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Advice? Renting a bobcat to level yard
QUESTION:From your description of the site as "The slope is in this 13' direction.
About 12' higher on one side." and given the fact that you've never driven a
skid-steer before, I sure hope that your life insurance is paid up. These
things may look like toys and an experienced operator can do the seemingly
impossible with one but they are definitely not easy to work with and they
have a rather steep learning curve. Have you considered paying somebody to
bring in the bobcat and do the work FOR you? I did a rather large job in my
back yard, certainly bigger than making a pool pad. This job called for both
bucket and backhoe work from the bobcat operator and the job still came in
for ~$250.
ANSWER: We are doing a remodel in a large commercial building for a friend of
mine..also doing the AC and heating, but the building needed a skid steer
for some work, and a backhoe for other..out of all the guys there, two knew
how to run a skid..the other one that claimed to about killed himself a
couple of times. He finally was told not to continue, and myself and another
guy that I subbed can in and finished.
Now..the first time I used one years ago, it looked fun at first, and in
about 10 seconds I found out what fear was...really. If you have never used
one, and on a slope...you can, and will, flip and probably get seriously
hurt. I was lucky..I was looking at the bucket and the ground...the bucket
kept me from rolling on down the hill...and allowed me to get upright again.
Smaller they are, the more dangerous they are...they have a center of
gravity that changes every time you get a load, raise or lower the
bucket....and depending on the controls, you will find that you MUST think
in advance of every move, and keep up with the situation at hand...
After several days, you know about 50% of what it takes to keep running one
on a regular basis, and not get hurt. Before I started using the one that
was delivered at the site this time, I took a few moments to look over it,
make sure the skid plates were in place, and in good shape, the rollover was
tight, and the safety controls worked...will it start with the seatbelt
off? (idiots and fools use one with no seatbelt on..soon to be dead idiots
and fools)
Having owned a JD 4475 smaller size skid steer (30 hp) I do have to agree
with the other folks on flat ground they work fine but on hills it is very
scary. Do yourself a favor hire someone to do it.
before I purchased mine I hired someone to level my riding arena he use a d9
cat for the big stuff then a skidsteer for the fine grade didn't cost much
and got the job done!
I used my skidsteer for moving manure and shavings for my horses and doing
snow removal on the driveway. I purchased it at a discount because it had
been rolled and the engine destroyed by a golf course employee who got it
stuck in an irrigation ditch! Engine cost was 6K!
So if you do rent get the damage waiver!
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