Machine Builders Network+ Forums Machine Builders Network General Discussion agt mini skidder

internet auction , --- ended up with the loader PLUS another L-12 ex. This is the L-12R a newer version of my old one . Price was lowest ever on these 2 so been using the loader to backfill tile ditches instead of the ex. Its like riding a wild bull! Spend half the time getting back on it! lol!

I see you got the optional natural air conditioning package that was factory installed

yup! ---- wouldnt have a cab on one of these. Looked at a couple at the auction yard and no way in hell I would have one!! I couldnt get in one! lol!!

yeah the mini-ex we used for footers recently had a cab on it, with my brother at 6ft-1 squeezed into it looked funny..but still handy if they'd build a decent engine

My first L-12 has a 13.5 B & S in it and it had all kinds of problems when I got it out of the shipping container. ( long story)
This L-12 R has the Rato motor. seams to have more power than the B & S does for some reason.
The loader has a Rato 23 hp in it and is also a gutsy little guy. Never heard of them but a guy on another site said that company makes the Harbor Freight motors. S'POSED to be chimnas top small engine maker. guess we will see !!

brand new mini trackloaders like yours above, new in the crate going for 3250.00 plus taxes at RB today Northeast MD FWIW

$ 2,800 and no tax cause its farm use for me.

good deal Sonny., honestly dont think any of us could build it for that $$.... My only point of concern would be the rubber tracks, where could you get replacements? Sprockets and idlers would last a good while but tracks are a wear item

The tracks are plentiful in that size from what I can find out.
As to make a digger like them the parts would cost 3 times what the chimna ones do, and thats sad cause I like makin stuff myself!
Still need a variable flow control valve in the hyd. system to take the jerky part out. Cant feather the valves light enough to creep with them.--- mostly go or no! lol! I can do decent with them now after a lot of diggin in the waterways tile lines.
Crossin the pipeline with the inspector watchin was the worst section to dig. Held my breath and had white knuckles for 50 feet of dig but never messed up and impressed him. I offered to let him run it but he was chicken! lol! He really wanted to run it but not over the pipeline! --- didnt bother me any. I told him I would end up 4" above their pipe and thats exactly where we were at when I said good enough and was on grade for my tile. He thought I had to go UNDER the 14" pipe and I told him no that above it was deep enough to match up to the tile I was hooking to.
Anyway I dont see any way we could make diggers or skidders for the price of the chimna ones plus they already made saving hundreds of hours of our time and by not having machine shop tools to do the job I couldnt pass them up. Banker thinks its a decent deal so approved the loan for 1 year so I will most likely pay it back in 6 months when the farm crp payment comes.