brute as the Ingersol Rand but for the money you can't go wrong.

[synner]

John, glad to hear that the DR works well. I haven't asked the companies around here to see what they think of the machine. You're right for the price I might just have to try one out, way cheaper than another employee.

[Bill Schwab]

You should base your purchase like everything else, application first, finance second. If you don't have the budget for the application, then save or budget for it. Our buggies solved the problem of labor in excavation of tight yards. Even if you used a 463, RC-30, or whatever as your digging machine, the travel time to the dump truck is the killer. So, by using a 301.8 mini X and a fleet of power buggies, you can work faster than most with excellent access that can get larger mahines in to do the work.

After I researched the issue, buying into a machine with less cost and capacity would eventually cause us more greif than help, because it is that capacity that is what cuts the time.

Every company scenario is different, and having power is sure better I think than doing it the physical way, so, choose your weapons wisely!

[Matt Kulp]

John,
What is a ASV30? I'm not familiar with that.
Thanks

[johnkeegan]

Bill's right, it all depends on application. He seems to do alot of heavy hardscaping in often times tight or hilly jobsites. So you would want a machine that can constantly haul dirt (clay) and base material in that terrain. We do a mix of soft- and hardscaping so we often used it for mulch, top soil, stone or debris and it can do that 8 hours a day no problem. And 90% of the time we work in flat or reasonalbly flat terrain with very accessible yards (and I'm not afraid to take down a fence section if needed). So all our heavy material transporting is generally done with one man in a Bobcat A300 so we can transport and load/unload directly into/out of the trucks.
P.S.- Matt the ASV30 is a small track loader made by ASV (powered by 35 HP Caterpiller). It's 4 feet wide and weighs about 3000 lbs. If you Google the name I'm sure it will bring you to the site. We bought it a few years back when I was contemplating buying a "Dingo"-type machine for light excavating, material moving, auger work etc. I know there are alot of Dingo lovers but,sorry, for what we do there was no comparision. Again, as Bill said, get the right machine for your needs.