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Excavator vs Skid Steer

2K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  gregzoll 
#1 ·
I want to put a garage onto the side of a hill. I'm going to need to cut out a flat area for it.

Should I use a skid steer or an excavator?

The dirt is just going to be dumped a few feet away - I'm just going to carry it back and forth with one piece of equipment, rather than rent two.
 
#2 ·
Not there to see it, and we have no pictures so where going to have to guess.
I'd want a back hoe with a 24" wide bucket for the footings and the bucket on the front for moving the dirt and digging out the high area.
 
#3 ·
Sorry, should have have mentioned that. I wasn't really planning on actually digging out the footers and the slab... I thought about it... I dunno, I might. I'm more concerned about just being able to move a large amount of dirt.

I guess with a backhoe you dig a big pile then push it away?
 
#4 ·
It would be great if you would go back and add your location to your profile.
Just look at the top right and hit were your name is.
Most area's your going to need a permit to build this and footers.
That building has to be built so no siding is within 6" of the finished grade.
Depending on just how high that back area is you may have to go with wider blocks on the bottom or even rebar and fill the blocks to keep it from tipping.
Aslo great idea to add drainage on the high side to reduce static pressure.
 
#5 ·
Now, to get back to the original question...A skid steer loader realy cant dig too much as much as it can take loose material and move/load it. Anything hard to dig like that hill side will need something capable of digging a hole such as an excavator. This isn't to say the skid steer can't do it, it just may take longer. Most small excavators also come with a dozer blade on them as well.
 
#6 ·
Hard to tell what kind of soil you'll be digging into, but a skidloader will likely be far more efficient, and much easier for a novice to control height with.

BTW, you wouldn't need to put frost footings under that garage here, or in most of North America for that matter...............
 
#7 ·
Ayuh,.... I gotta agree with Dan,.... The clay dirt 'round here wouldn't get dug with a skid-steer,....

A Hoe will cast twice it's reach behind itself,...
If it's got a blade, it'll push relatively smallish piles...

If 1 end/ side is gonna come out, At grade, a Dozer would work pretty good...

A Backhoe loader would do the job quite well too...
Dig with the hoe, 'n bucket or push the spoils...
 
#8 ·
Depends. If your soil is, in fact, real hard, then put more power into a shorter width, ie, use a hoe. But, a toothed bucket on a large-frame skid steer (9,000 lb type) can dig like Hellen B Happy. I run one a fair amount, and can dig in some fairly rocky stuff. It ain't a dozer, but if you don't dig uphill, it'll dig some pretty tough stuff. The little ones are a different animal. Rent a JD 332 skid steer w/ a toothed bucket and you'll move a lot of dirt in short order. Plus, you'll find 41 other things around your place that you've been meanin' to get at....
 
#9 ·
Depends on what is in the soil (ie rocks), the grade that you are dealing with, and how quick you want to get the job done. If you know someone with the excavator, they could do the job probably in two hours tops, then the skid steer can be used for the final part of bringing in crush for the base, etc..
 
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