That's a cute little toy ......

[jpr62902]

That\'s a cute little toy ......

So I'm digging out from last week's 12 -14" of the white stuff and I spy an interloper with a smaller skid steer shovelling some of the neighbors' driveways. Turns out he's charging $40 a driveway. I don't have a problem with that -- I mean, this is America, where capitalism rules. But after I finish doing my neighbor's driveway (for free, of course), he pulls up along side me, looks at my BX22 with a noticably irritated expression on his face and says, "That's a cute little toy."

"So is that." I say and shoot a glance at his lil' bobcat (with a huge s**t eating grin on my face). It took me another 2 hours or so to finish digging out my other neighbors, but the whole time I was grinning from ear to ear. My BX22 with its FEL performed quite well that day.

 

[DmansPadge]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

You should have took that FEL and flipped over his little skid steer!! Ok... not really. That is a funny story though. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Grassgod]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

Jpr - Coming from his perspective, I earn a living pushing snow also, I can see how he would be irritated with you.
Secondly - even though the Bx is a tough little machine, It is rather small looking. A skid steer has way more power & can out perform a Bx any day. the skid steers do have plenty off flaws but power isn't one of them.

 

[higgy]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

I plow and blow out sprinkler systems for free to all of my neighbors, it is one of the ways that I can contribute to my area.

They help me as well when they can, i makes the area close and friendly.

It irks me when the little old ladies have to pay big dollars to have their sprinkler systems blown out, or have their drives scraped.

Oh well, that is the nature of the problem

 

[Grassgod]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

Higgy - There is nothing wrong with helping friends & neighbors. However we all have to provide for our families somehow & sometimes charity work hinders one from earning a living. As far as blowing out sprinkler systems, If the little old lady can afford to have an irragation system in the first place then she probably has more money then you can imagine she has. I personally try to help those in need. I donate food to homeless shelters, sponsor children that are starving. I plow a lot for a church that supports toys for tots & I only charge them enough to cover my fuel.

 

[Rimmer]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( So I'm digging out from last week's 12 -14" of the white stuff ... My BX22 with its FEL performed quite well that day. )</font>

Good to hear it! Same to report here. Fourteen inches of snow in 24 hours and -7F the next morning. That broke the all-time record for most snow in 24 hours (11 inches previous record), most snow ever in December, and beat the heck out of the season average of 10.2 inches!

I know those aren't bad conditions compared to what a lot of you guys get, but it was a big event for us, and included about 1000 people stuck on the nearby Interstate for over ten hours.

Anyway, the BX-23 lit off on the third try (crank-run-die; crank-run-die; crank-run-shake-go!). All I had to do is put the FEL in float, tilt the front up just a bit, and PUSH. The snow just piled up in front then rolled off to the side. When I got to the end I used the FEL to pick up the pile and dump it out of the way. Amazing machine!

I cleared 200' of driveway plus the circular drive plus another 200' from the house to the barn plus another 600' or so to the old pig pen, and dug out a couple of neighbors.

Only problem encountered is that the FEL joystick wouldn't stay in the float position until the hydraulics warmed up a bit. I warmed the engine for 20 minutes before rolling, but it took another ten or so go get it to stay in float.

Fun!

 

[jpr62902]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

Give me a break. The people he was charging have families to provide for too. Besides, he had plenty of work on my street, just not from my neighbors. The whole point of the story is his irritation with my "cute little toy." Lighten up.

 

[Spudgunner]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

The "cute" thing ended after the first winter my neighbors had a dose of BX2200/BX2750. (The 2750 is the thrower.) "Cute" was replaced with "wish I had one of those" without exception (except, perhaps, for our local grassgods).

 

[Grassgod]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

Spudgunner - dont miss read me....I think they are a great machine! If I was only using mine to maintain my own property a bx is what I would purchase.

 

[frank_f15]

Re: That\'s a cute little toy ......

JIM: i wonder what he would have if he wasn't using the skid steer for a living.Your tractor works for you and that all that is important. my B2400 is a toy next to an l series, and the l series is a toy next to the m series and on it goes!!! but no matter how long it takes,you don't have to pay someone to do it and it sure BEATS THE HECK OUT OF A SHOVEL /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif