Cat track loader purchase

[Georgia Iron]

Work is always great to help offset all the costs. Once you can move the beast around on your own, you will be set. I'm not sure if you would need a 3 axle trailer or if a standard double axle would keep you legal.

I have a friend that was using a 953 putting in drain lines in a hay field down here. He hired a guy to run his machine and of course he got it stuck. 3 100 hp 4x4 case tractors could not move it. One week later and a d-8 drug it out. They ended up with mud in the motor due to the time frame it sat of course the hole filed with water. He spent a good bit of money in hiring the d-8 plus all the other effort.

It would be curious to see what a 500 hp tractor could do with a 973. Either way it's always cool to see farm pics of any type ...

 

[ippielb]

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-heavy-trucks/winnipeg/tri-axle-double-drop-non-detach-lowbed/1145940956

Anyone know anything about a 1958 King low bed? What is it rated for? Owner doesn't really know. But it's an affordable trailer.

 

[CM1995]

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-heavy-trucks/winnipeg/tri-axle-double-drop-non-detach-lowbed/1145940956

Anyone know anything about a 1958 King low bed? What is it rated for? Owner doesn't really know. But it's an affordable trailer.

Don't know anything about the trailer or the quality but that'd be one heck of a ride loading a 973.:cool2

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

CM1995

but that'd be one heck of a ride loading a 973.

There must be something I'm missing mate, I don't quite get what you're saying?

Cheers.

 

[CM1995]

Yair . . .

CM1995



There must be something I'm missing mate, I don't quite get what you're saying?

Cheers.

Saying it wouldn't be my choice of trailer for moving a '73, when the loader breaks the angle at the tail you'll be landing the idler on the first cross member between the rear tandems. Just my opinion but I wouldn't want to do that on a regular basis in great conditions not to mention mud or ice/snow.

 

[ippielb]

Ya, I agree wouldn't be the best, but that beavertail looks like it would allow the track to load over the tire as well once you get weight on the rear of the trailer. And having a raised centre section is a little comforting for sliding sideways. Guy also said he has the flip down ramps which would help. That trailer is in my comfortable price range, but this is the one I would want to have if I pay twice the amount.
https://www.rbauction.com/2006-BWS-...Id=8888294&id=ci&auction=SASKATOON-SK-2016543

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

Gotcha CM1995. I have never had to contend with snow and ice but it looked a pretty nice setup to me . . . nine foot wide so they reckon and it has that raised centre section so nothings going to slide . . . very far.

I suppose years of scrambling onto eight foot and a bit wide trailers like this made us a bit blasé. . . . .



Cheers.

 

[DMiller]

Detachable neck trailers are the Cats Meow as to loading safe just a pain ITA to connect/disconnect. We used Load King folding neck trailers as I last worked in the field, pricey but safe and excellent machines. In the old days we were on and off similar trailers as Scrub shows, Fontaine, Atlas, Timpte a few others and a lot of home mades all loaded from behind as well as scary as hell if a little moist or muddy with machines slipping sideways even when level. Good friend's brother died when a Deere 750 dozer side slipped UNLOADING, rolled to side and flipped him out then completed roll onto it's side, ROPS caught him mid chest and crushed him. SEAT BELTS!! USE THE DAMN THINGS! or set up side screens as the Aussies do.

 

[Metalman 55]

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-heavy-trucks/winnipeg/tri-axle-double-drop-non-detach-lowbed/1145940956

Anyone know anything about a 1958 King low bed? What is it rated for? Owner doesn't really know. But it's an affordable trailer.

King Trailers..........I believe they were manufactured in Woodstock, Ont (may have had other locations as well) in business until the late 80's or early 90's I think, which is a couple hours from me here in Southern Ont.

They were a good trailer in their day & I remember pulling one in the 70's moving dozers & excavators.

We recently purchased this tractor/lowboy combo & it seems to be a good fit for us. The trailer is a 55 ton unit. Both were a few years old & were purchased separately. I heard that some of the King employees got together to form the company (Sheltema Trailers) who made the one that we purchased.

 

[ippielb]

King Trailers..........I believe they were manufactured in Woodstock, Ont (may have had other locations as well) in business until the late 80's or early 90's I think, which is a couple hours from me here in Southern Ont.

They were a good trailer in their day & I remember pulling one in the 70's moving dozers & excavators.

We recently purchased this tractor/lowboy combo & it seems to be a good fit for us. The trailer is a 55 ton unit. Both were a few years old & were purchased separately. I heard that some of the King employees got together to form the company (Sheltema Trailers) who made the one that we purchased.

Nice set up, I like the idea of having the hydraulic detach neck non ground bearing because you can change your ride height to clear road obstacles.

That trailer I showed is still on the classifieds, I'm just unaware what the trailer would be rated for the owner said he wouldn't want to put my 60,000 pound machine on it. That's why I'm shying away from it.

 

[ippielb]

Found another king trailer, this one is hydraulic detach triple axle, 8'6" wide with flip outs. Looks like a decent trailer got my dad to go take a look at it for me. Probably going to pick this one up. Price is alright, has a good safety as well. Now while looking for trailers I found a nice kenworth t800, with wet kit to utilize the trailer and not worry about a power pack motor starting or having the juice to lift. Trailer is red, and truck is red. Would look pretty slick together. Price for both are still under what most trailers are selling for.

 

[ippielb]

Here's truck

 

[Metalman 55]

Here's truck

Keep us posted as to how you make out with this potential purchase. Looks like a good heavy unit.

 

[ippielb]

Well, settled on the price for the trailer. Just gotta go pick it up, tomorrow we are going to go look at a Case 9390 tractor to pull the air seeder, 425 hp with triples on it, might go look at the truck tomorrow as well.

 

[ippielb]

Should be picking up the trailer Friday, it looks like your trailer metalman, just need to get a pup motor for hydraulics, that t800 guy won't keep in contact so not getting that one.

 

[ippielb]

Got it home, and a set of my dads tires for his high clearance sprayer.

 

[Metalman 55]

What is the capacity of the trailer? Looks like a pretty heavy unit.

 

[ippielb]

Don't know exact number, but i got my dad to go get it for me, I'm on night shift. He said it sure pulled heavy. Guy said he thought 55 or 60 ton. I'm going to look around a bit more after I wash it for any more markings. It's kinda cold here today, -8 with 45 km hour wind gusts. Water would freeze the second I try and wash it.

But I got what I wanted, non ground bearing, hydraulic detach, air suspension, and triple axle. Hopefully it pays off.

 

[ippielb]

I think the trailer is a 50 ton. Went over the trailer, time to take the welder out and fix up some cracks. Then some cans of spray paint to try stop corrosion. I was surprised the lights worked at all on it, there was a hidden junction box under a plate in the front well, turns out there wasn't a cover on the top, and it was filled with mud and moisture. Had 12v at the neck plug, but only 8v on the junction box at the rear of the trailer, no wonder why the lights were dim, and the beacon wouldn't work. Also need to work out getting a power pack made up and hooked onto the trailer right away.

I have a guy who contacted me interested to see what I would charge to strip a piece of land, 300 feet x 400 feet(2.75 acres). He said anywhere from 3" of overburden to 12" of it. Did some number crunching, that's moving anywhere from 1100 yards to 4450 yards of material. And taking the shortest path, dumping the over burden on either side, which would be a 150 foot distance at the longest. Top speed of 8 feet per second would be a 36 second round trip. At 4 yards a bucket(if at max production), it would take somewhere in the area of 275-1112 buckets of dirt, and at 36 seconds a pop. 2.75 hours to 11 hours. I think over estimating the travel time would give me enough leeway to compensate for the time it would take to dump, and to scoop up another full bucket.

I was thinking of charging $225 an hour.

The job is probably a 6-7 hour drive round trip. How would someone charge for the drive? Just the hourly rate? Or how does everyone else do it? I heard they are charging $160 an hour to custom haul equipment. So if I just charged that would that be okay for transport?

Total it can be 8.75 hours-18 hour job.


$960-$1120 for transport.
At $225 an hour, if I charge hourly it would be $618-2475.

So if I gave a quote of $1,600-$3,600? Or would that be too large of a ball park?

Hard to say because the numbers he gave me were very broad. I'm not familiar with charging and calculating, everything I have done was not about a budget, it was a municipality job, tax money, so we just tried to do it right and make it last.

 

[CM1995]

Take a moment to think about this job, your numbers are unrealistically low.

You're going to haul a 973 3-3.5 hours one way, do the job and price it between $1,600 -3,600 total?

For example, I pay $250-350 to move my 321 track hoe around my working area. That could be 4-40 miles depending on project location. Now I don't do much hourly work, it's mostly bid work but I price that machine out at $135 per hour plus mobilization in and out and a 15% mark-up to cover overhead and profit.

So I would be between $500-700 for mobilization and say an 8 hour day at $135. Using the low mobilization number of $500, an 8 hour day and a 15% markup to cover overhead and profit, I would charge $1817 and be home at the end of the day.

The 15% markup is on the total - mobilization and machine. The machine should be charged at a rate to make a profit on it's own which is included in my hourly rate. The mark up is for your time outside of the machine working - looking, figuring and pricing the job. There is also taxes, licenses, insurance, etc. Your hourly rate should cover the insurance costs to insure that machine individually, however you have to cover the GL, WC, licenses, etc. which fluctuate with the volume of work you perform and the areas you work in.

For instance city business licenses in my area range from $50-300 just for the "privilege" to do work in their city. Sure you can skirt it for one job but if the license official drops by you'll be paying the license fee and a penalty. That may or may not be an issue in your area but it's a big source of revenue for the cities where I work.

I've rambled enough, take a look at your actual costs to travel that far, perform the work and make a profit.