Waterfront home demo

[312King]

We dont have thumbs on either of our 312s. Just 48" buckets We have wrecked alot of houses. I break the wood up real good and trust me i get full buckets. You dont need a thumb. Is it easier. YES. But we manage just fine.

 

[D5G]

man, I forgot how easy it is to load out brick with a grapple.... looks like quite a job.

 

[AtlasRob]

im not sure which is odder to me rob...the lack of a thumb or those strange round things that seem to be where your tracks go! :drinkup

:lmao :lmao :thumbsup

A thumb or grapple is 1000 times more efficient, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do to get the job done. Anyone whose ever worked for themselves knows that.

I am seriously thinking about a rehandling / demo grab as the machine is plumbed ready to take it, but at £8000 for a secondhand one it will have to wait

I was running the old Hoptoes and Gradall excavators both track and truck mounted way before thumbs ever hit the market. So I know it can be done, but to due it the quickest cleanest and most cost effective there is no better way that I have seen.

I would have to agree from what I have seen.

Rob I looked at your site, very impressive looking operation, you should treat yourself to a thumb, you`d be a huge hit on that side of the pond. Hell I wish you had a tool there that I could use here that would revolutionize the rental market! I`m always looking.

Thanks for the very kind words.
The big difference between us is that I dont do any price work, I only do hire work. Admittedly the shortest hire in almost 8yrs was 16weeks but trying to get the contractor to appreciate how much more productive you can be with extra attachments is :Banghead

 

[Wawrecker]

It tickles me that the guys who are born and raised around machines with a thumb cant imagine being able to do anything without a thumb.

Dont get me wrong they appear to be a wicked piece of gear for certain jobs.

We dont do thumbs in the UK but we seem to manage

View attachment 35605

Ya, we used to get around fine with a horse and buggy too!

 

[Wolf]

Sweet demo pictures. looks like a great machine for the job, and congrats for doing it without a thumb or grapple. hey, whatever works, right?

 

[Dig-UP]

Sweet demo pictures. looks like a great machine for the job, and congrats for doing it without a thumb or grapple. hey, whatever works, right?

You got it!!

 

[ddigger]

Rob I here you on that.

trying to get the contractor to appreciate how much more productive you can be with extra attachments is

Like you all of my work is also done by the hr. Here a guy needs to be very carefull to make it clear that the extras are not included with the base price. Would you share some pics of the trencher attacment you speak of on your site. Thank you.

 

[AtlasRob]

Would you share some pics of the trencher attacment you speak of on your site. Thank you.

Sorry no pictures on my machine. :Banghead but it sure brings a few hits when people put chaintrencher in Google :cool2
I was looking at the possibility of doing duct trenches behind crash barrier on motorway verges where the norm is to use mini diggers.
I worked out it was probably possible with an adapter on one of these which along with a rotating head would give me just about every angle imaginable .

http://www.augertorque.com/augerpdf/trenchingattachments.pdf

http://www.digbits.co.uk/excavator_attachments.htm

even found a guy who would hire me a unit and fabricate an adapter but the work has not cropped up to give it a shot.

Going back to the thing about Thumbs in the UK, or lack of I was talking to Miller Site Solutions area rep today ( Miller Q Hitches )
http://www.millerdirect.com/
and he reckons that they did a survey a few years ago with a view to bringing the idea to the UK and there was no market, the industry didnt want them :beatsme

 

[bear]

Going back to the thing about Thumbs in the UK, or lack of I was talking to Miller Site Solutions area rep today ( Miller Q Hitches )
http://www.millerdirect.com/
and he reckons that they did a survey a few years ago with a view to bringing the idea to the UK and there was no market, the industry didnt want them :beatsme

You could have one fabbed up and be the first guy on the block with one and set trend Atlas Rob you do have a heck of an operation business there.

 

[joispoi]

You could have one fabbed up and be the first guy on the block with one and set trend Atlas Rob you do have a heck of an operation business there.

x2

Geith in Ireland makes thumbs.

 

[AtlasRob]

Geith in Ireland makes thumbs.

Thanks for that :thumbsup I need to talk to them about a hitch for the duck, so I can kill two birds with one stone (as they say).

I am reliably informed that The airports and the olympic sites have completely banned semi automatic quick hitches and believe it or not Miller whos semi I have, cant make a fully automatic hitch to suit my machine :beatsme.

So from where did I get an enquiry :Banghead

 

[bill onthehill]

Why would they ban any kind of quick hitch? Are they worried about an attachment falling off?

 

[AtlasRob]

Why would they ban any kind of quick hitch? Are they worried about an attachment falling off?

Basically, yes. Have a look at this thread, I have linked to start at page 3 but the whole thread is quite intresting if you have the time. :drinkup

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=6107&page=3

 

[RoadDoc]

Thumbs....hitches........grapples

Rob:

Read the thread about the hitch situation over there. Very interesting. Personally, not too big on any government mandates. They haven't demonstrated the ability to run their own business too well, much less, mine. Tend to be knee jerk reactions to a deeper problem as you so clearly demonstrated. Sounds like now you have to spend money to replace perfectly adequate equipment to stay in the market....:Banghead

Now, :my2c

I've run dead thumbs and have owned hydraulic (live) thumbs. They are awesome to be sure. However, for the extra cost involved, based on what I've observed, one would be light years ahead with a rotating grapple of any style. So many times have I been a hold of something and needed to have it oriented lengthwise (i.e. loading long material in a truck) or wanted to hold something for a bit (i.e. a leaning tree while it's being cut). I know you spend tons of time on road projects where you can't always get in the spot you'd prefer to be in...

Thought about one of those Helac buckets that opens like a 4 in 1. Still think the rotation would be worth the extra money... Probably could do some cool front shovel work on a pin grab hitch, though!

It probably won't be long before someone has a tiltrotator with the auto hydraulic connection system in your market. I would think having the grapple would put you in a better position to compete at that time. Speaking of tiltrotators, that trencher attachment you showed us would be like a surgeon's knife on one of those! :jawdrop

Sorry.... I let my fantasies run away with me for a minute.

Hope you can find a way to use the hitch you have for a good long while! :drinkup

By the way, does anyone know for sure what a tiltrotator costs? Since I have to ask, I will assume I can't afford one...

 

[AtlasRob]

Sorry for hijacking your thread Dig-UP

Sounds like now you have to spend money to replace perfectly adequate equipment to stay in the market..

Its a minor pain as it happens as 2 big road jobs start after Easter which I am hopeful of getting on at least one .

The airport work would be nice but I have since found out that somebody has that pretty much sewn up and the Olympics I want to avoid if possible as access and parking etc is a major pain.

Thought about one of those Helac buckets that opens like a 4 in 1. Still think the rotation would be worth the extra money....

I looked at the possibility last year after seeing Brian Hays, £7000

By the way, does anyone know for sure what a tiltrotator costs? Since I have to ask, I will assume I can't afford one...

Funny you should ask I went on Geiths web site a couple of days ago to get a phone number then thought no, internet, use the enquiry form.
Has anybody rung me :umno
So today I was chatting to an Engcon rep.
Although I believe my machine is ready to just pin one on, the quote includes powering it from the levers just in case.
As I use a breaker and do some hard digging at times, it is recommended I have a detachable set up which basically means I have a fully automatic hitch on the machine which I would use as now ( need adapter plates for my buckets and breaker at £220 a time ) then the tilt/rotator would pick up on the hitch.
Ready

£11,430 another £550 if it needed to be fitted ( wired ) + 15% tax.

In all fairness that is the very worse situation, because there are so many different bits that could be needed without a survey it was better to include wiring etc that almost certainly wont be needed.

Do you want one

 

[RoadDoc]

Dig Up:

Nice demo job! :notworthy

Sorry I got off topic there, too.

How many loads did it take to haul off? I've always wondered how to calculate haul off quantities for demolition projects.....