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Odd Jobs around the 'hood?

Pixie

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
373
Location
NH
Occupation
remodeling
I'm going to take that as you knew the law and they didn't?
I'm a quiet person. My neighbor went ballistic on them and made them see how stupid it was. On top of the fact that whoever reported me said I used a skidsteer when my little green tractor has a backhoe....

I had no idea what the law was and by legal definition, the Right of Way comes right up to my foundation. (33 feet from the centerline) which I know but they don't acknowledge and wasn't the issue. Does this mean I need a permit to mow my lawn since I would be "working in the ROW" ?
 
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John Canfield

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2009
Messages
431
Location
Texas
Occupation
Ranching
We have no such hassles from local government here in central Texas, it's basically live and let live. I did get fussed a little bit from county streets and bridges when I put in a 32' double gate next to our primary gate for semis to use. I was mowing and a county guy motioned me over to chat, they were going to chip seal our little road. That's when he mentioned the big gate like I was supposed to get approval or something. Since it was an occasional use ranch gate he had no problem with it - still scratching my head over that one.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,246
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
We have no such hassles from local government here in central Texas, it's basically live and let live. I did get fussed a little bit from county streets and bridges when I put in a 32' double gate next to our primary gate for semis to use. I was mowing and a county guy motioned me over to chat, they were going to chip seal our little road. That's when he mentioned the big gate like I was supposed to get approval or something. Since it was an occasional use ranch gate he had no problem with it - still scratching my head over that one.

They just want $$$ in the form of a piece of paper. He probably figured the revenue from the permit wasn't worth his time.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,421
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
At the Nuke the Electrician shop has a sign, Kamikaze Cable Cutters, seems Every time they set a excavator to a trench they sheared some cable, EVEN with builders prints and maps. Have now come down to hiring a trench establishing super sucker company. Hydro Excavation for test slots prior to all out digging.
 

old-iron-habit

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
4,233
Location
Moose Lake, MN
Occupation
Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
At the Nuke the Electrician shop has a sign, Kamikaze Cable Cutters, seems Every time they set a excavator to a trench they sheared some cable, EVEN with builders prints and maps. Have now come down to hiring a trench establishing super sucker company. Hydro Excavation for test slots prior to all out digging.

Starting at least 5 years ago Embridge stopped all excavator excavating in the Minnesota and Wisconsin jurisdiction at any of the refinery or pipeline locations. All excavation is done solely by suck truck. Gets expensive on a 80 by 200 ft building with footing at 7 ft. deep. One broken pipe results in millions in legal fees even if no spill so hydro vacuuming excavation is probably cost effective and no public outcry.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,246
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
At the Nuke the Electrician shop has a sign, Kamikaze Cable Cutters, seems Every time they set a excavator to a trench they sheared some cable, EVEN with builders prints and maps. Have now come down to hiring a trench establishing super sucker company. Hydro Excavation for test slots prior to all out digging.

DM I've been contemplating getting into the hydroexcavation business as I only think it's going to be spec'd more and more beyond the utility, power and petrol markets.
 

Raildudes dad

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
411
Location
Grand Rapids MI
10+ years ago we had one guy step his toes into the water with hydrovac around here. Now there's 3 or 4 guys running hydrovacs, the water/sewer authority has one or two and one of the larger contractors has started running their own. In our urban area there is so much underground in the highway right of way. Now with directional boring of about any utility, a contractor cant afford to hand dig, scoop, hand dig, scoop for 6-8 feet when the utility might be 20-25 underground. Suck a vac width trench across the MISSDIG width and your done.
Do your research and get into it if there's not a number of folks in it already. It will take off once folks use it.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,421
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Currently six here at it, first up has nine trucks, oldest is a 2013 Newest is brand new. Trucks see the yard long enough for detail inspections then gone again. The other five are drawing straws for sloppy seconds and third place leftovers but are making a lot of coin.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,246
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
The only company that I know of in my area is the big dog - Badger. There are a few UG contractors that have them for their own use but there is no other competition than Badger that I know of.

The cost of entry is high at $250K for a single axle and $500K + for a larger rig. We'll see.
 

Raildudes dad

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
411
Location
Grand Rapids MI
Now that you mention the name, Badger was the first here. Now the closest Badger truck is 3-4 hours away across the state. You give quick, prompt service and I think you will do well. Our situation is like DMiller's, they all appear to keep busy. I know the big operator is.
I will tell you that once they have a load of water/mud on board, they are heavy. You don't have spring weight restrictions in AL but here in MI the trucks the big guy owns were too heavy empty on restricted roads. So where does he locate his shop - on a restrict road. o_O He told me that the DOT enforcement officer stopped him and just checked his paperwork. I told him he didn't want to get into weighing you and all that BS on a cold day.
 

aighead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
2,540
Location
Dayton, OH
At the Nuke the Electrician shop has a sign, Kamikaze Cable Cutters, seems Every time they set a excavator to a trench they sheared some cable, EVEN with builders prints and maps.

Not quite the same, but similar... Part of my job right now is managing a production line (or 4) and we are trying to move equipment around to increase efficiency. That being said I have the print of the floor layout (big concrete floor, lots of benches, equipment, and overhead utilities...) I'm going along rearranging on the computer and after a bit I find things don't seem quite right. Oh, just a simple thing like this aisle isn't really 8 foot, it's 6. I guess I'll be shifting everything over a bit.

So while it doesn't involve digging it does involve prints and maps being way off. I use kind of a combination of building support columns, 20'x20' squares cut into the floor, and the aisles to measure off of, and I really didn't expect something as simple as an aisle to be off that much. 2 feet doesn't make a difference, right?
 

JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
To the OP, don’t do it. Also don’t rent or lend your machine out.

Doing side work, running illegal without permits and insurance is a gamble and those are expensive enough to be prohibitive on side work level of money. And once you start a job you have to see it through, including dealing with equipment breakdowns, weather, and other factors.
 

aighead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
2,540
Location
Dayton, OH
I did just help my neighbor move his new-to-him 1950's era bulldozer on Friday. He's not the litigious type. While the 'dozer doesn't run, he claimed it is about 30 tons, and man was it nothing for me to push about 20-30 feet up his driveway with my backhoe. It was so easy to move, uphill even, that I was disappointed it wasn't more challenging.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,421
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
30T or 30K, most 50s era were the latter number. Had a guy trying to sell me on Scrap price for a machine, 24K weight, kept calling it 24T. Asked him weight of ton in pounds, then how many pounds of machine by type in pounds, he said "OH, guess I need to adjust the price down".
 

aighead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
2,540
Location
Dayton, OH
30T or 30K, most 50s era were the latter number.

Yeah, I'm not sure, it seemed easy to move for 30T... It looks a lot like the TD9 seen here but I'm not positive they are the same model... Also, after a little looking around my guess is it's neither 30, but probably much lighter...
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,257
Location
Canada
I did just help my neighbor move his new-to-him 1950's era bulldozer on Friday. He's not the litigious type. While the 'dozer doesn't run, he claimed it is about 30 tons, and man was it nothing for me to push about 20-30 feet up his driveway with my backhoe. It was so easy to move, uphill even, that I was disappointed it wasn't more challenging.

Doing a favor for a good neighbor is one thing. Doing work for a neighbor is the same as doing it for a friend and can be the biggest headache you ever had. Usually it's not worth it. Does depend on the neighbor though. If it's a neighbor that you don't really know, they'll expect you to do it for next to nothing, especially if they have no idea what equipment costs... Actually sometimes they do know and try to play dumb. I recently got my dump truck stuck and asked my neighbor if I could hire him to pull me out with his excavator. Cost me 150 litres of diesel ($175). Had I known beforehand I would have walked my Cat a mile from the other neighbors and tried to get it out myself. About 45 minutes after it was out one of the guys from the gravel pit came to ride. They also farm about 2000 acres. I'm sure he would have brought over a big tractor and pulled it out. I was happy the truck was out but a little shocked at asking for 150 litres of diesel for about an hour of his time.

Nobodies litigious until something goes wrong. Good for you helping your neighbor move the dozer. If the dozer would have got away and rolled into a vehicle or building, you know it would be your fault.
 

aighead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
2,540
Location
Dayton, OH
Yeah, I'm with you WD. He's helped me in similar ways with his skid steer a few times, he's a good guy and while I can't (obviously) say for sure that he wouldn't sue me if something were to go wrong, it seems unlikely after the various stuff we've helped each other with. Though it may bite me in some random end I will continue living a helpful neighbor life, not charging for favors and not expecting things in return. That being said, I am taking stuff you guys are saying to heart, and likely won't be doing any digging for anyone, too scary!

175 bucks worth of fuel to get unstuck seems insane!
 
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