We converted this rubber track machine today. New rollers, idlers and sprockets were not required for this conversion.
February 16, 2010
April 17, 2009
March 30, 2009
Green Pastures In A Tough Economy
Mike Green of Green Construction has worked in heavy construction since 1992. Over the years, he has seen many fluctuations in the economy and has learned to adjust to them. But this recent downturn has caused him to diversify in some unexpected ways, just as it has done for almost every business owner today.
he focus of his work had always been private residential work, but since the market dropped in 2007, he has taken on many jobs for local governments: “I never even looked at municipal work before, but when the larger private work dried up, I started bidding them.” Over the past year, he has taken on projects for the City of Camas, Washington; the City of Washougal, Washington; and the Underwood Conservation
District among others. For Underwood, Green Construction installed a bridge near Trout Lake, ripping out an existing culvert, doing stream restoration, and adding the bridge. The timing was critical because they had to complete the project between salmon runs in the stream.
Green also found a surprising amount of demolition business in 2008, including work for the City of Camas, the Port of Camas/Washougal, and Tarr LLC in Portland. Using the machine he calls the backbone of his company, a John Deere 120C, Green and his crew make quick work of these tear downs: “ We can put it in a house, tear it down, and separate it in no time flat.” Recently, they demolished two houses and a couple of out buildings for the Port in about 12 hours total. Doug Ziegler is typically at the controls on these jobs, a young operator with lots of talent as Green puts it.
TCG recently caught up with Green and crew at a demolition site in the rolling hills outside Washougal where a fire in December had gutted a beautiful multi-level home. Using the thumb and bucket Zeigler easily separated large chunks of debris into piles, nimbly moving through the interior of the house as he worked his way toward the chimney stack. The 120C may be small by comparison to the larger machines, but its good sized reach comes in handy. After maneuvering the 120 up on to the second level Zeigler he easily brought down the chimney with a few swipes of the bucket.
The 120C, which has been replaced by the D series, is a very mobile 30,000 pound machine and as Green put it: “We don’t need flaggers to move them, and they’re more efficient than our 200.” He has been very impressed with its power: “It’s only a four cylinder but it can pretty much dig out and knock down anything you throw at it.” It’s clear that Green’s equipment allegiance lies squarely with John Deere. The company has a 35D mini, and two 120Cs with about 1,000 hours on each, certainly enough
time to get a solid read on their value. Green also had the foresight to invest his money wisely right down to the additional plumbing he requested as part of the purchase. “Even though I knew it was unlikely I would utilize the additional plumbing I did it anyway for the machines resale value.”
Each machine is fitted with the Irish manufacturer Dromone’s hydraulic quick hitches which is distributed through the Canadian manufacturer CWS. The Dromone quick hitch is a fully automatic locking system that’s visibly safe without having to leave the cab. The quick hitch hydraulic kit uses five port system which only permits operation when attachment is in the safe (fully curled in) position, and the lock is independent of hydraulics and will not drop the bucket even in the event of a complete hydraulic failure. Another great cost benefit to this coupler is that it will pick up attachments of varying pin diameters
within the same weight class therefor reducing your bucket inventory.
For a small company like Green’s, the John Deere line of mini and midi excavators has been a smart choice but equally important has been the support from Pape Machinery. Over the years he had developed a strong relationship with his salesman but a couple of years ago the salesman left Pape Machinery to break out on his own. “But that was ok because the salesman set up shop just down the road from my yard, and he regularly comes in to give me a pep talk especially during these tough times.”
March 28, 2009
March 05, 2009
RSS1000 Snowblower on Mt. Rainier
Zig-zagging 5,400 feet up to Paradise on the RSS 1000 Stewart & Stephens, a 27,000 lb snowblower, can be a hair-raising experience, unless you are in the safe hands of a veteran, the experienced and knowledgeable operator Jim Hooper.
Hooper joined the Rainier Federal Park Service in 1984 as a mechanic, and in 1999 he hung up those boots and moved one building down to start a new phase in his life as an equipment operator. According to Hooper the hydrostatically driven RSS1000 arrived at the park in 1996 and he has either worked on the machine as a mechanic or operated it on the mountain ever since.
The average snow fall for Mt. Rainier is around 600” a year but in the few days I was up there a whopping 82” had fallen. Sitting in the cab you’ll see the snow cutters on the front cutting piece dead ahead. They measure around 8’ tall, and during the height of the snow fall the depth was higher than the snow cutters. The RSS 1000 is rated to blow 3000 tons of snow per hour with a throw rate between 30ft and 125ft. “But that was in its prime.” Jim points out. The Discharge Chute or Blower Head rotates 130 degrees: 45 degrees to the left and 85 degrees to the right.
When the RSS range was first introduced to North America they came fitted with a Volvo TD131G but when Bill Myslik established Rolba North America he was given permission to Americanize the machine. So, out went the Volvo engine and in came the Detroit 60 (Diesel 6V92TA, DDEC III). According to Jim, “The only thing that has gone wrong with this machine has been ribbon wear and the shear pins doing their job.” If you are cutting through “Cascade Cement (high water density snow) it’s not surprising that you’re going to have to rebuild the ribbons three or four times over a 6000 hrs period. The shear pins are purposely located on the drum, two on the left and two on the right. If the ribbons hit any kind of debris other than snow the shock load hits the shear pins halting the machine before hitting the gear box. But, when the pins do their job it’s a half hour job out of the cab for the operator to replace them. No thanks.
The single engine front-discharge unit incorporates ALSS (automatic load sensor system). When the blower is in automatic the computer knows that its peak rpm is 2100 and peak torque is 1500rpm. The system is designed to know what speed the operator is going so when the rpm’s drop the computer slows the machine’s forward progress, and when the rpm’s drop below 1,600, it will pretty much stop the blower. When that happens the chute chokes up with snow and ice and you have to get out there and dig the chute out by hand. Only a timid novice allows that to happen. Any normal thinking person would assume that the wellinsulated cab and the heating unit would come in handy up the mountain in blizzard, freezing conditions. Not so. The heat in the cab gets so bad you can have heat off and the windows down and you’re still dripping with sweat. “Remember, you’re sitting on a ton of hydraulics,” Hooper laughed.
One of the very first Rolba snowblowers to enter North America was put to work on
the North Slope in Alaska. I had opportunity of speaking to Bill Myslik the of Denver, Colorado, who is credited with introducing and developing the RSS range of snowblowers in North America about 25 years ago. Myslik spent three years working up on “the slope” as a heavy equipment mechanic for an oil company. At the time he operated the R3000 cab over snowblower which pushed around 5,000 tph. He loved the machines so much he approached Rolba in Switzerland to act as a dealer, and in 1985 he set up Rolba N.A.: “You know, in the 80’s Rolba snowblowers really were the Cadillac of snowblowers. They were the snowguys,” he recalled nostalgically.
In 1988 Myslik was awarded the license to manufacture and Americanize the RSS range, and in that same year he sold to Stewart Stevenson and was employed as the Snow Removal Product Manager. However, that relationship came to an end in 2000 when Stewart Stevenson moved their operations from Denver to Texas of all places. Two and a half years later Stewart Stevenson discontinued the line.
Myslik is well respected in the industry which is not surprising considering his attitude: “I would listen to my customers. If they said change this or change that, I knew that incorporating their ideas would only make our snowblowers stand out more in the industry.”
Myslik has seen big changes over the years: “I see the market for loader attachment snowblowers increasing. The reality is, budget wise, there’s a big move to loaders and attachments. They’re multi functional that way.” However, Myslik quickly pointed out that in order to move 3,000 to 4,000 tons per hour you’re going to have to be looking at 4 to 5 yard loaders, so you can quickly see your package cost increase significantly.
If the line has been discontinued, what about parts for all the snowblowers sold in the past? Well, after leaving Stewart & Stevens, Myslik formed Myslik Inc based in Denver, Colorado, in 2004 to supply parts for the RSS range, a big relief to RSS customers.
March 01, 2009
NUCA Engineers Night
The some 250 NUCA members and guests who attended the annual Engineers’ Night checked their doom and gloom about the economy at the door. The social hour was friendly and relaxed as members caught up with friends, customers and competitors. The program featured staff members from several local agencies who described upcoming bid projects. Helping to raise the collective spirit of the group was the message that money for new infrastructure projects will start flowing soon. For example, the State of Oregon Department of Transportation hopes to release two to three times more projects this year than it would in a typical year.
Chapter President John Kalkhoven concluded the evening by recognizing the 2008 board members: Chapter President - John Kalkhoven – Rio Underground, LLC; Chapter Vice President - John “JT”
Tenneson – Excel Excavation; Chapter Secretary-Treasurer - Steve Dukart – Duke Construction & Excavation; Immediate Past President – Bill Martinak – Emery and Sons Construction; Contractor
Board Member – Hank Lane – Coffman Excavation; Contractor Board Member – Kendall Moore – Moore Underground, Inc.; Contractor Board Member – Greg Parsons – Parsons Excavating, Inc.; Contractor Board Member – Dave Short – S-2 Contractors, Inc.; Contractor Board Member – Billy Stimpson – MEI Group; Associate Board Member – Rick Day – Advantage Precast, Inc.; Associate Board Member - Matt Gebarowski – DirtLogic, LLC; Associate Board Member - Geoff Brown – KG Specialties; Associate Board Member – Joe Yazbeck – Yazbeck, Cloran & Hanson, LLC; Past Chapter President – Roy Moore – MEI Group; Past Chapter President – Jim Gonzales – Gonzales Boring & Tunneling; Past Chapter President – NUCA National President – Lyle Schellenberg – Armadillo Underground, Inc.
February 18, 2009
Atlas Professional Services - EC20B Volvo
One day about three years ago, John Downing was working as a construction inspector for the City of Albany, Oregon, when a friend complained that he didn’t like his job. John challenged his friend to strike out on his own, but the friend shot back: “Why don’t you go start your own company?” Downing decided to take up the challenge, and within three weeks he had incorporated Atlas Professional Services, Inc. and was on his way to building his own dream specializing in trenchless, pipe bursting jobs.
Incorporating was the easy part. Downing hasn’t forgotten how excruciatingly difficult the first couple of years were: “Pipe bursting/pipe tv equipment and a vac truck cost a lot of money, but I found a support from the equipment guys who extended great terms to me. In fact they seemed to believe more in my company than I did.”
Using a Grundotugger pipe bursting machine from TT technologies, Atlas takes on jobs large and small, especially those in sensitive areas. Last year, the Independence Heritage Museum in Independence, Oregon, needed to have a line replaced, but the existing pipe ran under an historic tree. A traditional open trench approach would have brought down the tree. The Grundotugger made quick work of the replacement, leaving the tree safe and secure.
The system works equally well in tight residential lots with its new partner the 3,500 lb Volvo EC20B mini excavator. The EC20B, like the rest of John’s start-up equipment, is a used machine that he picked up for an outstanding price in Kent, WA. One of the unique features of this excavator is its variable-width chassis which gives an operator extra stability at full extension while the narrow setting reduces the overall width to less than 3.3 ft allowing it to move through a narrow opening with no problem.
backyard of a 1908 homestead. Its compact frame allowed them to maneuver it into tight spaces and snug up against the back deck to complete the replacement of an existing clay pipe line. The 360 degree visibility is an added safety feature for this kind of residential work. Downing said that it took him a little time to get used to the controls on the EC20B, “but once you get used to it, you actually fall in love with it.”
Downing and crew take obvious pride in their work: “When I left the City of Albany I had no customer base, so from the start I have tried to set a high standard of quality.” That shows in details large and small. They strive to leave a very shallow imprint on a job site, raking and reseeding lawn, compacting soil, and providing a warrantee against settling for one year.
In addition, they go out of their way to take care of their customers. Downing got a call on New Year’s Eve 2007 from a young couple on a private sewer line who had run out of sewer service. Atlas went out right away and got to work on a very tough job which they couldn’t finish that afternoon. Before they left for the night, the crew approached Downing because they wanted to work New Year’s Day to complete the job. So, at 7:00 a.m. the next morning they were all at work getting the young couple back on line.
That’s customer service.
February 16, 2009
JCB 8040 Excavator
Blimey! The English are back with a secret weapon in the guise of this classy nine and a half thousand pound, zero tail-swing, compact mini excavator, the JCB 8040.
On yet another rainy day in Washington state - this time on a five acre residential lot in Ravensdale – I met with Stephen Hehr the owner of Pipe Construction LLC who was preparing a section of ground for a 56’x44’ shop with his newly purchased JCB 8040 mini excavator.
Hehr hasn’t felt a hint of buyer’s remorse in the six months since he purchased the excavator from Brim Tractor: “I really like the look of this machine and its power, and I liked the guy Nathan who sold it to me. He wasn’t pushy. He just showed me everything there was to know about this 8040.”
Buying locally and from a reputable company was essential to Hehr’s decision: “I wanted a local company that would stand behind their product, and Brim does that. They stock genuine JCB parts and also guaranteed that if my excavator was ever to break down they would replace it with a new one while mine is in the shop getting fixed.”
Several decades have passed since Brim Tractor first opened their doors, and they’ve proven themselves to be a solid company that has built its reputation on strong business ethics. Brim now operates eight stores throughout Washington and Oregon which gives them an excellent platform from which to develop and support the JCB line of excavators.
Of course it’s also true that a dealer is only as good as the support it gets from its supplier, and this is where the British manufacturer JCB excels with its 24/7 North American Parts Depot. And, although they are ranked as one of the top three construction equipment manufacturers in the world, they are still a family business.
Planning for a large government project forced Hehr to analyze the pros and cons of purchasing a new excavator versus renting one. Hehr figured rental fees would be around $25,000 which worked out to be more than half of the purchase price of a new excavator. He was also very confident that he could pay it off within two years. It was a no-brainer to buy, and the JCB 8040 has proven to be a wise purchase.
The JCB 8040 has an innovative body style that is sleek but not just for the “wow” or “cool” factor. The curved 3 mm thick pressed steel body panels give the operator excellent visibility and component protection, and from the digging position the offset boom and neatly confined hoses routed over the top of the boom give great visibility. The interior has sporty, fully adjustable seating, ergonomically designed joysticks, and aluminum foot pedals that fold up to give the operator ample foot room. The internal canopy height is around 5’ and very spacious, so someone like me at 5’ 10” and 230 lbs finds the entry and cabin space to be very comfortable.
Although Hehr’s machine has a canopy, I did get a chance to inspect the cab version down at Brim’s Pacific, WA location, and I was surprised by the generous size of the entry. I’ve found the door access on larger machines to be much tighter.
Flipping open the hood to the access points reveals a surprisingly clutter-free space. The18 gallon diesel tank is tucked in behind the hydraulic hoses, and the 45hp Perkins engine is placed off to the right hand side. A grease gun holder is also cleverly located there. Access to the color coded hydraulic hoses is easy, and if there is ever a hydraulic leak, the radiator is safe from potential contamination due to a barrier positioned between it and the hoses. That was a big plus for Hehr. And, the barrier protects the
hydraulic hoses from the radiator heat.
Power and simplicity is the name of the game with this machine. A single-load sensing variable piston pump automatically controls flow and pressure, saving more money by delivering hydraulic oil as needed. Whether switching, digging, curling or craning, the fluidity of controls and incredible power offered by this machine are impressive.
A changeover switch on the left hand joystick allows the operator to alternate from boom-swing to auxiliary service such as a thumb, which is controlled by the far right aluminum foot pedal turning the boom left 60° and right 65°. When the boom is in operation, the swing is controlled by tilting the pedal left or right, and when the thumb is in operation the left and right tilt opens and closes the thumb.
Using the thumb and bucket, Hehr easily ripped out Douglas Fir tree stumps and swung and fully extended the boom to deposit the stumps onto a burn pile without noticing any loss of power or experiencing machine tilt even though the boom was opposite to the blade.
The blade performs as designed. During the recent snowstorms, Hehr used the blade as a snowplow, very effectively curling the snow off to the side rather than gathering it up over the blade. Whether that seems like a noteworthy feature or not, it certainly was to Hehr.
The Future
Competing in today’s economy is challenging but the 8040’s agility, power and simplicity will make it stand out from the crowd. Seasoned and novice operators alike will warm to this machine the minute they take the controls.
Finally, considering how much rain we get in Washington, I asked Hehr why he didn’t go for the cab version. His answer would make any Scotsman proud: “For the additional 5k I’ll just buy myself a new coat.”
Brim Tractor can be contacted at 800-258-7181 or 888-863-9004
January 26, 2009
S&I Equipment
Driving past S&I Equipment in Battle Ground,a person might do a double take. The whole fleet and yard has a fresh new look, reflecting the changes put in place by Rod Hackney.
Inside the store Rod has placed an emphasis on service: “Customer service is a giant priority. It may sound corny, but I want people to feel at ease when they walk in.” He takes pride in the friendly, knowledgeable staff. They know the equipment and are ready to answer questions.
Perhaps as important to Hackney, if they don’t know the answer to a question they will say so and then find the answer.
To keep all the machinery in top shape Nick Batchelder runs the shop, putting to good use the 10 years experience he had with United Rentals before moving to S&I.
S&I stocks a wide range of equipment: John Deere tractors,loaders, Bobcat excavators from 3000 lbs. to 18,000 lbs.,Genie scissors and man lifts, Komatsu dozers, implements and attachments for farm work.
Because the Battle Ground area has dozens of five acre farms, Hackney carries a full line of weed sprayers, plows, and discs. He also rents Rock Hound attachments which hardly anyone else carries.
Hackney has had some connection with S&I since he went to work for his then father-in-law in 1985. He worked there until 2000 when he went to work for the Bobcat dealership as their rental manager. During that time, he added industrial rental experience to his resume.
Later he decided to branch off on his own, buying and selling used equipment.
When S&I came on the market in March of 2007, Hackney saw an opportunity and bought the business with a partner. At that point the fleet needed a major update. He replaced about 75% of the fleet with new equipment, repainted more than 20 trailers, and spruced up the office.
The changes have paid off for S&I. In spite of the economy, 2008 was a record year. In the future, Hackney hopes to expand the commercial side of the business and envisions a Woodland branch in the long term plan.
Driving those plans is the simple philosophy posted on the wall of the show room: Your success is our success.
Recent Posts
- Bobcat 331 steel track installation video
- John Deere 120C Green Construction
- Green Pastures In A Tough Economy
- Cowlitz County Habitat For Humanity
- NUCA meeting April 21, 2009
- RSS1000 Snowblower on Mt. Rainier
- NUCA Engineers Night
- Atlas Professional Services - EC20B Volvo
- JCB 8040 Excavator
- S&I Equipment
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