Hello Back Country Pilots,
I'm looking for a Case 310 dozer with a bucket to work on my new airstrip. We closed today on our Idaho property at the Grangeville/Idaho County Assesors Office. A 1200 foot airstrip right next to a trout stream, way cool. Got to cut down some cotton woods. We are blessed.

James

Congrats James!

Perhaps one day we can sit on that deck drinking a cold one, and gaze out to see a few nice planes parked on the strip.

Will it be ready in time for an approach on my IR checkride?

Livin' the dream!!

Beautiful property, congrats! Wish I was closer, I'd be right over with our JD 450 to help out.

James - like Zane said, you are living the dream!

Don't look too hard for a case 310. I think a decent farm tractor would do what a 310 would, then you'd have it around for other things. Rent a backhoe or dozer if you have big tree stumps.

Over the years I have had several of those small dozers on the farm. My current one, a Cat D5H is the first one that can really get things done.

patrol guy » Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:40 am

James - like Zane said, you are living the dream!

Don't look too hard for a case 310. I think a decent farm tractor would do what a 310 would, then you'd have it around for other things. Rent a backhoe or dozer if you have big tree stumps.

Over the years I have had several of those small dozers on the farm. My current one, a Cat D5H is the first one that can really get things done.

Hello Patrol Guy,
The neighbors are serious loggers and have a lot of heavy dozers and other road building equipment. He offered to help me out. I do have to cut out about 9 to 12 big worthless cottonwood trees. We use to have a little Case 310 crawler with a bucket on the front. It worked great for skidding logs for firewood/timber and a snow plow too. A guy has got to have some kind of crawler. Our land is too steep for wheel tractor.
Right now I got to land on the neighbors property. There is a lot of work to do but I'm looking forward to landing on my own airstrip.

James

James, you might want to consider a Bobcat. They are about the handiest thing you can own. Plus you can rent or buy attachments for them to do anything from dig post holes to plow snow. From the looks of your cabin, a snow blower attachment might be nice. I had a small Cat and a backhoe and sold them both when I bought a Bobcat. Just didn't use them any more because the bobcat did everything (except dig deep holes) They are pretty cheap right now too.

James,

My Mom was born just a little ways away from your place. The family still lives in Grangeville. Let me know if you need anything up there.

375H&H

Very nice James

Jaerl wrote:James, you might want to consider a Bobcat. They are about the handiest thing you can own. Plus you can rent or buy attachments for them to do anything from dig post holes to plow snow. From the looks of your cabin, a snow blower attachment might be nice. I had a small Cat and a backhoe and sold them both when I bought a Bobcat. Just didn't use them any more because the bobcat did everything (except dig deep holes) They are pretty cheap right now too.

I have to agree, a tracked bobcat (or anyother brand tracked skidsteer) will work circles around the case and go up just as steep of hills.

Super nice looking place, what kinda plane u going to be running in there in?

never mind i guess your name is super maule

A tracked bobcat would be cool, but to expensive for me $$$$. I think I can get a Case 310 dozer with a bucket for around 2K.

James

You lucky dog!! How far out of Gville is that? I need find me a chunk of land up there before it's completely unaffordable.

Just make sure you keep any sediment runoff from your strip dirt work out of the creek, yeah obvious, but they are govment agencys just looking for that! After that, the first time you land on your new strip is one of the best things ever, and you will quickly become spoiled!

Hello Backcountry Pilots,
Went down to our Idaho property last weekend. The neighbor quoted me 10k to finish my airstrip (OUCH)! This involves removing about 30 worthless cottonwood trees and some back fill. He has a D-8 and a road grader.

Instead, I can buy a used Case or John Deere 450 size tracked loader with a 4 in 1 bucket for about $5,500. I'd rather do it myself anyway then keep the crawler on the ranch for skiding logs, making roads, and plowing snow.

Looks like I got a plan.

James
The neighbor's equipment
South end future airstrip
North end future airstrip
Our creek
& our house

My place needed and still needs some more leveling. I ended up bartering some dozer work to fill in a big ditch. I still need some leveling on my taxi way but will wait until fall and muck it up then. Google earth has updated my photo and now shows my Flying V in my North 7 acres and 2 of my 206s. Would have been nice to have had the Twin Otter and all 3 206s in the shot. Skydive Flying V Ranch in Missouri.

Great job James. I love to see when people hit there dreams and make them work. I just picked up 2.5 acores on a air strip not to far from my place. I hope to start building next summer. Living the dream here in Alaska. Take care my friend.... Ken