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Looking for quality laser options

lumberjack

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2011
Messages
1,044
Location
Columbus, MS
Columbus isn't that far away, I need to swing by and get some pointers on taking trees down with a saw.;) I can lay'em down with a machine but my saw skills are lacking when they're already laying on the ground.

What's 57 stone going for a ton in your area? Your price sounds a little high comparing it to our prices. How many LF of pipe and what type of structures - nyoplast/ADS or pre-cast?

Is there a City/County spec for the driveway turn-out or is this a private road?

Come on by! We currently have a plethora of work although it comes and goes. Taking down 7 decent sized trees on (our) hwy 69 Thurs/Fri/Mon.

$22/T for limestone. 243' between headwalls. The river rock he wanted is $315/T, 3 tons. Precast catch basins from B&B in Tupelo, $918 delivered. They said the bottom section weighs 3600lbs, so to be safe I put in a boom truck in case (given the slope) the AL540 didn't like it. That was $700 (certified signal man, 4 hour minimum :/). I could have worked that out cheaper, but he was breathing down my neck for a price so I wanted I be covered.

All told my materials were around $13250 with tax and a 25% markup to cover delivery and oppses. I added $1k because to cover any additional delivery charges and for a work change allowance for him.

I figured 7 days to get the work done. 3 to lay the pipe, 1 day to do the headwalls (poured in place concrete with rock overlay), 1 day to backfill and rough grade, 1 day to spread the topsoil and final grade, and another day to seed/straw and have some extra time for things that took longer than expected. I was also figuring on 10 hour days. I figure labor was around 20-30% higher than actual, which is inline for most bidded jobs I do (vs hourly). I accept that that is rare in the contracting field.

No city ordinances/code for storm drains. It's a city road.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
57 stone is $13.50 +/- a ton delivered here but we have so many limestone quarries, they dot the landscape. Are your precast inlets knockout boxes? I really like working with them as it's easy to knock out the size hole you need for the pipe, minimizes brick and mudding.

I retract what I said earlier about your price being high, actually you are right in line with what I would have bid it at, giving the spec's. I roughly take storm pipe materials and double it to get a price, then add anything that might be out of the normal scope like deep pipe, multiple structures, etc. You have poured in place headwalls with a stone facade so that definitely adds some cost.;) $315 a ton for river rock, that must be some nice rock.:cool2

My basic labor rate is $27.50 per hour. My average labor burden is $20.25 per hour, factoring WC and employer paid taxes. It's not high enough to make any money but it's about all the market will bear at this time. It needs to be $35.00 or so but my 953C also needs to be $145-155 per hour as well.:rolleyes: The market conditions just don't support those numbers but I have been increasing rates every so slowly in the bids I have submitted, lost some and won a few. Time will tell.
 

lumberjack

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2011
Messages
1,044
Location
Columbus, MS
I didn't get that detail with the catch basins, I'll remember to figure that out next time. I presumed they were going to be cast in holes, but now that I think of it, I understand the situation much better! :lol:


I was only going to use stone for the 15' either side of the driveway's centerline (16' wide drive). I was going to use sand ($10.70T + delivery) for the rest of the pipe. The river rock is just that, nothing special. The big rock was about the same size as 100lb rip rap. Aside from gravel here and there, my area has nothing in the way of rocks. I figured there was a fair chance I could find it cheaper elsewhere, that's where the home owner suggested getting it.

You're saying you make $7.25 per man/hour on labor? Does that include yourself? That's plumb awful unless you're making your money elsewhere! My planned work year runs from March through October, and even still we are rarely "busy." I don't have any employees, my climber and the groundy are both subs. Still... you must be making your money elsewhere!
 

mitch504

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
5,776
Location
Andrews SC
Getting back to the subject of lasers, believe it or not, I use a Dewalt and have been very happy with it for years.
 

DGODGR

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2009
Messages
1,062
Location
S/W CO
My newest laser is a TopCon RL100-2s. It's a programmable dual slope laser. I decided to buy this unit (in the $3-4k range) because I felt that I wanted to buy a better quality laser than the ones I had purchased in the past. I have had the laser for several seasons (this will be my 4th or 5th). I am not sure that I would recommend this level to others. I have had some problems with it. More than I would think is acceptable for a high quality instrument. Often, usually when cold, it will give me an E-83 error code. I have returned, it several times, to my supplier. While they have been great by giving me a loaner, they have not been able to find out why it is doing this. Even TopCon has been involved (the laser even went to them) and they have not been able to figure it out either. Ultimately they gave me a new one. While I do feel as though this is great, I have had the same issue with the new one (all the loners too). Of course, I am the only person who has ever had this isssue, according to my supplier and TopCon. It must be due to my specific environmental conditions and/or the way I treat it.:confused: One of the features that I like is that it comes with rechargeable batteries. They seem to last a long time, can run the instrument if plugged in to a receptacle (while charging), and the unit can be run on D cells in a pinch. I read one post where someone was complaining about sensitivity in the "transmitter upset" feature. While this is certainly a PITA it is much better than grading the job to the wrong grade if the laser is bumped. On my TopCon this can be turned off.
Prior to that unit I have purchased a much less expensive laser. I started out with a CST LMH400. It is also a programmable dual slope laser. I'm pretty sure it's made in China. After about 3 years it would fail, about once every year, and require service. That's hard to complain too much about as any laser should receive anual callibration anyway. This laser lasted about 8 years before I was told by the repair shop that it was no longer worth repairing. While I still had the CST I purchased a David White as a second level. I don't recall the model number but it is the same unit as the CST with a different cover. It has proven to be a little less trouble than the CST but does seem to consume batteries faster. It also has proven to be less troublesome than the TopCon, and will usually work when the TopCon refuses (extreme cold). Same job, same day, same time. So far the David White is still going strong. It resides in the crew truck and is used almost daily. If memory serves, the CST cost me about $1,700 (bought new in 2001 from White Cap) and the David White was about $2,000 (I think I bought it in '05). Both included a story pole, case, tripod, and receiver with the transmitter. The David White also included a hand-held remote. Both run on D cell batteries.
I would like to clarify something about the dual slope lasers that I have seen. Lumberjack had stated that he wanted to do a parking lot that drained to a swale (esentially creating a valley as I understood it). I am not aware of any laser that can broadcast (2) grades along the same axis. This is what would be required to make a "V" unless you set and graded one side of the valley at a time. As with any laser it has (2) axis..."X" and "Y". The (2) axis are set 90 degrees from one another. If one wants to set both axis on a slope this can be done but it is essentially the same as making a table top that is pitched forward, and to the right (as an example).
Another thing to note is that if you are using the slope feature, for pipe or grading, the laser MUST have the sloped axis parrallel to the intended slope. If one works along a radius, or has a curve in the pipe tie, the slope becomes in-accurate. The farther away from parrallel, the less steep the slope will be. Working a radius can be done but it requires frequent reseting of the laser and is still not accurate unless the radius is composed of a bunch of short straight sections that deflect where they intersect.
I hope that this makes sense to the reader.
 

lumberjack

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2011
Messages
1,044
Location
Columbus, MS
I'm thinking Spectra GL522 or UL633 for myself.

Bump. I didn't get the pipe job, but I've got the job of putting in the house pad and driveway. Around 1k bank yards to cut out and 5.5 yards of fill.

The job has the budget for the laser built in. I know I want a grade rid and receiver as well as a machine mount receiver.

I still presume a dual slope laser is the way to go long term although I'm honestly not sure what applications would require a dual slope. To my knowledge, the two options above seem like the best choice. I plan on ordering this week, maybe tomorrow.

Budget wise I have allotted $4k as a ballpark for the setup. I would like to keep it under $5k although I'm fine with it being under $4k assuming it's a solid choice.

Any final words of wisdom?
 

Dickjr.

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
1,484
Location
Kentucky
I wish I'd caught this earlier. I picked up a Sprectra LL300 with a CR 600 tripod and stick for 1050$ from Midwest Construction Equipment in Warsaw In. . IT will do slope with the optional remote. As far as a pipe laser I have a Sprectra I'd sell, just tested . I just don't use it any more. You will like that CR600. For pads its great . For lateral fields and footers not so good as a ground man.
 

Chad@SitechTR

Active Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
39
Location
Memphis, Tn
UL633 and kit, 2 HL750s, and CR600 ordered today.

Who did you buy from? Wish I had found this forum earlier. I work for the Sitech dealer in Memphis. We sell Spectra lasers and Trimble GPS products. If you need anything laser related or a calibration done, let us know
 

lumberjack

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2011
Messages
1,044
Location
Columbus, MS
Good to know, I'm going to check the laser's calibration soon, rather than trust it out of the box.

I bought from MidTech Services, $4100 in all.

My only complaint thus far is the tripod is ungainly large to haul in the truck and far bigger than I'll likely need. Also the head of the tripod needs two set screws, as it wiggles on the one.

In the next month or so I'll actually put the laser to work, it's been too wet thus far aside from some layout work.



ImageUploadedByTapatalk1373313520.712371.jpg
 

Chad@SitechTR

Active Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
39
Location
Memphis, Tn
Sounds good. We were down past West Point last week doing a GCS900 install on a D6N for Century Construction. We are new to the Memphis market and trying to get word out that we are open and ready for business. Anything we can do for you, just let me know!
 

robblink

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
5
Location
Virginia
I went with an AGL brand of laser and am very happy with the slope function. I shopped around quite a bit and the best price was at engineersupply. They had other brands but I ended up going with the AGL EAGL.
 
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