Busy Wife This Weekend

[mike69440]

One thing for sure Mike, if you use your equipment, you'll end up working on it too or paying a big bill to somebody else to do it. I try to do everything I can do and just have somebody else do the stuff I can't. So far, I'm staying on top of maintenance. You are making some really good progress it seems with your land clearing. It is looking good. It always looks like a mess when you start, so having it away from the house where you don't have to look at it too much is a great help.:thumbsup:

I'm going to look at a Cat 977K crawler loader today from a craigslist ad. The guy has it priced pretty good and I really need it to move materials for more of my dams. It's approx. 45k lb and a 2-1/2 yd bucket. The undercarriage looks superb in the photos. I'll have to have somebody transport it for me if I buy it. The scary part of buying a dozer like that is the fuel tank holds 102 gallons. Back in the late 60s and early 70s when these things were built, diesel was $0.50 to $0.75 a gallon. Nobody cared if they were fuel guzzlers.

Good luck with the 977. It should be able to move a lot of material, if you do not have to go far with the spoils. Post pics if you do purchase it.

I try do do all my own work. I just did the 1000 major hour service on the excavator as well as rebuilt one of the main valve blocks. My last fix was I got the widshield wiper connections all rewired and even fixed the dome light in the cab. Wire corrosion and the UV from the sun raises heck. I am even thinking of having the seat reupolstered!

My excavator will use 10 gallons per day if I dig all day with it. I seldom use more than a few gallons per day on the excavator as I can dig a pile of material that takes me a few days to move with the L39. It takes a while as with a heaped bucket, the most it will hold is about 1/2 yard per bucket.

The hard part about digging the pond (other than rocks and ledge) is that we have had wet weather and the new pond is the last in a searies that starts with a swap, that feeds the two other ponds I dug two years ago.

I am using the spoils from the pond to fil and level the rough semi cleared area to make pasture. I figure I've dug about 400 yards so far.

 

[jinman]

Mike, notwithstanding all the ledgestone and rock you have, I sure like your dirt's color better than my bright red clay and white caliche sand. Everytime I dig, it looks like a big bloody red wound. Finding topsoil or even brown soil is rare on my place. I also find it funny that you have porcupines like we have armadillos.

BTW: I passed on the Cat 977K. It looked like a maintenance nightmare and its 102 gallon fuel tank made me realize how expensive it would be to operate. Back in the 70s when diesel was around 50 cents a gallon, who cared how much fuel you used. I would not look forward to spending $350 or more for each refueling.

 

[LogChain]

Mike,

I'm just curious--is that porcupine "unloading", or is it perhaps a boy?

- LogChain

 

[mike69440]

Mike,

I'm just curious--is that porcupine "unloading", or is it perhaps a boy?

- LogChain

Not sure.

I was kind of impressed that nothing seemed to bother him. He must be really secure figuring the quills will do their job.

 

[mattbatson]

just found this thread and it has been a great read.

as a bit of a "survivalist" who is trying to get somewhat prepared for a possible TEOTWAWKI, I see a lot of really useful prep's here with the bee's, wood stoves, big propane tank, nice mountain stream, etc...that I'm a bit envious :thumbsup:

 

[mike69440]

just found this thread and it has been a great read.

As a bit of a "survivalist" who is trying to get somewhat prepared for a possible TEOTWAWKI, I see a lot of really useful prep's here with the bee's, wood stoves, big propane tank, nice mountain stream, etc...that I'm a bit envious :thumbsup:

My wife is a bit of a doomsday prepper. You and here would probably have a lot to talk about.

Me, I stick my head in the sand with the thought of that. TEOTWAWKI: "The End of the World as We Know It." I had to Google it to find the definition.

Still, if we had to make do during bad times, we are better situated, prepared and armed than city folk.

 

[mattbatson]

My wife is a bit of a doomsday prepper. You and here would probably have a lot to talk about.

Me, I stick my head in the sand with the thought of that. TEOTWAWKI: "The End of the World as We Know It." I had to Google it to find the definition.

Still, if we had to make do during bad times, we are better situated, prepared and armed than city folk.

funnily enough, my wife is more of the prepper than I am...
but i do wonder what might happen if this house of cards (debt, EU crisis, etc) comes tumbling down.
we are pretty well prepped for most things, but have a ways to go to cover everything.
guns and ammo and the skills to use them arent a problem for us either

we actually have probably close to a hundred pounds of honey stored in jars.
It doesnt go bad, and aside from being almost a super food, it can be used to medical dressings to kill infections.

anyways, enjoy all the pics and updates :thumbsup:

 

[mike69440]

Just a few more pics,

Moving those spoils goes slow. Diggings goes well, untill I hit ledge. After I uncoverd the ledge outcrop, I pressure washed the rock clean. It will be a nice spot to hang out and dangle our toes in the water once the pond is done.

 

[jinman]

Just a few more pics,

Moving those spoils goes slow. Diggings goes well, untill I hit ledge. After I uncoverd the ledge outcrop, I pressure washed the rock clean. It will be a nice spot to hang out and dangle our toes in the water once the pond is done.

Mike, you are doing amazing work with those small machines. But then, a big machine probably couldn't get into some of the places you go with the small ones. As always, you work with what Ma Nature gives you and make it look like you planned it that way.:thumbsup:

 

[hr3]

My "Wife" last weekend..