Monster Showed Up Today

[cbturf]

G it is just a demo right now but I am committed to buy a big machine. I am still going to try the Barko. As for the engine the 4.4l was removed and a 7.2l was crammed in. If you notice in the pictures the original thread the engine compartment is closed in solid. The hydraulic cooler and the engine radiator are in the box on the back. The hydraulic tank and the fuel extra fuel tank are on the sides of the "cooler box" on the back. Short story long again but there is only one big engine on this machine. No I do not use the 450 to pull that thing...probably would not be any dumber than pulling my FTX-140 with my SRW F-250 with a 5.4l engine. Ford rates that truck to tow 7,800lb and the machine weighs 15,100 and the trailer about 4,000lb. So the 30,000lb Supertrak is closer to the 24,000lb the 450 is rated then the 250 was. Only problem with the 250 was when I hit a bump the trailer would either turn the truck towards the concrete truck going the other way or the ditch, problem was I never knew which way I was going to die until I was either in the oncoming traffic or kicking up gravel and grass.

On a side note the load sensing hydraulics are pretty cool. If the head gets slowed down to much the tracks will slow down accordingly so you do not continue to pull in more material. As the head rmp starts to go back up the tracks start to speed up as well.

 

[Landwise]

CB,

You are my hero if you buy that. I just took delivery of my SK Tak 150, and would love nothing more than to buy that machine that you are demoing. I just can't bite off that much without the work to back it up. I have several large jobs in the works (250 +) but nothing has come through yet. I'll keep on with my two small machines until then. Please keep us posted on how that machine works for you.

Also, Really interested to know what you will charge per acre for that beast. $1K, $1.2K per acre? or am I way off?

Scott

 

[cbturf]

To be honest everyone I do not know what to charge yet. A machine this big is quite new to me. If it is a small job it will be very high to absorb mob. costs. I can't just pop in like I do with the 140 on a trailer behind the 450, I have made three stops in one day before. I am making several notes on how much the thing will cost to and operate while I have it this week. Then I will have to factor monthly fixed costs such as payment and insurance. Then I will come up with a price that will either will cheat the first few customers badly or I will have to eat my hat brfore I know what I am doing...basically the same process as when I brought the 140 home.

 

[QwikDraw]

What's up with the teeth...just didn't last in the dirt and rocks?

 

[cbturf]

very rocky out here on top of the fact that I am not good on this machine yet. The head is quite a bit bigger and you are farther away from it than in the 140 and I have not been able to keep the teeth out of the rocks. The fecon head has a tach and it rins at almost 2200 rmp. That is a lot of momentum for a tittle knife to withstand againts this western limestone.

 

[john_bud]

The fecon head has a tach and it rins at almost 2200 rmp. That is a lot of momentum for a tittle knife to withstand againts this western limestone.

Guess our granite wouldn't be so good either.....

Rocks are one reason that I have backed away from initial thoughts of getting a mulcher. There are just too many of them.



jb

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Hey CB have your pondered this thought yet. At 350K it's getting awful close to two smaller Barko type machines!!! Are you going to test the barko at the same sight? That will be comparing apples to apples. PM sent..

 

[jmfox]

How much is a Barko 930? Also, what happened to their web site? It use to be www.barko.com

jmf

 

[Gamma]

jmfox,

Doesn't appear to be anything wrong with their site when I click on the link that you provided.

 

[jmfox]

Thanks, must have been a temporary problem for their server.

jmf

 

[cbturf]

Robbie,
I have pondered just about everything thing you can think of. Heres what I know I want: ( I am sure there is more I just don't know it yet)

1. I must have at least one machine on tracks, did you see the snow pictures I posted. Terrain out here and rain at home dictates that I have tracks on something.
2. I want dependable durable machines, repairs really cost you double not just the actual cost of the repair but the time spent not running. These machines canearn a lot of money and if they aint turnin they aint earnin.
3. I only want a max of two machines. Right now only my father an I run my machines, since there are only two operators and no non owner employees our liability insurance for $1M is only $1,100 per year. I think it is very important to control costs every chance you get.
4. Portability I want to stick below 40,000lbs so that I can move the machine without a tractor trailer. If you have to hire an equipment moving firm every time you re-mob. you are losing control of costs again. If the machine is under 40k lbs you can get a tag along and pull it behind a dump truck. Tires are better than tracks here since you can drive off in the road if space gets tight. As you know they usually are tight since the job requires a land clearing machine.
5. Low maintenance, this goes back to bullet point no. 2 a little bit but I am thinking more about wear items. All machines need greased every day but how long does that operation take. If you work till dark then it takes an hour to get her ready for the next day you don't get home till 10 the kids are asleep and you miss them. Then the other wear items tike tires over tracks. I don't know how long tires last but we had a Cat skidder and I know how much they cost. We paid $2,000 for used tires off a skidder that caught on fire new ones are over $3,000 each. Cuts and tears happen no matter how careful you are. Tracks are good for 5-6000 hours even if you don't care what you do to them. Other things are items like pins and bushings air filters and routine preventative maintenance intervals.

This was a long anser to a short question but maybe I helped a few of the guys are are growing to consider a few things that may have slipped thier minds.

This was to long to proof read and correct my usual typing errors but I hope you get my point! There is way to much for my little mind to ponder but I try for a while then usually jump in (head first most of the time) and hope I though of most of the important details.

 

[QwikDraw]

I think the problem I would have is narrowing the choices. When ever I buy something I reseach it to death..and then sometimes it's turns out to be the wrong tool for the job I have...or it's the right tool for the job I have and not the next job I get..

How about the Fecon units? The 250 has rubber tracks? And the Rayco 275? I sat in a Geo Boy and it seemed to be really well built and thought out and not oversized for transport. Perry said they were thinking of a new design to allow for the use of a grapple or bucket. Then you have Hydro ax, Prentice, Franklin...I'd go crazy trying to make your descision..oh yeah then excavators..

Or one of my favoritesQuadco

 

[jmfox]

I am amazed at the number of manufacturers with dedicated mulching machines. I rarely see any in Western New York. Somewhere in the States there must be mess of these machines buzzing about.

jmf

 

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon CB,
I enjoyed reading through your thread and all about that beast ! I really cant relate to operating anything like that but I am well aware of what that head must be like rotating at 2200 rpm, man talk about momentum !!! Thanks for posting those pics and good luck operating that beast and may your operating skills grow expotentialy !

 

[Cat_Driver]

Here ya go - every scary thing you ever wanted to know about owning and operating equipment.
This might help with pricing, when you find your hard costs.


Estimating Farm Machinery Costs A3-29 April 2002

 

[cbturf]

The main thing that I ponder is up time and production. Excavators have thier place but it is not out west where I am now. The trees have a pretty small trunk and short 15 wide foot canopy so the excavators advantage in the tall stuff is not realized in fact it will be much slower in this environment.

Notice that I did not mention price, a cheap machine is just that cheap. Down time is the most expensive expense that any of us will ever pay. You can pay more than double for a machine that runs and make more money than you will if your machine has even minor breakdowns. You not only have repairs but you have lost production and to many breakdowns and you have a lost reputation. As with anything in life your name is the best thing you have, just ask Robbie, his rep here already has us looking to him to answer questions and he has been selling for just two months. Construction is a small community even in a town of a million people like Nashville, once you lose your good name it is hard to find it again!

 

[Landwise]

CB,

You and I seem to have the same history. I bought the ASV's and have paid dearly for them. I did buy the Supertracks, and have not looked back. (Not anywhere near that big...just a TL150). Yes, it was $20,000 more for the package, but I spent just over $60,000 in maint and repairs on two new under warranty ASV's in my first year. That $20,000 extra will be a welcome debt to pay (Hopefully).

My Kubota Exc. has over 400 hours without the first trip to the shop for anyhting other than routine maint. I know guys that run Tak's with Davcos that have over 1500 hours without one major breakdown. I need that kind of dependability if I am going to survive.

Downtime costs not only in repairs but also, as you said, in not turning the drum, and in owners equity. My name in this area is worth more than any machine. I envy you, and stress with you in your decision to make that leap, and I hope that it all works out for you. I don't have the business yet to make that leap ($350k), but I think I would lean to Supertracks. JMTC.

Scott

 

[hayden]

The dozer that your machine is based on looks identical to my Cat D5G. Other than some access panels, it's identical. The Cat is a Mitsubishi-built machine. I wonder where your manufacturer OEMs the underlying machine from Cat or from Mitsubishi. At a minimum, you've got a much bigger engine. The D5G only has 100hp

 

[cbturf]

H,
You are right the base tractor is a D5G low ground pressure. The engine is a C7 turned up to 300hp. The machine uses all Cat parts and they all carry the Cat warranty.

 

[cbturf]

The new rock teeth got here todayn now I get to change out 48 teeth. I'll let you guys know how these things work. i can not get the picture of the tooth to load...i'll work on it