Tractor 1, House 0

[Boondox]

Should've seen it coming. The ground always rises as it freezes, afterall. But over the warmer months I'd become so used to driving under the breezeway between the house and my shop while plowing the driveway I had gotten out of the habit of checking clearance. So while backing in mid-range as fast as Clementine would go, the ROPS hit the trim and tore off a huge (five foot) chunk of 1" spruce. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I was hoping the wife wouldn't notice, but she came running out screaming that the entire house shook! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif After surveying the damage (all cosmetic, thank goodness!), she shook her head and asked me not to park my tractor inside the house. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

On the plus side, I now have plenty of clearance under the breezeway!

Pete

 

[MChalkley]

Pete - At least she tell you you couldn't park in the house anymore. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I'm glad it wasn't more serious, though.

 

[Thomas]

You forgot to mention what you were thinking also said out loud /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif before your wife appear. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[MChalkley]

I hadn't thought about it before, but I guess there are some advantages to having a tractor that you can't even think about putting in the garage. If I put the EF-5 in the garage, it would take out about a third of the second floor...

 

[Boondox]

That's right, Mark -- rub it in!

Pete

 

[Boondox]

Oh, I forgot the most important part! There's not even a scratch on Clementine! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Pete

 

[MChalkley]

What can I say, Pete? /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif When you're outnumbered a bazillion to 1, you need all the press you can get... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

Mark,
Your kinda in a different class..sorta heavy equipment. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Don't know to many folks whole park there heavy equipment in the basement level or 2 car garage.
Kinda like putting 7 pounds of grain in a 5 pound sack. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Have you figure out the going rate an hour for doing work for others yet.

Happy New Years!!

 

[MChalkley]

Thomas - Well, it is kinda heavy, I'll grant you that. But, it's really not much larger than my L4310 was, at all. In fact, from a distance, in some ways it looks smaller. Once you get up close and see all that 1/2" and 3/4" plate, of course, it's a different story.

As for an hourly rate, I doubt it'll go many places for less than $90/hr, unless it's for free. Of course, I don't tell them that - they accept a job price or I don't do it. Folks around here have a heart attack when they hear a figure of more than $30/hr for anything. I seriously believe you could tell most of the folks around here that you were going to bring in 6 Cat D9s to clear their lot, and charge them $100/hr for the whole works, and they'd go hire some joker with half of a 50 year old jury-rigged backhoe for $25/hr. And congratulate themselves on their bargaining ability. Of course, they would complain when it took the guy two weeks to do it, but they'd still feel good inside because he only made $25/hr the whole time. Never mind the fact that it cost them 5 times what it would have to get somebody with some decent equipment. Around here, if you have a new piece of equipment or a new pickup, they're sure you must be ripping people off and they don't want to be your next victim. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Reminds me of one James Herriot's lines in one of his "All Creatures Great and Small" books. In rural Yorkshire, England, there was nothing you could say about a man worse than "He had nought when he came here." The implication being, of course, that he made his money by taking it away from the locals. Like the saying goes "The biggest difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits."

 

[Richard]

Mark,

Just a thougt for you on your signature. As I have Brutus /w3tcompact/icons/king.gif (whose name I'll share with you & yours if you desire) If I were smart enough to make one, I thought it would be clever to have Brutus holding 3 tractors up high in the bucket..sort of like your cup. One of each major color, somehow gently suggesting that one Brutus can hoist 3 of it's cousins. Given that I'm not bright enought to create that and you probably are, just a thought for you.

Ps...EF can be "BJ" if you wish?? Brutus Junior?? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif