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A few projects I have done recently

390eric

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Feb 24, 2009
Messages
274
Location
pittsburgh PA
The 6ns are nice machines. I
Haven't been in a fully integrated gps machine yet. I'm young, just about to turn 30. I have run non gps machines, but the majority of my career I have been in or around them. I have seen the technology change and it's amazing what it can do and how far it has come. It's a handy money making tool what's it learned. I could show up to any job we had going on, get in the dozer ride around for a couple minutes and knew what was going on and needed done. It makes quick work with one person just running around and grading the site by himself without getting out of the machine. It's expensive but every company I know that went to says they love it and was worth the money
 

clintm

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Jul 7, 2013
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974
Location
charlotte nc
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trucking,concrete recycling,grading, demolition
you had better get into GPS before your competition does :). I can see where it would pay for it self very quick just in the time saved waiting on surveyors. how much is the dozer with out the gps.
 

walkerv

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Joined
Jan 21, 2016
Messages
1,125
Location
wingate nc
Quick question for some ideas CM1995

IMG_20160919_183123.jpg
I recently bought this house and think there used to be some bushes in this spot. Well this house doesn't have gutters yet,. This spot turns into a mini pond every rain we get. I have no intentions of planting anything there and would like to dig it out a bit and get some bags of ready mix and throw it in there . Should I try to tie it into the house slab and all existing concrete somehow? I am positive this whole neighborhood is built slap on top of this weird shale like rock infested rock hard red clay here with no concern for any kind of site prep before pouring any concrete. I have a dog that keeps digging next to the house that confirms this no sign of any sand or rock anywhere. Thanks for any help you can send me
 

CM1995

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Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,248
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
The 6ns are nice machines. I
Haven't been in a fully integrated gps machine yet. I'm young, just about to turn 30. I have run non gps machines, but the majority of my career I have been in or around them. I have seen the technology change and it's amazing what it can do and how far it has come. It's a handy money making tool what's it learned. I could show up to any job we had going on, get in the dozer ride around for a couple minutes and knew what was going on and needed done. It makes quick work with one person just running around and grading the site by himself without getting out of the machine. It's expensive but every company I know that went to says they love it and was worth the money

No doubt 390. I made a point to go to the demonstration just to be exposed to it as all I know about the issue has been read in trade magazines and online. It was well worth the 1/2 day to take "off" to demo it.

you had better get into GPS before your competition does :). I can see where it would pay for it self very quick just in the time saved waiting on surveyors. how much is the dozer with out the gps.

That's what I was there.:D

Clint my salesmen said the tractor as it sets is around $320K, $260K not integrated.

View attachment 159230
I recently bought this house and think there used to be some bushes in this spot. Well this house doesn't have gutters yet,. This spot turns into a mini pond every rain we get. I have no intentions of planting anything there and would like to dig it out a bit and get some bags of ready mix and throw it in there . Should I try to tie it into the house slab and all existing concrete somehow? I am positive this whole neighborhood is built slap on top of this weird shale like rock infested rock hard red clay here with no concern for any kind of site prep before pouring any concrete. I have a dog that keeps digging next to the house that confirms this no sign of any sand or rock anywhere. Thanks for any help you can send me

Walkerv for cheap insurance I'd get some #3 rebar from HD or Lowes and drill holes into the existing concrete then tap the rebar in. Drill a couple of inches into the existing concrete and leave 6-8" sticking out for the new concrete. Since it's a very light foot traffic area that'd be overkill but that's what I would do just to be sure there are no future problems.

#3 rebar is roughly 3/8" so you'll need a slightly larger concrete drill bit. Basically the dowels will help stop any differential settlement if the dirt under the new concrete settled any. If you really want to over kill get some PEJ (pre molded expansion joint) and put it between the old and new concrete. I wouldn't go that far for such small area.

Check your grade before you pour and make sure the new concrete will drain away from the foundation. From the pic it looks like you have enough fall to pitch it towards where the sidewalk meets the driveway.
 

CM1995

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Jan 21, 2007
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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
You might consider digging it out a bit and adding colored pea gravel of a shade of your liking.

That was my first though Former Wrench but Walkerv said his dogs like to dig and if they are anything like my little excavator the rock wouldn't last long if she set her nose on it.:D
 

walkerv

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Jan 21, 2016
Messages
1,125
Location
wingate nc
:thumbsup
That was my first though Former Wrench but Walkerv said his dogs like to dig and if they are anything like my little excavator the rock wouldn't last long if she set her nose on it.:D

Thanks guys what kind of spacing on the rebar I kinda figured yall would say something. Like that I'm a mechanic not much on building stuff but can do it of I have too. My intention is to put a little table and chair set we have left over from our our other house that had a narrow porch so traffic is going to be real light there just want it solid and the water to quit pooling there. And. Yes the drive and existing side walk I should be able to tie into its existing slope and keep the water Going the rite way.
 

390eric

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Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
274
Location
pittsburgh PA
Clint my salesmen said the tractor as it sets is around $320K, $260K

CM. Does that include a base station? If and when you you go to gps, make sure you work a good deal and try to get that base station and rover included with the dozer.

Those mast less antennas look nice. Always forget about them, I snapped one off in a deep keyway once on the d8.
 

JimBruce42

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Jan 15, 2006
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965
Location
Pennsylvania
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operator
What I did take away was this technology is it will not replace an experienced operator. Rather it's a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced operator to be more efficient and eliminate a grade checker on the final pass.

So glad to see someone say this. So often, people are quick to say GPS takes the talent away from an operator, while it may help a mediocre operator better, it can also show their flaws. I'm assuming you could still run the blade manually if you wanted to correctly?
 

CM1995

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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
:thumbsup

Thanks guys what kind of spacing on the rebar I kinda figured yall would say something. Like that I'm a mechanic not much on building stuff but can do it of I have too. My intention is to put a little table and chair set we have left over from our our other house that had a narrow porch so traffic is going to be real light there just want it solid and the water to quit pooling there. And. Yes the drive and existing side walk I should be able to tie into its existing slope and keep the water Going the rite way.

A foot or so on spacing for the rebar dowels will be more than enough.

CM. Does that include a base station? If and when you you go to gps, make sure you work a good deal and try to get that base station and rover included with the dozer.

Those mast less antennas look nice. Always forget about them, I snapped one off in a deep keyway once on the d8.

390 I'm not sure on that. The base machine is out of my price range.:(

So glad to see someone say this. So often, people are quick to say GPS takes the talent away from an operator, while it may help a mediocre operator better, it can also show their flaws. I'm assuming you could still run the blade manually if you wanted to correctly?

Jim you can toggle between manual and auto on the blade control.

The best analogy I can think of is how GPS on our phones have made getting somewhere easier than using a paper map due to real time location. GPS on a tractor will make an experienced operator more efficient in the same way due to the information the system can provide in real time inside the cab.

However garbage in is still garbage out.
 

hvy 1ton

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Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
1,942
Location
Lawrence, KS
However garbage in is still garbage out.

Like the stories I have heard about people running off the road because they heard the GPS in the car say "Turn left Now!" and they did not look to see if there was a road there!

About once a month on the ag boards there is a new picture of somebody who smoked into a tree, well pump, high voltage power, or my personal favorite bullseye'd the center of a pivot.
 

JimBruce42

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Jan 15, 2006
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965
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Pennsylvania
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operator
However garbage in is still garbage out.

Been there, seen that. Been on more than one project where someone forgot to connect the dots on the design end. End of the day it's a great tool to have, whether or not you use the "easy button", just being able to see the whole job in the cab, in real time, is great. I'm sure it wont be long till we start getting the newer fully integrated models like you tried. It will be nice not having to worry about taking off the antennas and stripping those stupid handles every night.
 

catwelder

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Jan 5, 2016
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383
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north carolina
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welder
A pretty big company near me bought I think 3 or 4 of these recently but they do a lot of highway work but right now are using to help build a pizza shop
 

CM1995

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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
End of the day it's a great tool to have, whether or not you use the "easy button", just being able to see the whole job in the cab, in real time, is great. I'm sure it wont be long till we start getting the newer fully integrated models like you tried. It will be nice not having to worry about taking off the antennas and stripping those stupid handles every night.

That's the first benefit I saw from it Jim, being able to see where you were grade wise and horizontally in real time. If the operator doesn't have the knowledge of how to build a project or what the finished product should be, the machine is not going to do it for them.:cool2

As far as the antennas go I would take them off this machine every night as well or devise some sort of locking mechanism. They are somewhat hidden but if a thief knows what they are he's going to steal them.

A pretty big company near me bought I think 3 or 4 of these recently but they do a lot of highway work but right now are using to help build a pizza shop

Cat was sending that machine to a railroad spur under construction by a local contractor to run for a week to put it through it's paces. The project is a total GPS design.
 

joispoi

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Mar 1, 2008
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1,284
Location
Connecticut
CM, thanks for talking the time to share all of this.

I sold my equipment last year and have been doing office work/project management for a maritime construction company for the last few months. I love being able to check in and see your earth work projects.
 

CM1995

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Jan 21, 2007
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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
CM, thanks for talking the time to share all of this.

I sold my equipment last year and have been doing office work/project management for a maritime construction company for the last few months. I love being able to check in and see your earth work projects.

No problem Joispoi, I enjoying sharing what limited knowledge I have. I miss your project updates as it was interesting to see how things are done in different countries and different types of equipment. Best of luck on the new position.:drinkup

If it's anything like cab mount ag GPS there will be a way to padlock the antenna to the machine.

HVY that's what I was thinking. If Cat didn't have some sort of security device it wouldn't be hard to fab one.
 

Aliate

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Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
325
Location
Seattle, WA
Lots of GPS around here. Everyone removes the receivers at night and packs them around in the tool truck. A friend of mine packs $200k worth of GPS gear in one of his tool boxes. The rovers are awesome, you can do calculate pile volumes by walking around on them and taking measurements.
 

CM1995

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Jan 21, 2007
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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
Last week we started a small 3 lot commercial lot prep. Some clearing, some clean up of crap dumped over the years and spreading good fill that has been dumped there.

IMG_2143-2.jpg

It was a dust bowl with the fine silty topsoil and no rain for the last two weeks to speak of. On that note I am not asking for rain either, last year when I asked for it we got it all winter long...:rolleyes:

IMG_2144-2.jpg

When we got to the fill stage we obviously needed water, so we got a hydrant meter from the water department. Anyone that has held a 3" fire hose for any amount of time knows it sucks and we had a lot of ground to cover with just a firehose. So what does any common sense engineer come up with? An industrial sized sprinkler of course.:D

IMG_2147.jpg

Worked pretty well.

IMG_2150.jpg

The "fleet" parked up at the end of the day.:D

The red dirt came from a local middle school under construction and the brown dirt came from a subdivision a couple of miles away. As the crow flies the school site and the subdivision are 6 miles or so from each other which shows the variation in soils we encounter. The lighter brown pile of dirt behind the equipment was cut on site.

IMG_2156-2.jpg
 
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