heavy equipment, how have we made it without it?

[Tnfalconer]

On my farm I have very little equipment. If I need something I rent it, use it and take it back. I just recently purchased a JD 755 tracked loader from a neighbor and I can't figure out how I have gone this long without owning one. In building our new house, the driveway is almost done and foundation work begins.

[Paper Puncher]

Be careful..... It can be addictive. You get one piece of equipment then before you know it you need a machine shed to store the various pieces of equipment. LOL

Sure does make it nice when you have a piece of heavy machinery to do the hard work.

[Echo]

Be careful..... It can be addictive. You get one piece of equipment then before you know it you need a machine shed to store the various pieces of equipment. LOL

Sure does make it nice when you have a piece of heavy machinery to do the hard work.

I've heard it called Yellow (Caterpiller) Fever...

[Tnfalconer]

Already contemplating a 6 way blade for it as the bucket doesn't grade very well. I have a small 455 international dozer but it's itty bitty in comparison to the 755. Almost like a Tonka toy. So technically this is my second piece. The ability to literally "Move mountains" is pretty nice.

[rancher1913]

I have multiple high horsepower tractors that sit 90 percent of the time, but that 10 percent they earn their keep and then some. Skidder gets a workout in winter but sits a lot in summer and the Trac hoe pays for it self with one water line repair a year, but gets a work out when storms come thru. Utv has replaced the horses for cattle work. Renting is ok if you are close to a big town, not so much in this town and spending a day picking up or returning equipment gets old. Seemed like my water lines always fail at night or weekends which is a royal pain to rent stuff and with cows they need the water now, not when it's convenient for the rental yard.

[Plate plinker]

A tracked bobcat can move a lot of material how it was done before was by real men who actually worked. I can grade a 80 foot x 24 foot driveway in about an hour with the loader and almost no hand work to speak of. It is amazing.

[Tnfalconer]

The mountain I live on is called Lymestone Butte....meaning it's full of limestone. Some the size of a small car. The 755 has rock breaker forged teeth on it that are an absolute GOD SEND. Up here we have to tear everything up and dig out the big rocks first, then fill, move and grade. I am building a driveway through a small draw the last couple days and have removed two rocks that almost were too big to lift with the cat. I rolled them out, tilted the bucket and slammed the teeth into the Rock busting it up....it's a good feeling.

[samari46]

Had a tree stump wash up on the back of my property. Our bayou is sometimes prone to flooding due to heavy rains and drainage into the bayou. out comes my Kubota L3800 with the front end loader. Because of the oddball shape couldn't get it in the bucket. Pushed it up against the nearest tree and finally got it in the bucket. Then on the burn pile. Large branches,tree limbs get pushed around to cut the grass then either pushed or dragged with a chain to the burn pile. Best money I ever spent. Frank

[white eagle]

Reminds me I need to rent a loader (bobcat) of some sort to back fill
a cabin I am building would sure hate to do it with a shovel and wheelbarrow

[skeeter2]

I have a bobcat with grapple, snow blade and brush hog. I have a Kubota L3301 with brushmower and pallet forks, and dies/seeder. I go up to my land and work/play. A couple hours on the tractor or in the bobcat is therapy like no other.

[RP]

The problem I have with having all the nice toys at work to use is I really hate doing something at the house without them lol.

[3band53]

I will tell you I am glad I have my John Deere tractor and the front loader for it. After years of digging post holes by hand my son in law talked me into buying an auger to dig holes with-it will save my shoulders as I am now recuperating from rotator cuff surgery. So I love heavy equipment and the more I have the better I like it.

[fatelk]

I grew up on the farm with access to all kinds of equipment. Used the tractors every day, backhoe (Case 450 track loader) fairly regularly, and the old bulldozer once in a while. We had an old International TD18 for many years, then got a D7. We even had a Northwest dragline from the '40s. That was fun to run!

Anyhow, now that I live in town raising a family of my own, I really miss it. Not everyone has the opportunity to go out and start up a bulldozer when they need something done. I love the sound and smell of those big engines starting. The dragline had a Cat D7 engine with a pony motor. It was ancient and in poor condition, so it was always a big deal to get it started every spring to dredge out the manure pit behind the cattle barns.

Now I'm getting all nostalgic. I'm envious of you guys with land and equipment. Of course remembering the tough times and hard work tempers that envy a little, but I am still envious. :)

I take the family here every year to get my fix: http://www.antiquepowerland.com/html/steam-up.html

[Tnfalconer]

I worked on the new house location today for a couple hours. The house we are building on the mountain will be earth bermed, underground essentially with 8' of the house under ground. Then 8 ft above ground. Got about 4ft cutout on the 60x60 footprint today. That thing moves a hell of a lot of dirt.

[samari46]

My neighbor called to say that a large tree limb had fell into the drainage ditch in front of our property. Drove the little 24 hp riding mower and one look as it was too big for the mower. Out came the L3800 mentioned before and since I had made up a tow rope out of some 1" poly rope with eyes on both ends hooked it up to said offending limb and into the shackle on the drag bar on the tractor and away we went. Have a few small branches to pick up so the riding mower with it's little cart will do for that. Too old for a chainsaw so the tree limb will be disected with some hand held saws and a limb cutter. Sure wish someone would invent a small hydraulic tree limb cutter that us older folks could use. I have a echo pole saw and it works great. Frank

[lightman]

Samari, they do make hydraulic saws and such. I had a small hydraulic chain saw on my bucket truck, along with a hydraulic pole saw. They are expensive though, and the attached twin hoses make them heavier than one would think. I made up a set of hoses that would fit my tractor and have been known to borrow the pole saw for use at deer camp!

While it's not really big enough to be classified as heavy equipment, I have really enjoyed my Kubota M-6800 with the loader. I have found all kinds of uses for the loader that's not "normal". Not long ago I unloaded several 5 gallon buckets and an ice chest full of wheelweights.

[Digger]

Great to hear all these stories of equipment here ....
Have been an "operator" most of my life besides a bit of cowboy here and there.
Was taught how to use a Case 580 backhoe off the side of a mountain many years ago and watching the younger generations these days can be a bit frustrating as they think after so many hours on a piece of equipment they "know it all"
I call them "flat land operators"..... can be entertaining at times ..
When you go off of the side of the road and dig the water service ditch down to the footing/foundation and dig the first half of the house and then go down to the access road , back up to the top ,dive off again and dig the other half of the house footings and dig the sewer on down and out , it can be a bit of a challenge at times.

apologize for the ongoing here .. but do enjoy the stories here and there.
My name in the forums here is a clue .......:wink:

[samari46]

Always hated cutting the grass behind the house and down towards the bayou. At the time only had the riding mower. Stop get off move tree limbs and resume cutting the grass. Now drop the bucket, push out of the way and continue cutting. Time for cutting out behind the house so most likely will be at it tomorrow. Frank

[lightman]

Digger, you are right. It's a joy to watch a skilled operator use his machine. I know a guy that can push marbles around with a D8 and another that could scratch your back with the 60 inch bucket on his trackhoe. I never had that kind of skill but I can reconize and appreciate it.

[rr2241tx]

Wife calls my skid steer "Diesel Muscles". Just watching skilled operators drive on slopes makes my feet hurt.

[lead-1]

apologize for the ongoing here .. but do enjoy the stories here and there.
My name in the forums here is a clue .......:wink:

I have to admit I was a little thrown off by your name at first, my local friend Digger is the undertaker, lol.

[mwhite49]

Be very careful. I was an ewuipment operator for 20 years in the Seabees
Read up on the safety. Don't ever leave the operatpr seat wit it running, and always ground all attachments like the bucket before getting off.
Have fun.

[MaryB]

Grandpa had an old D9 dozer he used to work on peoples driveways, clear spots for barns etc. I spent an entire summer in the seat when the county wanted to redo the road past the farm. Grandpa bid it and had cheap slave labor in us grand kids... in between the D9, a backhoe(I was NOT good with that), and 15 kids with shovels we had that road done in 2 months. Grandpa setup half the hayloft as a bunk house for the summer, our last job was baling and stacking hay in it... Was a learning experience, we each got a US Savings bond for our work that matured in 10 years as another learning experience in saving. I miss the farm but not sure my body could handle the seat time anymore(be it tractor, big equipment, driving dump truck or grain truck...)

[Digger]

I have to admit I was a little thrown off by your name at first, my local friend Digger is the undertaker, lol.

Always figured given enough time , I would inevitably dig my own anyways ...:roll: