OT: Experts

My Brother and I have heavy equipment.Years ago we did grading and clearing. The last 10 years we have specialized in demolition. Here in Charleston they started replacing boat landings one at a time about 20 years ago. The different contractors called us to take out the old concrete ramps then get us to put down gravel then they would form up and pour the new ramp above the low water mark. Once cured they would call us to push that concrete down below the low water mark. Usually takes two good sized dosers to break it loose. Once started moving it only takes one but it takes a good operator to get it in the right place without damaging it. Finally they had a big push and replaced the rest under one contract. Again we were called in to take out the old and help push in the new.
The last one was the biggest and closest to town. Big ceremony, local politicians,and tv cameras. They had two new high track D6's brought in for the show. They called us to run them. Now I can operate a dozer but we never had one newer than 20 years old and never owned a Caterpillar .
While waiting for everything to be ready We overheard two cameramen talking about the job and one tells the other that he heard that two Experts were being brought in to run the machines. Well......we looked at each other and our chests started sticking out. We started strutting around the job talking about pithagorated therums, pi r squares, theories of our relatives. You know expert talk.
After speechs and ribbon cut we get the signal they were ready for the experts(us). The cameras turned our way.So we sauntered over to the machines hopped up and get in the seats, my brother cranks his up, I look around then jump back down and go over to my brother and ask "How do you crank this thing up?"

Ron

I bet if I where to come back down to Charleston I would not know the place any more. I was stationed there back in the mid 70s when I was in the navy

I'm sure you wouldn't. We moved into town in 73 when Dad quit farming. Did you ever go out to the Cooper River drag strip?we spent a lot of time out there. By the way I think the Police are still looking for you for that stunt you pulled with the motorcycle.

Ron

My oldest son will be heading to Charleston in a few weeks. He's a cadet at The Citadel, Marines ROTC. Nice area.

They pushed a large on into the Ohio River in Rising Sun, IN a few months ago. There were 5 or 6 dozers pushing it.

Dean

Years ago a family operation was doing some hedgerow work on Dad's farm. A son came down the road to leave off a Case, I think 450 dozer. He went on by our place and was apparently going to leave it at a neighbor/cousin's(old house and barn) which was actually right in front of where we were working. When it became obvious what was going on, I took off on a run to catch him, figuring I would(be a big help)and get there before he left, and bring the dozer cross lots, creek, ditch, hedgerows, etc.
Well, he was fast, and I was slow. I sat on the thing for a long time trying to find a way to start it! Although I hated to,(didn't want to walk back, and didn't want to admit defeat), I was about to give up. Finally, if I recall correctly, I found a push button under a flip up cover between the control levers. Then it was a little learning experience running the low/high levers vs. steering clutch/brakes!

Well if they are still looking for me and that motorcycle they will have a hard time finding me or that motorcycle. Last place I knew that bike was in MI. I traded it off when it cracked the head between the valve which was common place on that bike and me of course I am way out here in Missouri. Never did get to the drag strip and also never got to tour the York town I think it is that is tied up as a tourist site.

That's as bad as the night a buddy called me to run about a mile down the road and change a flat tire on his wife's SUV. I pull up in a big, fancy service truck, take a look at things, and was lost. The first thing I had to ask her was, "Where's the owners manual". It took reading the manual and about 10 minutes just to figure out how to get the spare tire down. From there I was golden, but it sure started out shaky....

As far as starting equipment, have you enountered any of the new ones where you enter a code onto a keypad? I've run into several Bobcats so far with the setup. Those are a real peach as long as you've got the code. The problem comes when the customer sets a special code and forgets it, forgets to tell you and then isn't available when you call, etc, etc, etc. Basically it's just one more use of technology in equipment that's about as worthless as teets on a bull because criminals have proven for way too many years that if they want something bad enough there is NOTHING that will stop them.

Never forgot 1st time on D8N, told old skinner I was shooting grade for that I had been "practicing" at home. Neglected to tell him on a TD-6. Made 3 pushes to the 245 loading bellys and had enough to fill a pickup box. His ONLY polite comment was "you need more practice".

Sorta like the sale at place I lease a month ago. Big wheel son of deceased owner climbd up on a 706, then had trouble starting it and couldn't figure how to get it into gear to move it, then couldn't figure how to get it back into 'park'.

Great story Ron.
There's nothing like a little forced humility to get a fellow's feet planted back on the ground.

Father-in-law worked for a local contractor building terraces and waterways. A new highway was to be build so the that contractor call my FIL"s boss about hireing a guy and a dozer. Took the dozer to the job site and found out it was union. The contractor ask if another guy could run it and he said yes go ahead. It was not runing and the union guy said could you start it, we do not start them or shut them off. FIL"s boss just loaded it up and took it back home.

In days gone by when I couldn't keep up with the demand for my Excavating/Earthmoving business I sent a few "ace Operators" home for not being able to start a machine...not a new style anyway.

But not all were bad. Had a fella come out to run a blade along with a Cat 613 elevator scraper to finish a 13" cut for a access road. I looked at the cut and figured He'd need a dozer, so I sent a Cat D-3. Came by about 4:30 in the afteenoon, the D-3 was right where the lo-boy dropped it off and the fella was just wiping up the job and it looked like a picture! I was so impressed, I had to stop Him to tell Him how much I appreciated His work. All He said was: "The trouble with not knowin' what yer doin, is you never know when yer done!" "I'll be done in ten minutes" and He was.
:>) Larry NEIL