RDrancher's Photo Thread

[RDrancher]

I started this job sometime last year. Cut a swale and another contractor came in during the rain and basically totaled it. The homeowner and I decided that it would be best for me to pull off the job and wait for the subs to get closer to finishing.There's a ton of commercial and subdivision work going on in the area, so I had the homeowner on the lookout for free dirt since he needed quite a bit. While they were building the home he had 600+ yards delivered. I'll probably need ten more semi loads of dirt to get the main driveway up to grade before gravel and topping.


And here's the condition of the road and jobsite as of yesterday morning.

 

[RDrancher]

The free dirt isn't the best, but I need 12-18 inches and I'll be spreading topsoil over the yard so it'll work. The builder will be bringing in select fill to place against the home so I'll have the grade set where I want it so he can match.


Day two.


Hmmm...the screwy uploader is placing attachments out of order, but you'll figure it out.

 

[RDrancher]

A couple more.

 

[RDrancher]

Same job, but took a day to thin out four acres of overgrown woods surrounding the new home. While I worked in the trees, my FIL brush hogged along (what will be) the driveway and open areas.


While I was cutting along the fenceline, I spied this poor buried 8N behind the neighbor's shop.


You never know what you're going to see in the woods.

 

[EddieWalker]

Did you spread 600 yards with that skid steer?

WOW!!!!!


Eddie

 

[RDrancher]

600 yards in two days actually isn't that much Eddie. This size CTL is plenty capable of pushing out at least 100 yards per hour. I had to move about a third of it fifty yards or so and separate the larger rocks out that were thicker than the grade. I also spent extra time roughing in my grade and flow lines as I spread and filled. A larger bucket with a spill guard would speed things up. Keep in mind that my personal "best" for spreading and pushing out piles of gravel is 15 semi loads (300 yards) in one day, and that's with a 35hp tractor. When the trucks are dumping where it's needed while you're working, things go a lot faster.

 

[RDrancher]

Wow I had a bad Monday! I had just pushed out a bucket load of fill and back dragged as I pulled out. I saw a couple of chunks of concrete so I pulled forward again, rolling the bucket up on the teeth to push them over the edge. Apparently I missed one chunk of concrete under the machine that had wedged itself between the loader arm cross brace and quick attach bar. This is the result...

As soon as the parts arrive I'll take it to the weld shop to have a new brace welded in.

The builder's grading guy came in over the weekend and took out a bunch of chunks out of the brand new concrete driveway and sidewalk. To say the the owner is a bit peeved would be a giant understatement.

 

[RDrancher]

Finished the road through the trees and set three culverts. This section took a total of 200 yards to fill, give or take. I also spent an entire day re-grading the builder guy's screwups and refilling the areas they dug out that I'd already put in. It's a backcharge to the builder from the owner so I get paid twice...but what a pita.


Parts came in for my CASE so it's at the welder's shop for repairs. They say that it should be ready by Saturday. I have nine weeks of work on the board and need it as quickly as they can fix it. I'm still kicking myself for the damage.

 

[weldingisfun]

Did you have to rent another skid steer, the dark orange one, while the Case is down? Or, did you get another one without telling us?:laughing:

 

[EddieWalker]

Which skid steer do you like better? Case or Kubota? Is there much of a difference in what they can do?

Eddie