New Beginning's - ARPI photo tour

[Kepple Services]

Funny you liked the CAT over there Deere... We were the exact opposite. The CAT loader they brought us to demo was a joke, and we demo'd the 624K that we ended up buying, and liked it head over heals more than the CAT.

[P.Services]

whats even more funny was that cat was cheaper then deere. Normally i would expect cat to be at least 15% higher on price then any other brand. Must be a local trend.

[icex]

How much did the cat loader run you andrew?

[ARP]

Kepple- To be honest, Deere didn't even have a 544 for us to try at the time so it is hard for me to make a fair comparison. There are a lot of features I like on the Deere that the Cat does not have, but again, I still find the cab of the Cat more comfortable. When we had to make a purchase, it came down to availability and familiarity as I have run Cats at my previous employer. The price just sealed the deal for us.

P- That's what I have always thought too. However, after buying the loader and the larger excavator, we found that Cat is 10-15% cheaper in our area than Deere. I would have a 315D right now if the machines had been more similar in hydraulic flow.

Icex- The loader was high 140's. Deere wanted almost 160 if they could get one.

[Kepple Services]

Not that local... CAT is higher here also. They wanted more for the CAT loader than the Deere. We just couldn't figure out why they are higher than Deere, komatsu, Volvo, etc... Just can't see it.
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[stuvecorp]

I was going to give you a hard time about no PowerTan loader, Andrew. :p I've not run a big Cat loader(only real old ones and a 906) so don't know how they are but the Deere are nice(tried out a 544J once) and was impressed but doubt it's 20 large that great. Isn't plowing in a loader awesome? Surprised you didn't just pick up a regular pusher instead of the Kage if you are only doing one place?

[ARP]

It's ok Stuve- give me a hard time but you still won't find me in one. I think I saw one at my dealer (which is over an hour away) maybe 2 years ago? Needless to say, Powertan isn't that popular around here. I did see a 465 skid today and I had a brief picture of you or KSSS drooling over it ;-)!

I do like plowing in a loader- the visibility and power are amazing! We bought the Kage because we were planning to do multiple lots this year but they never materialized. So we are set for future years as we expand that side of the business too. Oh and a side note- I really need to get a Kage for the T770 next year (we have the McLaren tracks on it- they are night and day difference from the standard tracks). Talk about an awesome combo for snow work!

[stuvecorp]

Ummm, 465... Especially if it is a S3! Someday I will have one.

Loaders are the ticket in snow, I really miss my 721 combo. I am currently in the middle of an Volvo loader infatuation but I think a 621/721C is an awesome value for a snow machine. Tractors are sweet too.

As for the Kage, I personally think a regular angle blade with wings is better and likely cheaper. The thing with the Kage is dropping on and off the 'box' part and I think they are overpriced. I really like some of the angle blades with the hydraulic 'flippers', the only thing is the durability issue as they are about the same as a Kage price wise.

[P.Services]

high 140's on it?!?! was that new or used?

that seems real cheap seeing 3,000hr machines have a asking price higher then that.


Did you ever get a quote from deere on a CTL? say a 333D ? i would be interested in hearing what kind of number they came back with.

[ARP]

Stuve- I priced out all the options, from boxes to plows, and I think you might be surprised where the Kage system falls in the pricing. For example, a sectional box would have run me the same price but I wouldn't have the ability to plow. I looked into the Horsts a few years ago, and though they are nice, they are even bigger money than the Kage and then you have all the maintenance on them. So at least for us, the Kage was the best solution for the money.

P- The loader came with 800 hrs. And you're right, we could turn around and sell it and make out well. Like I said, Cat really made us an offer we couldn't refuse on the loader.

I never got a quote from Deere on a 333D- sorry I can't help you on that one.

[Dan85]

That Cat loader is sweet.

The cage system looks pretty handy. We elected to go with a Arctic sectional plow on our WA320, but the Kage looks like it might have been equally useful. Nice work on the videos too!

[ARP]

Thanks Dan!

[coopers]

Andrew, videos are great. Love the cab view with the loader and the outside view with the 160.
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[stuvecorp]

Stuve- I priced out all the options, from boxes to plows, and I think you might be surprised where the Kage system falls in the pricing. For example, a sectional box would have run me the same price but I wouldn't have the ability to plow. I looked into the Horsts a few years ago, and though they are nice, they are even bigger money than the Kage and then you have all the maintenance on them. So at least for us, the Kage was the best solution for the money.

P- The loader came with 800 hrs. And you're right, we could turn around and sell it and make out well. Like I said, Cat really made us an offer we couldn't refuse on the loader.

I never got a quote from Deere on a 333D- sorry I can't help you on that one.

Thanks for humoring me, Andrew. We all think or approach things so differently so it was nice to hear what you were thinking. I know the sectional prices can get radically better at certain times but have always heard they would be half that Kage price? I still hate the dropping of the 'box', also when you angle off that 12' you are losing major width. Now I'm not sure the sectional would be my first choice for my mainline machine, I do want one for backup/extra production. The blades with flippers I think are the best but agree the durability may not be there and can get spendy fast. When I get back to plowing with a loader I'll probably will build my own again. I already came across a 12' blade that is calling me. :)

[ARP]

Thanks Coopers! Glad you enjoyed them!

Stuve- that's what I like about this forum, being able to learn and discuss different ideas and pieces of equipment. We wouldn't be where we are without the people and their ideas that we see on here.

[NEUSWEDE]

Andrew, I'll be down Wednesday or Thursday, I don't want to tie up time at your booth but wanted to have a quick chat with you so if there is a time that works if not we will have to schedule for another time. Should be a good show, You brining the 160 or just the 50?

[ARP]

We're actually not going to have any machines at the show. Instead we're going to have a booth with some mulch samples, a big screen running a slide show of our jobs, and a big display wall showing what we do.

You're not going to tie me up. Stop by whenever and we can chat. My dad will be working the booth with me so we will have plenty of time to talk with whoever stops by.

[ARP]

For anyone going to the New England Grows show in Boston this week, come check out our booth!
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I'll be there all 3 days so stop on by- I swear I don't bite ;-)

Andrew

[KrayzKajun]

Booth looks great!
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[bigirish320]

For anyone going to the New England Grows show in Boston this week, come check out our booth!
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I'll be there all 3 days so stop on by- I swear I don't bite ;-)

Andrew

Booth looks good, I'll be there Thursday and Friday.

How's the rest of the show looking so far?
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[ARP]

It is looking good so far. We left around 1:30 today, so there was still plenty of work to be done. I'm looking forward to seeing everything all set up tomorrow morning!

[stuvecorp]

I'm liking your cranberry bog picture...Thumbs Up

Sell the daylight out of snow work, I'll bring a couple loaders out east for next winter. :clapping:

[KrayzKajun]

How's the show going?
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[NEUSWEDE]

Andrew, Great talking with you and your Father today. Great booth. For those of you in the area defintely a good show to check out lots of good info and stop and talk to Andrew and his father.

[SIWEL]

Hopefully coming up in the morning... look forward to meeting you possibly

[ssprtman12]

Andrew,

It was great to finally get to meet you yesterday, hope the show was good today and good luck with the coming year!

[ARP]

Hey guys! It was great seeing everyone who stopped by the booth! It was nice to finally put some faces to the names on here.

[bigirish320]

Hey guys! It was great seeing everyone who stopped by the booth! It was nice to finally put some faces to the names on here.

It was nice to see you all cleaned up! lol Booth looked good and show was better than the past couple years so it was a good time.

[curtisfarmer]

ARP, check out his head on a Kubota KX 080 (16 ton). Looks like your style, now I know I want this and the Kubota when the time is right. :) Sorry I couldn't get down to the show, things are hectic with prego wife and large logging job underway. Will touch base soon.:waving:

[curtisfarmer]

Got a little excited and didn't post the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgpgwf5ApK0&feature=related

:usflag:

[ARP]

Ya I saw that head awhile ago. I actually talked to builder and he said the head worked great- it just couldn't handle the same size stuff as a head for a bigger machine. I think he said it would do stuff up to 6-8".

Talk soon!

[curtisfarmer]

It looked just like your head so I figured you knew about it. It is in no way, even close, to what yours does....night and day. You would think this head would be a patent infringement since the design is so similiar. First time I had seen one on a miniX.

[GQLL]

It looked just like your head so I figured you knew about it. It is in no way, even close, to what yours does....night and day. You would think this head would be a patent infringement since the design is so similiar. First time I had seen one on a miniX.

the mulching head in that video is made by the same company that Andrews mulching head is made by

[ARP]

Haha, it's not a patent infringement as it's another "AFE" head- just for a smaller machine. I think the builder that made my head has 5-6 different heads for different size machines. That Kubota was supposed to have been shipped to Alaska for working on remote islands.

[KrayzKajun]

Andrew, sent u a pm. Thanks Jacob
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[ARP]

Doing a little cleanup here and I started going through all the photos I haven't put up yet. I know there were some requests in the past for our F550 set up for plowing and salting so here ya go!
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[srl28]

Beautiful truck! How do you like working with the XLS? And how is that model buyers salter? We use buyers and really like them, just havent used that particular model yet.

[ARP]

So far I really like the XLS. Being able to clean windrows up quickly is a huge timesaver. The salter has been great so far, but we did have the vibrator give out on us after only about 6 hrs of use. After getting a new one under warranty, we should be good for a while(fingers crossed). Very pleased with the spread pattern and its ability to move the heavy, sticky treated salt products we put down without any jamming or inconsistent flow of material. to the spinner.

[ARP]

Well we finally bit the bullet on a new Towmaster trailer. So for anyone who needs an excellent gooseneck trailer, here is ours for sale: http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?input=true&guid=&OHID=3370487

[ksss]

Well we finally bit the bullet on a new Towmaster trailer. So for anyone who needs an excellent gooseneck trailer, here is ours for sale: http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?input=true&guid=&OHID=3370487

Which Towmaster did you get? They are great trailers.

[WillieWonka1850]

Which Towmaster did you get? They are great trailers.
Hows the 6.7 be doing for ya Andrew? I've been hearing mixed reviews on that engine.

[ARP]

We had a T-18D made with some special festures to suit our needs.

[ARP]

So far the 6.7 has been great for us. Granted we only have I think 10-11k on it since it's not a daily driver right now, but it appears to be doing fine.

[noahb195]

Well about time you post some pictures of this new trailer! Hows things going for ya?

[ARP]

Well I would post some pics but we won't see the new trailer until next week. Something about the trailer coming from the factory with a jack that only raises up about 6-8" above the ground? I didn't think that would work too well where we work, let alone if I had to go through a parking lot with speedbumps...

[hvy 1ton]

Did they mount it too low or is there no collapsible spring loaded bit?

[ARP]

I think it was a combination of it being mounted too low and no collapsible spring loaded bit. Either way, a shorter jack with a repositioned mount is on its way.

[NEUSWEDE]

Andrew- so your the one with that custom Iroquois body from Brake and Clutch. I saw it on their website and talked to them at NE Grows about it. They are supposed to get me a number on it but haven't heard yet Could you pm what the body alone costs if you know? How do you like the tail gate and does the barn door action work well?

[ARP]

That's funny- I didn't know we were on anyone's website. The body when we built it was about $15k. I just spoke with our dealer the other day and apparently Iroquois have increased their prices exponentially on the dumps- IE this body would cost over $20K now. That's ridiculous.

The doors work well. The only thing we are not pleased about is that the latches are out of alignment just enough that you have to park the truck on level ground to latch the side door and the barn door has to be lifted up with your shoulder to close it. Nothing crazy, but just a pain when you pay so much money for a body.

Oh ya- Iroquois was at least a month late if not almost 2 months late in getting us the body. If you go the custom route with Iroquois, don't plan on getting your body for at least 3-4 months.

[ARP]

That's funny- I didn't know we were on anyone's website. The body when we built it was about $15k. I just spoke with our dealer the other day and apparently Iroquois have increased their prices exponentially on the dumps- IE this body would cost over $20K now. That's ridiculous.

The doors work well. The only thing we are not pleased about is that the latches are out of alignment just enough that you have to park the truck on level ground to latch the side door and the barn door has to be lifted up with your shoulder to close it. Nothing crazy, but just a pain when you pay so much money for a body.

Oh ya- Iroquois was at least a month late if not almost 2 months late in getting us the body. If you go the custom route with Iroquois, don't plan on getting your body for at least 3-4 months.

[T_S_S]

What have you been up to Andrew? I'm sure this weather has been keeping you guys busy!
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[ARP]

We've been crazy busy Sean- and this weather has definitely been a help! Mulch has picked up real early for us, we have done a few contract grinding jobs, picked up a bunch of work for the 160 doing clearing work, and we have also just added a F350 and a new trailer to the mix. I hoping I have a chance over the next few days to get some pics up.

How have things been up your way?

[earthmover]

Glad your staying busy. Can't wait to see some update pics!

[T_S_S]

Same as you! Crazy busy here Doing excavation, demolition for concrete restoration, parking structure, and bridge rehabilitation contractors. Picked up a few very specialized jobs to do this summer that we were the only contractors to bid on. Looking at purchasing a 8 tonne ex on wheels , and a 225 hitachi . Are you busy next weekend I might be heading down your way...
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[ARP]

That's great to hear you're picking up those unique jobs! Now we just need to see the pics from them ;-)

I will be at my mulch yard on Saturday grinding from 7AM til mid afternoon. I'm then going down to CT with my gf for Easter. I'd like to meet up with you if possible, just let me know what your plans are.

[KrayzKajun]

Andrew, glad things are picking up for you. Been crazy busy down here in Louisiana. Got my irrigation lic, so now I'm one of the few companies with all the state licenses. Happy Easter to ya.
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[ARP]

Here are some photos from a grinding job where I went in for a day and ground up some bark from a firewood operation.

Machines ready to go in the morning:
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Before:
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A few hours later:
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[ARP]

Here are some pics from mowing the canal banks at a cranberry bog recently:

Before:
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After:
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[ARP]

Congrats on the license Krazy! Happy Easter to you too!

[Dan85]

Very cool ARP. Glad to see the grinding is working out well for you! Looks like a very finely textured product? Are you dying it too?

[ARP]

I have some mulch products that we dye in our yard but on contract jobs unless the customer has already mixed dye in, I don't color mulch. That mulch we ground up is going to be sold as a natural bark product that is dark brown in color.

[ARP]

PS- I added a few more videos on our Youtube page of the 160 and mulcher.

[T_S_S]

Any pics or specs of the new truck?
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[ARP]

Sean- which truck are you referring to? We have my 450, the 550 dump, and we just picked up a 350 for my dad and as another tool/fueling/daily driver. I have pics of everything except the 350- just waiting to get most of the goodies installed on it before I do so. It will look exactly like my truck when we're done- it just isn't a dually.

[coopers]

Andrew,

I can't remember if you looked at Hitachi before you bought your Deere but do the D series Deere hoes have better fuel consumption than their C series predecessors? I'm curious how the D's compare to Hitachi's now.

[ARP]

I did look at Hitachi but the D series are running some pretty good numbers for fuel economy. Tracking around I burn about 6.5-7 gal/hr, sitting in one place mulching I burn 5.5-6 gal/hr, and idling it burns about .75 gal/hr.

[Kepple Services]

Our 270D burns similar numbers, i averaged 5 gallons an hour, just a bit more while working the shear hard. But we also don't run it full throttle all the time. No need to, just while going through the big oaks.
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[ARP]

Ya, I'm pleasantly surprised about the fuel economy especially since I have to run wide open all day long for the hydraulic flow.

[Z-master man]

Think it's time for a family portrait!

[noahb195]

Think it's time for a family portrait!

I think thats a great idea!

[ARP]

I wish we could get everything in one place for a family pic right now but everything seems to be on the move usually. We are going to try to get the family portrait later this summer for a show we're going to.

We did finally start an interesting project mowing along a highway for about 20 mi in preparation for a bunch of road work.

First morning:
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Second day:
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Third Day:
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[noahb195]

Did you get the new trailer yet?

[T_S_S]

Machine looks awesome Andrew. Glad to see your expanding at a well paced rate. How are the mulch sales this year? Any new ventures Or directions your trying to take with the business or just expanding on what your already doing? Sorry I never made it down there this weekend , ended up going to Illinois .
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[2brothersyardcare]

how do you move the big Deere?

[TomG]

Nice! What highway are you working on?

[ARP]

We have the new trailer but it's going into the shop already as the spare tire broke the welds on the mount 40 mins after we picked it up from the dealer in NH and it went flying into traffic. Thankfully no one got hurt and only one car was slightly damaged. So it's going into the shop to remount the spare tire in the A-frame of the trailer rather than on the side of the trailer like it was from the factory.

Sean- mulch sales are up this time from last year and we're getting a lot of new interest from some big (to us) buyers. It's still relatively early in the game but I did spend all day Saturday grinding up about 1000 yds of red mulch (500 yds of which are already sold to one buyer). The only other directions we're going right now are into some more bog rebuilding/expansion work and some trucking. And it's fine about this weekend- I just got back from a family gathering in CT anyway.

2brothers- right now I have a guy with a big lowbed who hauls our equipment around for us.

Tom- I'm working on RT 28 on Cape Cod that goes from Bourne through Falmouth MA.

[Jelinek61]

Man does that new deere look sweet with your graphics on it. Is that additional counterweight mounted under the factory one?

[ARP]

Thanks! And yes, that is an additional 1500lbs of counterweight mounted underneath the original one.

[hvy 1ton]

So, would you buy another towmaster? I don't think i would. :laugh:

How is the long stick and extra counterweight working out for you? Can you stretch it out to full reach with the head on? Do you think 2' less stick would limit you considerably? Have run out of crowd power digging or stumping?

That's only 5 questions, i get another 15 right? Err, 14. :drinkup:

[ssprtman12]

I got a sneak peak of the new F350. . . its one sharp looking truck just like the rest of the fleet!

[icex]

We have the new trailer but it's going into the shop already as the spare tire broke the welds on the mount 40 mins after we picked it up from the dealer in NH and it went flying into traffic. Thankfully no one got hurt and only one car was slightly damaged. So it's going into the shop to remount the spare tire in the A-frame of the trailer rather than on the side of the trailer like it was from the factory.
Sean- mulch sales are up this time from last year and we're getting a lot of new interest from some big (to us) buyers. It's still relatively early in the game but I did spend all day Saturday grinding up about 1000 yds of red mulch (500 yds of which are already sold to one buyer). The only other directions we're going right now are into some more bog rebuilding/expansion work and some trucking. And it's fine about this weekend- I just got back from a family gathering in CT anyway.

2brothers- right now I have a guy with a big lowbed who hauls our equipment around for us.

Tom- I'm working on RT 28 on Cape Cod that goes from Bourne through Falmouth MA.


I'd make the dealership pay for the damage to the car, and I'd also contact my lawyer to discuss if this is a legal issue you need to be worried about because they may try to claim that it was negligence on your end. I use to work for a lawyer and you wouldent beleive the bs cases..

[ARP]

Thanks Icex- but we are already far ahead of the whole issue. This will not be coming back to bite us in the butt. This was a Towmaster issue plain and simple.

[KE-llc]

why the case skid? is it a subs or rental?

[ARP]

It's the prime contractor's machine- I'm rented out to the prime.

[KrayzKajun]

It's the prime contractor's machine- I'm rented out to the prime.

sounds like a quote from Transformers. " Im rented out to the the PRIME"
he must be Optimus Primes big brother. lol sorry couldnt resist.

[noahb195]

I really want to see the new truck and trailer hooked up together!

[ARP]

Well here is one of my truck with the trailer:
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[ARP]

We're getting ready for another big marketing push and since we had the 160 in the yard for the first time since we bought it last November, we decided to do a picture shoot.

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[ARP]

And the next day after the shoot, the 160 was back at work with a bucket for the first time since we bought the machine 400 hrs ago.

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[noahb195]

Wow very nice! That trailer is sweet! I love the new truck very classy

[The Grounds Crew]

those are some really good looking photos. I love the black fords and the equipment behind them. What do you plan on doing with the pictures for marketing purposes?

[ARP]

We have some shows coming up and some advertising publications for some organizations that we belong to that we are going to put our fleet pictures in.

[The Grounds Crew]

That sounds awesome. I'm sure you will get a lot of looks. What kind of shows do you participate in? What is your best form of marketing and does the majority of your work consist of?

[ARP]

We go to a lot of tradeshows for different land-care based organizations in our area. Our work consists mostly of land clearing, followed by our mulch, then excavation and grading, and finally snow plowing.

[ssprtman12]

That 160 deere is looking good sitting out on Indian St. in Carver!. . .now go get it dirty!

[GQLL]

Andrew I have a couple of questions for you. What was your decision on a f550 over say a f650/750. And what was the decision to go away from the goose neck to a tag. Are you finding it easier to load with the lower hight

[KrayzKajun]

Wow. You definitely give me something to strive for in building my company and my new endeavor in stormwater and erosion control. Keep up the great work.

[ARP]

ssprtman- Don't worry, you won't find her there any more. She got a good work out today! You might be able to see her off of RT58 way out in the bogs now though...

GQLL- We wanted a 550 because originally that was going to be a daily driver and a backup for the 450. Having to drive around in a 650/750 all day is a bit of a pain. Our trailer decision tied into the trucks we have too. Our gooseneck could only be moved by the 450, which was a problem when the 450 was not available. So for redundancy's sake we wanted a trailer that could be towed by any of our trucks. It didn't really have anything to do with ease of loading as both trailers are easy to load with our machines.

Krazy- Thanks man! I really want to see how this business works out for you- that line of business has always interested me as well.

[NEUSWEDE]

Andrew- looking good. I went through Mass the other day was looking for you but probably not the area where you work 495 to 90 . A lot of tree damage in the Springfield area.

[ARP]

Thanks Dylan. Ya, I think you missed my area of work by about 50 miles LOL! With all the storms and tornados that went through the Springfield area last year I think that they will be dealing with all that damage for a long time.

[ARP]

Here's some of the clearing on the current bog project. I was moving so quickly through the work that was planned that the bog owners tried to slow me down by having me open an old road up. Slowed me down for an hour:laugh:

Before:
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After:
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[ARP]

Here are a couple more pics I had lying around:

Fleet shot from our mulch pile:
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Some of the other equipment on the highway clearing project we just finished up:
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Some of the heavy clearing on the project:
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Chip crew:
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Clearing around a sign- before:
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After:
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[tailboardtech]

who bent the guard rail? :p looks good

[ARP]

That's funny- that's what the highway foreman asked me too! (And no, it wasn't me LOL!)

[KrayzKajun]

Andrew, great work as usual. Quick question, how did you make connections with the utility companies? Cold calling and emails? I'm trying to make some connections with the local utility and pipeline companies down here, just need to figure out who to talk too.
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[zabmasonry]

I'm assuming that given the application, you do an awful lot of tracking with the 160. What are you expecting for a service life out of the undercarriage?

[ARP]

krazy- Cold calling, emails, a good website, and selective advertising are all what have gotten us a lot of our work. We are just now starting to get a lot more work from word-of-mouth advertising and referrals.

zab- I'm expecting 4000-6000 hrs out of my undercarriage with all the walking I do. I'm very rarely immersed in or mud, so the wear is actually kept to a minimum on the undercarriage. On top of that, I'm anal about cleaning out the undercarriage and keeping proper track tension so I'm hoping that increases my chances of getting a good life out of the undercarriage.

[ksss]

Finally some Power Tan on your jobs Andrew. Well done:cool2:

[KrayzKajun]

krazy- Cold calling, emails, a good website, and selective advertising are all what have gotten us a lot of our work. We are just now starting to get a lot more work from word-of-mouth advertising and referrals.

Thanks Andrew.
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[Advanced Wall Structures]

That Deere is so pretty, I'm trying to get in a 160G to demo tomorrow. The newly announced 180G has me thinking too. Could use that extra lifting capacity. Any gripes with the 160? I average 3.4-3.8g/hr with our Case CX160 building the boulder walls, that's on high all the time with auto idle turned on. It all depends on the boulder size for me and how much the machine has to grunt to pick some up.

Tier 4 engines make me angry though.

I love your advertising, all of our work is from word of mouth and we stay pretty busy from that. If we ever slow down I want to try some new things. Hell, none of our machines or pickups have lettering or logos on them. Just our dump trucks to.

[ARP]

Thanks Matt! Ya, I do like the looks of the Deere too. I'm burning about 5-5.7 gal/hr when I'm working due to the fact I spend all the time with the engine cranked all the way up pushing out all the hydraulic flow the machine has. I haven't had a chance really to see what the fuel burn would be with a non-horsepower intensive attachment, but I can't say I'm displeased with the fuel burn I get right now. I can go almost 2 days on one 80 gal tank of fuel so I'm happy with that.

I have 454 hrs on the machine as of yesterday, and so far I don't have any gripes about it. It is doing and behaving exactly as we expected and in some instances it is exceeding our performance expectations. I looked at the 180G, but the increase in undercarriage width without a noticeable increase in reach didn't really do anything for me. I spend so much time in tight areas or traveling down bog dikes that are just wide enough for an 8'6" machine or truck, that anything wider wouldn't really work for us. So to gain an extra 4" or so of reach, without any horsepower or hydraulic flow increases and an increase in overall width, wouldn't be something that would make me want to get a 180 over a 160. I didn't honestly look at the lifting capacity of the 180, but for me, the 160 has plenty of balls for what we need it to do in the lifiting category.

Now if they came out with a zero turn 160 though, that would be a different matter :cool2:

[ARP]

Shane- you should have seen how well that 450CT stuck to the slopes along the highway. It would have brought a tear to your eye:laugh: