Mecalac 6mcr experiences?

[MG84]

One last thought, have you considered a backhoe? Utility work is one thing they still shine at, plenty of ground speed, can lift and carry a lot, plenty of digging power and reach and they wheel roll a trench a lot better than a mini.

They’ve been putting fiber in for our entire county over the past few years so it’s been interesting to see what all the different contractors use. There are probably half a dozen here from all over the east coast, every one of them uses a cable plow (mostly on tracks), 3.5-4t mini excavators, and usually at least one backhoe on every crew.

 

[KSSS]

If tracking around is the issue. A wheeled mini ex would solve that. Not as popular in NA but a big thing in the EU.
https://www.wackerneuson.com/us/products/excavators/wheeled-excavators

 

[Dstebbins83]

I will get a ctl in the future anyway. Right now I'm running a very minimal crew(but with max machinery) on a great project. If the speed of the mecalac could get me one more run of 2" a day. It will pay for itself in a few months.

I know this super fresh thread and I just had to chime in. I own a mcr6 and had an 8.. They are a far and away better solution to any contractors usage of purchase power than the dude up there's comment about the CTL, tb290 and the semi truck and 40 ton lowbed to tote them around . That's a lot of insurance and another driver chicking about his AC being recharged soon. Especially when the mcr requires a gooseneck and for every job have you decide to put your midi on but it doesn't make sense to bring two machines and the mcr does anything your tb290 can I have a tb185 same machine . The only difference is is 3 times as fast tracking but just fluidity of movement and it's 6klb less but packs 15 more hp and has high flow quick couplers and a hammer valve/case drain. It just gives you the freedom not to have to choose it support another family running that set up..I had a quick attach coupler made and can now run all my standard skid steer attachments. I'm about to sell it trade mine in to get a new one and I look at the market as I I'll get much less for my machine than I would a tb 290 and a John Deere 331 or 333 or bobcat t770 , Kubota 97.2 far less and it can do just about everything they can do and much more. Just can't justify having 2 . The same reason I sold my 8 .. the one downside is it's not a machine you can leave on a job site and just let anyone operate it. It's similar enough to both to start making these bums way to comfortable way too quick and they do something stupid. It's a seat for one ass though one operator can take 2 other ones off the payroll. Save in trucking every job is more efficient ive got no def..just from an owners perspective and I'm in North Carolina. These machines are a horizontal construction company's cheat code. Believe me. Never heard anyone second guess a purchase

 

[Wbutaud]

I purchased one early 2025, a 6MCR. I've run both skid steer and mini ex and this far outperforms both. The ability to skid steer AND mini ex both at the same time has allowed me to do things that were unfathomable. I'm a one man operation and haul with a 1 ton f350. I have been towing a 16ft gooseneck dump trailer but will be purchasing a 40ft tilt trailer soon. That will give me the ability to tow my machine with all my attachments. Currently have the skid bucket, 18" digging bucket, 36" digging bucket, skid skeleton bucket, skid plate compactor, land plane, concrete mixing auger and dispensing. I don't know about resale or end of life troubles with the machine. A hose is a hose and a zerk is a zerk. Grease it, maintain it, fix it when needed. Just like all other machine out there it will last forever when you fix what's broken and maintain it.