My OWN Fault

[skyking1]

very cool! I have not loaded with a crawler in 40 years, and the last one I ran was a 977 with a rake on it, clearing out roots for a nearby golf course construction *30* years ago. The industry here just does not use CL's.

 

[DMiller]

Is a B, have six scattered at materials pull piles throughout the county and two As. Strong Machine, turns on a Dime and will flat drag up 3 ton buckets full.

 

[DMiller]

very cool! I have not loaded with a crawler in 40 years, and the last one I ran was a 977 with a rake on it, clearing out roots for a nearby golf course construction *30* years ago. The industry here just does not use CL's.

Most bang for the buck and dependable as it gets for this type work.

 

[skyking1]

Of the 656 CL's for sale on Machinery Trader, 3 are in Washington state, 2 in Oregon, 2 in Idaho. I put in your zip code, and there are 35 for sale in your state alone
It is really an out west thing, they just don't show up around here. Very weird and my first dozer was a johnny 350 CL.

 

[DMiller]

Many have changed out to all excavators and clean up CTLs where hard steel track loaders have a unique position at times hard to beat. Now here rubber tire equipment gets the less than acceptable stare, began getting a good foot hold in the 70s then waned back to small scale operations, landscapers, yards where concrete was in prevalence and Quarries. Not all too popular here.

 

[CM1995]

We run both set ups - a real track loader and excavator/CTL's. Each crew has a 25 ton excavator, CTL and trench roller. Our 953, big roller and D5 get shared between the two as needed. For the last year the 953 has been at our dump doing push off duty. IMO a track loader is the best machine to push off a dump as it's much easier to handle the large chunks of concrete and other debris.

Starting to see more and more wheel loaders on commercial dirt crews in the city areas. They are not popular at all outside the urban areas until you get to South Alabama where it's all sand.

 

[DMiller]

Not too enjoyable a week. Got the dubious detail to deliver rock to a highway job, Median Delivery at a small river bridge project of Interstate 70. Adding a lane to the bridges before add a third highway lane, traffic is insane, idiots DO NOT, WILL NOT slow for Construction Zones, the three trips in we take the Monfort Lane a MILE away from the project set 4 ways and begin the slow down while MODOT runs a Trucks Entering Leaving Median, USE RIGHT LANE AHEAD Billboard Sign running, Means NADA, ZILCH, BUBKUS where each pass there are morons headlight flashing, bobbing and weaving, flipping the bird etc etc etc and NOT a Cop in Sight. Both of us on project had been tempted to get a new truck for the boss, slam on brakes but chances are these idiots have no insurance.

Last two days hauling rock to a fella for a house foundation project, WAY BACK in the woods where the Owls do the Chickens for recreation, narrow SOFT almost a lane wide gravel on clay path, first loads in not bad then moisture started working up in the clay/loaming soil with next loads in leaving couple in deep mash ruts pushing soil and rock to the sides. Yesterday it rained, we were leaving six inch ruts, was dreading the entry to his few acres where the 10" wood posts were JUST wide enough for us to pass, a small bobble or side slip and we were bound to get one but didn't So what was supposed to be 8 loads turned into 14 20t plus with the extra 6 of 2"minus for the road on last passes he was going to spread and walk in with the concrete trucks next week. Just a Slop hole.

More work this morning, then 3"-6" toad strangler rains coming in to shut it down. May get the left bed side board I busted with the 963 replaced, And YES I got the damn board!! Fifth load at clay pit third day running there was getting tired and Allis controls Muscle Memory kicked in as to bucket, Cat is Reverse and I dumped when shoulda curled while backing to level load of boulders off and then tapped a L steer which is NOT a brake as the old AC!! Frustrating to say the least. Board was cracked but hanging in until yesterday when I got up in bed and took it completely out Just In Case should let go on its own.

 

[skyking1]

It happens .....
I made the current set out of partially rotted 4x6 that I ripped to 3" because
A) the mini will only lift so high
B) the mini will only lift so high
I did stain them pretty with leftover stain.
I expect to cream one well before the age of the wood is a factor

 

[DMiller]

Today was a Rain Delay day. Got board fixed on dump truck, aided another to replace the one he got, then aided in several tire replacements then told to 'Standby' as another driver was taking me on a Education ride along to pickup and deliver cement clay to Hannibal MO. Been raining, driver was late getting back due to clay sticking in trailer. Got herded into truck and we went to stockpile, other driver loading his rig. Clay is Moist, not so much wet but that dangerous plastic GLUE like consistency that will not release from ANY metallic object. Loader bucket a good 1/4 to 1/3 semi permanent loaded, lot looked like a giant had shat everywhere and was squishing thru the rails, track trucks absolutely packed. Get our truck loaded then all hands bail into clearing sticky mess. Hour later bucket cleared, sprocket and upper roller as well idler freed from sticky goo. Get tour of routes to Continental Cement plant, learn to hit scale at Center MO first then move on to the cement plant. ONE truck at a time into stockpile shelter untarp, dump suspensions, open end gate and dump load. Clean off tail area that will hold product, verify trailer is EMPTY, back thru Foley MO pickup concrete rock for local concrete company, deliver and end of day.

 

[CM1995]

Last two days hauling rock to a fella for a house foundation project, WAY BACK in the woods where the Owls do the Chickens for recreation,

DM that's the funniest damn thing I've heard all week! Wife and I laughed our asses off at that line, as we live in the suburbs with an owl that lives in the strip of woods behind our house and the subdivision behind us. The neighbor 3 doors down has a rooster (against city regs like a care.. - I want a chicken coup but boss/wife says no but that's another story) that crows all day. We've heard the owls getting busy at night and the rooster crowing during the day - absolutely hysterical.

 

[DMiller]

Thanks CM
Around the four counties we are close in associated there seems to be regions that time has slipped by, we call them ‘lands that time forgot’ and as such the comment as to the Owls crops up in conversations along with the Family Sticks(no limbs or branches) appears too.
Reverts to that cousin mother sister aunt wife or cousin father brother uncle same person contexts in rather disconcerting evidentiary roles.

 

[CM1995]

DM that sounds like Chigger Ridge in Cullman County AL. They live in school buses up in those hills and hollers..

 

[DMiller]

They 'live' in all manner shack, barn, converted derelict RVs, old school buses, etc around the four county area and generally with a Tribe of children.

 

[CM1995]

Same trunk of the same tree?

 

[DMiller]

This is one Clay pit we haul from, the excavator is in there, can just make out the top of the boom, 300 series Deere.

 

[DMiller]

So took yesterday Off, Dog to Vet, me to Audiology and picked up my Aids from repair. MUCH better now as can hear again!! This morning started off , OK for a moment, then the Slugs driving 40 on the straights and 55 in corners began, got behind a Slow moving Grove Crane, three DAWDLING 'Old People' fiddle farting around going to the Store(Where they turned off), bears in every hidey hole with traps set and three of us making for the I-70 project yet again. They hauled 14 loads at 22avg ton per load yesterday, we hauled 15 loads of avg 24t today and they need four more in the morning.

 

[DMiller]

Been a different kind of week!
Ended last week with removal of a rock fall at one of our local B&B Spa centers up overlooking town, small bluff face decided was time to shear. Several other pieces will likely have to come down too. Going back to retrieve more this morning, have to enter off tenth st in town to back up and around curve to resort close to 1/8 mile. Yesterday had "Bridge Mat' (Shot Rock) to haul to a replacement bridge project not seven miles from our yard and only mile or so from quarry, HOWEVER, had to haul to Opposite Side of the bridge some 12 miles ONE WAY down unpaved secondary county roads, most of the time slimy from light rain and unpredictable shoulder(NONE) where would have to ease over for the dozens of small vehicles using same for a shortcut around bridge.
On Google Maps would be Hwy 100 at J to west of Hermann, Bridge project is noted on MODOT Site, then down First Creek rd to Mertens Quarry then further down First Creek to Zastrow Rd(AWFUL) to Hwy F to Hwy J to W end of bridge.
Adventure did not stop there, turn around at county road 'wye' intersection to back into site around office/tool trailer and forms on Right to around Terex American on Left down mud bank to deposit Shot Rock, raining pretty well steady all morning. Hauled nine loads with three trucks to where they can set iron in a week or two, rough idea around 260t where I averaged 20t a load.

the resort;

 

[DMiller]

The Driveway, Oh and the Manager of the site decided we were getting too close to the Decorative Landscaping so parked her Come On Arrow in the way.

 

[DMiller]

Finally the Bridge work, too busy getting in and out of the hole to get pics



Final loads after set mat on W side was back across low water culvert fill and deposit loads for E Side Mat, both other trucks(Sub Contractor) had fun getting out, little Frt Shaker has lockers along with Power Divider and not a issue., Older American on E end, T/Am on W side with a 3110CM Watson.

 

[DMiller]

The bluff face took out two clients cars and massively damaged the Owner's light truck, found they retrieved the pickup and the cars before hammering the rock to bits.