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Buying equipment for temporary use?

2,048 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 9 days ago by schmellba99
MyNameIsJeff
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12:01a, 4/6/26
AG
I have 10 heavily wooded acres that I recently purchased that needs a ton of work, primarily brush clearing. While I've rented equipment on a few occasions, my problem is that, between work, kids, and everything else, I only find a few hours a week to spend on it. That really doesn't jive with rental equipment being charged by the day.

My thought is to buy a reasonably used piece of equipment (probably something along the lines of a Kubota U55 mini-ex), put 100-200 hours on it over a period of 6 months to a year to complete everything I need, and then sell it. Ideally at minimal loss from what I purchased it for.

Anybody ever done something like this and not lost their ass? Or am I probably better off just clearing my schedule a few weekends to get my money's worth out of a rental?
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SGrem
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12:37a, 4/6/26
Or hire someone for $800-$1000 a day or whatever.... pay them for a week's work and get your life back. Your project will likely be done better and you can move forward with whatever you want. You will be money ahead.

Someday ain't ever gonna come and what you hold on to controls you. This is one of those times.
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plant science guy
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5:38a, 4/6/26
I've rarely operated unfamiliar equipment for long without something on it breaking, which really hurts the resale value.

That's also how you learn how to fix all sorts of stuff, but that's not your goal here.
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Gunny456
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In reply to MyNameIsJeff • 6:40a, 4/6/26
AG
I so much agree with Grem.
I grew up pretty poor so we had to always do our ranch/farm work, and everything that entails ourselves.
Because of that upbringing and being financially frugal, I have tried to do all I can on the places I've owned.
At one juncture I decided I needed a track-loader for a project on the ranch.
Did my due diligence and much shopping and research and learning about percentages of under carriage wear and tear and such……and bought a good used one (or so I thought).
I figured worst case scenario I could use it for my project then sell it for minimal loss.
Very bad decision…..about 10 hours into the project a track busted and came off. That isn't something you easily fix in a pasture with a jack and battery operated tools.
$2500 later I was back in business…….till about 8 hours later….. when the other side track did the same thing……and the same cost again.
I also went through a pretty good learning curve on getting proficient with the machine which cost me a lot of time as well.
I also think I spent around $500 or more seemed like…for grease and many countless hours greasing the thing every morning before working it (as I was told that was paramount to keep if from wearing out).
I learned that all that clattering and squeaking noise you hear with all trac
machines is metal on metal contact that is constantly trying to tear itself apart and wear out.
Shortly after completing my project, I decided to sell the track loader from hell. I did not recoup my initial investment cost nor the maintenance cost.
Putting a pencil to it I would have been way ahead paying for someone to do the work.
I own four pieces of equipment that I use a lot on the ranch…it would not be financially frugal to rent or hire out the work I do with them daily, weekly or monthly.
However, if I have a large project involving the need for specialty equipment I don't already own…..much cheaper to just nut up and pay a professional operator to do it…..or, if you are proficient in operating the machine, rent it.

My two cents.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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Texaspainter
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6:50a, 4/6/26
AG
Grem & Gunny..... listen to them....
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Deerdude
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7:33a, 4/6/26
I've been thinking of this exact thing. Need to clean out some ponds, clear some roads and senderos, and do some terracing. My Kubota loader can do some but a D-6 could expedite and maybe save the wear on the loader. Quote for work to be done as much as $30-35k.
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RCR06
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8:07a, 4/6/26
AG
OP, if you want to do this yourself because you want to get better at operating this type of equipment or just the satisfaction of doing it yourself, I'd say go for it. If you are trying to save money it may or may not work out.
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CS78
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9:14a, 4/6/26
For me, I usually rent for a month at a time in the summer but that obviously doesnt work with your schedule. If I were to pay someone, Id be there looking over their shoulder the whole time, so I might as well just do it myself. Id be ready to string someone up if I came back and found they had skinned up a bunch of irreplaceable oak trees. On my land, I want to do it myself. If I were just flipping land and it was only about money, Id pay someone else.

I have a buddy that bought a dozer and has done very well with it. BUT, he has pretty meticulous mechanical knowledge and skills. I looked into it, even made a couple low offers, but eventually decided it wasn't worth the effort and risk.

It just depends on how much you WANT to do it yourself. And if you're ok with the idea of it possibly not making financial sense in the end.
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Rex Racer
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11:09a, 4/6/26
AG
Every time I have ever tried to save myself a few bucks by doing it myself (well, if it was a BIG something), I have ended up working my arse off and costing myself more money than if I had just hired someone to do it instead.

Now I just save myself the time, trouble, effort, and money by hiring someone for large projects.
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Gunny456
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In reply to CS78 • 12:01p, 4/6/26
AG
I am actually working on a project right now and rented the machine. Run it some of the time myself but also have a great operator that is very experienced in the heavy timber we have. He is amazing how he will clear an area and not touch any of the trees I want left or larger trees he sees. He will also take the machine on steep slants where I won't.

TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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Deerdude
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12:03p, 4/6/26
Gunny, how does that loader compare to a similar size dozer? Found one of them recently and just wasn't sure.
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spieg12
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In reply to Deerdude • 12:09p, 4/6/26
AG
Deerdude said:
I've been thinking of this exact thing. Need to clean out some ponds, clear some roads and senderos, and do some terracing. My Kubota loader can do some but a D-6 could expedite and maybe save the wear on the loader. Quote for work to be done as much as $30-35k.


Just find someone with a D9 or a D10. I'm sure they could get it done quicker.
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Gunny456
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In reply to Deerdude • 12:20p, 4/6/26
AG
Everyone up here in the Ozarks uses track loaders instead of dozers. I've asked why and they all have told me they're more versatile for them cause most of the land clearing guys up here build lots of lakes and ponds as well as pushing trees. I seldom see a dozer up here.
That machine I'm renting is a CAT 953. It's 34,000 lbs and comparable to a D9 in frame, weight and HP.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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schmellba99
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1:00p, 4/6/26
AG
Depending on the level of brush clearing needed, you can hire somebody with a skid steer and a mulcher and have all 10 acres done in 1-3 days. And they will worry about replacing teeth, fuel, maintenance, etc, etc, etc.

For that amount of land I'd highly recommend listening to SGrem and Gunny and hiring it out. If you try to do it a little here and a little there, it will never get done and you'll be chasing your tail constantly. And you won't do it as good as somebody that runs those things daily does either.
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