How to Build a Homestead on a Budget with a Bobcat Rental

Build a Homestead with a Rental Track Loader

You don’t need a lot to build a homestead. Alabama farmers have been living off the land for generations. They know how to build things that last. They’ve taught us to do the same. 

And that’s where a Bobcat rental fits in. In today’s economy, a Bobcat rental is a practical, affordable tool that helps you turn what you’ve got into a sustainable homestead. Rent a mini track loader or compact track loader from Bobcat of Huntsville, and you can knock out any (or all) of these projects. 

Building a Homestead with a Bobcat MT100 Rental

The MT100 is a mini track loader. This is a little stand-on skid-steer. We like the MT100 for homesteading because it is very affordable, especially as a weekly or monthly rental. That, and it can use almost all the same attachments as a larger Bobcat skid-steer loader can use (just on a smaller scale). 

Clear Land for a Garden or Animal Pen

If you want to plant a new herb garden or build a pen for animals, start by clearing out brush, saplings, and debris. Even if you just have a standard bucket, you’ll be able to prep the area very quickly.

Machine: MT100 
Attachments: Bucket, Grapple, Brushcat Rotary Cutter

Dig Holes for Fence Posts or Planting Trees

An auger attachment is huge if you’re planting fruit or nut trees, setting fence posts, building a trellis, or even putting in posts for solar panels. If you don’t know someone with an auger attachment, and if you don’t want to be out there digging holes for hours, this is a great rental for you.

Machine: MT100 
Attachments: Auger 

Dig a Trench for Irrigation / Water Line

With a trencher attachment on a MT100, you can dig a trench to bury an irrigation line and direct runoff away from buildings and pens. If you’re interested in a sprinkler system, this could help you install one for yourself. If you’re trying to save money and avoid waste, you can set up a gravity-fed drip line from stored rainwater to your garden.

Machine: MT100
Attachments: Trencher 

Move Soil, Mulch, Compost, or Firewood

Use the bucket to scoop and spread mulch or compost. Then switch to pallet forks to move stacked firewood around your property. This will save you a lot of time as you’re trying to get your homestead off the ground. 

Machine: MT100 
Attachments: Bucket, Pallet Forks

Create a Food Plot

Break up compacted soil and get the ground ready for planting. If it were our land, we’d go with the rototiller. This attachment is built to make it easier to set up a food plot (even if it’s a large one). 

Machine: MT100 
Attachments: Rototiller 

Building a Homestead with a Bobcat T66 Rental

If you have $500-600 more to spend per month, we’d highly suggest looking at the Bobcat T66 compact track loader. It can do everything we’ve already mentioned, but it will also handle larger-scale projects that will really help get your homestead up and running. 

Grade a Driveway or Access Road

A landplane and a bucket can help you smooth out your gravel roads. The T66 was made to do this, so it shouldn’t take you long to build a stable path to your house or barn (free of bumps and ruts). 

Machine: T66 
Attachments: Bucket, Landplane

Create a Drainage System

With a bucket attachment, you can move dirt out of low spots, redirecting water away from buildings, pens, or gardens. 

Machine: T66 
Attachments: Bucket

Build a Pad for a Shed, Barn, or Coop

Using the landplane and bucket again, you can level uneven ground before building your next shed, barn, or chicken coop. Consider using recycled wood to save on building costs. If you’re building a chicken coop, we’d highly suggest taking a little extra time for predator proofing. That could look like just adding a stronger wood barrier, or it could be as involved as pouring a cement footing. 

Machine: T66 
Attachments: Bucket, Landplane

Ready to Get Started?

If you’re ready to stop Googling and start building the homestead you’ve always wanted, come talk to our rental people. We know the Bobcat MT100 and T66. We can help get the right machine for trenching, moving mulch, and planting crops. Give Bobcat of Huntsville a call today for model availability and pricing!