Is It Possible To Prevent Lawn Damage???

[Dougster]

You may want to look for " miscuts" or "blows", factory defects that reduce the price by more than half around here!

what i've done with the plywood is carryed 3 or 4 pieces under the machine on the trailer than at the job lay them out were the turns are than run the machine over to the spot were i was working, just makes easyer than making a plywood road to the spot, than i would use the plywood to put the dirt on makes clean up easyer

If you wanted to get really fancy, and use the plywood alot, why not install a hook in the middle of the sheet? Then you can drop a sheet in front of you, track onto it. Then swing around, grab the rear sheet with the bucket, swing around and place it in front of you. You'd never have to get out of the machine and could get away with 2-3 sheets.

Thanks very much for the tips guys! :drinkup I appreciate them all! This high degree of turf damage was just not anticipated when I bought my little beast and it seems that there is no easy way around it but to transport and throw down protection in some form. Not good for an old man with one good arm working all alone... who bought this little machine to save himself some time and effort over his other (wheeled) digging machine. But such is life sometimes. Live and learn I guess. :beatsme

Dougster™ :usa

 

[PipeGuy]

The fiberglass mats your talking about are called "trackmats" They are expensive but they are very tough. They don't asborb water and mud and dirt washes off. They are only about 3/8" -1/2 thick. I have used them with directional drills when drilling from a yard. I have a JD 50D with rubber tracks and it is horrible on the turf also. I used to have a Kubota 161-2 with steel tracks and you could go across grass and not even see where you tracked at. The steel tracks were wider and you couldn't crawl over curbs and such as easy as you can with the rubber tracks. I guess everything has it's place

 

[Dougster]

The fiberglass mats your talking about are called "trackmats" They are expensive but they are very tough. They don't asborb water and mud and dirt washes off. They are only about 3/8" -1/2 thick. I have used them with directional drills when drilling from a yard. I have a JD 50D with rubber tracks and it is horrible on the turf also. I used to have a Kubota 161-2 with steel tracks and you could go across grass and not even see where you tracked at. The steel tracks were wider and you couldn't crawl over curbs and such as easy as you can with the rubber tracks. I guess everything has it's place

Yes, I've been informed by certain folks in the know that I "blew it" by not getting steel tracks.

Who knew they would do less turf damage than rubber. :beatsme

Dougster™ :usa

 

[digger242j]

Yes, I've been informed by certain folks in the know that I "blew it" by not getting steel tracks.

Who knew they would do less turf damage than rubber. :beatsme

Dougster™ :usa

Yeah, but on the other hand, chipped and scratched asphalt and concrete don't grow back. Grass does.

 

[Dougster]

Yeah, but on the other hand, chipped and scratched asphalt and concrete don't grow back. Grass does.

Well, yes... exactly. Either way, there is a downside.

Dougster™ :usa

 

[humboldt deere]

By lifting yourself up and jump turning the damaged area will be much smaller than if you just skid around.

 

[Dougster]

By lifting yourself up and jump turning the damaged area will be much smaller than if you just skid around.

I do need to learn how to do a jump turn without killing me, my machine or damaging the rubber tracks. Sadly, it's not something the dealers go out of their way to teach you.

Dougster™ :usa

 

[DirtMan]

Without damage?

I think that it's really impossible for a tracked machine. You could try a wheelie. Either way, I think the smartest thing to do is move the machine as little as possible.

Let's see if I can do this without sounding like a salesman...if you had an "universal joint" at the end of the stick with a quick coupler, something like a Rototilt, you could move and swap your tools, working around obstacles, such as digging around a fire hydrant, or under a sign without moving the machine.

 

[Dougster]

I think that it's really impossible for a tracked machine. You could try a wheelie. Either way, I think the smartest thing to do is move the machine as little as possible.

Let's see if I can do this without sounding like a salesman...if you had an "universal joint" at the end of the stick with a quick coupler, something like a Rototilt, you could move and swap your tools, working around obstacles, such as digging around a fire hydrant, or under a sign without moving the machine.

Oh, I agree! That would be the cat's meow! But those Rototilts cost big money and I am dirt poor. Maybe someday.

I find it interesting that buying a mini-ex as a second machine for the business has actually helped me to get more excavation and grading interest and inquiries... but that so far, all the actual work executed since buying the little beast has still been performed (by necessity or choice) by the wheeled compact TLB. Go figure! ointhead

Dougster™ :usa

 

[dirthog28]

Oh NO!! DirtMan you don't sound like salesman by no means, you sound like you've been operating and working in this field for years. Just like the other 5,000 posts you've done today promoting and selling that dam Rototilt. You really need to get out in the real world away from them rototilt sales classes and see how things are really done. I don't think a guy with a $20-30K mini excavators is going buy your outrageous priced attachment to do a little dirt work in people's yards!

GIVE IT UP WITH THE ROTOTILT!!! Nobody here asked about it!! Plus if I wanted a tilt bucket I would go with HELAC!

 

[DirtMan]

nice guy...

You really need to get out in the real world away from them rototilt sales classes and see how things are really done. I don't think a guy with a $20-30K mini excavators is going buy your outrageous priced attachment to do a little dirt work in people's yards!

Dude, I just installed one in your backyard for Aldridge Electric on a Takeuchi....real world application.

The question was asked, how not to tear up the lawn, and the best answer is to move the machine least as possible. You give me a better answer...Mr. Real World.

 

[dirthog28]

Well "Dude" Aldridge Electric is a billion dollar company they can waste their money on a Rototilt, plus their probably using it to help set poles or something, not like most of us small contractors cutting drainage swales, downspouts, sewer lines, concrete work, etc. I can put down alot of plywood sheets and grass seed for the price of your attachment. I just get tired of you trying to hijack every thread with the world's solution being a Rototilt, "Dude"

 

[Steve Frazier]

He won't be hijacking any more.

 

[Orchard Ex]

Hmmm.... Wasn't there a recent thread asking "What do you hate about equipment salesmen?"....:waving

 

[raydz]

lol

 

[atgreene]

Back to the original question, I have found that the steel on mine tears up less than the rubber ever did. Either way, I tell the customer that my estimate includes loam, seed and hay for when I'm done. If they want to cut it from the estimate, so be it, otherwise I figure it in and explain that anyone who gives them an estimate had better have figured it in or they won't be happy with the mess.

With my clean-up bucket (without a roto thing a ma-jobby) I can squeegy out some loam in a few minutes to clean-up my track mark and leave it better than when I arrived.

Good luck with the machine, it's a nice size.:wink2

 

[360joe]

funny lawn mini

I remember reading a feature on an exacavator that was being used in England (i think) for digging graves. It had a very simple and unconventional undercarraige but it seemed to be good for minimising damage to the ground and getting around obstacles. Basically its upper structure was like a conventional 360 deg excavator of about 5 tonnes. Instead of tracks it had two wheels on the front (no drives) and two outriggers on the back. This machine had to be moved using the machines bucket to lift up off the outriggers and roll itself along on the wheels. Sounds v slow and silly I know but the operator insisted it was the ideal machine for its application. Never saw one in the flesh and don't know if its still a production machine but I thought it was an idea with merit for special applications.

 

[360joe]

The funny grave digger

Just remembered the manufactures name- Smalley- although i am not sure i am spelling it correct

 

[Guyute]

minimizing lawn damage

I have a Kubota kx 121 with rubber tracks and I can say honestly that planning and patience work the best in not tearing up my clients yards. I make wide turns, I plan where I am going and how to move my machine, and I don't move too fast. I also like everybody said include the cost of loam and hay in my bids. I have heard that belts from conveyors work well to track across, my neighbor is going to give me a bit of old belt at the end of the season.

 

[Countryboy]

Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums Guyute! :drinkup