Probably the most versatile piece of equipment in the woods for road building is the hoe or hydraulic excavator. It is essential for building full-bench roads on steep terrain.

Contrary to a wdiely-held belief, a hydraulic log loader and this excavator are not the smae machine with different tools. Take a close look at the hydraulic loader. Compare the booms, arms and placement of the hydraulic cylinders to see the differences.

See http://aone.com/~robert/iron27.html for more on excavators and road building.