I need to move a lot of decorative gravel (15 yards) for landscaping my new back yard. Access is kind of tight, though I do have a 36 inch wide concrete sidewalk around that end of the house. I can't get a Bobcat or other large machine through the area without creating too much destruction on the existing landscaping..

Is there some sort of compact utility loader like the Toro Dingo that doesn't steer by skidding the tires or tracks? I think one would work great except for the rubber it would leave all over the sidewalk. I've used Bobcats and they can be terribly hard on the ground when they turn. I need something more gentle that can carry a small bucket of gravel. Are there any articulated loaders out there?

http://news.managingautomation.com/fullstory/21637

My alternative is to either hand barrow the gravel (ouch, my back) or hire one of those huge belt type loaders that can shoot the stuff clear over my house ($$$$ ouch $$)

Thanks for any advice. I know this is kind of off-topic for this forum, but I  am willing to bet that some of you guys can help me.

John Davies

That Muck Truck sure looks like a winner. MSRP is US$2875, so it should be very attractive to local rental stores. I imagine stables and small farrms could really get some use out of it, but it might not be as attractive as an ATV/ cart combo or a JD Gator Utility Vehicle, because the operator has to walk!

I wonder how prevalent the Muck Truck is in the USA?

SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE: HONDA GCV 160, 4-Stroke, 5.5 hp
TRANSMISSION: Peerless transaxle, 4 forward / 1 reverse speed
CAPACITY: 6 cu. ft. 1/4 - ton
WHEELS: Front: 400 x 10, 4 - ply tractive Rear: 400 x 8
BRAKE: Disk
CABLES: Protected
NOISE RATING: 80 db
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 61"/155 cm
WIDTH: 28"/70 cm
HEIGHT: 34"/85 cm
WEIGHT: 202.5 lbs./92 Kq

It looks like just the thing for working around existing landscaping without trashing the turf, esp with those big low pressure balloon tires.

John Davies