Had to get my skid steer pulled out of a muddy ditch in Spokane last Tuesday because I missed a loose track tensioner. The five minutes I 'saved' in the morning cost me half a grand and a whole afternoon. What's the dumbest little thing you've ever missed on a walk-around that caused a big headache?
Found it in an old trade magazine at a yard sale. Who else has stumbled on a cool piece of equipment history?
I was working on a small pad site last month, trying to get a smooth finish with the dozer. This kid fresh out of the union apprenticeship walks over and just says, 'Your bucket's too high, man.' I looked down and realized I had the cutting edge tipped back almost 15 degrees the whole time, just dragging material instead of slicing it. I leveled it out and the next pass was clean as a whistle. How many other little habits do we pick up without knowing?
Found it in a quarterly report from our state's contractor licensing board, which really makes you rethink the 'it's small, it's fine' attitude. Anyone else have a close call with a smaller machine they want to share?
Honestly, I ran a 2015 336 for years on a site in Boise and thought the new 2023 models with all the proximity alarms and cameras were just overkill. Tbh, after using one for the last six months, I've had zero close calls with buried lines or guys on foot. It's not about being a bad operator, it's about having an extra set of eyes when you're tired after a 10-hour day. Has anyone else found these systems actually useful, or is it just more stuff to break?
We were clearing a site outside of Flagstaff, and the laser level box on the blade just went dead. No warning, just a blank screen. I had about 200 feet left to cut to spec. My foreman, Mike, just yelled 'You got eyes, don't you?' from the truck. So I shut the cab door to kill the noise and finished the pass by watching the fall of the dirt and the shadow line on the stakes. It came in within a quarter inch. Anyone else have to finish a job the old-school way when the tech quit?
We started taking five minutes to plan the next move over coffee. I realized that this quick chat prevents us from digging in the wrong spot (you know, like that mess last month). Do any of you use small breaks to double-check the work ahead?
In my experience, just seeing the numbers made the crew think twice about letting engines run, but your mileage may vary.
Just got back from a six-week stint up north running a dozer on a pipeline project. Everyone talks about the big checks and adventure, but the isolation and time away from home hit me harder than I expected. Am I the only one who thinks the glamour of travel jobs is overrated?
Had to level a big uneven section for a parking lot base last Thursday, and my usual machine was down. Rented a newer skid steer with tilt controls, and it cut the work time in half. The precision let me avoid over-digging near the property line. For those who've used different models, what features do you look for in a rental for tight spots?
A seized pin cost me a day's work last month.