what was the hardest machine for you to learn?

[texasdirtmover]

The hardest thing for me to learn was the 5 & 4 on a family friend's 75 freightliner

[digger242j]

...Since I quit smoking I am losing some of my argument for them but the foot swing frees up one hand long enough to take a pull on your pipe or whatever you happen to be abusing.

The reason I prefer the Case foot swing style hoe is that when you're pushing the machine forward with the hoe, you can reach back and steer the front end with that free hand. You can't do that with Deere style controls.

[LowBoy]

The reason I prefer the Case foot swing style hoe is that when you're pushing the machine forward with the hoe, you can reach back and steer the front end with that free hand. You can't do that with Deere style controls.

I beg to differ, my dear grim reaper...

[digger242j]

I'm listening...

[atgreene]

When I first used a wing on a truck I was a little confounded. Shifting a 10 speed road ranger, running a sander, using the wing with the front dustpan and trying not to hit anything on narrow roads took some getting used to.

Now it's second nature and I can brush something with the wing without breaking it. I just bought an Oshkosh so I'll be in for a new learning curve with that this winter. We'll see how the mailboxes fair.

[Grader4me]

When I first used a wing on a truck I was a little confounded. Shifting a 10 speed road ranger, running a sander, using the wing with the front dustpan and trying not to hit anything on narrow roads took some getting used to.

Now it's second nature and I can brush something with the wing without breaking it. I just bought an Oshkosh so I'll be in for a new learning curve with that this winter. We'll see how the mailboxes fair.

Ahhh...Welcome to my world! Mailboxes beware When you install a front plow and a wing on a truck along with running the sander and underslung if equipped..it most definately becomes a different animal. Good luck with your Oshkosh! Oh... keep a supply of mailboxes on hand...just in case

[deeredude]

I'd nominate a Bobcat skid steer loader for being one of the worst machines I've ever had to operate... two foot pedals that worked the bucket and boom and two hand levers to control the travel led to nothing but a bunch of slapping the ground and rocking back and forth. I stay away from them.

we have mustangs with the T-handle and pedals and a new gehl track loader with bucket on the left and direction on the right joystick .gehl wins- no contest.

[stumpjumper83]

I agree, I'm nothing but a hazzard in a new holland style controlls, or with the old t-bar gehls. I'm good with case and cat style. I actually prefer cat controlls cause i have a hand free some of the time, altho I think i'm faster with case. But watchout if im in a new holland, i will start to hop, the the bucket goes up and dumps.... ahh I hate them.

[poulson01]

It took a while for me to grade with a dozer but I pride myself on being a backhoe jockey. Anyone can run a backhoe but to get really good at it is rare. A backhoe in the right hands is an awesome machine.

[thejdman04]

grader, takes a good man to run one well.

[Dirt Dogg]

The dreaded dragline
After 30 min I was getting my second lesson
How to respool cable

[Construct'O]

It was and old Letournel( mispelled)scraper and my first time at running equipment.

Can't remember the number of it.It didn't have a steering wheel.You had to steer it with a tongle switch because to was electric steer and bowl,apron ,and tailgate was run with tongle switchs also.Electric motors and cable spools to open and close.

Was trying to unload it and got the apron(lip) cable wind up backwards by running it up and down to fast and it getting it caught, and wind the cable up backwards and the apron wouldn't come down.Bet the old boss is still wondering how i did that one? It wasn't really that hard

While trying to run the electric tongle switchs and holding on just a bar that was running across the front of the dash where your steering wheel went.

You would also get to try your luck at shifting it on the go ,by double clutching it! it was suppose to have a clutch stop to help it shift easyier,but it was burnt out also.

I got it stuck and was trying to turn it in the mud, when the sparks flew and there i set,not able too steer it.

I burnt out the steer motor and the main stator,which at the time was like over 3k for both them.Needless to say that was the end of that old girl.I moved on up to a S14 Ecluid scraper.A little better,but not much.It had seen it's better days also.

Just before i was ready to give up by construction career, a guy quit and i got to run a nice older nose diving Cat 621 scraper.I was at the hight of my career ,or at least for a while!!!!!!!

[Dozerboy]

I beg to differ, my dear grim reaper...

X2 normally I don't do it at the same time but I can.

[Tn Bulldog]

a 120G Cat grader for me i finally got hang of it but all those levers for me for awhile was terror the other was a 410B John Deere backhoe w/ wobble sticks after being on a Case 4 Stick i slammed the boom & Bucket into side of a 16' Dumpbed on a Triaxle truck while loading dirt




like pete said a Case backhoe well the Case backhoe was easy for me compared to the Grader
& mastered it including the 4 stick



later

Bulldog

[itsgottobegreen]

3 stick and foot petal case. Just can't get it.