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New Beginning's - ARPI photo tour

756K views 3K replies 182 participants last post by  EA Quinn 
#1 ·
Well, after just graduating college and having my company pick up steam after being in business just a little over a year now, I thought I would start sharing pics of what I do. I certainly enjoy seeing everyone else's stories told through photos so I thought I would start contributing a little bit on here :waving: I've got a bunch of photos from last year that I will post as time allows, but I thought I would start with some photos of new equipment.

So for your viewing pleasure, may I introduce "The Beast" (or insert other witty name here :rolleyes:). She is currently on a Rent-Own program (so no one can call me out *trucewhiteflag*), that I hope to convert to a ownership program in 1.5-3 months depending on work load. She starts her first job this Monday clearing storm damage from ROWs an hour north of my home.

Enjoy and thanks for looking! Hopefully I will have many more photos to share in the coming year.

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#6 ·
Haha- the machine is already dirty. Right after I took that photo I took into the woods for 2 hours and got mud on it. Can't show up at the new job lookin too clean right?:rolleyes:

RTO was a great deal for me- the dealership I am working with is taking 100% of my payments (excluding sales tax) for up to 3 months and converting them to the necessary down payment on the machine.

I'm excited to get going finally. Thanks for the comments and keep em coming!
 
#8 ·
RTO was how i was able to get my first dozer 34 years ago !!!!!

My rent was set up $2500 dollars a month,but if i went over 100 hours a month then it was like $25 an hour more over the 100 hours.

Which added up,since i worked 7days a week,as long a days as i could.

The good thing was that the payments also went 100% toward the machine purchase at the end of the rent term which was 1 year.So all those extra hours overtime didn't go to waste.

The catch was that at the end of the year the machine went back to the dealer and you lost everything that you had paid in on it and your hard work!

I figured since i didn't have anything to lose other then 1 year out of my life if i failed it was a good choice and at the time my only chance.Luckly everything worked out:dancing:

My machine was new also and was the best thing,since it had warranty and very little downtime.It was a busy time then.Hopefully it will be for you also.Good luck:usflag:
 
#9 ·
Well, after just graduating college and having my company pick up steam after being in business just a little over a year now, I thought I would start sharing pics of what I do. I certainly enjoy seeing everyone else's stories told through photos so I thought I would start contributing a little bit on here :waving: I've got a bunch of photos from last year that I will post as time allows, but I thought I would start with some photos of new equipment.

So for your viewing pleasure, may I introduce "The Beast" (or insert other witty name here :rolleyes:). She is currently on a Rent-Own program (so no one can call me out *trucewhiteflag*), that I hope to convert to a ownership program in 1.5-3 months depending on work load. She starts her first job this Monday clearing storm damage from ROWs an hour north of my home.

Enjoy and thanks for looking! Hopefully I will have many more photos to share in the coming year.
Good choice in equipment:drinkup: Now let's see some job pictures.
 
#10 ·
Thanks guys- I'm hoping everything works out as well. As Construct'O said, I got nothing to lose and with my personality, failure is not an option. Hopefully I'll get some good photos of the job this week. Supposed to be some interesting terrain...
 
#11 ·
Many dealers of larger equipment brands offer the RTO program. Its generally available on both new and used equipment. Komatsu does, CAT does, apparently Bobcat does as well. I bet Hyundai and JD do too.

It is usually a pretty good way to get into equipment since most of your rental dollars end up contributing to the down payment you need to have.
 
#12 ·
Need more machine details!

Joysticks? High flow? 2 Speed?

Note to all else: The dealership he is going through doesn't care how many hours you put on a machine while you're renting it.

If you rent a machine for a day you can put 24 hours on it. They don't care.

Well. I'm assuming he still decided to go through Bobcat of Connecticut.

Best of luck to you in your new venture!
 
#13 ·
Machine details? Just the stuff I like to talk about :cool2:

Let's see- the highlights:
Joysticks
High Flow
No 2-speed unfortunately (not an option)
Heat and A/C
Suspension seat
Sound Deadening Package
Forestry Package (Extra guarding and a reaaallly thick polycarbonate door which is not on the machine in these photos)
Hydraulic Coupler
Radio (so I don't have to talk to myself all the time :rolleyes:)
Locks on fuel cap and engine door
72" Forestry Grapple
80" 4n1 bucket (special ordered- coming in soon)
Option to RTO on a 60" Fecon Mulcher

Dealships: I'm actually going through Bobcat of Cape Cod. Bobcat of CT was great to deal with but Bobcat of Cape Cod offered me a better deal and was almost an hour and a half closer to my home and area of operations.

I've actually been looking at machines for 6 months in preparation of this work. I was almost into a CAT 299C (which I really liked, except for the visibility out the back), but my local Cat dealer did not want to RTO or get creative with their financing options. So Bobcat it was. Btw- this T320 wasn't even at Bobcat of Cape Cod when I first started talking with them on Tuesday of last week. Based on a half hour conversation only with the company owner, they picked the machine and grapple up from 2 separate dealerships and got everything ready to go in less than 3 days. Pretty impressive IMO.
 
#14 ·
Weird that the CAT stealership did not want to RTO. Normally CAT will do nearly anything (besides lower their price) to get someone new into their equipment-even more so if it is a business that has no equipment and is just starting to buy stuff.

To them that is the start of their "owner loyalty" relationship.
 
#15 ·
Weird that the CAT stealership did not want to RTO. Normally CAT will do nearly anything (besides lower their price) to get someone new into their equipment-even more so if it is a business that has no equipment and is just starting to buy stuff.

To them that is the start of their "owner loyalty" relationship.
Yeah I'm surprised as well, usually Cat is the first name that comes to mind when I think RTO, usually they're all about it.
 
#18 ·
Thanks MJH- I call it "extreme determination" as well. There is work out there- just have to be flexible to get it. Wasn't my plan to be in land clearing as it says grading and excavation on my truck. :rolleyes:

Bobcat Ron- Ya it is long. It's real interesting backing it into my driveway. The trailer is a 25' deck with a 5' beavertail. The plan is to put the grapple, mulcher, and pallet forks on the front of the trailer sideways to reach them from the ground and then drive the machine on the trailer backwards with the bucket. Oh ya- and have a Jobbox at the front of the trailer with a generator and air compressor in it.:dizzy:
 
#19 ·
Machine details? Just the stuff I like to talk about :cool2:

Let's see- the highlights:
Joysticks
High Flow
No 2-speed unfortunately (not an option)
Heat and A/C
Suspension seat
Sound Deadening Package
Forestry Package (Extra guarding and a reaaallly thick polycarbonate door which is not on the machine in these photos)
Hydraulic Coupler
Radio (so I don't have to talk to myself all the time :rolleyes:)
Locks on fuel cap and engine door
72" Forestry Grapple
80" 4n1 bucket (special ordered- coming in soon)
Option to RTO on a 60" Fecon Mulcher

Dealships: I'm actually going through Bobcat of Cape Cod. Bobcat of CT was great to deal with but Bobcat of Cape Cod offered me a better deal and was almost an hour and a half closer to my home and area of operations.

I've actually been looking at machines for 6 months in preparation of this work. I was almost into a CAT 299C (which I really liked, except for the visibility out the back), but my local Cat dealer did not want to RTO or get creative with their financing options. So Bobcat it was. Btw- this T320 wasn't even at Bobcat of Cape Cod when I first started talking with them on Tuesday of last week. Based on a half hour conversation only with the company owner, they picked the machine and grapple up from 2 separate dealerships and got everything ready to go in less than 3 days. Pretty impressive IMO.
Very nice machine good luck!! So what features did you like about the t320 over the 299c besides the visibility? What machine did you feel had more power? and by the way your going to love that sound package keeps the cab real quiet
 
#21 ·
I can't quite compare the power between the two machines because I never ran them side by side. The main reason I really did go with the Bobcat was because of their RTO program which allows me to get into a machine set up the way I need it to be setup. I really liked the Cat's undercarriage and the visibility around and to the front of the machine. The rear was not so great and could definitely be seen as a serious safety issue where I have to work around laborers on the ground, or those big tree trunks that like to come out of nowhere when mulching and hit you.

The major things I liked about the Bobcat were the quiet cab, electronic lockout, joysticks (not as much resistance as the Cat ones), sheltered hyrdraulic connections inside the boom, and the comprehensive forestry package. I also never found the visibility to be too much different from the Cat's to the front and side, although the lower "tub" on the Cat did allow slightly more visibility to the sides. Power wise, I do like the fact I can lug the Bobcat's engine and power through some tough areas- even though I really haven't put it to the test yet.

Once I get some time in the machine I will feel more comfortable about giving a fair review. I will say, I can't wait to hook a mulcher up and let er' rip.

On a side note, the T320 is one sexy looking machine!:cool2: As long as I have no drive motor or SJC (joystick) failures that cause massive downtime, I am sure she will make me a boat load of money and help grow my business to the levels I want to reach.
 
#23 ·
I can't quite compare the power between the two machines because I never ran them side by side. The main reason I really did go with the Bobcat was because of their RTO program which allows me to get into a machine set up the way I need it to be setup. I really liked the Cat's undercarriage and the visibility around and to the front of the machine. The rear was not so great and could definitely be seen as a serious safety issue where I have to work around laborers on the ground, or those big tree trunks that like to come out of nowhere when mulching and hit you.

The major things I liked about the Bobcat were the quiet cab, electronic lockout, joysticks (not as much resistance as the Cat ones), sheltered hyrdraulic connections inside the boom, and the comprehensive forestry package. I also never found the visibility to be too much different from the Cat's to the front and side, although the lower "tub" on the Cat did allow slightly more visibility to the sides. Power wise, I do like the fact I can lug the Bobcat's engine and power through some tough areas- even though I really haven't put it to the test yet.

Once I get some time in the machine I will feel more comfortable about giving a fair review. I will say, I can't wait to hook a mulcher up and let er' rip.

On a side note, the T320 is one sexy looking machine!:cool2: As long as I have no drive motor or SJC (joystick) failures that cause massive downtime, I am sure she will make me a boat load of money and help grow my business to the levels I want to reach.
Good information looking foward to hearing more. Yes that t320 is very sexy!!
 
#24 ·
Canon- thanks for the well wishes. Yes, it sure looks like a lot of money- and that's what I want it to look like. However, the truck is one year used (fantastic deal on it by shopping way outside of my region), and the machine is on a RTO as discussed. The trailer is the only thing that was an out of pocket investment and is owned outright. (A quick shoutout: Thanks to Wendall at Fayette Trailers for getting the trailer up here- fantastic people to deal with.)

Insurance is the only other monthly overhead expense and by shopping around we were able to get a "big boy" insurance policy for a fraction of what it costs the big boys.

And yes, we thought used, but I have no need for any other machine than what I have on that trailer. Excavation isn't happening so I adjusted the business plan accordingly. Plus, in my area there aren't too many forestry equipped machines in good condition. The joys of being in a niche market I guess :rolleyes: Once excavation picks up again, people can be sure I will be swinging those excavator buckets just like everyone else:cool2:

Thanks for the comments!
 
#25 ·
As long as I have no drive motor or SJC (joystick) failures that cause massive downtime, I am sure she will make me a boat load of money and help grow my business to the levels I want to reach.
I hope the RTO program came with lots of warranty, no one here runs the SJC models anymore!
 
#26 ·
ARP I've had my T320 for about 10 months now and love it. I got the same set up as you minus the forestry package and have yet to have any problems thus far. I've only got 600 hours on her so far, but they've been tough hours from sloping a creek bank to mowing ski slopes to thinning lots, I'll bet less than 100 hours have been used on flat ground. The joysticks weren't my first choice, but now I wouldn't trade them for anything they're just as smooth and responsive as the day I picked it up. I had an 864 so it is quite an upgrade and if it makes it any easier, there isn't a machine out there I would rather operate IMO. Good Luck!
 
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