Excavator for Firewood

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Best advice I can give...

Slow down and literally say out loud what each control is doing as you do it.

Verbalizing things and hearing them will speed up the learning process


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]
Thanks
I ran it for about 2 hours yesterday and I'm getting better, but I'm anything but smooth.
A couple of times I tried to control it like a Skid Steer from habit. HA!

The old dog effect ain't helping none either.
 
When I worked at the township we had a jd 310 so with the total control package. Swapping between iso and backhoe wad literally a push of a button. Me coming from heavy duty I was used to the iso pattern. Went to operate and realized it was backwards. Switched it to iso, finished the job. Got told I had to put it back to hoe mode for everyone else. I just had to get used to running hoe mode. After a few years of that iso almost seems backwards now. Haven't been in a mini not set up to hoe mode in years. Really makes me wonder why we have/ need 2 different patterns.
 
When I worked at the township we had a jd 310 so with the total control package. Swapping between iso and backhoe wad literally a push of a button. Me coming from heavy duty I was used to the iso pattern. Went to operate and realized it was backwards. Switched it to iso, finished the job. Got told I had to put it back to hoe mode for everyone else. I just had to get used to running hoe mode. After a few years of that iso almost seems backwards now. Haven't been in a mini not set up to hoe mode in years. Really makes me wonder why we have/ need 2 different patterns.
Hoe mode is what I'll keep using.
I almost screwed up today.
See the vid below.
 
My story about how good an operator can be is from when I was working for a home builder/developer and they were cleaning silt out of a pond ("lake") that had been drained for cleaning. Four to six of us were up on the bank with shovels or whatever while the track hoe was down at the edge cleaning silt out. Someone noticed a copperhead snake in our area, so we all took to bashing at it with shovels and nobody could hit it. The track hoe operator saw what was going on and motioned us away and swung the machine around, reached out with the bucket and set it right down on the snake, first time, from what, 30 feet away. Nobody who was close could hit it.
 

We have what is called pa one call. You call them tell them where and when your digging, 3 days before the dig and the utilities are notified and come out and mark everything. At least you thought about it before damaging anything. That gets expensive quick...
 
My story about how good an operator can be is from when I was working for a home builder/developer and they were cleaning silt out of a pond ("lake") that had been drained for cleaning. Four to six of us were up on the bank with shovels or whatever while the track hoe was down at the edge cleaning silt out. Someone noticed a copperhead snake in our area, so we all took to bashing at it with shovels and nobody could hit it. The track hoe operator saw what was going on and motioned us away and swung the machine around, reached out with the bucket and set it right down on the snake, first time, from what, 30 feet away. Nobody who was close could hit it.
I can see me trying the same, but the wife would be headed to the house.
I piddled with mine yesterday at 1/4 throttle just doing delicate things. It was very enjoyable vs wide open bouncing around.
 
We have what is called pa one call. You call them tell them where and when your digging, 3 days before the dig and the utilities are notified and come out and mark everything. At least you thought about it before damaging anything. That gets expensive quick...
We call 811 here for all under ground utilities in Va.
I just came inside. They marked everything this morning.
I missed the phone line about 10 to 12 feet.
I had several surprises from where they marked.
I'll do another small via about the markings and post it here.
 
We had this even we would go to every year when I was at the township. They would have a hoe set up, cones with different size and shape balls on them. You had to pick them up, without knocking the cone over and put them all in a box at about the max reach of the hoe. Man that was tough. There were some guys that made it look just plain easy. Once I'd get down under the foot ball size I'd mess it up pretty often lol. I just don't dig much anymore. I believe it is a perishable skill, and using equipment you've never used didn't help either. I'm sure you'll get real good on your hoe, after a wile.
 
We call 811 here for all under ground utilities in Va.
I just came inside. They marked everything this morning.
I missed the phone line about 10 to 12 feet.
I had several surprises from where they marked.
I'll do another small via about the markings and post it here.
Ok cool didn't know other states had anything like that.
 
We had this even we would go to every year when I was at the township. They would have a hoe set up, cones with different size and shape balls on them. You had to pick them up, without knocking the cone over and put them all in a box at about the max reach of the hoe. Man that was tough. There were some guys that made it look just plain easy. Once I'd get down under the foot ball size I'd mess it up pretty often lol. I just don't dig much anymore. I believe it is a perishable skill, and using equipment you've never used didn't help either. I'm sure you'll get real good on your hoe, after a wile.
Thanks Sean
I'm getting way better. I'm getting to the point that I don't have to think about what control to move. it's like the machine becomes part of me. Seat time is the best medicine.
I operated a skid steer off an on for 43 years and when I first got the hoe I was having flash backs from that and doing the wrong movement. I'm past that now.
Clint
 
Fortunately I've been able to acquire a couple helpful tools to help firewood processing. Unfortunately I put the processing area in a wet spot so winter cutting/splitting is not as clean as it used to be. And yes the excavators save 'tons' of morning after back pain.
 

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Fortunately I've been able to acquire a couple helpful tools to help firewood processing. Unfortunately I put the processing area in a wet spot so winter cutting/splitting is not as clean as it used to be. And yes the excavators save 'tons' of morning after back pain.
I never knew how much help the excavator would be until I got one.
 
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