Knowing what u know now, what woulda changed?

[Beaudeane]

Ok guys, I'm asking the guys that have been at this over 5 years now. After establishing yourself in mulching & having a good business model, if I were to go back to the days u were looking to buy your first machine/head, what would be ur different choices from the ones u made, with the wisdom & experience u have now? I'm pretty sure there was a learning curve most of u wouldn't have to take again after seeing the real life way this business works. I've been an owner-op truck driver last 22 years & finally debt free & it's a great feeling but not what I really want to do. I work a niche job, papermill to papermill hauling chemicals. I work when the mill has a problem so end up setting home a good bit. I work just over half the days in a year. Living in GA & most everything I haul is in AL so am not very far from home when I do work. I see the mulching thing as a niche if I can get the right starter equiptment & persue the right folks that may have a want/need for the service. I think this is the time in my life I could get the equiptment to do it & learn how to operate it & hopefully sooner than later the economy would allow it to grow into my job. At least I'd be able to pay for it if it doesn't take off but I think it will. Any help appreciated. Thanks in advance, Seth

 

[Beaudeane]

Would there be any more responses if I asked from folks that's been in this 2 years instead of 5? Still looking & trying to learn b4 I take the plunge into a very expensive toy for myself

 

[tonyoz]

After 9yrs in this game the best advice I can give is be happy with what you are doing.:thumbsup:

 

[cbturf]

If I could go back in time to when I first started mulching I would go to law school

 

[Marek]

If I could go back in time to when I first started mulching I would go to law school

You could have the law school gig ! Personally I would have started into mulching earlier.

 

[Beaudeane]

Tony, that be a definite point on why to try to get away from trucking for me & into something else. I think I quit liking trukin not long after I got into it but was good at it & it provided me & later my wife & kids a living without breaking my back but wish I'd chosen something I'd been happier with for a job. Thx for the input.
CB, would u have chosen the law school because of comparative investment & possible higher returns on it or are u just tired of this biz? Sorta wish I'd did the school thing too but after 12 years of regular school I wasn't willing to put any more desk time in at that time in my life. Would be hard to take time off work to do it now with 3 little ones & a wife to take care of at the same time for me.
Marek, what helped u decide to get into this when u finally did? I've been kickin it around in my head for a while now & don't want to look back at it same as u wishing I'd taken the plunge earlier.
I think I could make a go of it but it's an unknown on the reality of income compared to investment but do realize the bigger the risk, the bigger the payoff or loss also. Did u guys already have a good bit of the support equiptment & background of off road equiptment or did any of u come from a completely unrelated work field strait to this?

 

[tonyoz]

I've been around earthmoving equipment since I was 16 yrs old. Dozers had cable blades then, no excavators only draglines, no powersteering in trucks either. Turn 65 this week.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

I've been around earthmoving equipment since I was 16 yrs old. Dozers had cable blades then, no excavators only draglines, no powersteering in trucks either. Turn 65 this week.

Happy Birthday OZ! I always enjoy your posts and learn a lot. I didn't get into the equipment thing (started with a simple 8n tractor) until I was about 24 years old. I'm 45 now and have done tractors, dozers, and skid steers and mini excavators. Everything else I just watch. We really are spoiled these days. My wife remembers days where I came home coughing and sneezing dirt for hours after a long day in the dusty Texas dirt. Having AC and satellite radio and an air ride seat really spoils a guy.

 

[tonyoz]

My wife remembers days where I came home coughing and sneezing dirt for hours after a long day in the dusty Texas dirt. Having AC and satellite radio and an air ride seat really spoils a guy.

Like this in a super duper Rayco dust free cab. :laughing:

 

[Beaudeane]

At 42 & a birthday coming on 12/28 I may be a little late in life to try a change but find myself daydreaming bout what yall do as a living for myself everyday instead of in this truck. I need to get over the fairytale wishes or make the jump I guess. Sux to be this distracted by something im that interested in but not sure enough of to go ahead & do. A lot to learn.

 

[tonyoz]

Mate, you gotta go by your gut, When I brought my first machine I didn't have a job to go to, never sat on a mulcher in my life but I only knew what product I wanted to give my customers. I put 1600hrs on that machine in a year and out grew it so decided to get a designated mulcher, brought my current machine and poured 2500 litres of hydraulic oil on the ground in 2000 hrs with no help from the agent or manufacture and that's only a little of what's gone on. Point is you need huge balls and a good wife cause it can be a heart break game

 

[ROWmulcher]

I would not buy a machine, no matter how good it is without close dealer support, period.

 

[Beaudeane]

Row, like 30 mins away from home or are u talking bout a reputation for stepping up to help with equiptment problems? I have a yancey cat 30 mins south of home, Stowers cat 30 mins north & bobcat bout 50 mins south also

 

[ROWmulcher]

I would say a reputable dealer that can service your machine. A cat 299 is a great machine. I have no experience with bobcat, some local fella hates his. And is looking to move into a cat. I ran a sk 140 which is built on a 299 frame, mine burnt up, but I'm getting a new unit this week. They are great machines, but fire is a risk we all deal with.

 

[Marek]

I would say a reputable dealer that can service your machine. A cat 299 is a great machine. I have no experience with bobcat, some local fella hates his. And is looking to move into a cat. I ran a sk 140 which is built on a 299 frame, mine burnt up, but I'm getting a new unit this week. They are great machines, but fire is a risk we all deal with.

What would you say the production difference is between the SK 140 and a 299 ?

 

[ROWmulcher]

Well to be honest I'm not sure. The 299 is a good performer, but we run 8-10 hrs in the fla summer. And the cooling package Supertrack builds is a huge help. In fact we couldn't run that long without it. So that being said maybe 1.5 - 1. Maybe more depending on what we are mulching. If you get into 8-10" peppers the 140 will walk away from the 299.

 

[05rammer]

Have you used the sk 140 for anything other mulching, like grading?

 

[ROWmulcher]

I have. It's balanced well with the head on it, a little tail heavy with just a bucket. But still a great all purpose machine. Mine is basically a dedicated mulcher

 

[yellowdogsvc]

At 42 & a birthday coming on 12/28 I may be a little late in life to try a change but find myself daydreaming bout what yall do as a living for myself everyday instead of in this truck. I need to get over the fairytale wishes or make the jump I guess. Sux to be this distracted by something im that interested in but not sure enough of to go ahead & do. A lot to learn.

Check out a guy named Jon Acuff. He has a book called "start".
Dave Ramsey has some great books on sale for $10 bucks this week on his website that deal with "making the jump". Here's my .02. If you can't shake "that feeling", God put it there. If He put it there, then there is a way.

Another book "Quitter" by Jon Acuff shows you a way to make the jump from day job to dream job.

Do you have any property to practice on? Start small and debt free as much as possible. Practice, practice, practice and use existing contacts to start marketing once you have some competency. It can be done and 42 is the perfect age. If you are in good shape.. all the better. If not, get in shape! I have been working hard to get back to my fighting weight and feeling better each day which helps me last longer and heal quicker from the beating this line of work gives. I'm 45 1/2. Gray beard and all!

 

[Beaudeane]

Thanks for the encouragement yellow dog. I will see about getting the books u mentioned. Yes I have 13 acres of land that's 10 years past cutover time to practice on. Bout 18 more acres of mature mixed hardwood & pine around my house too. Got it surveyed & lines marked well then after a good bit of time on the little kubota & bush hog & seeing no more than I had accomplished I started getting the fever for mulching. Figured if I had a need for it, a lot of folks around here may also. Then a couple months ago my buddy across the road was trying to clear some brush from sides of his creek. He stuck his tractor so bad mine wouldn't budge it, nor would my 4x4 pickup that we tried to pull it out with. Wrecker bill & he was outta the muck finally. He finally ended up chain sawing & a lot more time & manual labor later he still not done. May be that God put it on me cause can't shake it yet.