Gents,
Thanks for the feedback. Starting off I guess, in some of the situations I have been in since the dozer got fielded, I WOULD prefer a old cable machine...lol. Not to mention the electronics portions. I have had some of my fondest and most productive memories forged on older iron. I would accept the challenge to hop back on a 8v71 EIMCO or a brain rattlin Euclid and see if my production rates still apply. True, the Forest Dept and State Dept's might drive these into forest fires. How about driving (or operating) through soil profiles that have river like qualities...lets say the sewage laiden soil of Haiti where 70% of their soil is pure soup. Or perhaps Jordan, where the sand on the ground is so fine, its dust, but still has its abrasive qualities of regular beach sand? That being said, I have pushed soil over the better part of the globe, east to west, north to south, not just where there is a war. We do take care of our gear, but are reserved to make such comments from time to time based off of our gear. Marines especially, as the other Branches dont have this issue. Take for example the Army. They have many different makes, models and spec'd packages for "certain" contingencies. Then those spec'd machines sit there and wait for "What If's" to happen. Twenty years later it happens again. Then of course is the Air Force. Their H.E. is whatever they need. They get into theatre, RED HORSE deems the machines needed, and within 2 business weeks, new Yellow gear is brought forward on a lease type agreement. The fundamentals for the AF (theory of operation) is based off of Marine and Army gear, but the gear itself is rented or leased. Navy basically has a couple more types per gear, but its all the new stuff (Tri-Tracked dozer [bogey suspension] and whatnot). I too take pride in my mechanics work, and in the past decade and a half have started a passion for diesel. Heck, probably the reason why I drive and do my own work on my cummins pickup. Now the downside, my mechanics are MECHANICS....not technicians. They can troubleshoot (the old mechanical way [its what they are taught in school]) and hang parts. But when a computer goes down, we now require FSR's (Field Service Representatives) to do that. Talk about more money used.....which by the way....the average Marine who goes to theatre for 7 months leaves with 10-15k money. A FSR after 12 months? 190K+. Hmmm. I digress. As far as fast? Parts are taking longer to get and are in short supply...as everything is new. So a machine will take longer to become "UP" rather then "Down". No Beuno. You also mentioned a G series loader? Sorry Sir, never seen one. Air Force maybe...possibly Army. Not a Marine owned Machine. It was said later in the forum about being rough and tough. When my Marines got the new dozer, THEY WERE ESTATIC there was a freezing cold AC. Little did they know, it wasnt for them. It was for the computer(s). So long story short, autumn rolls around and they wanna push some material. Hang the doors open for some good ol NC weather, and what do ya know. The computer starts acting up when nothing was wrong with the physical machine. FSR deemed it as a dirty motherboard. Enough of the Rant....carry on
Semper Fi,
YID
ointhead . God only knows why they did it. :eek2
