Some of my pictures

[Brian Hay]

Her are some pictures for you guys of what I did before Spyder Hoe Solutions.

This first set is of a Caterpillar 637E that I operated for a company out of Southern Alberta. I was with them for about 5 years. Mostley we built roads and subdivisions. I spent a lot of time on Push Pull Scrapers...to much time lol

[RockSet N' Grade]

Ok Brian.....those are nice but show me the money shots aka: the fancy dancer, cliff walker, spyderhoe!

[ksss]

Ok Brian.....those are nice but show me the money shots aka: the fancy dancer, cliff walker, spyderhoe!

Curt is as delicate as sledge hammer to the forhead isn't he Brian.:hammerhead:

[RockSet N' Grade]

Ok, sorry........I am just so excited to finally get some feedback from someone who actually is working a fancy dancer. I have seen them growing up as a kid and have always been fascinated by the spyderho. I have read everything I can get my hands on, sent away for information........if I could choose one machine to run it would be the spyderhoe. Just couldn't hold back my enthusiasm.......

[bobcat_ron]

I visit Brian's pic site every day for updates.

[Gravel Rat]

I looked at the lastest pictures and that is steep and slippery. You try work on the rock like that with a regular excavator you will have some awfully tense butt cheeks :laugh:

I guess you get used to working with the machine moving its legs driving the wheels etc.

Are they getting you to scrape the over burden off for blasting ?

[Scag48]

I just looked at the Hazco album, good stuff! About due round for some new tires, eh? Or just chain them up and call it good!

[bobcat_ron]

I looked at the lastest pictures and that is steep and slippery. You try work on the rock like that with a regular excavator you will have some awfully tense butt cheeks :laugh:

I guess you get used to working with the machine moving its legs driving the wheels etc.

Are they getting you to scrape the over burden off for blasting ?
That's contaminated Incinerator Ash soil he's scraping off, used to be an Incinerator there and all the ash was just dumped over the edge, hence HAZCO being there.

[Gravel Rat]

I didn't know that. The pictures say it is in Esquimalt and it looks like it is near the Naval Base and the Graving dock.

Working on that rock bank would be a tough challenge. Also scraping rock like that affects your nerves :laugh:

Allot of work scraping and hoe chucking the material back.

[bobcat_ron]

If it weren't for the stupid Fisheries Department, I'll bet it could just be washed off the rocks and let the mud slide down.

[Gravel Rat]

Ya it probably could be washed off but that would probably kill off any of the oysters etc.

With any contaminated soil jobs the rules and regs are unbeleiveable. They probably could have left the material.

That walking excavator is the only machine that safely could get out there. Steel tracks on rock like that is like stepping on a banana peal aka slippery. You would have a one way trip to the bottom for a nice salt water bath :laugh:

[Brian Hay]

I assume your on the island too Gravel Rat? Yup that's were it is. You can see part of the project from Admiral Road at the Naden entrance Gate.

Here is more Spyder Hoe Pics...the scraper pics don't seen near as cool to me anymore ether :rolleyes:

I brought her home today, all done the Hazco project. I took a bunch of shots inside and out after I got her parked :)

[Brian Hay]

Cab shots.

[Brian Hay]

One more cab shot and the last pics from the Hazco job. I took them with Domenic's camera while he was operating and he gave me a cd of them this morning.

[Raven386]

that is insane.

[Gravel Rat]

No I don't live on the island but know where the area is.

The other pictures really show how steep that grade is.

Just think some of the building lots in this area look like that :eek:

[dozerman21]

Nice pics, cool machine. There still has to be a high pucker factor even though you guys are used to the steep grade!:laugh:

How much does that machine weigh, and do you use it on level grades as well? Is it as productive as a similar sized track hoe on flat ground?

[Construct'O]

Brain i see you have lots,an lots of electric over hydraulic valves,and wiring !!!!!!!!! With all thoses electrical connection ,keep them clean and working,your life will depend on it in your machine.

I have a trench with electric vavling also,it is an older machine and it has been giving me fits.One thing to remember keep the mice out of it they love to chew on wiring,you probably don't have them up north that far tho:)

For a used machine the people you bought your machine off of did a super job of reburnishing it.Stay safe.:usflag:

[RockSet N' Grade]

Thanks Brian.......build that "niche". I am excited for you......Hey, I just read Constructo's post......we have an overabundance of ditch rats this year that need a new place to live.....would you like me to box up some of these creatures and send 'em your way? :)

[Brian Hay]

It weighs about 19,000 pounds and is way faster then a track or back hoe the same size. I have a lot more power, bigger buckets and faster swing speed.

I get really good adrenalin rushes out of it. I'm not completely used to it yet, love the rush it gives me.

That's a good call on the rodents. I think its sealed up perty good but I better look closer and make sure. It has a locking system on it so that if anything fails the hydraulics lock in the position they are in.

I sure appreciate all the enthusiasm here. I think the people around me get sick of hearing about it lol I'm obsessed with it, it's all I talk about. It's good to have a place to go were people want to hear about it. You guys got me going so good I forgot to update my own website ;) Tonight I will be adding a ton of pics and updating things :)

[Scag48]

I'd love to have a gig where I was running one of those for a while. I remember running a Schaeff HS40 a little as a kid, that machine was gnarly back then and I can only imagine how balls out I'd go if I had one now. I think that's what I like best in this business, just doing crazy stuff. I wouldn't say that I'm unsafe, but I've been known to take an excavator in places I shouldn't have been more than once. If I had a sypder I'd up the ante, that's for sure.

[Gravel Rat]

Another thing you would have to get used to is the extenda hoe. You have lots of things to move then you have the twist a wrist bucket.

I'am really surprised the city of Prince George didn't get you to help with the ice jam on the Nechacco river.

[bobcat_ron]

Another thing you would have to get used to is the extenda hoe. You have lots of things to move then you have the twist a wrist bucket.

I'am really surprised the city of Prince George didn't get you to help with the ice jam on the Nechacco river.

P.G. officials are a bunch of idiots, my sister lives there and she says that all the time, that soultion could have been solved with 3 barges, 3 tugs and 3 long reach hoes. Bunch of frickin' idiots up there.

[Brian Hay]

Maybe they didn't know about me, I am brand new. The Hazco job was my first project. I hope something else comes up soon, I hate sitting. I just parked it yesterday and I'm already going stir crazy. Lots of people are interested in it but no one has made any solid comitments yet. It is early in the year though so hopfully the phone will start to ring soon and I will get busy.

I updated the Hazco album :) There are 183 pictures in that album now!

[ksss]

Maybe they didn't know about me, I am brand new. The Hazco job was my first project. I hope something else comes up soon, I hate sitting. I just parked it yesterday and I'm already going stir crazy. Lots of people are interested in it but no one has made any solid comitments yet. It is early in the year though so hopfully the phone will start to ring soon and I will get busy.

I updated the Hazco album :) There are 183 pictures in that album now!

You have no shortage of buttons, and levers to keep you busy in there. A lot of stuff going on inside the cab I would bet. You probably have to mobilize a bit to keep it busy being as specialized as it is. I bet your insurance rep. doesn't sleep well at night.:dizzy:

[Construct'O]

You definitly need to be able to multi task for sure:):usflag:

[bobcat_ron]

And I'll bet Brian will be needing a new cutting edge on that bucket after the HAZCO job.

[Gravel Rat]

I was watching the news when that floating backhoe thing was busting up the ice it seemed a little feeble. The cost to rent that machine.

The cutting edge on Brian's bucket seen some wear on the Hazco job scraping rock like that is hard on buckets. All you see is white dust every stroke you make.

[minimax]

I'd be putting a bolt on edge on that bucket.

minimax

[Brian Hay]

There are 14 buttons and one lever that control all the leg movments. And when you swing around and face the opposite directions the button are now the opposite from what they are facing the other direction ;) ....luke the tracks on a track hoe.

Lol My cousin sells insurace and wouldn't touch us. He didn't want nothing to do with it.

My cutting edges took a beeting for sure. There is a noticable roudness on the sides from tilting it to get into the tight areas. I would definatle like to get a bolt on edge.

[Brian Hay]

...I should add, my cousin doesn't do any type of construction related insurance. We did find someone else who knows all about us and covered us to the max for a reasonable price though. We are fully insured for any situation :)

[DBL]

those machines really are something else....

[Brian Hay]

Here are some random shots from recent projects.

[Brian Hay]

......more

[Brian Hay]

..............

[Brian Hay]

And the last batch for now

[bobcat_ron]

I can't imagine how treacherous it must be to step out on a rainy day onto those legs to get out, one slip and you're done for the day.

[Brian Hay]

That's for sure, you have to be careful not to use the little wheels as a step when they are up in the air too.

[bobcat_ron]

If that were my machine, I'd be tack welding mire mesh on them.

[BIGBEN2004]

Man I love that machine. What a joy it must be to get to run it. I would love to master the controls.

[JohnnyRoyale]

That machine is amazing. Never seen anything like it. Whats the hourly rate on that w/operator? (if you dont mind me asking).

[Brian Hay]

Thanks for the comments guys! I feel realy lucky to be doing what I do, I absolutely love it.

I don't mind telling my rate. It's $175/hour

[ASCHAL45]

hey brian so how has work been for ya lately? You staying busy?

[bobcat_ron]

I spent almost an hour looking through your latest album, there's no way in hell I'd touch that house job with anything larger than a 200 sized excavator, and even then, it wouldn't fit. Talk about the right tool for the job.

[JohnnyRoyale]

It truly fills niche applications. Well work the rate in my opinion. Good luck with it.

[Brian Hay]

It was really slow getting started ASCHAL45 but it is picking up now.

Home owners are looking like they are going to be my best customers. All these new subdivisions being built on the sides of hills with the houses close together makes the back yards really hard to access. I only weigh 18,500, with the legs pulled in I'm only 6'9 wide and can lift aprox 3300 pounds at 20 feet. In some instances a mini ex could do the job for a cheaper hourly rate but take a lot more hours to do and sometimes doesn't have enough power to lift rocks were they need to go building walls. I have had a few landscaping contractors contact me now saying they get projects like that once in a while and wanted to know if I would be interested in working with them on future projects like that.

Thanks JohnnyRoyale, my rate is a little low compared to others that have them but they have more experience then me so I think they are worth it. Next year I will bump mine up to match theirs.

[DUSTYCEDAR]

that is wild i would have it on its lid opps wrong button

[dozerman21]

When I first glanced at pic #10 I thought the homeowner used a backhoe tire for a planter box until I realized it was your wheel.:laugh:

Cool pics. That's a sweet machine. I wonder why there aren't more of them around? Are they all made overseas? I've never seen one in person. Keep the pics coming...:cool2:

[RockSet N' Grade]

Brian, if you know where another machine as nice as yours is pm me........

[Brian Hay]

Lol that's handy, I pull one pin and the little wheels pop right off out of my way.

I think there is going to be more of them showing up soon. They used to be next to unheard of and info on the next wa next to impossible to find....now some loud mouth has them all over the net and I will have competition soon I'm sure :rolleyes: Oh well, at least I am among the first to get established with one. They are made in Switzerland and I think some of the biggest reasons there aren't more yet is:

Cost, almost $300,000 for a new one. That's base machine not even a bucket included. Then you have to pay shipping on top of that. And if it has a serious breakdown it's a good week wait for parts as I leaned when my main valve box blew a hole in the side.

Most are really critical of it too. Some other contractors I meet and show pictures scoff at it and say there is nothing it can do that their track hoes can't.

It's not really something you want to try and find an operator for ether. It's hard enough finding operators for conventional machines.

No dealer support. There is only one dealer for all of Canada.

[Brian Hay]

Ok RockSet N' Grade I will PM you.

I get a LOT of requests...really gets me thinking, Spyder Hoe Solutions Inc - Sales and Operated Rentals. Sounds perty good eh :rolleyes:

[bobcat_ron]

We had a company locally here that owned an older Spyder, they signed up the the Municipality for ditch cleaning and general excavation, and same thing happened, people laughed and scoffed at them, but now 10 years later with all the wack jobs planting crops too close to the water ways and tight job site restrictions, suddenly Spyder Hoes are not looking too bad.
Last job I saw was a culvert reconstruction, the Spyder was perched on the side of the embankment placing rocks and rip rap, no way in hell would a mini do that job with out being in the bottom of the creek bed.

[Brian Hay]

I haven't posted any pictures for you guys in here for quite a while so I figured I would stop in and share this gif I made with you guys :) I did a bunch of rock work in this yard both front and back and then this is me climbing back out.

http://picasion.com/pic5/5f1615c8b1d52a81dcef6dc46d212ba2.gif

[bobcat_ron]

Neat-O! I wish I had that nifty gif technology!

[Brian Hay]

Here is what I used to make it Ron http://picasion.com/ It's free, just upload up to ten pics and it will make them into a gif.

[bobcat_ron]

Sweet! Thanks!

[Construct'O]

Was thinking the other day, how things was going.Nice pics.Thanks for sharing !!!

So have you been,busy with your new rock building jobs????? What has been some of the different jobs you have done this year with you machine? Is the machine still performing okay? Good luck!:usflag:

[Brian Hay]

It has been really slow for me the last couple of months...most of the year actually. But I guess that is to be expected the first year getting established. I think I have a lot of learning to do in the business/marketing end of things. I know there is work out there for my machine but I just have to figure out how to find it. Once I get one project in a neighborhood I almost always get more after the neighbors talk to my customer and see what I did for them.
I think one of the biggest mistakes I made was was focusing to hard on marketing the extreme terrain access end of things because now people only call if that is what they have and pass me over if the ground is flat because they don't know I do that type of work too.

Here is what I have done this year:

Six rock walls. Two of them about five feet tall to extend back yards.
Two were decorative, only a few feet high, to make a nicer transitions to different levels of the yard. One of those small walls also included a set of rock stairs that came out of the walkout basement and did a Y up to two different levels of the yard.
One created a level pad/drainage for a driveway.
Another I just repaired and added a couple more granite boulders for a neighbor on one the bigger walls.

Built a pad for a mobile home on an acreage then used the Spyder to bring the mobile home in from the road because the access was to tight for the truck to maneuver it.

Two perimeter drains and also tore out an old concrete driveway on one of those properties.

Did the excavation to create a second level in one yard and another contractor then poured a curved retaining wall for it.

A couple small jobs only a few hours long to shape a couple yards and remove stumps.

One commercial contaminated site clean up.

And one small excavation for a playground at a day home.

Removed some trees from a back yard to make room for a new shop. That was cool, just grabbed them with the PowerGrip and pulled them down guiding them in between the houses as they came down.

The machine is performing excellent. I get more impressed with it every time I work it.

[stuvecorp]

Glad to hear you're hanging in there. Love the pictures.