u/campmars6089

I have been using a 19 HP tractor on some paid jobs. Small jobs like moving and leveling topsoil, small gravel driveway additions. I feel very limited with the tractor and don't feel like I can do as good of a job as I want to. It's also 50 years old and I am hesitant to put much money into it. The hydraulic system is very slow and doesn't like running all day.

So I am looking at mini skids like an MT100 with a power rake and maybe a land plane. I could buy used without a loan. I would like to do gravel driveway repair/additions and backyard type topsoil jobs.

Location: Western NY. Adjacent to a county with 1M people.

My question is: before I spend a lot of money, is the mini skid market too saturated? I look on facebook and google search and I don't find that many offerings but maybe I need to research further.

Truck is a 2016 f250 xlt 6.2 with 225k and around 11000 total hours. Accounting for hours, I think I’d be close to 500k miles

It runs and shifts great. I tow an equipment trailer with it and a travel trailer and have had zero issues. Am I crazy for towing on a 1000+ mile trip with this thing?

I just had it up on my lift and went over everything. It doesn’t leak a drop

This is an open center system from what I can tell. The empty bucket drops immediately when the tractor is running (pumping).

I have new curl cylinders as I thought this was the problem. I put one on and it’s still the same problem. I just swapped the lift and curl circuits and the bucket still drops.

If it was one of the spool valves, wouldn’t it switch to the lift after swapping lines?

I work in Vermont and everything is filed at the town level. Each town chooses its own online land records program to use if they have them at all.

I now live in New York and I’m trying to find some deeds and a plat for my cousin. The property is in Monroe county and I understand it’s all at the county level here.

What site do I use for online research and is everything available online?

Thanks

I have very little experience welding. I have a full-time job in an unrelated field that has some slow times throughout the year. I have a shop with a lift and I do automotive work on the side. Usually one or two jobs a week doing suspension, brakes, tires etc. Basic maintenance stuff.

I'd like to learn how to weld so that I could offer that as a service. Is taking courses the best way to get some experience? I can't go work for someone. I'm the only income in the household with three kids so I am trying to make the best choice on how to increase income. What kind of money are we talking here and would it be worth it to pursue?

Located in New York