Any young blood on the track shovels?

BritFitter · May 10, 2010

Hi there.

My first real post so here goes....

I'm 24 years old and am a very good track shovel operator,my dad also is a owner/operator and has a 953b(old tool but emaculate)

the main reason I wanted to drive this type of machine is because good drivers in England are sparce and all the older drivers are retiring.

Is there any young drivers on here who choose to operate a shovel.

My dad has always said we need young blood on these machines because it's a dieing art.

Thanks Hugh

ih100 · May 10, 2010

What do you call young blood? I'm 48 but don't feel old, well apart from first thing in the morning. And sometimes in the afternoon. Oh, and evenings, if I'm honest. Mind you, you don't need to be able to run a marathon to drive a drott all day. As long as you can stay awake. Though that can be a problem some days.

BritFitter · May 10, 2010

What I ment was late teens early twentys.I'm the youngest I know off in my area?

And my machine is a 2004 963c

Stick Pro · May 10, 2010

28 here but been opperating our 935c and 43 since i was 16. Not many opperators around here young or old.

Ozz · May 10, 2010

Me... V-shift and hystat is what I know.

312King · May 10, 2010

High lifts have always been in our familys My grandpa used to test the new 955s and 951s before they were released to the public. Ive been running our 953s since I cant remeber when Im 23. Im not a cocky person so Im not gonna say Im good.

oriden · May 10, 2010

20 on a 953c

ih100 · May 11, 2010

It's good not to say you're good. Let others say it for you. Generally, when you say it about yourself, you find you aren't as good as you think. What do you think?

BritFitter · May 11, 2010

Wasn't trying to blow my own trumpet....I guess m going on what peopl have told me..thanks for your imput guys

hugh

ih100 · May 11, 2010

Just winding you up. When I was young I didn't think I was good, I knew I was. One day I had an argument with a foreman, threw the keys at him and told him to do better if he could. He could, and did, and made me look like a total amateur. The labourers never let me forget it, and I've never thrown that particular gauntlet down since then.

plantman.uk · May 11, 2010

Now that is very rare a foreman doing it better than you?....most of the wankers i have worked for don't have a scooby...but if you are any good you will always have work but remember a good rep travels as fast as a bad one

qball · May 11, 2010

been running 53's, 63's, 73's. 77's. 55's and more since i was 15. i am 35 now. i would rather run a track loader than anything else.
burnout is probably the resident track loader expert, as much as i hate to admit it.***

absolutediesel · May 11, 2010

not me (I'm a wrench) but we've got an apprentice that runs a 963

ih100 · May 12, 2010

plantman.uk said:
Now that is very rare a foreman doing it better than you?....most of the wankers i have worked for don't have a scooby...but if you are any good you will always have work but remember a good rep travels as fast as a bad one

I worked with several foremen who were excellent operators - you ask any of them!

brian falcone · May 12, 2010

track loaders

my family allways had at least 2 td9 drott skid shovels around.i would use them on occassion as early as 15/16. i bought my 175b when i was 23. didnt use it much. it was too big for any use around the property. my t-340 i have now is all mechanical. foot clutch,lever steering,manual 5 speed tranny,hand throttle and a forward/reverser.its a handfull but i can go to town on it. been using it a lot at the new house. im not a slow operator,im not a fast operator,im a half-fast operator. ive seen 1 track loader on a building site in the last 15 years.it was a 953. everyone up here uses excavators now but just about every farm has a crawler loader hiding some where

lgammon · May 13, 2010

started on a 941 when i was 15 and now we have the same 941 , and a 943 and 953b i am 28.. and some days i am better than others

Burnout · May 14, 2010

So Q...I am the T.L expert? hmmmmmm.

Well lets see I have been stuck in 973's for 3yrs full time now. I am 24 and I think im slowly getting the hang of it.

The last few days I have been stuck in a baby unit.... 963D. I hate to admit it but im almost starting to like it. The loader calved tonight and they are bringing me a sexy 973C :drinkup

Dozerboy · May 14, 2010

I miss track loaders I have ran mostly the old 953s-983s. I don't have much time in the seat of the newer rear engine units.

SAH · May 15, 2010

27 here, been running 963's on and off for the last 3 yrs at work. my formans think i'm pretty decent on them. as long as they are happy, i am happy

buckshot · May 15, 2010

Hi, im 31 and started off driving track shovels in Dorset when i was 16. Not much call for them anymore, so for the last 10 years my ass has been stuck on 360 excavators! Im yet to see one over here in Ireland. I would love to get back into driving them!

Any young blood on the track shovels?

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