Any Cat M series Graders operators out there?

[mattyg]

Nige was/is a big help getting machine info. Thanks again. Bluetop Man- I agree that the joy sticks could be used for total control of the machine with gps. But I huess I am lucky with job security because almost all the jobs I do are reclaim jobs, and wether its a road or a parking lot the new grades are made up by me.. just make the water move to the catch basin is the name of the game for me. Matt

 

[Per Eriksson]

Stakeless grading is already the norm here, you can walk miles along a new road contruction in various stages from cutting down trees to white lines being painted on the asphalt without seeing a single stake, you'll have a hard time getting a hoe or dozer hired on a job here without it having atleast the basic "single" GPS system on it.

During the wintermonths a road over the mountains that often gets big snowdrifts is maintained with a grader that can steer itself with the help of a GPSsystem, useful when the road is completely blown over and the markings are buried, the operator just sit in the seat and hang on for the ride.....

 

[ovrszd]

During the wintermonths a road over the mountains that often gets big snowdrifts is maintained with a grader that can steer itself with the help of a GPSsystem, useful when the road is completely blown over and the markings are buried, the operator just sit in the seat and hang on for the ride.....

That would freak me out!!!! Hafta have a lot of faith in the technology.

Reminds me of a day in Vietnam when I as a Grunt was providing flight line security at Da Nang airbase. A group of pilots were talking about new low level auto pilot systems on the then technologically advanced F4 Phantom fighters. They were complaining about how hard it was to not touch the stick when the plane is hauling butt straight toward an upcoming mountain!!!

 

[sdPete]

City of Sioux Falls, SD finished year 4 of leasing 24 140M AWD units for snow removal (6 month lease). The comments I have heard on steering relate to less wear on driver thumbs running cul de sacs on the old steering wheel machines. If safety was an issue I doubt the leases would have been renewed.

The 140M AWD in our township runs 23 mph in reverse, sort of handy in snow doing long repetitive wing runs on rural roads. Steering modulates as gears shift up, control is excellent, just keep the road centered in the mirror. Works best for me at night - no traffic - and the field of view is only what the lights illuminate.

 

[smoothoperator]

I have one of the '09 Sioux Falls 140M AWD's, and have put about 3200 hours on the meter, and enjoying every minute of it. It's a good way to get into a "like new" machine. I'm guessing that the new crop is probably M2's, which I haven't operated(yet). If you ever get a chance to demo one of the M's, hopefully you will be able to spend some time with a dealers' demo/instruction person before, and while you are trying it out. If you didn't get a chance to use the simulator equipment, you may feel awkward with the joystick controls, especially if you have a large crowd of your co-workers watching, pointing, and laughing. Send them all home, and play with the machine for a few hours, and you may be surprised at how comfortable you get. Back in '08, I used a new JD772D to rebuild 4 miles of road. It was very productive, and I really enjoyed running it. I enjoy running the 140M AWD more, and I'm completely comfortable with the controls.
FYI...This winter I needed to blade and pack some gravel patches over some culvert cutouts, so I hung the rear-mounted packer on my machine, and decided to see how heavy it really was. 52,240 lbs. 140M AWD, dozer/lift, wing, ripper w/packer.

smoothoperator

 

[ryan01]

i had the opertunity to actually learn on one and there very user friendly of course not finish grading but blading sand and haul road. its pretty easy to get the hang of it couple hours. as someone said before the stearing does get slower at higher speeds and the one i was running had a couple issues one that was proably the worst was randomly you would loose stearing and running up and down windy roads not a very fun feature haha so you would loose your steering and then on ur dash/ display two red steering wheels would light up on both sides of the dash and i would have to shut down and then wait a few min and then fire it up a again n it seemed if you wiggled the steering joystick you could get it back.. could have been a sensor or electical but other then that really nice machine i would recomed to anyone. cheers ryan

 

[Bluetop Man]

First, they came out with GPS grade control because operators couldn't finish. Then came joystick steering because the wheel is obsolete. Next comes GPS steering because operators can't steer?

 

[ovrszd]

First, they came out with GPS grade control because operators couldn't finish. Then came joystick steering because the wheel is obsolete. Next comes GPS steering because operators can't steer?

Forty years ago I read an article in Popular Mechanics about futuristic farm equipment. Depicted a farmer sitting in his living room with a control panel and monitor screen. He was controlling his tractor out in the field. We are very, very close to that realistically. A friend of mine farms 25,000 acres using John Deere equipment. His planting, spraying and harvesting equipment all have GPS steer. Let go of the steering wheel and enjoy the ride. When they can perfect the vision of the equipment to detect obstacles in the field there will no longer be a need for an operator onboard.

 

[blademan150]

This says it all!!

My hat says how I feel about machines on their own!!!!!!

 

[sdPete]

First, they came out with GPS grade control because operators couldn't finish. Then came joystick steering because the wheel is obsolete. Next comes GPS steering because operators can't steer?

Don't knock it until you have tried it. I put a JD autosteer unit in the combine last fall and all drivers said WOW. We have run steering wheel combines since they were invented. It has nothing to do with ability to steer. The reduction in fatigue is hard to grasp without first hand experience. And that after the farm equipment folks figured out how to make a soybean platform hold itself close to the ground automatically, just push the button and let the hydraulics do the work.

 

[Nige]

In our mining application where operators run 12-hours shifts day-in day-out it's all about minimzing fatigue and keeping the operator productive for longer. Nothing to do with "dumbing down" the machine IMHO .........

 

[ovrszd]

Don't knock it until you have tried it. I put a JD autosteer unit in the combine last fall and all drivers said WOW. We have run steering wheel combines since they were invented. It has nothing to do with ability to steer. The reduction in fatigue is hard to grasp without first hand experience. And that after the farm equipment folks figured out how to make a soybean platform hold itself close to the ground automatically, just push the button and let the hydraulics do the work.

I was grading today along a field that my friend owns and was planting. He's using a huge center pivot John Deere tractor with duals and a 24 row planter. The planter has markers but they were both folded. As I approached the driver was turning at the road and heading back across the field away from me. After he made the turn he let go of the steering wheel and stretched both arms up over his head to relieve a little back pain I'm guessing. Let's see, I'll do the math, 24 rows, 15" spacing, that's a 30ft planter. The GPS guidance is accurate enough to properly leave a 15" space between the last pass and the new pass with no physical marker. Accurate enough a combine can shell that corn without knocking any down. Absolutely amazing. Certainly has nothing to do with a lack of operator ability. Doug says his planter will shut off one row at a time when doing point rows with no seed overlap. If manually controlled it would be impossible to accurately do that on a 30ft wide planter. He figures the GPS pays for itself thru seed and chemical savings alone.

If there's any dumbing down of operators involved it would be me. I'd be too dumb to work the electronics for initial setup in each field. So maybe I'm the dumb one.

 

[Catskinner21]

Hey guys new to this forum. I have only ran a blade for about the last two years off and on. I am now running a 14 m full time on a highway project. Which is my preference of work. I've had no problems with the m since I have been around them I enjoy some of the features on the m such as articulate steering and blade controls are in your hands at all times. To me it makes it easier to work around objects. I still prefer the later g or early h but the fact is they are becoming obsolete on these larger highway projects. Company's update there fleet every couple years and they are selling the few remaining h's they have left. I have been around some greats hands over the last ten plus years I have worked construction. So I enjoy coming to the forum and hear from some of u old timers so to speak. Keep it up guys thanks

 

[Bluetop Man]

Tell us, catskinner, since you are relatively new at this, do the front wheels track steady on the older machines, and are you constantly having to manipulate the steering joystick to stay on course with the M? It's just a thing I notice with M operators. They maybe good operators, but the machines suck overeall, especially in the steering department.

 

[Catskinner21]

It is just like the wheel. If u don't move the stick it won't turn. But if u barley move stick the tires barely move they don't keep turning they stay posititioned with the joystick. I've gotten used to it now. Takes time to get a feel for it but when ya do it's the same as a wheel . And I actually can't comPlain about the m I'm on now. The hydraulics are slower then some of the other ms I have ran. So far its been a tool.

 

[Catskinner21]

Who do you work for Bluetop? I see your from lousy Anna lol just curious cause we have done a few highways around ruston and shreveport.

 

[Nige]

It is just like the wheel. If u don't move the stick it won't turn. But if u barley move stick the tires barely move they don't keep turning they stay posititioned with the joystick. I've gotten used to it now. Takes time to get a feel for it but when ya do it's the same as a wheel . And I actually can't comPlain about the m I'm on now. The hydraulics are slower then some of the other ms I have ran. So far its been a tool.

The hydraulics on the M series can be "tuned" to increase or decrease the sensivity of the controls. Maybe the one you're on now has been "dialled back" because someone thought it was a bit too sensitive...?

 

[Bluetop Man]

catskinner,

I don't work anymore, just stay down on the farm. I got tired of working on jobs I should have been running. I was overweight, blood pressure was in the stroke zone, eyes were getting worse and all the highway work hereabouts was built out. Now my biggest problem is whether to take the flat bottom to the river, or the v-bottom to the lake. :drinkup

Besides, it just wasn't the same after T.L. James sold out to Angelo Iafrate. WTF, I reckon.

 

[Catskinner21]

Since you worked for tl James? Do you know Fred may he is a super with James group formerly tl James he been with em for years?I worked with them on 49 in gilliam for a while!

 

[Bluetop Man]

I met Fred once. I want to say he moved on the J.B. James Co., headed by T.L.'s grandson Jeff.

My crowd was more back in the day: John Garret, Bodie McNeil, Prentiss Young, Owen Guillot, Junior Young.

It's just so much long forgotten history now.

Back then, when somebody said they were a motor patrol operator, the question was, "Well, can he cut the paint off, or does he have to leave it on the hubs?"