Project and things you've done with your excavator

[ZeroG]

Last week I used the KX033 to clear brush off the side of my trails. This overgrowth was something the wife and I would go on runs to cut each one that grew into the trail. The brush was over 8ft in many places. I was able to pulverize it and push it back 8ft or so from our trails. It was fun. I have a plot of ground I plan to clear as time permits but I'm also looking for excavator projects. Things I did not think of that my excavator can do. I have 48 acres with a few miles of trails, brush, drainage ditches that I'm up on for now, but being this is my first excavator I know there are things I can do with it that I am not aware of. Please help a newbie out with ideas and projects you have done. Thanks.
Here are a few pics of the brush I attacked ....

 

[edgarrian]

I recently demo my neighbors garage and pole barn. They also had a mud room that was connected to the house that I was able to peel away without much of a headache. I really enjoy doing that and clearing trees. Those are the most fun jobs to do. They had a rep from Cleary buildings out one day when i had the garage tear down basically wrapped up. He was pretty impressed with my work and has been in touch with me to possible do work for them. So i talked to my insurance guy and ill be having a meeting with the rep and the manger of ops next week. Im not getting to wrapped up in the possibility of doing their work but it would be nice to get back into it. I don't mind doing pads and tree removal.

My wife and I purchased 8 acres of woods 5 years ago and i cleared all the trees myself. I hired out the septic system b/c at the time I worked out of state 2 weeks at a time every month. So at the end of the leach fields i have to trees. The owner of the business punched out his window from the those trees. I laughed and said I managed to remove all these trees without a broken window. AHH **** happens. Anyway i love running them. I had a small excavating business 15-20 years ago. I sold out. I had the biggest link belt you could get with a blade. I believe it was around 35k. That same machine today is twice that amount for the exact same thing. Its crazy how expensive equipment is.

 

[Rebeldad1]

great for cutting firewood. you can pick up the whole tree and hold it at waist high. no more bending over.

 

[ZeroG]

I'm enjoying taking out trees also. Had not got to cutting them up yet but good idea to hold em up while cutting. Save my ole back. Thanks guys.

 

[kthompson]

I have a 5 ton Volvo for over a dozen years. Down right not with electrical issue and really miss it.
For dropping trees if you want the stump out, dig it before cutting the tree for the tree will help pop the stump out.
No idea if yours has blade on it but if so learn how to use to keep the machine level with it on the downhill side to do so. You can use it and the boom together to come either go up or down a right strong slope to keep the machine level.
If you have aux hyd on the boom running a mower. Or other tree trimmer on it. Fail mower is great on one for slopes.
Pulling anything out of a bog. Use boom and not your tracks. If slick, and you have a blade have the blade towards what is bogged and put it into the ground to hold itself in place.
Pushing or pulling a tree when being cut to steer away from a building or such to a safe place.
Buying trash such as broken blocks.
Of course digging ditches, dirt to move, loading dirt, holes for any reason, stacking logs to burn or move where they can rot. Lifting onto a trailer or tuck or removing anything it has capacity to. Tearing down building and loading it.
It is amazing all you can use it for and most it does very well.

 

[ZeroG]

Thanks Kthompson. Good tips. I have the blade and learned to use it rather quickly after rocking a bit much when trying to dig. LOL A friend / operator had told me that before I bought, and I quickly remembered.
Rain finally let up so I was able to clean the mud out of the tracks. Is there anything in there that would hurt to be presure washed? Some of that mud is tough stuff, really stuck. I dug it out with my fingers ...and it appears a pressure washer would get the job done easier. I'm all for the easy way.

 

[Bigfoot62]

. . . Is there anything in there that would hurt to be pressure washed? . . .

YES! Keep the pressure washer away from any electronics. ECM, wiring harness, gauges, monitor, switches, etc.
It's ok to use a pressure washer on sheet metal, boom and undercarriage.

 

[Peter 315]

The pressure washer just makes a mess blows the grease all over the machine at work we clean them by hand washing them , use a putty knife to clean all the grease off around the hyd pistons...

 

[ZeroG]

YES! Keep the pressure washer away from any electronics. ECM, wiring harness, gauges, monitor, switches, etc.
It's ok to use a pressure washer on sheet metal, boom and undercarriage.

Thx Bigfoot. Poorly worded question on my part. I was only referring to the tracks where the mud gunks up. No electrics there is there?

 

[Bigfoot62]

Thx Bigfoot. Poorly worded question on my part. I was only referring to the tracks where the mud gunks up. No electrics there is there?

Correct. Shouldn't be anything on the tracks or other undercarriage parts that you would hurt. Except I wouldn't spray directly into a roller. Might get a grease seal