The primary reason I don’t own one is expense. I cannot afford $15-35K for it.
Heavier equipment would be much more expensive, which means you’re going the wrong way. I might as well buy vibranium.
Lot’s of small lot clearing business have the bobcats around here, so I guess someone is making a profit with them. The thing is, you use heavy equipment where cost-wise and acreage wise it makes sense to. However, to clear a couple of acres, or a couple hundred feet of fence line? Nope.
And, of course, there’s a huge difference between lot clearing and excavation businesses.
You might be surprised what a local excavator would charge to just stop on his way back from a larger job with one machine and do a half-day’s work. Might be better that renting a skid steer for two day plus delivery and pick up.
When I have long-term leased a Bobcat it is to avoid the intermittent manual labor that would require three guys for a day a week. One laborer foreman, properly trained, can do all the minor clean-up, perimeter prep and trash removal with a Bobcat and then hook up a spinning broom attachment when the paving is done.
Most of my job-sites were five to fifty acres so, I agree, if all you want is a gravel drive perimeter cut back small machinery if available will do the job.