What the hell was I thinking! A tale of land development and our 1st rodeo in such.

[Homer Dokes]

never do a turn with the rippers in the ground. And always low gear.

I have made it a point not to do so. I've done minor correction as I get pulled off the horizon mark but I could ill afford to break off a tine by having made a substantial turn with them in the ground. I have always been using 1st gear. Don't want to push it any more than I have to and it's really doing well in 1st.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Looks fanfrigging tastic!

 

[Georgia Iron]

Looks like its doing a fine job. Both the ripper cylinders need to be rebuilt.... as you know ... pay some now or a whole lot more later.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Both the ripper cylinders need to be rebuilt

I noticed that too from the video however they do not leak. Will wipe them clean today and see if that continues. If so I'll order seals in and get it taken care of.

 

[chidog]

I have made it a point not to do so. I've done minor correction as I get pulled off the horizon mark but I could ill afford to break off a tine by having made a substantial turn with them in the ground. I have always been using 1st gear. Don't want to push it any more than I have to and it's really doing well in 1st.

Nomenclature, Rippers have shanks, not tines. LOL. I never correct when it gets pulled, either let it do its thing or pick them up stop and recorrect back up if needed then re engage. Matter of fact when ripping I don't think I even touch the steer controls, its been a few years since operating so memory not clear, like probably 15 or so years now not sure. Dozing is not always a steady state deal its lots and lots of back and forth, stop and go etc. Yeah a long dirt push or full blade of clearing debris move is done but that is about the only steady state deal.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Nomenclature, Rippers have shanks, not tines.

Shanks are what they have in prison... no? Don't shank me bro! lmao

I am finding that the larger the dozer... the more difficult it is to control the blade. It's a bit frustrating when that HD16 blade just wants to plunge into the ground and there is no fine adjust on the lever. It also doesn't help that the lever is nearly out of arms reach on it. I like the D6 so much better that way. I will say that I am really loving the decelerator. Have never used one before and I am getting quite used to it. I haven't figured out the trick to eliminating the wash board affect once it has manifested itself. I'd like to think it is just sitting the blade on the ground but not on the HD16. As stated... it just wants to plunge into the soil.

 

[chidog]

Maybe get some rod and bend it in such a way to get the blade control into a more comfortable position?

Yeah its those simple things that make some cats better. Though I hate that shoulder buster side pull lever mounted to the fuel tank on the older dozers.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Though I hate that shoulder buster side pull lever mounted to the fuel tank on the older dozers.

At the moment I have found that method (as it is on my D6) more comfortable than the nearly out of reach one at the dash on the HD16.

 

[Homer Dokes]

What a day it has been. For those following at home... I have created a new thread under scrapers regarding the breakage that occurred on the IH-412.

In the mean time... I made a counter offer to their counter offer to my original offer on the IH-E200 and they accepted it at noon today. Problem was... I had hoped they would last evening and made arrangements for delivery today which I had to cancel early this morning. Turns out when I called them at 1pm to reschedule... they were still able to get it done today. Here is my new addition on site as of 3:30pm today. Intended to double my clay moving throughput... it is now saving the day to move clay at all at the moment until I can overcome the issues of the IH-412.

Tomorrow... we move clay again.

 

[AllDodge]

Never done anything like what your taking on but, all I'm seeing is low end equipment in the hopes to save some funds. So far, the low end equipment isn't getting it done on the low

 

[Homer Dokes]

So far, the low end equipment isn't getting it done on the low

To each there own. I've watched every development around here with newer modern equipment have to have additional pieces of each equipment on site just to satisfy the failure of any of those being used. Tell me which is more cost effective.

 

[bam1968]

To each there own. I've watched every development around here with newer modern equipment have to have additional pieces of each equipment on site just to satisfy the failure of any of those being used. Tell me which is more cost effective.

Possibly those other developments have included a significant penalty per day after certain date for completion. I'm not going to comment on which is more cost effective but if you put yourself in there shoes you might have a little different perspective.

 

[Homer Dokes]

if you put yourself in there shoes you might have a little different perspective.

I have no doubt of that.

I've stated from the beginning this is not a conventional development... far from it. I know very well I am working against all odds. Including some in these forums that haven't been able to differentiate between conventional and what it is we are attempting here. If I listened to some here I should give up and walk away as I have no business being here in the first place. To that I would say those that feel that way have lost their passions in life and certainly that of rooting for the underdog.

I'm not purchasing this equipment to 'save' some funds. I'm purchasing it because it's what I can afford.... and... I will make it work.

There is a reason the title of this thread is what it is. Our funds are tied up in govt. bureaucracy and are partially released on the completion of milestones... meaning... I have very limited funds to work with to get to each release. This project is a huge gamble for myself and my partner... However... with persistence, ingenuity, and thinking outside the box it's a risk we have been willing to take and quite frankly... are in too far to turn back... and... after nearly 3 years into this... we have overcome huge obstacles in the process and will continue to do so. Every entrepreneur here I have no doubt understands that side of it and has experienced it on some scale. We've just decided to take a much bigger bite in the process than most do or did in their beginnings. For those that are not entrepreneurs, what you are seeing here in this thread is an example of what every new entrepreneurs goes through to get to where they are. It's a climb and struggle... unless... you are fortunate enough to have been born with a silver spoon... and for us... it's a struggle worth pursuing.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Some of us refuse to give up on life and simply tread water. It’s much more exciting to try and swim to the other side and it feels so much better.

 

[CM1995]

I've stated from the beginning this is not a conventional development... far from it. I know very well I am working against all odds. Including some in these forums that haven't been able to differentiate between conventional and what it is we are attempting here. If I listened to some here I should give up and walk away as I have no business being here in the first place. To that I would say those that feel that way have lost their passions in life and certainly that of rooting for the underdog.

Well I think we can all differentiate between conventional site work like some of us do and what you are attempting. However this is a discussion forum so your going to get, well a lot of discussion. Some will be complimentary and others not so much. It's just how it goes.

To each there own. I've watched every development around here with newer modern equipment have to have additional pieces of each equipment on site just to satisfy the failure of any of those being used. Tell me which is more cost effective.

We run "modern" equipment for some outfits with our prime machines ranging from 2019-2024 models. Uptime is greatly increased running the newer iron over the older models in my experience.

Our older iron ranging from 2004 - 2011 are spare machines for the most part. If we ran those hard everyday we would be working on them every other day. We get paid to move dirt and lay pipe not pull wrenches on broken down iron. Just different business models.

 

[Homer Dokes]

We get paid to move dirt and lay pipe not pull wrenches on broken down iron. Just different business models.

Given this is our first rodeo I would hardly call what we have a business model. We are learning as we go and affording it as we can. Given the opportunity to it again in the 2nd go around... you can bet we will take what we have learned... and made.... and make a better go of it.

 

[chidog]

At the moment I have found that method (as it is on my D6) more comfortable than the nearly out of reach one at the dash on the HD16.

That is where the Cats shine, that is when the side pull fuel tank mounted mess was no longer.
Yeah very stupid to mount it on the dash. Engineering? Did anyone ever test it before selling them in those days? This is why I say all equipment manufactures need to ask for operator help when designing things like dozers. Too much monkey see monkey do in all of manufacturing these days.

It is so strange that in the 60's all machines had such huge lever throw to make it function, almost zero thought process involved in design then.

 

[bam1968]

Maybe I missed it but I'm curious what you are using to compact your fill areas? I hope you are at least pulling a sheepsfoot or padfoot compactor?

 

[MG84]

Maybe I missed it but I'm curious what you are using to compact your fill areas? I hope you are at least pulling a sheepsfoot or padfoot compactor?

Yeah compaction is often overlooked these days, especially by smaller contractors, home builders, etc. To them one pass over a few feet of fill with a CTL is compaction. They look at me like I'm crazy when I'm pulling the sheepsfoot roller lap after lap around a building pad, new road, pond dam, etc.

I haven't read all the pages of this thread, but that scraper the OP has would be plenty good for compaction.

 

[CM1995]

Given this is our first rodeo I would hardly call what we have a business model.

Are you planning on making money on the project? If so that is a business model - good, bad or indifferent.