Feels good to be working again!

[bobcat_ron]

After a long 3 months of very little work due to time of year and weather conditions things are finally picking back up for the Triple B "Busy Bees".

New decals:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures447.jpg

Had to go to a new barn site in Sumas Prairie for strip soil for a new dairy barn and milking parlor. Site measures 160 feet wide by 360 feet long and 12" of soil must be removed to get to load bearing clay and sand, unfortunately, the only machine available is the Cat D4 Hystat, so I was feeling a little "pushy" these past few days.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures450.jpg

Slot pushing towards the East side:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures455.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures453.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures454.jpg

3 hours later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures456.jpg

First slot heading North 160 feet long:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures457.jpg


This was 5:00 PM, quitting time.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures464.jpg

Next day, soil was a bit harder to push with out leaving "bunny hops" behind me , so I plowed the soil with the edge of the blade to loosen it up, that really increased the cycle times:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures463.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures459.jpg

Lunch time:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures465.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures466.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures448.jpg

Quitting time:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures472.jpg

I have another 60 feet on the back end to do and some drive way digging yet, so another full day, making this a 3 day job and 24 hours of Dozerin'.

[meets1]

Looks good. Not much of an exacavator but I know some. There blding these barns like crazy around us. Most dairies around here are 3500 head to 7000 head. People moving here from all parts of the country. Concrete guys love em!

[KTM]

How can it be so nice there? here it's a damn snowstorm after snowstorm. It almost puts a guy in depression.

[BIGBEN2004]

Here it is 2 days of sun weather and every 3rd. day it is raining. The ground just can't take anymore and is completely saturated. I can't wait to see dry dirt like in your pictures and also more work.

[Gravel Rat]

Look at the big hollow in the middle :laugh:

I think we are finally getting spring in the Southern Region of B.C. . We don't need any more snow or cold weather.

[Mini man]

Ran alot of Case 450/550 dozers with the " gas pedal " and rented some D 3 D 4 and just cant figure how to operate them properly LOL.
throtle....decelerator...step up and down power buttons....lol when do I get used to it! :canadaflag::laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

I find this D4 quite light on the front end, it needs another 1000lbs to keep the blade down when cutting through the hard stuff, but all 90 horses sure make it work harder though.

[Gravel Rat]

You find any body parts :laugh:


Another way of doing the job would be excavator and clean up bucket scrape the overburden up into a pile in the center load it into trucks.

[wanabe]

Looks good! I wish we had dry dirt like that. I can't even walk across a field like that with out sinking 4 inches!

[Scag48]

Lookin' good. Were you running a mast mounted reciever? I see the mast but can't quite tell if there's a reciever on there or not. What are the proposed finished tolerances?

[bobcat_ron]

The mast is for a regular laser receiver, tolerance wise, 12-18" of soil was removed, nothing too precise.
It would have cost double to use and excavator and truck, and the dairy farmer was in no rush to get the site stripped, now he's talking about moving the whole site another 40 feet over, so the windrow of soil will be moved with an excavator this time.

And no body parts, but I do start cleaning city owned road ditches next week, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!! :laugh:

[Scag48]

For sure the dozer was the piece to use, I can't think of a faster way. Even if you had to haul the material out, stockpiling with the dozer and loading with a 120 into trucks would've worked, but no doubt the dozer was the fastest method by far for moving dirt over a long distance.

[Tigerotor77W]

80 horses...

but where's the 247B?

[Fieldman12]

A dozer is my favorite piece to run. So basically you used the edge of the blade (angled down) to more or less plow the dirt when it got hard. You then roughed it in and then did a light finish cut to smooth things up a bit?

[ksss]

80 horses...

but where's the 247B?


That just sits in the shop so he can look at it. Heaven forbid it reaches 50.2 hours.:drinkup:

[Scag48]

That just sits in the shop so he can look at it. Heaven forbid it reaches 50.2 hours.:drinkup:

You're so bad :nono: :laugh:

[qps]

That just sits in the shop so he can look at it. Heaven forbid it reaches 50.2 hours.:drinkup:

Yeah...I'm sure BC has went throught two undercarraiages by now...I know I have...:cry::laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

A dozer is my favorite piece to run. So basically you used the edge of the blade (angled down) to more or less plow the dirt when it got hard. You then roughed it in and then did a light finish cut to smooth things up a bit?


Something like that yes. The first 3 passes are always the worst because after the first 3 feet, the sod doesn't want to keep rolling in front of the blade, so I have to lift the blade up to maintain traction, that leaves a "bunny hop", so plowing it up is basically just ripping it up to make it a smoother trip back wards. After the sod is off, it's smooth sailing and if it's done right, the soil just keeps rolling off the blade like a log.

[bobcat_ron]

80 horses...

but where's the 247B?


Wishing it could do a job this big! :cry:

It'll be working tomorrow for a few hours, then it will be playing in the cow poop for 4 hours after that, one of those jobs where only the ASV U/C will run circles around everyone else due to the excessive travelling I do with every bucket of manure.

[bobcat_ron]

That just sits in the shop so he can look at it. Heaven forbid it reaches 50.2 hours.:drinkup:


The bird population seems to like it! :laugh:

[BIGBEN2004]

That dozer looks nice. I want to run a newer one with the new cab. I ran a D3 at my old job, it wasn't old it was a 99 or so but it had a cab on it and the doors were on the side were as the newer ones have the doors on an angle so you can see the blade better.

[bobcat_ron]

This is a D4-G, I believe it's a 2003 model off the rental fleet. The pilot for the direction control is electric, it has a detent in it so it locks into the forward/reverse position and there is a rocker switch on it that raises/lowers the speed in tiny to large increments with a gauge that tells you what "gear" you would be in if it was the old 3 speed torque converter drive. It took a lot of time to get used to it, I was so used to the original system similar to the skid steer pilots, but it gets real easy to control the speed with the decel pedal.
The new K series have a function that brings the Hystat speed to 80% of maximum when you go into reverse and it can be adjusted from there to save fuel when backing up to start pushing.

[bobcat_ron]

Yuck, had to go to the "Big City" today, Burnaby more precisely, sucks big time, take me almost an hour and a half to get there and no parking anywhere. People look weird, people drive like idiots everywhere, and a crack head at almost every corner looking to steal something out of your truck.

All I had to do was drop gravel into the foundations and sweep with a massive 84" sweeper, 2 hours of work and it took a full day of standing around looking "smart".

I got bored so I snapped of some pics of the boss and the excavator loading an ugly green Mack.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures475.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures476.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures478.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures479.jpg

[kreft]

What do you guys charge per hour for the 320c?

[BIGBEN2004]

Yea I hate going into the inner city around here also. It is always tight, no parking, and more red tape to work through to get the job done and every inspector trying to put a stop work order on the job.

[Gravel Rat]

What are you talking about Burnaby is probably the only city in the Lower Mainland that has normal people. Get into other parts of Vancouver it is like a freak show :laugh:

[BIGBEN2004]

I am glad to finally see some pictures that are cloudy and wet from Bobcat Ron. The last pictures of him stripping nice and dry top soil just pissed me off.:rolleyes:

[Scag48]

Dude, Vancouver is a freak show for real. I was there last summer with bunch of friends, we walked around all of Vacouver. You get down in the crazy district and there are bums and syringes everywhere. There was about 8 or 9 of us guys, but it was dark and pretty late, so I'm sure if someone wanted something from us they could've gotten it, I'm not willing to fight anyone in a country I don't live in.

[bobcat_ron]

For the 320CL boss charges $117 per hour, the 320CLU's it's $120.

I actually made pretty good coinage on that job, 6 hrs of standing around, only 2 hours actual machine time=$390 + $110 Hauling Charge= $500. But I burned 1/2 a tank of Diesel in my truck and the fuel gauge didn't move on the Cat, so maybe about $120 in fuel loss, so I take home $380, next time I have 3 days straight there, I think I'll rent a motel room for those nights!

[Shadetree Ltd]

Are the rates that low in the valley? How come the delivery charge is considerably less than your costs (time, fuel, truck wear and tear, trailer overhead)?

[bobcat_ron]

Are the rates that low in the valley? How come the delivery charge is considerably less than your costs (time, fuel, truck wear and tear, trailer overhead)?


HUH?!? That's steep around these parts.

[bobcat_ron]

I had to make a delivery this morning before playing with my Cat, one of the operators needed the hoe-pac for the day.

A new 600mm plastic culvert is being put in right through a creek dyke, so compaction is extremely important.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures483.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures480.jpg

These galvanized sheets are "supposed" to keep the water from following the trench line after the back filling is done, what a typical waste of Municipal money, 4 more of those stupid plates are going back in.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures481.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures482.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures487.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures486.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures490.jpg

Then after 5 hours of playing in the manure, I had to wash off the Cat:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures493.jpg

If this were the old T190, these drive motors would be sucking in manure right here, this is actual liquid manure with sawdust and sand mixed in, what a blast I had in it:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures494.jpg

Now it looks pretty again! :laugh:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures499.jpg

[Construct'O]

Careful Ron you got it muddy there! Hy ! what is with the rubber mudflap up there on the quicl tach plates.Is it to keep dirt fron getting down there on????
Was that a factory thing or did you add that?

The plates here are called anti seepcollars.I have to use them on the tubes we put in our dams.That pallet is going to work for one:).

Those guys with the shovels didn't look to excited about moving much dirt by hand! Good picture,keep busy.Whats the hour meter add up to now.Not counting the stand around hours.:usflag:

[Construct'O]

Ron did you put the steel bogie wheels on the back or did you machine come with them already?

Find out how much they weight and let us know i would like to know how much weight they would add to your machine if you had all steel bogie wheel around on your machine.

If i owned an mtl machine i would serious consider giving them a try even tho others thought they would add to much weight to the machine.Especially if i was working in rock conditions alot.Probably when i got the price i wouldn't.:cry:

Would be just like running counter weights to me.Why you at it get a price for the steel bogies so we can figure the cost of the change over.:usflag:

[Gravel Rat]

A 200 sized machine around here is about 118-120 per hour the machine is hauled to the site behind a gravel truck on a tridem tilt if you had to hire a lowbed it would be more expensive.

[bobcat_ron]

Careful Ron you got it muddy there! Hy ! what is with the rubber mudflap up there on the quicl tach plates.Is it to keep dirt fron getting down there on????
Was that a factory thing or did you add that?

The plates here are called anti seepcollars.I have to use them on the tubes we put in our dams.That pallet is going to work for one:).

Those guys with the shovels didn't look to excited about moving much dirt by hand! Good picture,keep busy.Whats the hour meter add up to now.Not counting the stand around hours.:usflag:

That mud flap is there to protect the cylinders from the Hydraulic Quick Attach from getting rocks dropped on them and there are smaller strips over the wedge springs to keep them from getting jammed up with mud and freezing in the winter, it works wonders now, those mods took me only 4 hours to do.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures496.jpg

The hour meter reads 56.8 hrs, fuel economy is getting better, but the fuel tank must be an odd shape, after 1/2 a tank, the needle sure can move around a lot while going up and down hills. This manure job I did was the exact same one I did back in September '07 with the T190, I noticed right away that the Cat has more high speed torque than the Bobcat did. It was way to dark inside the barn for any pics, but it was a 200' straight push in 3 feet of compacted manure and sawdust with lots of slop in between. If I got outside of my "slot" the Bobcat would always power right down, but the Cat just keeps going and going, there is also a sweet spot that engine likes to be at when pushing, somewhere around 3/4 throttle, any more than that and I'm just drinking the fuel.

Now that I have a name for those plates, I can see the purpose now, maybe that's why I don't do any utility/services anymore, I'm just not up to date on these things anymore.

[bobcat_ron]

Ron did you put the steel bogie wheels on the back or did you machine come with them already?

Find out how much they weight and let us know i would like to know how much weight they would add to your machine if you had all steel bogie wheel around on your machine.

If i owned an mtl machine i would serious consider giving them a try even tho others thought they would add to much weight to the machine.Especially if i was working in rock conditions alot.Probably when i got the price i wouldn't.:cry:

Would be just like running counter weights to me.Why you at it get a price for the steel bogies so we can figure the cost of the change over.:usflag:

Those are the new rear steel rollers for the Cat MTL's, has been standard since the B2 versions were released, that's where the big savings on U/C repairs will be, those rear rollers always get the most abuse.
Cat does have an option of all steel rollers with the front idlers being the laminated rubber, or you can buy everything aluminum from these people:
http://bairproductsinc.com/products.html

But rubber on rubber is still best as it increases the track life and improves the ride quality.

[Construct'O]

Those are the new rear steel rollers for the Cat MTL's, has been standard since the B2 versions were released, that's where the big savings on U/C repairs will be, those rear rollers always get the most abuse.
Cat does have an option of all steel rollers with the front idlers being the laminated rubber, or you can buy everything aluminum from these people:
http://bairproductsinc.com/products.html

But rubber on rubber is still best as it increases the track life and improves the ride quality.

Personally i think the aftermarket guys is getting things figured out and itfit is working for them then it will work for you.As far as ride i don't think the steel will make a difference.They are riding on rubber and the rubber on the bogies is not that soft of rubber that they give much.Besides i thought the torsion bar things was what gave it the smooth ride:confused:

The guy that has the after market stuff was featured in one of Cat groundbreaking magizine they are from Kansas side of Kansas City.I would difinityly consider any of his products because they are tried and proven products.

Just my 2 cents.I know:rolleyes::usflag:

[bobcat_ron]

Personally i think the aftermarket guys is getting things figured out and itfit is working for them then it will work for you.As far as ride i don't think the steel will make a difference.They are riding on rubber and the rubber on the bogies is not that soft of rubber that they give much.Besides i thought the torsion bar things was what gave it the smooth ride:confused:

The guy that has the after market stuff was featured in one of Cat groundbreaking magizine they are from Kansas side of Kansas City.I would difinityly consider any of his products because they are tried and proven products.

Just my 2 cents.I know:rolleyes::usflag:


The torsion bars are to keep as much track on the ground when in un-even terrain, as well as take the shock out of rough landings. The rubber on rubber does indeed give a smoother ride, there is more rubber that gets compressed under heavy loads, if it were an all steel roller system, only the thickness of the track would be compressed and you would feel the vibrations from the traction lugs.
If the CTL's had a front idler that were completely rubber, that would be a silky smooth ride no matter how much weight you had in the front.

[bobcat_ron]

A 200 sized machine around here is about 118-120 per hour the machine is hauled to the site behind a gravel truck on a tridem tilt if you had to hire a lowbed it would be more expensive.

$250 per move inside M.S.A. areas, over $400 and beyond past 176th street.

My brother was charging $175 with his tridem tag trailer and he would never do it during the day as it was extremely risky with that much width, he kept having nightmares about me driving and taking a turn to fast in 5th gear and tipping over, then he'd loose his NSC number. Now it's his buddies problem now, I like to leave the radio volumes cranked to kingdom come, every time the "Mennonite Express" picks up one of our machines and turns the key, his heart will explode!!! :laugh:

[cat2]

That mud flap is there to protect the cylinders from the Hydraulic Quick Attach from getting rocks dropped on them and there are smaller strips over the wedge springs to keep them from getting jammed up with mud and freezing in the winter, it works wonders now, those mods took me only 4 hours to do.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures496.jpg

The hour meter reads 56.8 hrs, fuel economy is getting better, but the fuel tank must be an odd shape, after 1/2 a tank, the needle sure can move around a lot while going up and down hills. This manure job I did was the exact same one I did back in September '07 with the T190, I noticed right away that the Cat has more high speed torque than the Bobcat did. It was way to dark inside the barn for any pics, but it was a 200' straight push in 3 feet of compacted manure and sawdust with lots of slop in between. If I got outside of my "slot" the Bobcat would always power right down, but the Cat just keeps going and going, there is also a sweet spot that engine likes to be at when pushing, somewhere around 3/4 throttle, any more than that and I'm just drinking the fuel.

Now that I have a name for those plates, I can see the purpose now, maybe that's why I don't do any utility/services anymore, I'm just not up to date on these things anymore.







I always run mine WOT to get the MPH as fast as possible

[bobcat_ron]

Not me, every Cat machine I ever ran, I always ran the engine slightly less than WOT, and it had the same power, I just mash the foot throttle pedal when I need to get between points A and B quicker, but 3/4 throttle always get the job done with less fuel.

[Scag48]

I've found that to be true as well. I'd always run our 312 at 80% or 90% throttle when doing general digging, seemed like 100% didn't do much more for the fuel being expended unless you were heavy lifting, got into some heavy digging/rock, running a hammer or hoepac. However, whenever I run a Hitachi or anything else, 100% all the time, they just don't seem to move as quick or as responsive. I don't know what it is, maybe it's just me. Not saying Hitachis are bad machines at all, but it seems like Cat's run pretty darn good at 80-90% throttle.

[BIGBEN2004]

I run my TL130 about 3/4 Throttle unless I am doing hard digging. It saves allot of fuel and still gets the job done just as quick.

[bobcat_ron]

I snuck up on my old man today, he hates it when I take pics of him working, he claims "someone might be out to get him", trust me, the amount of debt he racked up, he's worth more dead than alive! :laugh:

Digging for drain lines along side a new dairy barn, in the back ground is a Terex 225 hoe.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures440.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures441.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures442.jpg

[cat2]

I hate getting my picture took too

[BIGBEN2004]

Yea every time my picture is taken it is to prove I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing and it is usually the neighbor to the house I am working on taking the picture.

[joesimoes2]

[QUOTE=bobcat_ron;2183556]I snuck up on my old man today, he hates it when I take pics of him working, he claims "someone might be out to get him", trust me, the amount of debt he racked up, he's worth more dead than alive! :laugh:



No snow on the ground.:waving:

[bobcat_ron]

[QUOTE=bobcat_ron;2183556]I snuck up on my old man today, he hates it when I take pics of him working, he claims "someone might be out to get him", trust me, the amount of debt he racked up, he's worth more dead than alive! :laugh:



No snow on the ground.:waving:

Nope, not since I can remember, last big pile melted like 3 weeks ago.

[YellowDogSVC]

I find this D4 quite light on the front end, it needs another 1000lbs to keep the blade down when cutting through the hard stuff, but all 90 horses sure make it work harder though.

Would a large motor grader be of help scraping soil to 12"?

[bobcat_ron]

No way!! I have yet to see a grader that can move 57,600 cubic feet of soil with out even spinning it's tires in clay!

[Gravel Rat]

A Cat 14G would probably beable to do the job they got lots of pushing power.

Where Ron is working thou is loon ---- a grader would probably sink out of sight.

[bobcat_ron]

This stuff wasn't so bad, straight lake bed sand underneath, once we get a hold of that 330C, we'll start dumping 4 feet of sand in.

[bobcat_ron]

I've been touring the majestic country side all week, doing what I call the "Tour de Ditching"

Brand new International gravel truck owned by the City of Abbotsford, only 1 week old, not no more! :laugh:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures505.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures506.jpg

This was his second trip back to me:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures507.jpg

Ford LT9000 with a grunting Cat:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures508.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures509.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures510.jpg

Some cleaning shots, hasn't been touched for 6 years:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures512.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures511.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures513.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures514.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures516.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures515.jpg

At the end of the day I had to do a small field ditch, this was also loaded with fish 3 years ago, but they got choked off due to extreme sedimentation:
Before:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures519.jpg

During:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures520.jpg

After:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures518.jpg

Nice thing about this work, I can make as much mud as I want, and no one can complain.

I am also 2 minutes from my house, next few pics will be right in front of my house, I can actually crawl out of my bed and slip into the cab of the excavator! :laugh:

[Gravel Rat]

Ditch slop is horrble it gets everywhere on the truck. Then if you get a operator that is a little jumpy on the controls its all over the place.

A ditching bucket with holes helps with the water letting it excape. I have worked on the highways dept ditching crew years ago some of that mud dug out sure can stink. Then it drools out of the tailgate of the truck up the road.

Make sure you make the ditches nice and deep, one of the you know whos will put their gravel truck into it while talking on the cell phone.

[bobcat_ron]

Road ditches I find kind of a PITA, that's where you will find the scum of society dumping their garbage, last year's tour I found waste from a meth lab right up against my machine, luckily it wasn't any thing that required the HAZMAT team, but it was close.
I find anything from used condoms, syringes, old computers, furniture, clothing, bumpers, tail lights (and other assorted vehicular parts) garbage bags, piles of Marijuana Plants and potting soil and my least favourite - Dead animals, usually bloated from various stages of decomposition, and when I try to scoop them up, they burst, what a hideous smell and sight.

[joesimoes2]

[QUOTE=bobcat_ron;2194722]Road ditches I find kind of a PITA, that's where you will find the scum of society.


How many miles of ditch’s you got to clean. looks like a big project are you guys going to back fill those ditch’s.:waving:

[Gravel Rat]

People dump all kinds of crap into the ditch especially if its covered in grass or weeds. We never found dead animals but did hit water lines that were not down far enough and hit a unmarked sewer line (small) when ditiching.

[bobcat_ron]

Sewer line, now that's the worst, so far so good, I only hit 2 water lines in 1 hour last year, the Water Works district came out after I called in the first one and half an hour later I clipped the second one off. Nice guys to work with, they sure love overtime.

[bobcat_ron]

Road ditches I find kind of a PITA, that's where you will find the scum of society.


How many miles of ditch’s you got to clean. looks like a big project are you guys going to back fill those ditch’s.:waving:

Total kilometers of ditch is around 36-40 kms on one side of the Matsqui Prairie, and the next year is 20 kms, one season on Matsqui is about 5 weeks, then I get moved to Sumas Prairie and it lasts another 6 weeks with 48 kms, but that gets done every 3 years with field ditches and road ditches alternating from one year to the next. We never back fill like the pic you posted, although I have done 200 meters of rip rap to keep the shoulder of the roads from dropping 6 feet into the ditch, we just get the muck out and keep certain "people" happy and keep them from suing the City, 'cuz that's their only income when the berries aren't in season! :laugh:

[Gravel Rat]

I was ditch spotter at the time we sort of knew there was utilities buried but didn't think it was that shallow. Slowly scraping away with the Gradall and before we could scream stop a chunk got torn out oh the stink (blech) the muni got it shut down and pipe repaired.

The water line well it wasn't installed properly the gradall was digging along then poof got a 1 inch line. Got it turned off person come screaming what did you guys do we have no water. I guess somebody in the house ws having a shower :laugh:

Then the property disputes then when working on the highway people not paying attention they come flying around the corner realize their is a machine on the road.

I worked for a couple months it was in the fall it was freaking cold.

Some of the material that was dug out of the ditch was good some of it was crap. One section there was so much blue clay it was greasy slimy crap but the person that wanted the ditch cleanings took it.

The gradall operator was a pro I guess he would be running the same machine for 20 plus years.

[BIGBEN2004]

That lady should have came out and thanked you for hitting that water line. If you had not hit it come winter it would have frozen and busted anyways. She should have been happy it was fixed now instead of later. I know around here water lines have to be buried at least 36" and the further west the deeper they got to be.

[bobcat_ron]

Our Municipality is looking for a new Gradall operator with class 1 CDL, experience on a Vacuum truck, Graders and general excavator experience is also required according to the posting, c'mon, with all that experience and talent, would you want to work for 22 bucks an hour? Sure the hours are good (8-4) and you can bank your holidays, but 22 per hour, no freaking way.

Here's my "art work" from yesterday, right in front of my house and I even got to use my own toilet at noon instead of some one's garden bushes!

Before, has been 21 years since it saw a Gradall:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures523.jpg

After:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures525.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures524.jpg
12 truck loads of sod, gravel, muck and dirt.

I built a dam to keep the water back as I dug:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures526.jpg

Then today it was off to a manure lagoon, 4 foot thick crust on top due to a bad choice of sawdust:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures529.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures530.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures532.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures533.jpg

[kreft]

How do you like running a gradall vs. a excavator?

[bobcat_ron]

I liked the Gradall just because it had the 360 rotation on the bucket, and that it works better for under power lines, but they lack a lot of down force, you can't lift the machine off the ground with the boom very well, that's where an excavator has any Gradall beat.

[Gravel Rat]

The new Gradalls are a cake walk I looked at a newer one but the old 660s with 3208 Cat power with levers and foot pedals that is a skill to run. The guy that used to run a gradall service is retired. I seen that man do things with a gradall like you wouldn't beleive. He was also fast.

The new gradalls have controls like a excavator I asked the operator of the machine I was looking at. He said he used to run old 660s the new ones today are way better. Same 40 year old design with new controls.

[BIGBEN2004]

Is 22 an hour low in Canada because here in the states $22.00 an hour is pretty darn good.

[Fieldman12]

I would take 22 an hour in a heart beat here especially if they offered pretty good insurance.

[BIGBEN2004]

I would take 22 an hour in a heart beat here especially if they offered pretty good insurance.

Me too. Especially as how the housing market is in the hole, operators are looking for any job wright now.

[Gravel Rat]

For a equipment operator 22 bucks per hour is low. A Gradall operator is a specialized operator you don't find too many of them.

From what Ron says they want a truck driver with gradall experience.

Most muni jobs in this area start out at 23 per hour but you start out as a casual employee it takes awhile to get full time. I think once your full time it goes up to 24 bucks per hour.

Looking at pictures again the flaggers working in Ron's pictures look a little chunky. There was some cute ones in this area. In the summer time they are in shorts T shirt you give them a cold bottle of water they are very appreciative.

[Shadetree Ltd]

City of Surrey horticulturist starts at $24 to start with full benefits, pension and vacation. I know three that have been hired full time right from the start.

[bobcat_ron]

My brother pays his employees $25 and hour and I get $28, but they don't know that so I'm not supposed to tell them that.
The only upside to getting paid $22 for the muni job is that if you stick it out until you are 55 years of age, you get a seriously sweet pension and all the benefits during your working time are the best you will ever get, full medical and dental. That is how they recruit new employees, but go across the river and Mission pays over $25 for starters, but they have a different set up, less departments (roads, ditches, sewers, water works parks) than Abbotsford has, but they offer more per hour with less benefits.

[BIGBEN2004]

How do those numbers convert to the US dollar?

[bobcat_ron]

It's the same.

[BIGBEN2004]

Those numbers sound very good then. Around here their is no job in running machines for numbers anywhere close to those. And the dang fuel prices just keep going higher. Now our Diesel prices are over $4.00 a gallon.

[Fieldman12]

You wont get that starting around here. You would have to be there a good long time to ever get worked up to that much. Only chance at wages like that is with a union job.

[Gravel Rat]

I only make 21 so why do you think I'am a little cranky you live pay check to pay check on 21 dollars per hour. The loggers make 30-32 bucks per hour depending on what they do.

[bobcat_ron]

Looking at pictures again the flaggers working in Ron's pictures look a little chunky. There was some cute ones in this area. In the summer time they are in shorts T shirt you give them a cold bottle of water they are very appreciative.

I had 2 flaggers all week, here's a hint as to what type of gender they were; it was a total sausage festival.
Last year's tour with the Volvo 180WB was real sweet, 2 sexy young girls, one was 22, the other was 29, yummy, yummy, I made so many little screw ups while watching those "distractions". :dizzy:

[YellowDogSVC]

My brother pays his employees $25 and hour and I get $28, but they don't know that so I'm not supposed to tell them that.
The only upside to getting paid $22 for the muni job is that if you stick it out until you are 55 years of age, you get a seriously sweet pension and all the benefits during your working time are the best you will ever get, full medical and dental. That is how they recruit new employees, but go across the river and Mission pays over $25 for starters, but they have a different set up, less departments (roads, ditches, sewers, water works parks) than Abbotsford has, but they offer more per hour with less benefits.

so what's that work out to for an average year? Is it year round?

[bobcat_ron]

so what's that work out to for an average year? Is it year round?


My last year's year end review (2006) worked out to $55,000 after taxes, 2005 was $56,000 and this year it dropped to $50,000, I'm averaging about $51,000 after taxes. Break it down, 60% of that is sitting on the big stuff and 40% is my Skid steer business that I run on the side as well as through my brother's company.
The employees from my brother make about $32,000 a year depending on total hours and over time.

[Gravel Rat]

Flagging isn't a easy job I have done it. In the summer time the women get nice and brown if its on a project with road construction its not from the sun the dust and dirt :laugh:

All the excavation companies in this area is non union and its the way they want to keep it. I don't like unions I see no need for them but that is my opinion.

Ron is lucky his brother and him have the farm industry for work :canadaflag:

[bobcat_ron]

Ron is lucky his brother and him have the farm industry for work :canadaflag:

Yeah like I always say, "it's nice to strike up a conversation with animals that share the same intelligence level as I do." :laugh:

[Gravel Rat]

I can see you out in the field chasing the cows around with the skid steer :laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

Cow tipping, CAT style.

[BIGBEN2004]

Well at least you aren't chasing the sheep.:laugh:

[ksss]

Well at least you aren't chasing the sheep.:laugh:

Don't think that BCRon doesn't keep the velcro gloves stuck to the headliner in his 247. :nono:

[BIGBEN2004]

Or his Bucking Boots close by........

[bobcat_ron]

The "Tour" keeps going.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures535.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures536.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures538.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures542.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures546.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures545.jpg

I love my ditch digger! :cool2:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures548.jpg

[Mini man]

Whats the secret to setting up for effectve ditch digging?
You seem to achieve consistency

[bobcat_ron]

Whats the secret to setting up for effectve ditch digging?
You seem to achieve consistency

Clean windows are a must, sharp cutting edge, I like to sharpen it by forward dragging it on the road as I travel from one spot to another, getting the seat adjusted to the right height in relation to the cab is another trick as well as being the right distance from the ditch depending on how deep and how wide it is and if there are any over head wires to work under, moisture content in the soil, too little and it makes the finished result very "choppy" too much water and it gets too slippery and the cutting edge pierces the ditch bottom.

The most important secret is.....take your time, think of the ditch as if you were going to be looking at it every day when you come home, if it looks like hell, you'll always say that to yourself.

I can go on with an entire essay and even some quick vids, but this is something I've been doing since 2003 every year for 3 months. :dizzy:

[BIGBEN2004]

It looks like very peace full work. I could really enjoy digging out ditches.

[dozerman21]

Clean windows are a must, sharp cutting edge, I like to sharpen it by forward dragging it on the road as I travel from one spot to another, getting the seat adjusted to the right height in relation to the cab is another trick as well as being the right distance from the ditch depending on how deep and how wide it is and if there are any over head wires to work under, moisture content in the soil, too little and it makes the finished result very "choppy" too much water and it gets too slippery and the cutting edge pierces the ditch bottom.

The most important secret is.....take your time, think of the ditch as if you were going to be looking at it every day when you come home, if it looks like hell, you'll always say that to yourself.

I can go on with an entire essay and even some quick vids, but this is something I've been doing since 2003 every year for 3 months. :dizzy:

Good idea!:clapping: Do you need a certain amount of fall, or are you just cutting it flat? Is this for a private land owner or for the city? Nice pics.:cool2:

[bobcat_ron]

It's soooooooo relaxing, I get to the machine at 7:30am, fire it up, put the face plate back on the radio, set it for CFOX and listen to the Jeff O'Neil show all morning, wait for the flagger and truck to arrive at 8:00, work until 10:00, take a 20 minute coffee break, usually consisting if BS'ing with the trucker of flagger or even the Supervisor, then work till 12:00, take a 30 minute lunch break, work until 2:30, another 20 minute break, then work until 4:00pm, I get paid until 4:30, so the extra time is used if I run a little late or I just grease and clean off the machine, then a brisk 5 minute drive back to my house and BS on Lawnsite for an hour or so, then take a shower, and go to bed at 8:00pm, and wake up at 4:30am ready to go another day.
I average about 20 truck loads of soil and muck a day and about 1 kilometer of ditch if I do it the way I pictured, but if it's all slop and no "artistic touches", then I can easily do up to another 3/4 of a kilometer on top of that.

I did turn down skid steer work this week in Burnaby, I would be making the 1 hour commute twice a day for a week, so my brother will rent a skid to do the work as I don't trust him or anyone else to use mine.

[bobcat_ron]

Good idea!:clapping: Do you need a certain amount of fall, or are you just cutting it flat? Is this for a private land owner or for the city? Nice pics.:cool2:


These are all City owned and maintained ditches, even the odd ditch in the field is city owned.

It depends, these last few ditches, the water wasn't running into the right culverts under the road, so I cut down and sloped them to another bigger diameter culvert, I used the water as a level when doing it, making sure I don't let the water get too high, so I will often dam it up to keep an certain amount of water with me, if I run low, then I pull the dam out and let some more back in.

People often laugh at me when I say there is a real "science" to ditch digging, it's not just scoop, dip and smear, there's so much you don't see that I do as I work, I also have to keep the big clumps of dirt and sod off the shoulders so the mowers don't grind them into the flails during the road side mowing seasons.

[cat2]

It's soooooooo relaxing, I get to the machine at 7:30am, fire it up, put the face plate back on the radio, set it for CFOX and listen to the Jeff O'Neil show all morning, wait for the flagger and truck to arrive at 8:00, work until 10:00, take a 20 minute coffee break, usually consisting if BS'ing with the trucker of flagger or even the Supervisor, then work till 12:00, take a 30 minute lunch break, work until 2:30, another 20 minute break, then work until 4:00pm, I get paid until 4:30, so the extra time is used if I run a little late or I just grease and clean off the machine, then a brisk 5 minute drive back to my house and BS on Lawnsite for an hour or so, then take a shower, and go to bed at 8:00pm, and wake up at 4:30am ready to go another day.
I average about 20 truck loads of soil and muck a day and about 1 kilometer of ditch if I do it the way I pictured, but if it's all slop and no "artistic touches", then I can easily do up to another 3/4 of a kilometer on top of that.

I did turn down skid steer work this week in Burnaby, I would be making the 1 hour commute twice a day for a week, so my brother will rent a skid to do the work as I don't trust him or anyone else to use mine.




Sounds like a good day, i hate when people run my machines too. pisses me off. well they can run a few of them, but not the skid thats my baby

[bobcat_ron]

Apparently there are footings that require driving my skid over with re-bar still poking out, even with my T190 I was very, very apprehensive about that.

[cat2]

Apparently there are footings that require driving my skid over with re-bar still poking out, even with my T190 I was very, very apprehensive about that.



I would be too. I bobcat guy that came and looked at my skid when i traded it in. Asked me how do you keep your skids looking so good. i said cause i'm the only one that drives it. Well at least the bobcat.

[bobcat_ron]

Mine still smells like new in the cab, even after getting manure inside from my work boots! http://www.p1x44r.com/smiles/yippee.gif

[cat2]

Mine still smells like new in the cab, even after getting manure inside from my work boots! http://www.p1x44r.com/smiles/yippee.gif




LOL:cool2:

[Gravel Rat]

A kilometer a day is pretty good that is alot of walking. The worst thing I hated about being on the ditching crew was when nature called :laugh:

There hasn't been much ditch cleaning for a couple years but they do some spot cleaning with a backhoe.

Some of the ditches are 4 or 5 feet deep I don't know why they need to be that deep you go into them with your car your write your car off.

[coopers]

Some of the ditches are 4 or 5 feet deep I don't know why they need to be that deep you go into them with your car your write your car off.

Every now and then when I'm up in Lynden I see ditches that deep, not car friendly.

[bobcat_ron]

I've cleaned a few ditches that are so deep, that 320 can't hit the bottom or the opposite side, just grab the "floaters" off the top and let the long reach take care of the rest next year.

When "nature calls", she can be a real b**ch, especially when I am idling next to a ditch that sounds like a water fall, boy I sure start squirming around in the seat like a mongoose. Thank God for coffee breaks and farm fields.

[Fieldman12]

These are all City owned and maintained ditches, even the odd ditch in the field is city owned.

It depends, these last few ditches, the water wasn't running into the right culverts under the road, so I cut down and sloped them to another bigger diameter culvert, I used the water as a level when doing it, making sure I don't let the water get too high, so I will often dam it up to keep an certain amount of water with me, if I run low, then I pull the dam out and let some more back in.

People often laugh at me when I say there is a real "science" to ditch digging, it's not just scoop, dip and smear, there's so much you don't see that I do as I work, I also have to keep the big clumps of dirt and sod off the shoulders so the mowers don't grind them into the flails during the road side mowing seasons.

Thats how I always dug a ditch was by watching the flowing of the water in the ditch. As long as it is flowing toward you each time and it is not drastic you know your doing a good job. I have never done a ditch on the scale you have though. Just ditch cleaing out on the farms.

[bobcat_ron]

Going pic crazy now, so much time goes by in between trucks, I had to do something.
Random shots inside of the cab:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures556.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures555.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures554.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures553.jpg

Outside shots:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures557.jpg
Only 12" of tail swing:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures558.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures561.jpg

The 72" ditch bucket:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures566.jpg

And some more art work:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures550.jpg
Before:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures552.jpg

After:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures567.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures559.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures549.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures567.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures560.jpg

[cat2]

Great pics, and keep up the great work

[bobcat_ron]

I've got some skid steer work coming up real soon that will be a blast, so big brother is taking over the RMDT (Royal Matsqui Ditch Tour) for a few days.

[coopers]

Ron, love the pics...that bucket looks so funny on that machine. At least the weather is holding up, well at least to the south of you it is. :clapping:

[BIGBEN2004]

Do you have to move the machine a couple feet with every scope so the ditch stays straight? If so I imagine the track pedals are getting a workout. Also do they shut the roads down for you? Looks like some of the narrow roads you take up the entire road. I know around my area we wouldn't be caught dead on the pavement with a track machine. Ditches always get cleaned out with a rubber tire grade all.

[bobcat_ron]

Ron, love the pics...that bucket looks so funny on that machine. At least the weather is holding up, well at least to the south of you it is. :clapping:

That bucket is the only way to clean ditches effectively and make it that smooth, it's gone through 2 modifications to get it that way, first mod was to shorten the flat part of the bucket by removing the cutting edge and taking out 3" of bucket and re-welding the cutting edge back on, that allowed me to get the bucket into tighter narrower ditches with out the bucket linkage and the cutting edge from digging into the ditch edge, the second mod was to relocate the mounting ears to get more curl in when loading trucks with the wheeled excavator that is in the future machine purchase plans, it will be a multi-purpose bucket and you won't need the excessive curl out with a VA (Variable Angle) Boom on a wheeled excavator.



Do you have to move the machine a couple feet with every scope so the ditch stays straight? If so I imagine the track pedals are getting a workout. Also do they shut the roads down for you? Looks like some of the narrow roads you take up the entire road. I know around my area we wouldn't be caught dead on the pavement with a track machine. Ditches always get cleaned out with a rubber tire grade all.

I move the machine in 4 foot increments, so I always have a 2 foot overlap, I can use that overlap to make sure I always stay straight (provided my first few cuts are going straight too) I use the toe tabs on the foot pedals alot when traveling with the idlers forward, but sometimes I will reverse the direction to keep the wear on the sprocket teeth and rails even.
This road was a dead ended road with only 3 people that live there, so I took up as much room as I wanted to, other roads I can sit with the outside track on the shoulder and my counter weight is even with the center line, it's all dependant on where the ditch is and how deep, where the utility lines are, blah, blah, blah.
There is a rubber tired excavator in the future, it's sometimes a real hassle travelling down the road at the "brisk" speed of 2 mp/h looking for a good spot to pull off for lunch and breaks and the Municipality loved it when I was I running around with the rental excavator last year. http://www.p1x44r.com/smiles/rock.gif

[bobcat_ron]

Geez, this tour is really dragging it's feet now, luckily I had some entertainment to watch between trucks, an old Cat 246 Alpha playing on a horse farm:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures569.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures570.jpg

But the senseless photo's still continue:

Before:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures572.jpg

During:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures571.jpg

After:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures573.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures576.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures580.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures584.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures586.jpg

[meets1]

I am no excavator but in my town today I seen 2 case backhoes doing a ditch like this. Total was about 7 miles - 3.5 / side. They would dig two little buckets and then have to move the entire machine over, put down the riggers and dig again all while messing with two lanes of traffic. Your system looks like the way to go.

[bobcat_ron]

I can get 2 kms of ditch done using the 10 foot bucket (I gotta get pics of that, it looks insane on the 320's) and 1 km with the 6 foot bucket if I am working in the fields from 7-5pm.

[BIGBEN2004]

That seems like the never ending job for you Ron. Love the pictures keep em comin.

[bobcat_ron]

In the 28 days of work, 8 hours each, I'll make over $6200, not too shabby.

[KPS]

looks great ron. nice work with that hoe.

[Gravel Rat]

If they didn't have the ditches clean so the water can flow I imagine there could be some serious flooding when the snow starts melting in the mountains.

[RockSet N' Grade]

did you drill extra holes in the bucket for water to drain?

[Gravel Rat]

Usually a ditch bucket has holes in the cheeks of the bucket I never seen them in the floor and heal of the bucket.

[Boycea]

I can get 2 kms of ditch done using the 10 foot bucket (I gotta get pics of that, it looks insane on the 320's) and 1 km with the 6 foot bucket if I am working in the fields from 7-5pm.

I'd love to see pics of that

[bobcat_ron]

did you drill extra holes in the bucket for water to drain?


When the bucket was built by DESTEC, we had them laser cut holes in the sides, but it still wasn't draining the water fast enough to allow the fish to escape (we have to yell the "F word") so one of my favourite welders free hand cut some extra ones in, the 10 foot bucket has 2 x 6" oval holes in it, it's designed to keep the Fisheries nut jobs happy.

[BIGBEN2004]

After you get a bucket how long do you have to let it sit their to drain out the water or do you just throw it on the truck?

[Gravel Rat]

When we were ditching the water used to drool out of the truck and if it was drooling allot the truck would sit until it stopped. People complained their was ditch slop on the road and like I said some of it stunk real bad :laugh:

Also the ditch slop gets spilled all over the tail gate of the truck and box sides.

[bobcat_ron]

After you get a bucket how long do you have to let it sit their to drain out the water or do you just throw it on the truck?


I let it hang, but usually just take my time swinging into the truck, if I am "dancing" against wires and poles, there enough time for it to drain out.

But most of the time, the mud squeezes the water out and only 5% is left over water.

[bobcat_ron]

When we were ditching the water used to drool out of the truck and if it was drooling allot the truck would sit until it stopped. People complained their was ditch slop on the road and like I said some of it stunk real bad :laugh:

Also the ditch slop gets spilled all over the tail gate of the truck and box sides.


The highway contractors her (EAM) have gasket tail gates, absolutely no leakage, I'd love to work for them.
But I always get at least 1 city truck with a 12 foot belly plow under it, next time he comes back, he'll drop the plow down and scrape the road clean, I keep yelling at them to put a huge hydraulic broom on the front of the big plow lift bars, they have enough hydraulic flow and with those Automatic 6 speeds, it would be a dream come true.

[Gravel Rat]

One of the worst sections was blue clay it was greasy that slop got on the road it was slippery and it smelled bad too :cry:

The development I have been working on part time we had to dig some deep holes it was wet juicy clay that stuff made one heck of a mess off the truck.

[bobcat_ron]

We got that blue crap here too, but it's usually at the bottom or underneath a huge wet spot, it's bottomless and really scary when you dig a bucket of it out of a ditch and it pops back up again!

[Gravel Rat]

Another job I was working on not ditching but a fill and level job using existing material on the site. It wasn't blue clay but more brown the engineers said it would be fine to use when the water bleeds out which they were right it hardened up. It was like working with a jello cube I swear you jumped up and down one the one end of the area and 300 feet away the other end wiggled :dizzy:

The development I worked on this summer that blue clay was horrible heavy stuff it clung to the floor of the gravel truck. It was heavy I could feel it on the truck glad we only dumped it in the back 40 of the property the old truck was groaning.

[bobcat_ron]

I worked on a little townie job, big brother dug with the little digger, he would cast all the busted up concrete my way and I would pick it up and dump it into our truck we sold to the "Mennonite Express".

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures593.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures594.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures595.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures596.jpg

I have never seen that truck with so much weight in it loaded with a humble skid steer!
The truck:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures597.jpg

The pony trailer:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures598.jpg

Here's the 10 foot ditch cleaning bucket, fresh off a ditch job:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures589.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures588.jpg

The 52" Promac Forestry Brush head:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures592.jpg

And my Flail, I had to mow our front lawn due to the old Deere GT 275 not wanting to crank over:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures599.jpg

[ksss]

That was a nice truck. Crysteel makes a great bed. To bad it went to the Mennonites.

[bobcat_ron]

K-Line actually made the trailer and box. Crysteel?

[ksss]

K-Line actually made the trailer and box. Crysteel?

My bad. Crysteel is dump box OEM.

[bobcat_ron]

I striped my lawn with the 247!

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures600.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures601.jpg

That Cat did a damn good job!

[coopers]

I love a well maintained lawn! Looks great!

[bobcat_ron]

That field was so wet from the week's rain storm, I could hear the water squishing from under my CAT work boots, so there is very little lawn damage, I did this once before with the Bobcat T190, and it made BIG ruts.

[BIGBEN2004]

You need these Ron then you never have to worry about getting behind on your grass cutting and no matter how wet it is these will never leave a rut.

http://www.usa.husqvarna.com/products_homeowner_robotic_mowers.aspx?cid=c61

I was working at a house one time that had them cutting in the yard. The man working with me that day on the 963 hit the power line going to the house and we all laughed when the mowers stopped in the middle of the yard. The home owner didn't know we hit the power line and he walked out to check them out wondering why they stopped mowing. It was funny. They did do a very nice job on his yard. He claimed they mowed all the time and the yard always looked freshly cut.

[bobcat_ron]

Halle-freakin'-luyah!!!

The Royal Matsqui Roadside Ditching Tour of 2008 has come to a bitter sweet end!


All was a success, no fatalities (well maybe Mr. Donald D. Duck) no major complaints, lots of muck and slop was removed and a few pretty girls were flirted with.

It sure as hell dragged it's feet though, the Superiors forecasted 6 weeks, but I stretched it to 8 weeks.
Here's the fun part; The numbers!

8 weeks, Total of 40 days x 8 hours paid days x $117 per hour = $37,440 in excavator cost.
2 hired trucks, $80 per hour = $51,200 in truck use.
2 flaggers, $25 per hour = $16,000 for traffic control.

Grand Total = $104,640 for Road side Ditch cleaning. That was just one side of Matsqui. Next side is in the Fall 2008, also, Sumas Prairie is also being done, now multiply that cost by 4, minus 50% for flaggers and trucks (not needed on some roads) and you get an idea of how much money is spent keeping farmers and drivers from driving over flooded roads!

[Gravel Rat]

It has to be done you can't have flooding causing property damage or road damage. It has snowed alot this year lots of white crap in the mountains that will create lots of run off.

[bobcat_ron]

I'm headed out to a job in 2 hours from now with the Kitty Cat and Hopper to move 160 tons of 3/4 clear stone. Gonna get me some pictures.

[Gravel Rat]

Well that is 5 loads for Gurpal Singh driving a Kenworth T-800 Gravel truck with a transfer box :laugh:

Atleast its clean material to move might be slightly dusty. It is one of the more expensive rock 3/4 clear crush but it is alot nicer to work with when doing drainage (perimeter) over 1 1/2 drain rock which is a SOB to work with.

[bobcat_ron]

I couldn't take too many pics as the owner was a little "weird" today. So I just snapped a few in between breaks, got all of it hauled in in less than 8 hours.

8 truck and transfer boxes of gravel, a little more than I thought it would be, so now it's 280 tons in total.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures632.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures635.jpg

I had to lay it on top of a bed of sand (mud actually) and get it 6 inches thick overall grade and watch out for those dang poles sticking out, I already ran over one with the tracks the day before.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures634.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures636.jpg

Finished bed:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures637.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures639.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures638.jpg

I used the dumping hopper on this one, I've used it now 5 times at this place and this was the first time with the Cat.
That Kitty Cat is a thirsty little bugger, I ended up filling up the tank at lunch time, all that heavy pushing over hog fuel and loose gravel was a challenge for it. Still better than the Bobcat and less noise too.

[mrsops]

I couldn't take too many pics as the owner was a little "weird" today. So I just snapped a few in between breaks, got all of it hauled in in less than 8 hours.

8 truck and transfer boxes of gravel, a little more than I thought it would be, so now it's 280 tons in total.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures632.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures635.jpg

I had to lay it on top of a bed of sand (mud actually) and get it 6 inches thick overall grade and watch out for those dang poles sticking out, I already ran over one with the tracks the day before.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures634.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures636.jpg

Finished bed:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures637.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures639.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures638.jpg

I used the dumping hopper on this one, I've used it now 5 times at this place and this was the first time with the Cat.
That Kitty Cat is a thirsty little bugger, I ended up filling up the tank at lunch time, all that heavy pushing over hog fuel and loose gravel was a challenge for it. Still better than the Bobcat and less noise too.

hey ron that is exactly what that machine should not be in.. my cat dealer said that does the worst damage to those cat mtl's

[Dirt Digger2]

stones do the worst damage to any CTL/MTL regardless of make or model...but you gotta use what you got

ron did you level that with a laser stick or by eyeball?

[mrsops]

stones do the worst damage to any CTL/MTL regardless of make or model...but you gotta use what you got

ron did you level that with a laser stick or by eyeball?

does more damage to the cat mtl than any other that's a known fact

[BIGBEN2004]

does more damage to the cat mtl than any other that's a known fact

I agree with you on that. Cat and ASV undercarriages are the most subject to damage from stones then any other track machine but with that said stones do still speed up the wear process on even steel on steel undercarriages. I know I can hear the stones getting crushed in the tracks on my Takeuchi.

[Dirt Digger2]

i'm guessing its because they have those open rollers on the bottom?...i said it once, but i really think they need to cover those things

[BIGBEN2004]

i'm guessing its because they have those open rollers on the bottom?...i said it once, but i really think they need to cover those things

The main reason they are more subject to damage is because they use rubber coated roller and the stones tend to cut the rubber and wear out the rollers fast.

[mrsops]

i'm guessing its because they have those open rollers on the bottom?...i said it once, but i really think they need to cover those things

they need to figure something out.. when i was running the 247 the other day i was saying to myself i hope nothing is breaking all i heard was cracking and popping and clunk clunk clunk i did not like it and i was in dirt with very few stones

[Dirt Digger2]

ron whats going in there?...is it a milking parlor with the conduit sticking up for each stall or is it something else?

seems you guys do a lot of agriculture work...that might be to business to get into this year

we are venturing into environmental work..old gas station tank clean ups and what not...a lot of $$$ in "pollution insurance" and everyone that works onsite needs to be OSHA certified, but the money is there, and not a lot of companies do it so it seems a logical step

[bobcatuser]

we are venturing into environmental work..old gas station tank clean ups and what not...a lot of $$$ in "pollution insurance" and everyone that works onsite needs to be OSHA certified, but the money is there, and not a lot of companies do it so it seems a logical step

Environmental remediation is huge business in BC. It’s the highest paying low tech work you can find. The key is to have all the permits, licenses and insurance then you can control the market. The unofficial company slogan for most of these companies is “The solution to pollution is dilution”

[Scag48]

Remediation and cleanup is going to get bigger and bigger as the enviro-freaks gain more steam. I'm not saying we shouldn't keep things clean, but some places where contamination might not have been noticed 10 years ago are sticking out like sore thumbs right now. I just saw a pretty good sized soil relocation project about 1/8 mile from my place get finished up last week, they had been there at least a month. I'm predicting that kind of work will never, ever stop and might gain some steam in the very near future.

[Gravel Rat]

If that is crushed 3/4 clear which I assume it is yep that is hard on tracks lots of little sharp edges to wear out cheap Cat parts :laugh:

Thats alot of material to move in one day. Lots of money in material there about 4500-5000 dollars worth.

[ksss]

Remediation and cleanup is going to get bigger and bigger as the enviro-freaks gain more steam. I'm not saying we shouldn't keep things clean, but some places where contamination might not have been noticed 10 years ago are sticking out like sore thumbs right now. I just saw a pretty good sized soil relocation project about 1/8 mile from my place get finished up last week, they had been there at least a month. I'm predicting that kind of work will never, ever stop and might gain some steam in the very near future.

I do some work for an environmental testing company. This one job about 15 miles from where I live they had me digging test holes. The place used to be a gas station for about 75 years. The water table was high and it was real wet about 3' down. I was using an auger. When I pulled the auger up it was raw gasoline mixed in the dirt/ and ground water. I swear had you put a match to it, it would have burned. I had never seen anything that bad. Good reason to drink bottled water.

[Dirt Digger2]

KSSS are you OSHA certified with all the proper insurance and everything?

[Gravel Rat]

There is a old gas station that was in the area it was torn down the owners of the property had to forfeit the property to the oil company that supplied them with the fuel. To this day the enviromental company is still testing the soil the property still isn't useable after 15 years.

If you own commercial property and the inspectors find used oil on the ground watch out you just brought on trouble for yourself.

Look at all the BS a homeowner has to go through to remove a leaking in ground heating oil tank. It is a license to steal because the enviromental rules nowwadays.

[bobcat_ron]

Wow, that's some serious questions to answer.

It's a green house, steel structure with concrete holding the stubs in place.

No, that gravel was just fine on the tracks, I can even show pics of the U/C and there are no chipped rollers or scratched tracks, nothing, anything bigger than 3/4 stone and YES, I would be screwed, but I never get into that stuff.

If the rollers were covered, that would be ideal, but that would still cause more damage as the material has no where to go, what if a rock got jammed between the guarding and rollers?

[bobcat_ron]

The Ditching continues, but now the field ditches must be done, so I get to use my favourite bucket, the almighty ten foot bucket!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures640.jpg

Lots of slop, lay it on the R.O.W's and make it look like hand troweled wet concrete and wait for the frogs to come up and start jumping.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures641.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures642.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures644.jpg


Then I had to walk 1 kilometer down the road because my boss is too cheap to get a "Rubber Duck" and the city hates paying hauling fees, so the walking begins, all 32 minutes of it!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures646.jpg
A little closer:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures647.jpg

Almost there!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures649.jpg

I made it!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures650.jpg

[kreft]

nice pics ron!

[bobcat_ron]

There's a lot of pressure being put on my brother, the Superiors and from me to get a "Rubber Duck", so I am making big brother pick up and drop my sorry butt off at my truck every day so I don't have to walk 2 kms back to my truck.

[stuvecorp]

BC Ron, I love that ditching bucket.

[kreft]

whats a rubber duck?

[bobcat_ron]

I can lift that bucket with my Cat 247 higher than the Bobcat T190 could lift it, and the metal shop told us it weighs 2300 pounds.

I can almost see the excavator stick twisting if I get too carried away, if I catch the side under a tree root, I'm screwed, so all digging is done s....l....o....w....l....y.

[bobcat_ron]

whats a rubber duck?

This:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Volvo01.jpg

That was last year's "Rubber Duck".

[tbi]

This:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Volvo01.jpg

That was last year's "Rubber Duck".
Not much good off road is it?

[bobcat_ron]

Actually, not bad, since all the mud is tossed into the tracks, it saves some serious time, and most farmers are making a mess of their fields now, so why not me too?!?

With the Oscillation in the front axle, it was easier to drive over rough terrain.

[kreft]

o i just learned somthing, thanks ron!

[Scag48]

Dude, that 10 foot cleanup is GNARLY!

[tbi]

Actually, not bad, since all the mud is tossed into the tracks, it saves some serious time, and most farmers are making a mess of their fields now, so why not me too?!?

With the Oscillation in the front axle, it was easier to drive over rough terrain.

The bridge contractors use them a lot around here due to the ease of travel.

The clay off road here just doesn't allow that machine to be practical in most cases.

[bobcat_ron]

Dude, that 10 foot cleanup is GNARLY!


No fooling, that's why I love it! I can do 2 kms of ditch with it in 9 hours, and it leaves a better looking ditch as there is less "saw toothing" when I need to scrape the side off clean, you can tell really fast if the bucket is not lined up the with side of the ditch edge better than the 6 foot bucket. And I always turn the swing brake off in the machine, it helps to "center" the house when finding the sides of the ditch as well as it can free swing when I dump the bucket out over the field.

[bobcat_ron]

I finished up an ugly ditch early and the Low Bed showed up, so I stood back and watched a seasoned "professional" (rookie) do it.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures651.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures653.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures654.jpg

Then I headed out to a demolition of a pig farm to get the crusher in action with the 320's loading and piling the crushed concrete.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures655.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures656.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures657.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures658.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures659.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures660.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures661.jpg

And even a short vid:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/th_Pictures662.jpg (http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/?action=view&current=Pictures662.flv)

This was the smallest one the company has, the bigger 48" jaw crusher is so violent, the ground would be shaking and the noise puts a smile on your face.

[Dirt Digger2]

looks like your having fun

[bobcat_ron]

looks like your having fun


Yippers, its some real "Fruits of my labors". :blob2:

[bobcat_ron]

OK Ladies and Gentlemen (and others of questionable gender) here's some more exciting shots.

Some real dirty pics of black stuff of unknown origins, and this chunk of ditch sluffed in so I heaped everything back on top:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures664.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures663.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures665.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures668.jpg

Ahhh, behold, my mighty ditch cleaning chariot in all it's muddy glory!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures666.jpg

Then I whipped across the road to do a smaller, less dirty ditch, but I got bored and the land owners asked me to take the "hump" off the side and put a slight slope on it so they can gain another 20 feet of usable land, so all expenses paid trip to fun land!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures670.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures669.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures671.jpg

[Gravel Rat]

It must take you guys a few hours of cleaning to get that brown slop out of the tracks.

I hope B.C. doesn't loose the Fraser Valley farm land to urban sprawl. The province needs that land to grow crops etc.

[bobcat_ron]

I do it every day, a good 10 minutes of digging out the U/C followed by a brisk 10 minute walk back to my truck.

The urban sprawl is on it's way, in the area that I'm working, there are 3 new houses being built and some roads coming off main feeder roads are being upgraded and widened, I'm getting a little nervous when I see that. More and more long time Dairy Farm operations are moving North and the "Abbistanians" are taking over because they get HUGE amounts of money from the mother land for cheap, they screw up and rape the land and pollute the water ways and try to sell it only to find out no one wants to but that once beautiful farm. It's very depressing.

[cpaum]

Thank god the snow is melting. Should be in the 70's this week with some wind. Week or so and I will be moving dirt and digging hole once again.


Can't wait.

[Gravel Rat]

The Valley area is B.C.s food supply and the best farm land. I guess with the Asianfication and India of B.C. we will be eating rice and curry.

Oh well.

[bobcatuser]

Ron. I was practically working in your backyard last week. This job was at the south end of Cultus lake, it was a long drive out there.

[Scag48]

Good lookin' 200 :drinkup:

[Gravel Rat]

The 200 looks like a standard Wajax unit with the guarding etc.

I like the 4500 truck tractor I wish more people would build something like that instead of using a overloaded P/U truck.

[bobcat_ron]

Now that is scenery, I hardly ever work there, once out in LaidLaw (Hope) and last year out in Luckakuck way, but I'll still take Abbistan and Sumas for the quick travel times.

[bobcatuser]

Good lookin' 200 :drinkup:

I was surprised how well it ran, considering it had 9K Hours as a rental machine.

[coopers]

That looks like a "grey" excavator. Was it?

[bobcat_ron]

Some more "dirty" pics:

An old trick I learned from an old dozer operator to keep a nice slope, zip tie a bubble level to a fixed location on the machine, that's how I achieved a 2" slope over a 20 foot width on these R.O.W's:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures673.jpg

Stupid over ambitious and overly determined beaver, these cottonwood trees were 60 feet tall and growing out of the same stump, the little bugger gnawed through the first one, it landed across the creek I was cleaning, the second one fell perfectly in line with the other, right across the rail road tracks:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures672.jpg

The big ditch:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures674.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures680.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures675.jpg

After:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures679.jpg

I went up the road to do the rest and the land owner wanted it to be smoothed out like wet concrete, hell, I'll do anything if the Municipality is paying for it!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures684.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures683.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures682.jpg

All feathered out and smooth:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures686.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures687.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures688.jpg

[bobcatuser]

That looks like a "grey" excavator. Was it?

I think was from the Landy rental fleet in Japan.

[Gravel Rat]

You sure like playing in the muck don't you :laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

I love it, I just hate cleaning off the windows every 2 hours and digging out the tracks twice a day.

[Dirt Digger2]

I love it, I just hate cleaning off the windows every 2 hours and digging out the tracks twice a day.

keep the front window open and you won't have to worry about it:laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

Now a "real" city job!

Question: How many people (with little to no intelligence) does it take to dig a simple feaking ditch?

Answer: 4 people. Myself and these 3 schmucks.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures696.jpg

10 minutes later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures697.jpg

2 hours later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures698.jpg

3 hours later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures700.jpg

What will this ditch do? Jack sh*t.

They can't put a 12" culvert under the road because some irate b*tch doesn't want anything that is City owned running through her land, the dumb ass who owns the berry field filled in the existing ditches, and now the water has no where to go. $10,000 later, it's just a nice looking puddle. :laugh:

[dozerman21]

$10K for that ditch? Dayam... Is there more to it besides what you had to haul away? That's good coin! Maybe the lady next door will wise up once that ditch becomes "Casa De Mosquito".

[tbi]

Now a "real" city job!

Question: How many people (with little to no intelligence) does it take to dig a simple feaking ditch?

Answer: 4 people. Myself and these 3 schmucks.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures696.jpg

10 minutes later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures697.jpg

2 hours later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures698.jpg

3 hours later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures700.jpg

What will this ditch do? Jack sh*t.

They can't put a 12" culvert under the road because some irate b*tch doesn't want anything that is City owned running through her land, the dumb ass who owns the berry field filled in the existing ditches, and now the water has no where to go. $10,000 later, it's just a nice looking puddle. :laugh:

$10,000 for 3 hours work?

http://bp1.blogger.com/_8IcO1ehweFs/RqH8e057NdI/AAAAAAAABGY/HVqmXxB7raU/s320/bullshit+meter.jpg

Sorry bub.

[Gravel Rat]

Don't you love the way the local gov't spend the tax money :laugh:

I can see 10 grand being spent there. You have those guys standing around with a finger up their . Then you have your time to put in.

[bobcat_ron]

There were 2 city council meetings, numerous people like engineers, roads departments, ditch departments, Gas line company, land and property management, they all had to get a piece of the pie.

The time line was basically, I got to the machine at 7:30AM, loaded it on the low bed and dropped off at the site at 8:00, changed over to the digging bucket and I was ready for work at 8:20, right about 8:45, Larry, Curly and Moe rolled in, by 9:30 we were digging, 10:00 was the first "15 minute" coffee break, it lasted 30 minutes, then we dug until 11:40 and a 1 hour lunch break, at 1:30 the truck rolled in with crushed gravel for the shoulder and I had it leveled off in 15 minutes.

A job like that with the "Vee" bucket for private land owners (non-City work) 20 minutes with 3 trucks. Done.

[bobcat_ron]

Yee-haw! A change of job and change of scenery!

I took the Kitty Cat to a new silage bunker site, I had to auger out 90 holes, 2 feet wide and 5 feet deep.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures702.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures703.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures704.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures705.jpg

One sexy hole:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures709.jpg

Lunch time:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures710.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures706.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures707.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures708.jpg

Then I snuck up on big brother and caught him in the act:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures716.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures717.jpg

[cat2]

why did you have to drill all those holes for? what is he using them for?

[bobcat_ron]

This farmer is building a new bunker with 6x8 poles, there will be concrete panels hanging off the poles on the inside, so they need to be deep and a footing trench would not have worked.

[Gravel Rat]

Atleast it was nice easy drilling :laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

The first 80 holes were a breeze, there was a drive way under the last 10 holes with 90 year old shot rock under it, I couldn't keep enough down pressure on the auger to get it to bite through, so I ended up feathering the throttle and hydraulics to get a bite and quickly spool it back up to speed, all 6 teeth on the bottom were worn off by as much as 3/4 of an inch after that.

[bobcat_ron]

I went to a demo job today to do some "balling", since we seem to go through toothed buckets real fast during week long demo jobs, the crusher owner gives us this 2 ton ball to use:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/th_Pictures741.jpg (http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/?action=view&current=Pictures741.flv)
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures721.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures720.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures725.jpg

Then I got sent to a sand pit, and low and behold, a big ass Cat 330 was waiting for me with the largest damn bucket I've ever used, all 7 feet of it!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures738.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures736.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures737.jpg

That's a helluva a bucket!!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures732.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures733.jpg

More to come tomorrow!

[coopers]

Huh, that's interesting, never seen that before.

Ron, how's the direct link thumb on that CAT?

[bobcat_ron]

I still prefer progressive linkage thumbs for their speed, but direct is still better for lazy grease gun owners!

[Scag48]

Direct link gives you more gripping power, but I still hate them. Progressive is the only way to go.

[coopers]

I still prefer progressive linkage thumbs for their speed, but direct is still better for lazy grease gun owners!


True. :hammerhead:

[bobcat_ron]

I just can't get over the sheer size of this bucket!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures745A.jpg

This is one big sand pit, all 3 acres of it!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures749.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures748.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures747.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures746.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures744.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures743.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures760.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures750.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures751.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures752.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures753.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures754.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures755.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures756.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures757.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures758.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures759.jpg

[tbi]

What would you guys do if they made you get out of the sand box and play in some hardpan and rock?

[bobcat_ron]

What would you guys do if they made you get out of the sand box and play in some hardpan and rock?


We would sh*t ourselves. Literally. :laugh:

Hardpan I have dealt with, but not soild rock.

[bobcat_ron]

A short but crappy vid of the 330 in action, I jammed the digi cam into the window frame and hit the button, I am sitting on a pile 15 feet high, about 20 feet wide and as long as the machine can reach, just bailing it behind me towards the hole:

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/?action=view&current=PIC00001.flv

[J. Peterson Grading]

Seeing that makes me miss runnin the big stuff (345-375)

Good work as always

J.

[Gravel Rat]

The Deere excavators are pigs on fuel because of the Deere engine. One contractor bought a Hitachi 350 to replace a Deere excavator same size that is the exact same machine with yellow paint and deere power. The Hitachi gets almost a extra day out of the tank of fuel. Fuel tank holds 269 gallons of fuel.

You can't beat Isuzu engines for fuel economy. The engine has 247hp and is 475 cid in a 350 Machine.

The 330 Cat runs a C-9 engine 537 cid with 268hp.

A 350 Forester roadbuilder weighs 91,375lbs the 330 Cat weighs 79,700lbs.

The cat is over engined for the size of machine. The Isuzu in the 350 Forester has plenty of power.

The Deere 3554 is the same machine as the 350 Forester the Deere has a 496 cid engine and produces 1 hp less than the Isuzu.

The Hitachi Forester roadbuilder machines are nice with the high walker undercarriage and the bigger cab and a 20 inch or so riser under the cab.

Wajax specs the machines out with BMI buckets and thumbs.

[bobcat_ron]

This engine is only putting out 240 hp, the new D series are 268 hp, but that's just because of the emissions BS now. But now that you mentioned it, I now understand why there are more oranges running around than lemons!

[Gravel Rat]

Also Wajax gives a better deal on Hitachi equipment over Brandt Tractor gives for the same Deere.

You can't beat Hitachi excavators thou they make them better than most. Now that Terra Tech isn't around anymore your not seeing Komatsu so previalent like it was.

[bobcat_ron]

TerraTech is now Coneco, good news for them is they sell Gradall now, so all the disgruntled Gradall fans out there have a place to dump there crap and get it polished!

The only new Komatsu I see around here is the one from our competition, Triple J Enterprises, they have a new 228 US they bought last year, they couldn't stand the Hitachi and Cat's near Zero Tail swings, so they went to Coneco and got a steal.

The sales rep that sold my Dad his EX27 used to be the Cat rep for many years until he made a slip of the tongue and bad mouthed some one, now he is selling orange to all the big companies that he used to sell Cats to back in the days, talk about good Karma!

[ksss]

A guy down the road has 2-228's and a 308. Seems to likem. The only newer K machines I know of in these parts.

[Dirt Digger2]

Triple J Enterprises

ron are you kidding? Triple B Excavating, Triple J Enterprise??? You boys north of the border need to be more creative with the names..haha

[bobcat_ron]

ron are you kidding? Triple B Excavating, Triple J Enterprise??? You boys north of the border need to be more creative with the names..haha


I keep joking around with some of the people I work for that someday both companies will amalgamate and be called Triple BJ, but then I think every guy aged 18-60 will want to work for us for some odd reason. :laugh:

[Gravel Rat]

I forgot the Wajax's salesmans name but the Brandt salesman has a nickname for him.

[bobcat_ron]

Tell me! Tell me!!

[Gravel Rat]

It is Low Ball "something" I can't remember the rest.

I don't see many of the salesmen around. I think I probably know one of your best buddies his name is Carlos :laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

Hmm, it doesn't ring a bell.

[Gravel Rat]

He is a Finning salesman he seems to deal with the small equipment.

[bobcat_ron]

Yay!!!!!!!! The hole is finally filled!!! WOOT!! WOOT!! WOOT!!
I think I need to get laid if I get that excited over a "hole".

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures768.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures769.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures770.jpg

I even made a look around from the top of the 330 while waiting (and listening) for that sweet ass engine to warm itself up.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/th_Pictures771.jpg (http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/?action=view&current=Pictures771.flv)

[bobcat_ron]

I took the Kitty Cat to a fill site from a local nursery my brother operates on a conditional agreement, no stinky soil and don't get stuck!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures772.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures774.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures775.jpg

1 hour later:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures777.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures776.jpg

Even some nice tulips are now growing, I pushed them under last September, they were diseased, they sure don't look that bad to me!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures773.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures778.jpg

[Gravel Rat]

What did you do with the busted up asphalt :laugh:

[crab]

:canadaflag:and the corpse ! nice tulips.

[bobcat_ron]

What did you do with the busted up asphalt :laugh:

I picked that up and made a continuation of the gravel driveway and dumped the concrete on top, there will be another 12" of gravel on top of this driveway, so concrete fill is used.

This site was done last year, the biggest in our history, when Google Earth gets the updates again, I'll post before and after jobs, but in a nutshell, before it was 30 acres of land, 5 acres of usable land, the rest was bog. We excavated the ridge and did a large scale cut-and-fill, the ridge was cut down by almost 12 feet and ADT's were used to fill in over the bog, we lost both ADT's (stupid drivers) but managed to pull them out, but it was like driving on an ice road, go too fast and you punch through your own wave.

Where the tulips are, there is already 4 feet on top of the bog and another 6 feet is needed to bring it up to grade.

The whole nursery is a really neat set up, they recycle all their run-off and irrigation water through collection pipes and it goes into a huge concrete pumping chamber where a natural spring from the other side of the property feeds into it, and dilutes it during heavy rain falls.

From the time we broke ground to the time we were actually done the cut-and-filling, there was already $400,000 spent on our 3 months of work, trust me, the 10 hours days were fun!

[bobcat_ron]

There are some "weed whacking vids coming soon!

[bobcat_ron]

And here they are!

These are 10" Cotton Woods that were planted when they were worth good money and they helped keep the smell down from the owner's hog farm, but his farm went nipples up, so he got into composting his left over manure waste and sells it, now he needs to expand and he's all about going green, so the trees get chipped, the fun way.

The first vid is a walk through the "Enchanted Forest", and I could only get as close as 60 feet, and even I was nervous standing that close to it.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/th_Pictures785.jpg (http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/?action=view&current=Pictures785.flv)

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/th_Pictures786.jpg (http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/?action=view&current=Pictures786.flv)

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/th_Pictures787.jpg (http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/?action=view&current=Pictures787.flv)

[coopers]

Jeez!

Ron-

How long did that take? Looks like it takes forever....no tub grinder or anything, just knock 'em down and throw 'em in?

This guy would have been nice to have....

Anyway...was that your CAT?

[bobcat_ron]

As far as I know, he (Randy "the environmental rapist) only spent 8 hours there, so maybe 60 trees at the most, just enough to get another green house in there, we used to use a tub grinder from Denbow transport, but these hog farmers don't have a lot of cash flow.

[bobcatexc]

We've got a Slasher attachment just like that at work that I use time to time. I've got a shield on the front window but I've managed to break the side window by the boom and the mirror on the corner of the cab. The best part is when the carben teeth fly out!!! Trees like that will take some time, but smaller stuff it will walk right through.

[bobcat_ron]

1 month after the head was bought, the entire disc sheared off the shaft, the operator was curling it in to shake some debris off it while it was running at full speed, and it broke off and dove into the ground like a Frisbee, it went 6 feet down into the bog and it took an hour for us to find it with the bucket, after that, I bent the shaft, that's why I don't play with it.

[coopers]

As far as I know, he (Randy "the environmental rapist) only spent 8 hours there, so maybe 60 trees at the most, just enough to get another green house in there, we used to use a tub grinder from Denbow transport, but these hog farmers don't have a lot of cash flow.

Oh okay, that makes sense. Do the dairy farmers up there have $$. In Skagit there are some pretty wealthy dairy farmers (and some potato) but they never show it because they don't spend money on their stuff.

[bobcat_ron]

Dairy farmers and Poultry farmers have the wealth, the hog farming here has gone bust, a lot of the hog producers are pissed with the government, when we had the Avian Influenza out break some years ago, all the poultry farmers got huge sums of cash to help them out, meanwhile, the price of pork has gone down and every hog farmer is shoving a 50 dollar bill up every hog's ass to get it to market, and they still lose.

[coopers]

oh wow, that really sucks. That's too bad, I always hate to see farmers suffer because it's a very hard business and takes a great deal of dedication and hard work to make any farm successful.

[bobcat_ron]

And you wanna know what killed the hog prices?


















Corn.

[coopers]

And you wanna know what killed the hog prices?
Corn.

Really?! Corn! Wow, never would have thought. What exactly did corn do to have such a major role on hog prices? Feeding the hogs?

[bobcat_ron]

More or less, the corn demand is higher now with the Ethanol and Bio-Fuel demand now, and that gives the hog farmers the short end of the "up-your-butt" stick, so the feed mills up their prices to get more, and the hogs fetch the same price, but with ever growing costs of raising.

[Gravel Rat]

The B.C. gov't better do something about the farming or there will be real problems. If farm land gets turned into housing developements that would be the worst thing to ever happen. True wild caught fish is becoming a thing of the past because of bad fishing practices over the years.

If you guys watch the "Deadliest Catch" on discovery they are having the same problem with the crab stocks.

Food is the most important thing not something that should be fooled around with.

[bobcat_ron]

Finally!! Some Kitty Cat work, spreading 10 loads of 3/4 crushed stone around for a new stall barn, I need some more gravel, so I am heading back this afternoon.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/DIGI0001.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/DIGI0002.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/DIGI0004.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/DIGI0005.jpg

[bobcat_ron]

The video has arrived!

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/rdj-digi-vids/th_Headcam.jpg (http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/rdj-digi-vids/?action=view&current=Headcam.flv)

[bobcat_ron]

I am currently up loading a 14 minute vid of my Kitty Cat in action at Google Video, YouTube has a 10 minute limit, and I am not going to cut this baby in half.

Stay tuned.

[bobcat_ron]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3842951263140790837&hl=en

[AWJ Services]

Hey some big ugly guy got in your skid steer while you weren't looking.
Good thing you got it on film.

:drinkup:

[bobcat_ron]

Yeah I kicked that guy's ugly butt around last night for besmirching my Cat's good looks.

And yes, the camera does add ten pounds.....................................ten pounds of Ego.

[coopers]

Yeah I kicked that guy's ugly butt around last night for besmirching my Cat's good looks.

And yes, the camera does add ten pounds.....................................ten pounds of Ego.

lol :hammerhead:

[bobcat_ron]

I took the Hitachi to a long time customer's new place this morning, he needed some room to build his new shop, (toy storage) patio and above-ground-pool (the grotto) :laugh:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures788.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures789.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures796.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures793.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures794.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures795.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures791.jpg

[bobcat_ron]

Went back to another jobsite and got that one done.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures797.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures799.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures800.jpg

[BIGBEN2004]

You did a nice job in that back yard with that mini. When it comes time for me to buy one I will be getting a flat edge bucket like that one also. I like how nice a job they can do. Looks good.

[coopers]

Ron, did you use only the clean up bucket on the mini? I don't like to use the clean up on getting a smooth surface, I use a grading beam. What do you prefer?

[bobcat_ron]

I use it every where and for anything but handling rocks or digging trenches, we have a 16 & 12" toothed bucket for everything else, it sure handles that 30" bucket at full reach better than any other 3 ton Zero Tail excavator out there.

[J. Peterson Grading]

I have a 4Ft Ditch bucket for mine. Totally love it.

Ron.

I looks like your soil is pretty sandy there. Or am I just seeing things.

J.