RDrancher's Photo Thread

[RDrancher]

I got the machine back yesterday. As I suspected, it was one of the high range lines. While they were in there I had them replace the other lines too. $300 for parts...not labor.

I have my Kubota dealer checking into a trade. The Case is almost the exact size as the SVL90, but the extra 1000 lbs or so may force me to upgrade trailers. I don't need anything smaller and would prefer a 90 over the 75. While this latest problem was being taken care of, I missed a tier 3 SVL90 with 650 hrs., cab and high flow for $48k.

 

[RDrancher]

This driveway had quite a bit of base on it in spots, but the thickness was inconsistent and the grade was done wrong. Four potholes developed about 10" deep. I ripped it deep, then mixed the base and dirt together and regraded. I knew that the base and topping loads would arrive before I got the drive regraded, so I quick graded a couple of spots for them to dump.

 

[weldingisfun]

Hey John, you haven't forgotten about us, have you? Let us know what you have been up to.

 

[RDrancher]

The pic uploader was driving me crazy and I didn't have many responses to my posts so I let it lay for awhile. The uploader seems to be fixed so here you go.

Here's a pond that I dug. It was placed at the bottom of two ravines. I was on a time restriction and the placement was iffy at best. Several types of soil onsite, from powder sand to clay. All of the material had to be shuttled to different areas. Sand to the arena, junk for fill and clay for the dam core and bank, and the halfway decent stuff for covering the junk.

 

[RDrancher]

Since there were so many soils present, the customer was in full understanding that we may have to bentonite the pond at a future date.



As I mentioned...I was on an owner induced time restraint. I wanted to dig an overflow channel, but time didn't allow. I wasn't too worried, since the dam area should have plenty of time to settle over the summer. After all, it never rains in Texas in the summertime...WRONG! Fifteen inches of rain fell in this area over a twelve hour period a few days after I left. The water quickly rose to the the overflow pipe in newly compacted soil...the pipe couldn't handle the amount of water and my dam and pipe slowly sank down about five feet.

I decided to give the folks a freebee day (it was the right thing to do), rebuild the dam and reset the pipe (with a concrete collar this time). I also cut a generous overflow channel and thickened the dam by about fifteen feet or so.

 

[RDrancher]

One of the track adjusters was leaking on my Case. A new adjuster assembly was just a few dollars more than the rebuild kit so my decision was a no-brainer. Looking at the larger seal and spring on the new unit, I think Case knew they had a weakness here. The repair was a simple minus-one hour proceedure.



Here's what over $6k in drivemotor and main hydraulic hose/hardline repairs looks like. I think it should look more spectacular...but that's just me.

 

[murphy1244]

Kind of boring, should be chrome at least. Good to see you post on the best thread in TBN.

 

[RDrancher]

Thanks Murph!

If you guys remember the lot I cleaned all of the boulders off of a couple years ago with the SVL75, here it is again with a new house on it. The owner had planned on me doing the finish grading and topsoil all along, but since the builder's guy only kinda did the drainage grading and put the driveway in over 8" low, he had me fix those things too. I scraped and separated the rock and base and had a load of concrete washout delivered to raise the drive and add a parking area. I had a semi-bad experience with a new dispatcher that sent out a new driver...that brought me uncrushed asphalt tearout...? The builder also delivered a load of base for free, so luckily I had enough material. Unfortunately...my first (short) load of screened topsoil looked like pad scrapings. I had a little conversation with the new dispatcher and straightened things out. :laughing: I fought off-and-on rain for the two days I was on this job...not fun!



You'll notice that I had both the tractor and CTL here at the job. The tractor is more efficient and faster at cutting mowable swales and working with gravel, and the Case is faster at moving and grading. The job was only a mile or so from my house, so I took advantage of that and brought them both.

I had five semi loads of topsoil delivered to spread around the house and then power raked it all. The owner wanted to save some of the rock for rip rap. Kinda small, but that's what he wanted. He was on vacation so he started putting in downspout drains before I left.



It looks like the uploader is only "kinda" fixed since it's loading multiple pics in random order.

 

[RDrancher]

And just so you don't think that Johnny's all work and no play, here's the Studebaker hanging out in the garage.

She needs new u-joints, a few interior screws and a new passenger window and crank, but more importantly, I need to install seatbelts for the family. She needs a bath too. Without a/c it's too hot to drive her right now anyway, so what to do???
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Find another project!

I couldn't pass up this 1985 Suburban for VERY cheap. New tires and a lot of new parts, only 79,000 miles, but more importantly...ice cold a/c! The two front seats need reupholstered, but the rest of the interior (including the third row seats) is in excellent shape. Like most GM products of this era, the clearcoat on the hood and roof is a bit rough. Thank the EPA for that. The rest of the paint shined up nicely after a little half hour TR3 massage.

 

[two_bit_score]

Definitely one of the very best threads on TBN and glad to see you have been busy!

 

[ben2go]

I thought you were to busy with work to post.Good to see you're getting some work done.Looking good.

 

[kf4uda]

Thanks for the update and pictures. I look forward to each time you update this thread. Sorry to see that Case is still reaching in your wallet. Keep up the great posts!

 

[Green Power]

Thanks for the update, Great work you do!

 

[weldingisfun]

It is good to have you back again. Ditto all the other comments.

 

[RDrancher]

Thanks guys.

Back at the 175 acre development. As I mentioned a few months ago, the water supplies had been leaking for ten years or so. When we mowed and brush cut the first time, I expected that the owner would have all of them fixed...I was wrong. The road builder will be in here in about a week, so the owner had us go in and brush hog again, THIS time locating as many of the water supply lines as possible and shutting off the leaking ones. Finding them is the hardest part. Many are folded over and smashed flat. Others aren't visible at all. When we did find the leaking lines, they were easy to fix by folding the copper over and pounding them shut.


All of the water lines that were leaking had run to the intersection which had been excavated to find a leaking main sometime in the past. I dewatered the area with the fairweather Case. Two hours of working in VERY shallow mud and four hours to clean the d#mn undercarriage and under-cab out. Case CTL's are not ready for prime time...maybe for a guy that works in dry topsoil all of the time...

Back with the tractor to clear back behind the utilities on the opposite side and locate water lines. Note the tree growing from the base of the leaking hydrant.


I have a lot more photos of the first round of clearing, but I'll be back here several times over the next two years or so. No need to bore you.

 

[dave1949]

John, I'm never bored with your doings. You have a ton of views in two years, so I'm sure lots of people are interested.

 

[ShowroomShine]

Two hours of working in VERY shallow mud and four hours to clean the d#mn undercarriage and under-cab out. Case CTL's are not ready for prime time...maybe for a guy that works in dry topsoil all of the time... :rolleyes

Would have been no different with any other CTL. Other brands have the same arrangement that the Case has. Belly pan, undercarriage etc, its all very similar. Any machine in that mud would have taken that long to clean.

 

[RDrancher]

Would have been no different with any other CTL. Other brands have the same arrangement that the Case has. Belly pan, undercarriage etc, its all very similar. Any machine in that mud would have taken that long to clean.

I'll call BS on that. Look at the photos of the machines below. Pay particular attention to the accessibility in the area surrounding the sprocket and drivemotor. Tak isn't great, but you don't hear of many drivemotor problems either. Bobcats not great either, but at least they left enough room in front of the sprocket to get in there to cleanout behind the sprocket. Cat and Deere are pretty open. Kubota is WIDE open.


Now look at Case. Doesn't matter if it's a CT or TR...same complete inaccessibility. Mud packs around the back of the sprocket and has no way to get out. It stacks on the lines running from the frame to the drivemotor as well. I CAN get between the track and frame on one side to clean it out with my hand, but it's tight...I have the skin missing off of my hand to prove it. The other side would probably be fine for a junior high girl, but my hand won't fit in there at all. Since this is the area that blows the duo-seals on the drivemotor, it's pretty important to get it clean. The lines going from the frame to the drivemotor are also right there (and they're known to rust out) so they must be clean as well. Case sells a guard to cover the lines. I looked at one at the dealer and it will no doubt protect the lines, but it makes cleaning out behind the sprockets impossible. It's a bad design that was not addressed from the CT to the TR series.

Here's mine. No access from the front at all.

Keep in mind that I was working in 4" max deep mud.

 

[RDrancher]

Graveled a small parking area and walkway today for a RE investor. In this particular area, sandstone lies only a few inches under the sandy soil, so I made sure not to get into that mess. I laid down a few inches of washout and topped it with 3/4 minus.


You can see my FIL in the background, brush hogging with his Kubota. The lawn area is full of half-rotted stumps and the owner's guys cut down over fifty dead trees. They broke shafts on two riding mowers trying to mow the place.

 

[RDrancher]

I know a few of you guys have seen pics of this job over on HEF, but since the uploader seems to be back in business here, I'll post 'em up.

Hogging out rock for a retaining wall. I filled up a small canyon behind the shop so the owner could have trailer access to the back.


You'll see my cheater's grading assistant in one of the photos.