iceberg210
Well-Known Member
I'm so glad there are people my age (18) and older who aren't ashamed (nor should they be) of working with machines that are on a smaller level. I still play/work with my Tonka's. I've built roads, towns, etc etc etc. I even built a ski resort in my back yard along with massive cut and fill projects that had to go into the project. Would I have rather been running larger equipment? Of course! But I'd if you can't do the big rigs, Tonka's are by far better then nothing, and certainly doing a huge project that you would need acres and acres of land to do is impossible for most of us on a full scale version so we might as well do it on a smaller level.
Its fun, and there's no harm in fun, especially when it teaches you stuff. the first time I got on a loader people were shocked how well I was able to do, and I believe that is in part due to the practice that I had had on a smaller level. I'd use (and still do) my loader for everything. Cutting, loading, even some rough grading, and I've been able to transfer some of that experience to the full scale models as well.
I firmly believe that experience with the smaller models help with the larger ones. You learn concepts like how to set up an effcient loading operation, slot dozing, how to load a truck properly, how to make cut and fills, the idea of little adjustments and small steps to accomplish large tasks, moving slowly to lessen mistakes that you have to fix latter, care of your equipment, etc etc etc. These and many more lessons can be learned with smaller scale machinery.
While I know there is no perfect substitute for the full scale machines I will leave with this real life example. I'm not trying to brag but for my age everyone always tells me I'm an incredible operator of all kinds of machinery. Even compared to other people who have the same amount of seat time I still fair better then most, and I'd have to think some of that goes back to my Tonka days. Even now when I'm trying to figure out how to stage a project I'll set up a model in Tonka and figure out the best way to do the job in miniature before taking the big rigs out. You'd be suprised in all the different places you can learn.
I'll have to get some pics up of my projects some time I think.
Thanks for the pics, great work you're doing!!!!:drinkup
Its fun, and there's no harm in fun, especially when it teaches you stuff. the first time I got on a loader people were shocked how well I was able to do, and I believe that is in part due to the practice that I had had on a smaller level. I'd use (and still do) my loader for everything. Cutting, loading, even some rough grading, and I've been able to transfer some of that experience to the full scale models as well.
I firmly believe that experience with the smaller models help with the larger ones. You learn concepts like how to set up an effcient loading operation, slot dozing, how to load a truck properly, how to make cut and fills, the idea of little adjustments and small steps to accomplish large tasks, moving slowly to lessen mistakes that you have to fix latter, care of your equipment, etc etc etc. These and many more lessons can be learned with smaller scale machinery.
While I know there is no perfect substitute for the full scale machines I will leave with this real life example. I'm not trying to brag but for my age everyone always tells me I'm an incredible operator of all kinds of machinery. Even compared to other people who have the same amount of seat time I still fair better then most, and I'd have to think some of that goes back to my Tonka days. Even now when I'm trying to figure out how to stage a project I'll set up a model in Tonka and figure out the best way to do the job in miniature before taking the big rigs out. You'd be suprised in all the different places you can learn.
I'll have to get some pics up of my projects some time I think.
Thanks for the pics, great work you're doing!!!!:drinkup
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