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KrayzKajun
09-22-2011, 08:07 PM
I'm sure yur busy. Any updates?
Posted via Mobile Device
Hmm, let's see- I think I have a few land clearing pics from a few jobs we just finished up:
Before:
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After:
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Here's a few more from the same job.
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During:
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A couple more...
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Almost done with this set I swear...
Before:
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Tight fit:
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KrayzKajun
09-28-2011, 06:27 PM
Great pics Andrew. Glad yur stayin busy
Posted via Mobile Device
Jelinek61
09-29-2011, 10:05 AM
How many guys do you have working for you now? Looks like to much equipment on site for working by yourself.
It's still just my dad and myself running everything. The wheel loader in that pic isn't ours- it belonged to the family we were doing the work for.
stuvecorp
09-29-2011, 08:47 PM
Thanks for those pictures, Andrew. :rolleyes: :hammerhead: :)
How many acres do they have? :)
About 60 there, with another 50-60 connected. The group of people I'm working with controls several hundred acres though.
Pic time! Here's a tiny job we did recently. The homeowner had a drainage problem around the foundation so we came in and extended some existing drainage swales to make them go around the problem areas around the foundation of the house. The homeowner was seeding and fertilizing the swales as I was packing up to leave! :laugh:
More hand work than machine work:
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Up next- another bog clearing project:
Before:
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After:
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A couple more after photos from the bog project:
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stuvecorp
10-10-2011, 08:54 PM
Is it naturally hilly there or just the overburden from putting the marsh in?
It's a mix- this was hilly because this bog was created in an old sand pit. Other bogs aren't as hilly since they rest in natural swamps.
Here's another project we finished recently: some drainage ditch clearing and road side mowing.
Before:
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After:
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KrayzKajun
10-15-2011, 10:41 AM
Great work as always. Andrew you see yall stayin busy through the winter?
Posted via Mobile Device
One way or the other we will be staying busy with snow work or land clearing projects. Whether its 5 days a week or 1-2, that's still to be decided. Snow contracts are very late in being decided this year in my area. It doesn't appear to matter if you do $5million or $5,000 per year in snow, very few contracts have been decided so far. I have 3 large properties outstanding, with several more that have yet to bid. One way or the other, we will be plowing though. Also, we have several leads on land clearing projects that can be completed in the winter as well. Things are still very soft right now, but we are optimistic and are planning accordingly.
KrayzKajun
10-15-2011, 12:21 PM
Sounds like you have a good plan. My plan right now is not turning away any work.
Posted via Mobile Device
Z-master man
10-15-2011, 12:50 PM
Which truck are your putting a plow on? Whats the plow going to be?
We've already put a plow on the F550 and its a Fisher XLS. We also have a 12' Kage Plow and Box combo for the 930H loader.
Z-master man
10-15-2011, 05:12 PM
We've already put a plow on the F550 and its a Fisher XLS. We also have a 12' Kage Plow and Box combo for the 930H loader.
Nice!! You'll have to post some pics on plowsite!
Heavyduty1
10-15-2011, 06:52 PM
Nice looking work, as always.:usflag: Have you thought about getting your pest lics. so you can spray fences and around light poles? I got mine this year because I got tired of swinging the machete around.
talus
10-15-2011, 07:42 PM
Nice work Andrew. The vine still on the guy wire is killing me though. PM me and I'll give you the name of a guy with a bucket truck if you come across the same situation in the future. :drinkup::laugh:
I thought about a pesticide license, but the liability of such a license is more than what I want to take on right now. Our region of the country seems to be very much against the use of chemicals to control the growth of plants.
Talus- I'll take the name and number but I have a feeling I already have that guy's contact info! LOL
Fortress
10-16-2011, 02:30 AM
I'm about to pull the trigger on a different grinder for a different use then yours, but man i hope this works out like yours.
Sorry for the delay guys, we've been fortunate enough to pick up work that has kept us running straight since the beginning of September. As it is, we're working 7 days a week on a ROW clearing project now that goes through Dec 31st. We have a lot of exciting additions to the equipment fleet, some interesting projects in the pipeline, and a bunch of projects completed. Bear with me as I try to get everything together here and get some pics up here!
First up: Getting ready for winter
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Next up are some pics from a day of digging test holes in a cranberry bog that we may be renovating in the future:
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KrayzKajun
12-02-2011, 02:02 PM
Glad to see some pics andrew. I finally went fulltime with my company. Planning to make 2012 a record year for me. Good to see yur staying busy
Posted via Mobile Device
GWhunter
12-02-2011, 02:51 PM
I was waiting to see how long you'd make us wait. How's the new ex and cutter? Is it a Promac head?
Matt
The new ex and cutter are still being finished up. The head is made by AFE in Idaho. Should have the rest of the guarding on the machine by next week. Here are a couple teaser pics:
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KrayzKajun
12-02-2011, 04:17 PM
Wow. I'm speechless
Posted via Mobile Device
Andrew i have to say this is quite impressive. looks like the recession isn't hitting you hard at all. is your mulch business still running good
We truly have been fortunate to be able to expand at the rate everyone sees here. Things are still interesting and will continue to be so for the next few years as the economy "recovers," but in our view this is the best time to take the risk and expand. So far this mindset is holding true. It's interesting to look back to 3 years ago when I was working out of a pickup truck with no contacts, no name recognition, no equipment and limited opportunites for work to where we are today with fleet of excellent equipment and a back log of work to bring us into the new year.
Dirtman2007
12-02-2011, 05:55 PM
Hell yeah man! thans a nice machine. Can't wait to see that bad boy in action. I'd love to have that on a 6 acre thinning job I'm on right now. Its so hard dragging trees and clearing through the woods even with the little volvo 140
Z-master man
12-02-2011, 06:14 PM
Sweet!! What are you going to haul it with?
GQLL- Sorry, I forgot to address the mulch operation in my previous response. Mulch is a 3-4 month business in our area: March-June. We had an ok first year, but due to weather conditions that essentially eliminated 2/3rds of the mulch season, we didn't quite meet our ambitious, first year goal for sales. On the back side of that, we had plenty of time to solidify our processes and can now turn out a fantastic mulch product very quickly at a cost we know down to the cent.
Next year, we will be attending the big green industries trade show in our area, New England Grows, and will have a booth there with some of our products and a display of all our other services. This trade show, combined with aggressive pricing, should help us reach our sales goals for next year.
Z-master- We have several companies that we work with who have lowbeds and who will move us for the time being. We're running numbers now on how many moves we need to do to justify a truck of our own.
bobcat_ron
12-02-2011, 08:30 PM
Damn fine mower head, good for popping stumps and rocks out of your way.
Z-master man
12-02-2011, 08:43 PM
Any pic's of your 550 setup for snow?
talus
12-02-2011, 08:45 PM
Andrew your way ahead of schedule. My son Ben is only 3 now. Hes not able to drive an manual trans yet. If that t 800 tracot is an auto he will be fine in a booster seat.
Side note
He really like laying on the air horns so you might want to disable them for the first year or so. Same with the Jake.:hammerhead::laugh:
The apple doesn'r fall far from the tree :laugh:
Z-master- I haven't grabbed any pics yet, but we did some work to the plow and have put a 3 yd poly, Salt Dogg spreader in the back of the truck for salting. With the mild winter and amount of work going on right now, the truck is being driven daily and doesn't have any snow stuff on it for the time being. Once the white stuff starts falling, I'll get some good pics of that, the loader, and the facility we are maintaining for the winter.
talus- Sorry to speed things up. You had better start feeding your kid more so that he can reach the pedals soon!
So I guess I should disconnect the train horn then? Noted.
Scag48
12-03-2011, 10:23 AM
New machine looks good, AFE builds the best head in the industry. Friends of mine were looking at buying a 15 ton carrier with an AFE head and they said John Moffet is one hell of a good guy to deal with.
So far Jon and his gang have been great to deal with. I actually flew out to Idaho to meet Jon and run a machine and we had a great time for a few days. Hopefully things keep going the way they are and we can get another head from Jon soon.
Posted via Mobile Device
stuvecorp
12-03-2011, 06:13 PM
Glad to hear things are rolling. The mulching obviously picked up...
I do have say you are depressing me some, send just a little bit of what ever you are doing out here. :)
P.Services
12-03-2011, 06:14 PM
so what is the new job the exc. is being bought for?
whats the plan? cut them down with the new head and feed them into the horizontal ?
NEUSWEDE
12-03-2011, 06:27 PM
Andrew looking good, ill swing in at NE Grows and pick your brain so I can generate some growth up my way. I think your in a good area, one of my GC's every month tries to get me to take jobs down your way. Another Landscaper based up here has half their crew down that way working because the money is better down there.
Sorry to depress you stuve lol- we just figured by being so diversified something would pick up sooner or later. We just didn't plan on every division picking up at the same time.
Picasso- the excavator wasn't purchased for one project. It was a move we made to increase our overall capabilities. With that said though its already scheduled for a couple excavation projects, some cranberry bog clearing, and then maybe some ROW clearing.
Dylan- it would be great to see you at the show! The money is ok down here, you just have to find the pockets of money that can support your business.
Posted via Mobile Device
Cat_246B
12-03-2011, 08:08 PM
Read your whole thread.:clapping:. You are an inspiration to me, because I'm going to try to get something going this coming summer, and you inspire a lot of other people to. It's really cool to see how far you have come in the past three years:). Your new ex looks awesome, and keep us updated.
Jelinek61
12-03-2011, 10:36 PM
Nice, is that the RDM38 or the RDM44 mulcher?
Here are a few pics from the trip to Idaho to purchase the mulcher. Most of these were taken about 5000 ft up in the mountains:
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Scag48
12-04-2011, 08:35 PM
Those photos make me homesick, AFE is located about 175 miles east of where I grew up. Miss the "dry" side of WA state...
Here's another clearing project we did in the last few months. An existing client called us back to help clear some ROWs we cleared a few years ago. (Go back to the beginning of the thread and you might recognize a few of the shots...)
Before:
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After:
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Everything cleared in one day view #1:
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Everything cleared in one day view #2:
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KrayzKajun
12-05-2011, 12:33 PM
Looks like you had a good time.
Posted via Mobile Device
Here's another section of the same ROW that we cleared 2 years ago and are back doing again now:
Before:
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After:
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Before:
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During:
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Action pose on the hill!:
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After:
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Side hilling:
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Another random shot:
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That hill looks like it was a lot easier this time with the mini ex over the track loader. IS this your first time going back over row work that you have done in past years.
Yes, this is the first time we or anyone else is back on these ROWs. And it was easier doing it with the excavator even though there was some good growth out there.
Posted via Mobile Device
2brothersyardcare
12-05-2011, 05:20 PM
what makes it easier with a minny x?
You track over less ground than you would with a skid or trackloader to clear the same area. Also, since you can clear a large space around you before you move the machine, you can see obstacles on the ground before you drive over them or into them.
Bleed Green
12-05-2011, 09:38 PM
I would think you would be able to stay more stable working on a hill with the excavator over a skid steer too.
anthonyp
12-06-2011, 09:01 PM
Hi
I was wondering if you could choose between just the Bobcat vs the Deere, which one would it be?? I`m thinking the Deere would be a bit more versatile, but the Bobcat a better mulcher...Tony
Tony- its hard to compare as they are two completely different machines with different applications. I will say that we find ourselves using the Ddeere more than the Bobcat these days. But I wouldn't be using the Deere if I hadn't built the business on the Bobcat.
jmacd
12-07-2011, 11:09 AM
The post were you went back to clear a ROW that you did 2 years ago is sign of things to come.
You can get into a cycle of clearing that will keep you busy with out any new ROW's at some point.
Do you set up a cycle for each row, say every 2 years or 3 depending on the growth. Then you are securing work for years ahead and you can fill your calender in advance. This will help in investment and planning for growth. Like a service contract, sign on for more, longer commitments the price gets better.
We hope it's a sign of things to come as well. Most utilities won't sign a multi-year contract for mowing as they really only operate on a yearly basis (can be a bit short sighted, I know). The best we can do is keep in touch with the utilities and try to convince them to keep up on their maintenance schedule. For some utilities, they see the value in our service and call us back repeatedly, while others do it once and hope it will get them buy for another 10 years.
prodirtinc
12-09-2011, 09:47 AM
A little update here for everyone.
I closed on the 50D with mower yesterday and will be getting the mower installed in about 3 wks when I get back from this pipeline job.
Also, the following pic was taken last week and shows what I would call some "extreme bushhogging." The material was very dense and over 2" thick. Sure wish I had my mulcher :rolleyes:.
What kind of productivity rate are you getting in that kind of brush cutting, as far as + or - acre per hour? Congrats on the new machine as well!
just read your whole thread, very interesting and a good read, but i was wondering the same thing (your post was #652)
The range for mowing in an 8 hr day is anywhere from just over an acre in tall grass to maybe a 10th of an acre in heavy brush that is 4" in diameter.
Dirtman2007
12-10-2011, 05:53 PM
to maybe a 10th of an acre in heavy brush that is 4" in diameter.
thats why alot of people down here just clear and grade it out, by the time its all said and done you can clear 2 acres of that in a day, burn it and be done.
Blow some straw on it and seed it at the end if they want/ need it.
anthonyp
12-10-2011, 06:01 PM
Ha, and a little further down south, we try and just burn every few years and hope the fire doesn`t escape.....This year I hope to use the cutter(harrow)---fifteen ft wide---and see if it does a decent job getting rid of the re-growth. I can do well in excess of twenty acres a day , but am not sure as the grass is so thick Bahia grass.....Tony
jmacd
12-10-2011, 07:40 PM
thats why allot of people down here just clear and grade it out, by the time its all said and done you can clear 2 acres of that in a day, burn it and be done.
Blow some straw on it and seed it at the end if they want/ need it.
The difference here is power lines above or gas lines below so burning is out, digging is out etc. Wet lands are protected, lots of regulations.
The power companies want as little disturbance as possible and the conservationist or DEC want the same so this looks to be the best policy.
What you do in your state amazes me, we cant have a camp fire to cook hot dogs with out the fire Dept showing up, and we get a ton of rain every year.
Dirtman2007
12-10-2011, 08:04 PM
The difference here is power lines above or gas lines below so burning is out, digging is out etc. Wet lands are protected, lots of regulations.
The power companies want as little disturbance as possible and the conservationist or DEC want the same so this looks to be the best policy.
What you do in your state amazes me, we cant have a camp fire to cook hot dogs with out the fire Dept showing up, and we get a ton of rain every year.
Yeah I understand that it can't be cleared for those reasons. I was talking about more of private jobs where you can clear and burn/ haul off its just way faster.
yeah I like having my house size "camp fires" I think I just like to burn stuff :drinkup:
Ha Chris, nothing like a good fire to warm up your day huh? ;-)
Like JMACD said, fire on any job is a big no-no up here. That's why you see guys with grinders, mulchers, and other land clearing stuff running around to process wood. Stuff still has to be cleared, but it has to be done all by mechanical means. On private jobs, our bigger excavator will clear anywhere from 1-4 acres a day, depending on the size of the wood and the terrain. In small brush like what is on a ROW, I would expect to see about 2.5-3 acres a day of production.
prodirtinc
12-11-2011, 11:07 AM
do you ever charge per acre? if not i assume your figuring 2-3hrs an acre then correct. sorry i can't figure out how to pm on here, or do you just use public messaging?
Yes, we charge per acre on some projects. How we figure out the per acre pricing depends on the size of the vegetation and the terrain present.
Here are some more mowing pics.
Before:
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After:
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Before:
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After:
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Here are a few more clearing pics that were taken when we cleared an old railroad ROW. Any excavator larger than the 50 wouldn't have made it down the tracks so the 50D worked out very well for this project.
A little brushy going in. Cutting back the road:
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Before:
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After:
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A couple equipment shots:
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Trimming the trees:
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Some finished shots:
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KrayzKajun
12-14-2011, 01:08 PM
Yur having too much fun andrew. Great pics
Posted via Mobile Device
Ya, we try to have some fun these days Krazy!
Here are some pics from another clearing job we did for an environmental company recently. We had to cut a road in through the woods and then clear about a half acre of heavily wooded terrain. Oh ya, the hill was fun too as that had to be all hand cut. We had the T320, 50D, and grinder out on this job.
Cutting the access road in:
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Some zero tail swing action (no, the 225 is not ours...yet:rolleyes:):
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And here are the grinding site pics:
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stuvecorp
12-14-2011, 08:07 PM
I love that silt fence running up the hill...
That isn't by that cranberry marsh is it? What are you thinking about the grinder now after using it for a while? I like that big Deere x!
Ya, the silt fence is a bit ironic...:rolleyes: Unfortunately we see that all the time out here so the irony gets lost on me sometimes- thanks for pointing it out:laugh:
When we were looking at excavators, we actually tried that same 225 out. Very nice machine- felt like a big 50D! Nice and smooth and fast. I even did the Bobcat Ron test of taking a full bucket of mud and dropping the boom and stick while it was full over the side to see how tippy it was. It wasn't:cool2: Unfortunately, for most of our jobs these days, especially with a mulcher on the stick, we found the 225 was going to be too big to get through the tight areas we find ourselves these days. Additionally, the 160 is 8'6" wide so we don't have to worry about permits- I wasn't going to be able to get away with that on the 225 at 10+' wide.
That clearing job wasn't by a marsh- it was actually on the backside of a landfill that was leaching chemicals into the groundwater. Hence the environmental company being called to come in and mitigate the area.
And in terms of the grinder, it does exactly what we wanted it to do- process green waste and mulch- very well. It was great on this job because there really wasn't room to bring a big tracked grinder in either. As we start getting into bigger clearing jobs and we expand our recycling yard and we need to start handling stumps and bigger logs, a larger tub or horizontal will be in our future for sure.
Dirtman2007
12-14-2011, 09:35 PM
yeah thats whats nice about the 140 volvo we got you can haul it and be under 8'6 so she can roll day or night and holidays. Now the 210 on the otherhand at 11' wide is fun to move!
I like the silt fence on top of the hill, had to point that out as well first thing I noticed, bet its a state job!
KrayzKajun
12-14-2011, 10:14 PM
Great pics!
Posted via Mobile Device
T_S_S
12-14-2011, 11:24 PM
That environmental company wouldnt of been hazco or Ccs would it?
Posted via Mobile Device
mxridernorth
12-15-2011, 12:59 PM
Just curious, but have you seen one of these in action?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjrBDY1PNQ
You could break down stumps and still process them through your small grinder.
Dirtman- how did you know it was a state job?:laugh:
Krazy- you ain't seen nothing yet!
T_S_S- No it wasn't. They were a local company here.
Mx- I have seen one of those and I'm very interested in one. As we expand our recycling yard we will be looking at all the options, including that really cool attachment!
Here's a few contract grinding pics from two jobs we did in the last few months:
Job 1- Not the greatest pic, but it shows a little less than half of the pile we ground up in one day:
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Job 2- Smaller grinding pile that I banged out in a half day:
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mxridernorth
12-15-2011, 04:40 PM
Man! That little grinder is awesome! I've got a friend who bought a big screener and really needs one of those to produce compost to blend for topsoil.
NEUSWEDE
12-15-2011, 07:09 PM
Andrew looks like you parked your truck in the wrong spot, looks a little dusty.
Did you ever look at the morbark 950? What are the pros and cons of tub verses horizontal grinder?
looking good
Ya, I could have parked the truck a bit better that day LOL!
The reason we got this grinder was its portability. Whether its a Morbark, Bandit, Rotochopper, etc., each of the competing units was over 20000lbs which put it outside of the towing capacity of our trucks. The general pro of a tub versus a horizontal, is that it can handle "bulkier" items like stumps with less processing (IE shearing or splitting). A horizontal on the other hand doesn't produce anywhere near as much flying debris as a tub, and you can process longer pieces of material (IE logs and trees) with a horizontal than you can with a tub. I'll post pictures next of a clearing job we did where I was feeding 40-50' trees through the grinder. Also, on a regrind situation where we're producing finished mulch, I will put my little horizontal up against a Morbark 1200 any day. In fact, we have already done this and have gotten jobs for our ability to produce a regrind as fast as a 1200 at a lower expense.
If we had the money and needed a self loading machine, we would probably have started with a Morbark 1200 or 1300 tub for handling "green waste." As we expand, our ability to handle stumps and bulky green waste is what is going to determine how well we do. I am already starting to look at tubs for this reason.
I should also add that after watching several smaller tubs (300-450hp) try to handle stumps, that if you need to handle stumps on a regular basis, don't go with anything smaller than a Morbark 1200. And in a regrind or straight brush situation, our little grinder destroys the smaller tubs on production.
Here was another project we did recently for my old employer where we ended up putting whole trees through the grinder. I was pretty pleased with how well the grinder handled wood up to 14-16" in diameter. At some points I was putting 60'+ trees through the machine with the 50D:
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A little mowing on the project as well:
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anthonyp
12-16-2011, 08:34 PM
Man it is nice to see you in action :) Tony
KrayzKajun
12-16-2011, 09:31 PM
Keep up the good work! like a said before you are inspiration to us little guys Andrew!
Thanks Krazy and Anthony! I'm still little too though ;-)
I remember someone asking awhile ago about the Kage on the loader so I thought I'd throw this pic up there quickly:
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Still waiting for snow too...
Dountman
12-18-2011, 02:38 PM
Is that loader in the Mansfield Park off Plymouth Street?
These pics are from a little demo and footing dig we just finished up a few weeks ago. The 200 and the 120 are loaners since our 160 was still in the shop getting set up. (Gotta love the guys at Schmidt Equipment!)
Slab to demo:
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First "demo" machine:
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Ripping the slab out:
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Done for the day:
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Day 2.
"Artistic Equipment Shot":
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All dug 1:
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All dug 2:
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All dug 3:
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Backfill time.
Second "demo" machine:
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Almost done:
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Done #1:
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Look Chris- you're not the only one who gets to have fun grading mud!:
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Done #2:
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Excess fill was graded off over the yard:
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coopers
12-19-2011, 01:41 AM
Seems snow lacking in a lot of locations. We don't get crazy snow here but we usually get some snow falling by this time. When is your 160 ready?
Posted via Mobile Device
Coopers- the 160 is out now. I'm going to try and get some pics of that up soon.
In the mean time, here are some pics from a ROW project we are on right now:
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Some more ROW pics:
Working on a hill:
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Swamp work before:
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After:
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Separating logs and tops:
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Dad running the machine like a champ:
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I'll start with these pics of the 160. If you look back to when we got the 50D, you'll notice that it's the same truck and driver hauling the 160. I was joking with the driver that at least the 160 makes better use of the lowbed than the 50D did!:laugh:
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KrayzKajun
12-19-2011, 06:32 PM
Andrew, quick question for you. Are you required to have an Arborist or Utility Arborist license inorder to clear ROWs?
Posted via Mobile Device
Not in our area we aren't Krazy. It might be different elsewhere.
Here's a video from the operator's perspective. Please excuse the corny commentary from the operator. We don't know where we got him from:laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eECtBwyvsrs&context=C37c0bd3ADOEgsToPDskLWTVlFSbsN444z7Zp8KXWN
PS- Feel free to subscribe- I'm hoping to do a new videos regularly!
Here's a video from the operator's perspective. Please excuse the corny commentary from the operator. We don't know where we got him from:laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eECtBwyvsrs&context=C37c0bd3ADOEgsToPDskLWTVlFSbsN444z7Zp8KXWN
PS- Feel free to subscribe- I'm hoping to do a new videos regularly!
I ran a 200C with the screen over the window and it about drove me nuts lol. I know its cheaper to have the screen than to bust the window out in your kind of work though.
bobcat_ron
12-19-2011, 09:32 PM
How long does it take to have the mower disc come to a complete stop from WOT? Your's seems to be plumbed differently from the ProMac I run.
The head will spin like a feller buncher for 3-5 min. If you want to stop it quickly, put it down on a stump.
bobcat_ron
12-19-2011, 11:03 PM
The head will spin like a feller buncher for 3-5 min. If you want to stop it quickly, put it down on a stump.
Yup, plumbed like ours, get oil samples on the hydraulic oil done every 1000 hours, those heavy brush heads can really wreck the oil, my brother's hoe needs all new pumps, the brush head is the culprit.
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Cat_246B
12-20-2011, 09:14 AM
How do you like your 160 and the mulcher head, now that you have had a chance to run them on a job? :)
Ron- Thanks for the advice. We already pull oil samples every 1000 hrs from all our machines since we run specialized hydraulic attachments.
Cat- From the 10 hrs I've run it so far, I'm very impressed. It actually let me finish a project I was on 8 hr early!
P.Services
12-20-2011, 11:48 AM
i dont understand the point or intended use of the head???
it looks like a thin disk with teeth on it so is it for cutting trees down and stacking them up or is it for cutting just brush or do you cut the tree down and grind it up slowly inch by inch????
cant say ive seen one like that before.
T_S_S
12-20-2011, 12:50 PM
Looks like your hard work and dedication is paying off Andrew! Awesome new machine. Did you consider a zero tail vs standard tail excavator? Ie-135 D? How do you like the 930? Any reason for choosing that over a j or k series Deere?
Picasso- what ever happened to your thread? Always enjoyed reading it.
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bobcat_ron
12-20-2011, 02:29 PM
i dont understand the point or intended use of the head???
it looks like a thin disk with teeth on it so is it for cutting trees down and stacking them up or is it for cutting just brush or do you cut the tree down and grind it up slowly inch by inch????
cant say ive seen one like that before.
There is side cutter teeth, round teeth under and top of the disc, one the tree falls it gets sucked inside and just gets annihilated, they are some serious fun to watch.
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mxridernorth
12-20-2011, 02:44 PM
There is side cutter teeth, round teeth under and top of the disc, one the tree falls it gets sucked inside and just gets annihilated, they are some serious fun to watch.
Posted via Mobile Device
That might be true for small brush, but when mulching larger trees, you use the teeth under the disc to do most of the mulching. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6mKsc326jA
Skip to around the 2 minute mark to see some larger trees mulched
P.Services
12-20-2011, 03:44 PM
Looks like your hard work and dedication is paying off Andrew! Awesome new machine. Did you consider a zero tail vs standard tail excavator? Ie-135 D? How do you like the 930? Any reason for choosing that over a j or k series Deere?
Picasso- what ever happened to your thread? Always enjoyed reading it.
Posted via Mobile Device
i have been sitting on the couch alot latley. So no updates from me.
No, ive got some big big things cooking in two totally separate industry's but still related closely to us. Honestly it may take one or two more years to get things started or it could happen this spring.
Lots of small things going on for Picasso, will have to bring that old thread back.
P.Services
12-20-2011, 03:46 PM
That might be true for small brush, but when mulching larger trees, you use the teeth under the disc to do most of the mulching. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6mKsc326jA
Skip to around the 2 minute mark to see some larger trees mulched
what are the advantages over a drum style head like a fecon and a climaf head?
mxridernorth
12-20-2011, 03:58 PM
what are the advantages over a drum style head like a fecon and a climaf head?
That's a good question. I could guess at the pros and cons, but having no first-hand experience with a drum style, it'd be worthless.
what are the advantages over a drum style head like a fecon and a climaf head?
The ability to cut trees for timber, be able to cut and the pick up and move the trees after they are cut with the thumb and u can dig the stumps up with the teeth
In addition to what GQLL said of being able to process timber to a certain extent, having the thumb to be able to move rocks, stumps, logs, etc. as well as being able to do minimal digging and creating of roads, the other advantage of this head is speed without a powerpack.
Drum heads by design transfer more of their "cutting energy" into the material that is being cut than a disc head will. Picture a Fecon head with a straight tooth setup- it is spinning downward, transfering all that energy into the material as it "pulverizes" the material with multiple, blunt tooth strikes at the same time. A drum head with a spiral tooth pattern will only do slightly better as less teeth are engaging the material at any one time, but the head itself is still trying to pulverize the wood with relatively blunt, carbide teeth so it still takes a bunch of power to work. This is generally why if you want to run a properly sized drum head with carbide teeth on an excavator, you see excavators with powerpacks. Unfortunately for us due to the areas we work in and our need to use the machine for other types of work, a powerpack was a non-starter. Therefore, if I wanted to run a drum style carbide head on whatever machine we got, I would be forced to run a head that was much smaller (and therefore less productive) than if I had a powerpack. Obviously this isn't good for competitive reasons.
If you then take the drum concept one more step to a head that "cuts" wood (more efficient way to reduce wood in size) versus "pulverizes" it, like you would with a Denis Cimaf or another head with knives, you start getting into an area that allows you to put a larger and more productive head on an excavator without the need of a powerpack. I know Quikdraw on here has a Daewoo with a Denis Cimaf, and after watching him run it, we were very impressed. Had we bought this excavator a year earlier, I would have a Cimaf on it.
Additionally, since the head is mounted on an excavator, you're not as worried about ground engagement (and therefore the need for carbide teeth) as much as you would be with a tracked or wheeled machine. "Cutting" wood versus "pulverizing" it becomes a more viable choice at this point since the knives that do the cutting, won't be getting damaged as often as they would if they were put on a head that spent more time on the ground. (The only time you really "pulverize" wood is when you are regrinding the wood on the ground, which is why there are carbide teeth only on the bottom of the AFE.) So, since cutting wood is a more productive use of energy than "pulverizing" it, we began to look at heads that cut more than they pulverized. While a Cimaf process logs on the ground better than the AFE, my big sticking point on the Cimaf was no ability to use the thumb with the head and you really shouldn't be doing "jump turns" with a drum style head for fear of placing the rotor out of alignments. For the work we do and in the terrain we work, being able to use the mulcher frame like a bucket with a thumb, was a necessity.
So, at the end of the day, we wanted a head that "cut" wood without a powerpack (and could still "pulverize" it once everything was on the ground), was beefy enough to withstand jump turns without worrying about warranty issues, and could be used like a bucket for moving objects with a thumb and doing small excavation duties. No small list of requirements for sure. For these reasons, we settled on the AFE over a drum style head. If we keep growing, I would like to have a beefed up Cimaf on another machine just so I can increase the options for the type of work we can do.
Hopefully this helps explain the differences between heads and why one may be more suited to certain applications over another.
P.Services
12-21-2011, 03:15 PM
good explanation!!! thanks!
talus
12-21-2011, 06:34 PM
Blah blah. Enough with the kid toys. This is what you need.:laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpwZ6c6ykNk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Congrats on all the new machines.
Bleed Green
12-21-2011, 07:02 PM
I know what you mean about working in the mud Andrew. Grading and sloping in the mud has been too regular here for sure. Good thing is, I never figured we wouldn't be working this late into the winter so I guess I should be thankful for the mud and no snow.
ClearViewGroup
12-21-2011, 07:26 PM
Andrew.. I no longer work for DENIS CIMAF but I can tell you that the heads have a frame that you can not damage with a jump turn..simply tilt the head up so the rotor doesnt hit the ground and it has re-inforced housing on both the "front" and "back" that allow you to pivot or turn or anything else you wish to do with out the rotor touching the ground...they are built like tanks
Bleed Green- I hear you on the whole being thankful for good weather thing. We've never been working this late in the year either due to the snow we usually get by now.
ClearViewGroup- Thanks for the info Ryan. That is really good to know. It was still a toss up for a bit between a Cimaf and the AFE, but it basically came down to the whole being able to use the head as a grapple too. Is Cimaf coming out with any options like that in the future? It would be awesome if they did...
talus- Yes! I want one. Hmmm- now that is a niche service plus my commutes would be super short!
talus
12-21-2011, 10:54 PM
Yes that would be a short commute if you went straight home. However I'd be sitting next to you pounding "air sodas" mapping out a route for all the local beaches.:clapping:
ssprtman12
12-22-2011, 10:38 AM
ARP, your grinding and mulch operation is right behind the gas station at the corner of rt. 27 and rt. 14 in e. bridgewater isnt it? i could tell by the photos, i go through there all the time, and only live and work 10mins from it, done a few jobs out that way too. Where did you guys get the body for your 2011?
Yes, that's where our mulch operation is. We got our body from Iroquois in Vermont.
KrayzKajun
12-22-2011, 08:42 PM
Andrew sent you a PM.
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nedly05
12-24-2011, 07:37 AM
Andrew,I just checked in to get some updates, looks like you are kicking butt Congratulations on the new 160, happy holidays!
Posted via Mobile Device
Thanks Ned! Hope you guys are having a strong finish to the year too! Happy holidays!
These are some pics from the first job the 160D did:
Before clearing the bank back:
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After clearing the bank back 25':
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The bank after 2 hrs of work:
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Another after pic:
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Overview of all the clearing:
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Now the equipment pics everyone wants to see:
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KrayzKajun
12-25-2011, 09:49 PM
Wow. Andrew the new 160 is bada$$. I really like the cutter head on there. Definitely a great multitasker.
Thanks Krazy! I'm very happy with the 160 and the mulching head so far. Stay tuned, because I am so far behind on pics and videos it's not even funny.
For example, here are some new videos of our new T770 that we traded the T320 in for:
Before clearing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ93z8BTIMU&feature=plcp&context=C3299c3dUDOEgsToPDskIl_4Qwob8SSR8Jb2uWijFc
After clearing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eokVLtDtXFw&feature=plcp&context=C3e1e6f9UDOEgsToPDskIZRZv_DsO4bAYaoSdytEjZ
Cab cam view from the T770 while mulching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl91edhQbTU&feature=plcp&context=C3f9aeb3UDOEgsToPDskI15t8hdXcPx3lAp7iTy_je
Walkaround of the T770 before it goes in the woods:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnd9BXW1oG4&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
Andrew any main reason for the upgrade on the bobcat. Good jobs with the videos
KrayzKajun
12-25-2011, 10:49 PM
The new t770 is sweet.
zak406
12-26-2011, 12:38 AM
ARP, I have a quick question for you. What is the avalibilty of mulching, in the north eastern part of the country. Im from pa myself and im trying to figure out the direction that I want to go in life and my company.
stuvecorp
12-26-2011, 01:10 AM
Who cares about the Deere - show more of the cranberry marsh. :p Those beds look pretty clean but really wide and irregular?
nedly05
12-26-2011, 07:45 AM
Man that's a sweet hoe!
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nedly05
12-26-2011, 07:47 AM
Now you need a tractor trailer, or a tri axle and tag!
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muddywater
12-26-2011, 07:50 AM
Why didn't you get the t870? too much machine?
How many hours were on the t320? How do they compare to the newer machines?
Advanced Wall Structures
12-26-2011, 03:39 PM
Why didn't you get the t870? too much machine?
How many hours were on the t320? How do they compare to the newer machines?
My guess is probably the same reason we went with the T770.
T870 weighs another 3k pounds give or take and has 7 more hp than the T770. The machine is a lot longer as well. There are very few people who will find the need for a T870 and I doubt mulching is one of them. From the video the T770 had no problem handling the mulching head. T870 is a huge machine and with the work ARP does it would end up being a disadvantage most of the time. Cleaning up trees after a storm it will lift larger logs (obviously) but I doubt that will be a problem. Plus hauling a T870 is no longer as simple as loading it on a T14 trailer behind a pickup if the need arises, especially with heavier/multiple attachments. The price tag could be anywhere from 5-12k more depending on options as well.
We have a T300 (less hp than T320) and comparing it to the T770 isn't fair. The new machines are leaps and bounds ahead in comfort, power, ease of maintenance, etc. The list I could make literally goes on and on. At first I treated the 770 like the 300 and couldn't bog the motor down. After awhile I got it to (pushing wet clay) and it recovers quickly. The ability to slow the machine down to a percentage is also great and helps tons with operator fatigue. I love the suspension seat, cup holder, radio, adjustable seat, adjustable armrests/controls as well.
My only gripe with the roller suspension is when you are unloaded and traveling on rough/uneven ground the front end noses up easily and can make things interesting with how touchy the pilot controls are. I know you can slow them down but it's not worth it in most situations. The other thing I don't like is the quick coupler. If you don't grease it regularly (twice a day in my case) and switch attachments a lot it likes to stick. I prefer Case's quick coupler over anyones. Plus I'm sure ARP has noticed how thirsty the T770 is. I can burn through a tank like nothing in a work day and its a 27 gallon tank if I remember right.
I can't wait to plow with it though with the 2 speed, think will move some snow in a hurry!
Just my insight though.
GQLL- we made an update for a variety of reasons: newer machine (better reliability), better cab to protect the operator, computer to interact with laser grading attachments, better cooling system design, etc. We actually had Bobcat corporate get involved on our behalf, because we had to make a switch quickly before the end of the year and there weren't many machines available. I just want to give a quick shout out to my guys at Bobcat of Boston and the corporate guys who helped us get up and running again quickly! We really appreciate everything they did and are looking forward to getting this T770 dirty before too long:cool2:
zak- There are many guys who do mulching in the northeast. Not as many as in the south, but they are out there. Mulching for us is part of a diversified portfolio of services we can offer to utilities, municipalities, builders, environmental companies and cranberry bog owners. We would never be able to survive just on mulching which is why we do what we do and have the equipment we have. In the northeast at least, I don't know how you would survive just on mulching if that is what you are thinking of doing. It's a great niche service to offer, but you have to be able to do other things as well. Take my two cents for what they are worth :rolleyes:
Stuve- so that's what you like :rolleyes: bog porn:laugh: The bogs in this area of the country very rarely are regular in shape. It has a lot to do with the age of the bogs (many are a hundred years old and were built by hand originally), as well as the shape of the parcels of land out this way. The big growers will tend to have more regularly shaped bogs, but even then they aren't usually too rectangular too often.
Nedly- Thanks! I like it a lot so far. We're tracking our mobilization expenses this year like a hawk to see when we'll pull the trigger on a truck. It looks like I'll need a lowbed, as the mulcher makes the boom stick up too high to load the machine on a tag trailer.
Muddy- Advanced Wall hit my response dead on! It basically came down to the T870 having a lower power-weight ratio than the T770 and a physically bigger size that does nothing for me. The T770 is already big enough for all the work we do.
Advanced Wall- Thanks for the response! Saves a bunch of typing on my part :cool2:
Here are some more videos I'm finally getting online:
Bobcat T320 running a soil conditioner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9dTw_PCFAE&feature=plcp&context=C3b07455UDOEgsToPDskJ_PbFvvOMPLNuShrsdoJB_
T320 and soil conditioner video #2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtXmE27go4c&feature=plcp&context=C3e1e6f9UDOEgsToPDskIZRZv_DsO4bAYaoSdytEjZ
T320 and soil conditioner video #3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqR-O5YdbJo&feature=plcp&context=C3299c3dUDOEgsToPDskIl_4Qwob8SSR8Jb2uWijFc
John Deere 50D clearing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGe28Fn6RbI&feature=plcp&context=C3f9aeb3UDOEgsToPDskI15t8hdXcPx3lAp7iTy_je
John Deere 50D mowing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwBWH-7bsfQ&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
T320 with Bucket video #1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtXmE27go4c&feature=plcp&context=C3e1e6f9UDOEgsToPDskIZRZv_DsO4bAYaoSdytEjZ
T320 with Bucket video #2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkWzJwS_CTs&feature=plcp&context=C3457e93UDOEgsToPDskKk2V28Vv1PMtdadoMEpcCN
minimax
12-26-2011, 08:51 PM
Andrew,Love the 160D can I have it! haha.Did you put lexan in it?
minimax
Haha, thanks Minimax! Unfortunately I like it too much to give it up right now. No poly on it right now- we're exploring a couple different options for the front window now though.
Kepple Services
12-26-2011, 09:51 PM
I would love to see more, and up close, pictures of the 160 and the guarding kit you have installed on it. We dont have anything on our 270 and I keep thinking we need to add something to at minumum the front window. I was shearing wood last week while the others were grinding and had a few nuggets whack the excavator...
hvy 1ton
12-26-2011, 10:21 PM
Probably a little late for this route, but figured i'd throw it out there anyway.
http://www.cwsindustries.com/products/excavator-cabs-side-entry.aspx#
I see your running the addon counterweight. Haven't stared long enough to be sure it has the short stick or not. I'm guessing that's the jrb link thumb and grabber you can get through deere?
Edit: will the boom get low enought to fit on a single drop lowboy?
Advanced Wall Structures
12-26-2011, 11:30 PM
Advanced Wall- Thanks for the response! Saves a bunch of typing on my part :cool2:
No problem, figured I'd chime in because we had the same decision earlier this year and that's what I came up with. T870 could be put to good use for a lot of people, just not us. Bigger isn't always better in our case.
Love seeing your pictures because it's so vastly different from what I do. Plus I keep drooling over that 160D :laugh:
We had a plexi door on our skid and it's annoying to say the least. I had to replace the window in our CX160 this year to the tune of 180 bucks but I'd rather be able to see than have my perception skewed by thicker plexi. I don't even have a guard over my glass and had decent sized rock chips hit it and nothing broke. The one that did my window in was a rock chip that weighed 5-8 pounds and it sounded like a shotgun going off.
Junior M
12-27-2011, 11:07 AM
glad to see things are going good for you, andrew.
Kepple- I'll get some pics of the guards up soon. I do know that the front and top guard were John Deere/ Hitachi guards from the factory.
Heavy- thanks for the link but we're not completely ready for the star wars death machine look yet LOL! We are running an extra 1500 lbs of counterweight, since we do have the long stick, coupler, and thumb. And the coupler and thumb are stock JRB units.
Right now we have moved the machine on a few lowbeds similar to what the machine was delivered on in the pics a few pages back as well as a 35 ton Eager Beaver lowbed. It seems to be doing fine height-wise on those types of trailers.
Advanced- Well you better keep posting your pics because I really like seeing your work!
Junior- Thanks!
Last two older videos I've found in my archives. A couple videos of our Rayco grinder the day it was delivered:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2_kqP4toVQ&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPYQGtOvK8Q&feature=plcp&context=C3f9aeb3UDOEgsToPDskI15t8hdXcPx3lAp7iTy_je
anthonyp
12-27-2011, 05:27 PM
HI
Do you get to expense the cost of the new machinery all at once? or over years? Keep up the good work Tony
Machinery is generally depreciated over 5 yrs.
anthonyp
12-27-2011, 05:52 PM
I thought they had a special deal, maybe ending this current year, that let you expense up to either a half million or a quarter million.....??....Tony
Kepple Services
12-27-2011, 06:04 PM
I believe that's a one time write off not an over time depreciation. If you paid cash for the machine then that's where the write off would come in.
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anthonyp
12-27-2011, 06:13 PM
Seems as though the accelerated one time deal would work whether you finance or or not.....Seems it could protect paying any taxes on the cash that comes in---from his hard work--Just wondering ? Tony
ranger230man
12-27-2011, 08:29 PM
Seems as though the accelerated one time deal would work whether you finance or or not.....Seems it could protect paying any taxes on the cash that comes in---from his hard work--Just wondering ? Tony
Section 179 allows you to expense (depreciate) equipment and vehciles with a gvwr over 6000 pounds 100% in the first year, up to 500K. It doesn't matter if it's paid for in cash or financed (as long as it's not leased). If it's financed, you still write off the interest expense.
anthonyp
12-27-2011, 08:33 PM
Plus up to a half million?? Just a question Tony
You can depreciate whatever you want up to the 500k, but from a business and tax standpoint you may not want to do so. Depreciation helps cut down on the amount of taxes you pay from year to year so if you use all your depreciation one year you will have nothing the next, and you will pay higher taxes assuming your revenue was the same between the two years.
Video update:
Mulching Hardwoods:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrxfGBthLtM&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
Big Pine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDqfsLOnUGE&feature=plcp&context=C3f9aeb3UDOEgsToPDskI15t8hdXcPx3lAp7iTy_je
KrayzKajun
12-28-2011, 05:37 PM
Nice videos Andrew. I went ahead and applied for the Arborist/Horticulturist position at the Zoo, I PM you about. Guess we shall see now.
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Advanced Wall Structures
12-28-2011, 06:32 PM
The video of the 18" Pine is awesome.
bobcat_ron
12-28-2011, 07:13 PM
Is that a secondary oil cooler hiding behind the guard panel on front of the tool box on the right side?
Posted via Mobile Device
Dirtman2007
12-28-2011, 07:24 PM
that machines just too damn nice to be in the wood! I liked the extra counter weight tho
Advanced- thanks, that was fun taking that tree down!
Ron- no, that is just a tool box built into the guard.
Dirtman- Tell me about it. Hoping to keep it that way for a while though. The counterweight is sweet with the mulcher and it should make the machine dig like a beast when I actually put a bucket on it.
ClearViewGroup
12-30-2011, 07:17 PM
How is that head at engaging material laying on the ground already?
Kepple, here are the pictures of the cab guarding on the 160. Everything should fit on your 270 the same way:
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Dirtman2007
12-30-2011, 08:50 PM
Dirtman- Tell me about it. Hoping to keep it that way for a while though. The counterweight is sweet with the mulcher and it should make the machine dig like a beast when I actually put a bucket on it.
dont worry it'll get scratched no matter how careful you are. Sticks get pinched in the tracks and fly up and hit the back and sides without you even knowing haha.
thats whats nice about the flat volvo grey, you can touch it right up like it never happened :rolleyes:
Clearview- the head is great for anything lying on the ground except big logs. You can mulch logs up completely, but it seems to take a little bit longer and with a little more finesse to do so then it would with a drum style head. I knew this going into it, but since most of my work is processing brush, tops, or standing material and then moving it with the thumb, I was not that concerned with the extra time it takes to do logs. It's still faster than a beaver ;-)
KrayzKajun
12-31-2011, 08:33 AM
Did someone say Beaver???
Posted via Mobile Device
Haha Krazy, that was faster than I expected for someone to say something on a weekend :laugh:
KrayzKajun
12-31-2011, 08:59 AM
Haha Krazy, that was faster than I expected for someone to say something on a weekend :laugh:
I been up since 5:30. Just finished loading the Cat 226 skid and stumpgrinder on my gooseneck. On my way to go grind out 6x pine tree stumps. Didn't plan on working today, but I gotta get these done so I can start the landscape install on Tuesday.
Posted via Mobile Device
Sounds familiar. Just got a call that I have to go run a machine on one of our sites today too. Gotta do, what you gotta do.
Cab Cam Video Update:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HByZ1r-GvDE&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
KrayzKajun
12-31-2011, 10:31 AM
I guess I should take a video from inside the skid while I'm grinding stumps. Lol
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Sweet 160. The 315 is set up the same way, minus the fact we have a slightly thicker set of metal guards over that, and mine run all the way to the bottom of the machine and cover the back window. Probably a useless mental thing but I like having it, and it's a peace of mind that absolutley nothing will get up under the gaurd. The 350HD Komatsu has that too, but it was much easier to gaurd the cab.
bigirish320
01-07-2012, 09:08 PM
Wow Andrew I never realized you were from South Easton, thats right around the corner from me!
Are you going to NE Grows again this year?
Ozz- I still want to see a picture of your 315. Sounds like you a have sweet setup!
BigIrish- We will be at New England Grows this year. We're actually going to have a booth there with some of our mulch samples and a slideshow showing our equipment and jobs we do.
KrayzKajun
01-08-2012, 12:54 PM
Andrew, just wanted to let you know I got my Arborist license. I'm gunna catch up to you one day. Lol
Posted via Mobile Device
Congrats Krazy! I do love a challenge ;-)
New video is up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2pzms_J9dE&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
Here are some more pics from another cranberry bog we just did some clearing at:
Before:
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After:
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Before:
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After:
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KrayzKajun
01-09-2012, 09:05 PM
Nice. Love the new machine.
NEUSWEDE
01-09-2012, 09:54 PM
Andrew, looks good. Question, what is the benfit for the cranberry bog owners? Is this on the back side of bog? Is it area to be developed into a bog?
Also thanks for the help on the 30ac job Ill have to tel you the story sometime you'll get a good chuckle out of how dumb people are.
keep up the good work
The benefit is they get air movement, more light, and less seeding on the bogs. This particular area was on a sand bank the bog owner is going to mine out, so it was more of a straight land clearing project than a "vegetation management" project.
I'm interested in hearing this story...
coopers
01-09-2012, 11:35 PM
How long did that take to clear? Would throwing a bucket on the hoe and then clearing that way been faster?
T_S_S
01-10-2012, 12:17 AM
Looks like winter is hitting you guys pretty hard down there...
Coopers, that hillside (plus double the area behind the machine), took me 8 hrs to clear. If I went the bucket route, by the time I had finished clearing, stacking, grinding (we can't burn here), and then smoothing out the ground frim ripping everything out, I would easily have had double to triple the time involved in that project. Not to mention the cost would have been very high since I would have had to bring a grinder in.
Sean- I love our "tropical" winter. Just picked up another big clearing project that we are starting next week since the weather has been so cooperative.
Here's a little selective clearing we did on the same job as the pics I just posted:
Before:
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After:
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Before:
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After:
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Before:
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After:
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A Beast Waiting in the Brush:
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The New Lights Work Great!:
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Now for some excavator pics.
First up, a small "fleet" shot:
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Before clearing the ditch banks:
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After:
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During:
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Another little wet area that we cleared out- the trees and brush were overgrowing the bog road:
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Machine makes me look small:
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That should be it from this job- I'll work on the other jobs we're on soon.
KrayzKajun
01-10-2012, 10:18 AM
Thead on the excavator leaves a creat cutany snow yet?
Got a dusting this morning LOL! Other than that no, and looking at the long range we might get some the end of next week. But that's only a chance...
bigirish320
01-10-2012, 03:11 PM
Just when i think i can't be more impressed by your thread and work, I AM!
muddywater
01-10-2012, 05:41 PM
Do you bid by the job or by the hour?
Posted via Mobile Device
Dirtman2007
01-10-2012, 05:52 PM
hurry up and scratch the new off it so you dont have to be so cautious lol
Oh can you use the thumb while shreading? like leave it spinning and grab a log?
coopers
01-10-2012, 10:39 PM
Coopers, that hillside (plus double the area behind the machine), took me 8 hrs to clear. If I went the bucket route, by the time I had finished clearing, stacking, grinding (we can't burn here), and then smoothing out the ground frim ripping everything out, I would easily have had double to triple the time involved in that project. Not to mention the cost would have been very high since I would have had to bring a grinder in.
Ah Okay, that makes sense. Kinda hard to tell the size of the project from the photos.
coopers
01-10-2012, 10:43 PM
I could stare that that excavator forever. :)
Thanks Bigirish- we work hard to present a first class appearance and do great work for our customers.
Muddywater- we do both, but for most projects land clearing projects like you see here it is typically by the hour.
Chris- Nah, I like the new ;-) A few sticks have scratched the machine as I walk down some overgrown roads, but they don't scratch the machine on the way out ;-)
And yes, the thumb works great with the head spinning or stopped. It was a major reason why we went with this head over others actually.
Coopers- ya, it is hard to tell by the size of the pics, but I cleared about 1/2-3/4 an acre in that time frame of those size trees. Out here, a logging crew running a feller buncher, skidder, and a ground guy will clear about an acre a day so I'm happy with my production with the machine.
And ya, she is a pretty machine :-)
This last set of pics should get me caught up to where we are today. Here's another bog clearing project:
Before:
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After:
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Before:
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After:
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Equipment Pics:
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KrayzKajun
01-13-2012, 10:55 AM
Is that a hint of snow on the ground in pic #3? I bet its to be working like this the 2nd week of Jan.
Posted via Mobile Device
It's great to be working all out like this during this time of year. And yes, that's about all the snow we have gotten this year so far here...
anthonyp
01-13-2012, 03:19 PM
Driving down to Florida, I saw quite a number of really large areas of land being cleared with the BIG mulchers...Thought of you, and further I was wondering if your new track hoe does as fine a job as the old Bobcat? Yes the one that you started with :) Tony
Z-master man
01-13-2012, 04:29 PM
It's great to be working all out like this during this time of year. And yes, that's about all the snow we have gotten this year so far here...
Any pics of the F550 all suited up for plowing? Or are you leaving everything off until you get an actual storm?
MMADDUX
01-13-2012, 08:14 PM
Awesome thread!!! Looks like the hard work is paying off!
anthony- Yes, the big machine does just as good, if not a better job than the Bobcat. Together though, they are unstoppable for my type of work.
Z-master- Sorry, I don't have any pics. We haven't even put everything together yet as there have been no storms. I'm planning to hook everything up in a week or so and I'll get a picture then.
MMADDUX- thanks for reading!
Here are two videos of the hillside I cleared a few pics back:
Before:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehnb_ZRBBhQ&feature=plcp&context=C3f9aeb3UDOEgsToPDskI15t8hdXcPx3lAp7iTy_je
After:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVKT_jjXPkE&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
coopers
01-15-2012, 03:26 PM
Do you have one or two buckets for that beauty?
Posted via Mobile Device
We have a severe duty 36" digging bucket and a 60" hydraulic tilting bucket. They are getting delivered this week.
Short video of a walk around of the 160 I thought some might enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0A8E4cVbBQ&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
coopers
01-21-2012, 02:36 PM
Good video.
Posted via Mobile Device
curtisfarmer
01-21-2012, 05:42 PM
Sweet machine ARP! Love the head (don't we all :laugh:), I'll have to show this to my logging buds, they have expressed interest in me showing it to them. On the 1 job I am on now we are using a 24" intermitent Quadco head and a 22" Quadco hot saw, awesome. Pics to follow.
Nice machine ARP :usflag:
Thanks Matt! I'm definitely waiting for those pics from your logging job! Are you running tracked feller bunchers on your project?
Now that we finally got some snow, here are some loader plowing pics! Videos to follow shortly.
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Plowing with the 930H:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq98lLJs7jw&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
KrayzKajun
01-22-2012, 03:17 PM
THat thing is a beast! How is the manueveralbiltiy with a machine that size?
stuvecorp
01-22-2012, 03:24 PM
How much snow did you have there? Is that a 14' plow? How did you end up with the 930?
muddywater
01-22-2012, 04:25 PM
Does that machine just do one site?
noahb195
01-22-2012, 07:23 PM
Did i miss something? When did you get a loader!!!!
Posted via Mobile Device
earthmover
01-22-2012, 08:03 PM
That machine is awsome! Can't wait to see more if/when you guys get more snow.
Z-master man
01-22-2012, 08:43 PM
Any pics of the truck?
The machine handles great! This is the only lot we have this year, so its the only lot we do with a loader right now but it has a variety of areas to plow- from wide open lots to tight parking lots. I was able to eliminate almost all of the Bobcat work we had to do on trimming out all the parking spaces and around the curbs. This property is very tight, and we are not allowed to cover a single parking space so having machines that can work in tight spaces is a must. I was doubtful about how the loader would work, but with the 12' plow I am able to do everything from trimming corners to pushing wide open lots.
I'm glad we didn't get the 14' plow as it would be too wide for plowing single lane roads (the crown in the road messes up the plow if its too wide).
The 930 is the same machine I showed back earlier in the year from our mulch yard. We signed a rent-own deal back in April and purchased the machine and plow in July. This set up certainly makes plowing more enjoyable than just having to use a bucket or a plow truck all the time.
Z-master- Sorry, I didn't remember to get any pics of the truck with plow yet- we didn't actually use the plow at all this storm as the loader and Bobcat did all the work. We primarily use the truck for salting and as a plow back up. Next storm I'll try to get more pics.
Another shorter video of plowing with the loader:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L3HHkq_Is0&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
Dountman
01-22-2012, 09:53 PM
Belknap White?
Last two videos from plowing with the loader taken from a cab cam perspective! Shows how the Kage plow works a little bit better than the other two videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikHgKLmX9Ek&feature=plcp&context=C3f9aeb3UDOEgsToPDskI15t8hdXcPx3lAp7iTy_je
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHkakj-00vw&feature=plcp&context=C3064d38UDOEgsToPDskKcklfSxoVVSpR4Vj7lw0bE
curtisfarmer
01-23-2012, 07:42 AM
ARP, nice plow set up. we are running a Tiger Cat 822 tracked trear shear with hot saw and a 6 wheeled Timber Pro 630 with intermitent saw head. Timber pRo has tracks over the front 4 wheel. Tiger Cat is self leveling. Have a Hyundai 130 road builder with forestry package, smallest road builder I have ever seen. The weather is horrible for logging, ground isnt frozen and its gonna hit high 40s here soon:cry: Just signing another deal with some major skidder power coming in. 4+/- Cat 545s for a skid pull in excess of 2/3rds mile. Hoping to do 10-12 loads a day. If this weather keeps up, I may become the Booby Goodson of the Northeast with all this mud:laugh: But seriously:cry:
Ok, now I really want some pics! I want to see that Tiger Cat. I'm thinking of options for the future....
PS- I have a slightly bigger road builder if you need one ;-)
Here's a shot from last week. Ended up having to use the bucket portion of the mulcher to build a road across this drainage canal and then clean the canal out once I was done. Really glad we bought this mulcher so far!:cool2:
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Dountman
01-23-2012, 12:26 PM
Very nice. Company I work for plows a good portion of the park up there. Was that your track loader I saw up there the other day too?
Nice to finally get the equipment working this winter.
earthmover
01-23-2012, 05:14 PM
I really like the pusher on the loader. Do you have to get out of the cab to switch from pusher box to blade? How do you like it so far?
Dountman- What company do you work for? That probably was our track loader- we use it for tight areas around the lot. And yes, it is nice to get the machines working for a few days at least.
Earthmover- No, I can release the box from the cab by flipping a switch and releasing the hydraulic "grabbers" that hold the box on the plow. I did it that way a couple times in the videos. So far, I am very glad we bought this plow. It is a great asset in our arsenal of equipment.
earthmover
01-23-2012, 08:06 PM
If you don't mind posting. How much does a pusher like that cost?
metro36
01-23-2012, 08:32 PM
I would love to have a loader like that. It is a bit big for what I would need but it looks sweet. The kage system seems to be like a really good investment aswell.
Maybe I missed it but did you sell the smaller deere ex when you bought the 160? Also how are you moving the 160 and the loader?
Earthmover- the plow and setup ran about $14k.
Metro- We did not sell the 50 when we bought the 160. The 50 has been out on a ROW project since November. We have another operator running that machine right now so I don't have many pictures of that job since I'm not onsite.
I have a couple guys with lowbeds who I use to move our loader and larger excavator.
stuvecorp
01-24-2012, 12:31 AM
Just curious why the Cat loader not a Deere loader? Seeing as you have the Deere X's thought they would be an option?
I really wanted a 544K but our dealer did not have any in stock nor could they match the deal Cat gave us on this machine. I also find the Cat's cab a bit more comfy so that helped seal the deal.
T_S_S
01-24-2012, 04:26 PM
What is the employee count at now Andrew? Are you still in a partnership with another company or more working with other companies? Love the loader! Keep up the good work!
Posted via Mobile Device
Thanks Sean! The employee count is myself, my dad, a labor, and an operator. The laborer and operator are part time, but if things keep going as they are, we are hoping to make them full time positions this year.
Right now we are not pursuing any partnerships nor are we in any at the moment. We are in a good place where we can control growth and direction of the company.
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