Gravel Rat
04-22-2008, 03:44 PM
I was doing some more spreading dirt or playing it gives me my excavator fix for a month :laugh:
Anyhow the machine is a 2003 model or around that year 160 New Holland the machine has 3300 hours on it and it runs like it has 13,000 or more hours on it.
The control sticks are all taped up with electrical tape and it sure seemed like it had electrical problems. The machine crawled like it had square rollers it would move a little then all of a sudden lurch forward. Turn the throttle up it didn't do anything till you bumped the machine. It felt like the turn table bearings were shot and when you swung it kept on going :laugh:
I don't know who makes New Holland excavators but they are sure cheap even cab is bare bones basic not even a rubber mat on the floor.
I compare excavators to the EX150 I spent many hours running the 150 had 14,000 hours but it still ran nice it looked beat.
The NH 160 must have had some abusive operators over the years it doesn't look like its been abused but running it is another story.
It wouldn't be a machine you would want to work in a confined or close quarter space with. The wild swing and the tracks that don't want to drive at equal speeds. If you were working near a hole or edge you would have to be really carefull it would walk itself into the hole. Then the swing I guess you would get used to it swingining 2 feet past where you want it :dizzy:
The machine belongs to a homeowner for the use on their private estate but they lent it out to a building contractor and my old man ended up with it for a few weeks so might aswell use it.
I like to try run a excavator once in awhile just to make me feel I can't still do it I haven't lost the ability to run equipment as I rarely do it anymore. Right now in the area there is no extra work as a operator so I'am pretty much bound to a desk job.
The cost of fuel is really hurting the excavation contractors. Talking to one of my friends in the business he said the fuel costs are getting redicolous. The rates on equipment can't get any higher because people can't afford it. On road diesel fuel now is 4.95 a gallon and the gravel truck rate is at 100 dollars a hour. The guys are on the verge of parking the trucks because the expenses are getting too high. If people can't afford to hire you then your not working. The B.C. gov't is adding a "Carbon Tax" to diesel fuel so we can expect it 2.7 cents per litre this year. This July when the tax is implemented diesel will be 5.50 a gallon is what the local contractors figure.
Anyhow the machine is a 2003 model or around that year 160 New Holland the machine has 3300 hours on it and it runs like it has 13,000 or more hours on it.
The control sticks are all taped up with electrical tape and it sure seemed like it had electrical problems. The machine crawled like it had square rollers it would move a little then all of a sudden lurch forward. Turn the throttle up it didn't do anything till you bumped the machine. It felt like the turn table bearings were shot and when you swung it kept on going :laugh:
I don't know who makes New Holland excavators but they are sure cheap even cab is bare bones basic not even a rubber mat on the floor.
I compare excavators to the EX150 I spent many hours running the 150 had 14,000 hours but it still ran nice it looked beat.
The NH 160 must have had some abusive operators over the years it doesn't look like its been abused but running it is another story.
It wouldn't be a machine you would want to work in a confined or close quarter space with. The wild swing and the tracks that don't want to drive at equal speeds. If you were working near a hole or edge you would have to be really carefull it would walk itself into the hole. Then the swing I guess you would get used to it swingining 2 feet past where you want it :dizzy:
The machine belongs to a homeowner for the use on their private estate but they lent it out to a building contractor and my old man ended up with it for a few weeks so might aswell use it.
I like to try run a excavator once in awhile just to make me feel I can't still do it I haven't lost the ability to run equipment as I rarely do it anymore. Right now in the area there is no extra work as a operator so I'am pretty much bound to a desk job.
The cost of fuel is really hurting the excavation contractors. Talking to one of my friends in the business he said the fuel costs are getting redicolous. The rates on equipment can't get any higher because people can't afford it. On road diesel fuel now is 4.95 a gallon and the gravel truck rate is at 100 dollars a hour. The guys are on the verge of parking the trucks because the expenses are getting too high. If people can't afford to hire you then your not working. The B.C. gov't is adding a "Carbon Tax" to diesel fuel so we can expect it 2.7 cents per litre this year. This July when the tax is implemented diesel will be 5.50 a gallon is what the local contractors figure.