The Construction Gang

NUCA Meeting December 16 - Congressman Earl Blumenauer

Congressman Earl Blumenauer will be the speaker for the December meeting.  His presentation is entitled “Beyond the Bailout:  How We Rebuild and Renew America despite the Economic Meltdown.”  The Wall Street shakeup, federal bailout, and spiraling housing market are symptoms of deeper problems within our economy. 

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Blumenauer will present his overview of the economic issues Congress faces next year, and his approach to building economic stability while we are struggling with the threats of global warming and deteriorating infrastructure.  We have over 72,000 miles of underground pipeline that is at least 80 years old.  Following his presentation, the Congressman will field questions.

Meeting Details: December 16, 5.30pm, Monarch Hotel, 12566 SE 93rd Av, Clackamas OR, $30 per person.

Takeuchi TL130 Dominates the Pacific Northwest

No matter what job site I’m on these days, there always seems to be a Takeuchi TL130 track loader running around or parked off to the side waiting for its next job. Is Takeuchi giving their machines away or are they popular for a reason? According to Allen Rudd, Takeuchi USA, they have sold 350-400 units in Oregon and Washington.

To get honest-to-God, down-and-dirty feedback on the TL130, Eric La Rue of The Excavators LLC invited me to test out his machine on a residential development in Aloha, Oregon. The day was wet and foggy, perfect for a test run.

La Rue knows a thing or two about the excavation business and the tools of the trade. He’s been in the business since 1989 specializing in new residential construction, foundations, sewers, septic, and more recently, directional drilling: “We used to rent a lot of wheeled skids for our jobs, and they’d really beat up your body. So, when I decided to buy a new one, I knew I was going to get a
tracked skid.”

This 7646 lb operating weight “compact” rubber track loader might seem small, but once I got up alongside it and stepped into the cage, everything suddenly looked a lot bigger. The six-way adjustable suspension seat immediately made me feel right at home, and the rear pivoting seat bar
even has built in arms rests. I know it might sound a little bit Martha Stewart, but if you’re going to go to those lengths to make the operator feel comfortable, why not have a conveniently placed cup holder?

The joystick controls at first seem overly sensitive, but once I got used to it, I suddenly realized they are actually very responsive and smooth. The 13” wide rubber tracks with deep gullies and offset pads give excellent flotation and traction in deep mud, pivoting back and forth. As La Rue put it, “I’m shocked by what this machine can do in the mud.” He has even gone as far as to retire his TD7 International dozer.

What about long term reliability and serviceability? I talked with several service managers from Star Rentals and United Rentals in Oregon and Washington, and they all agreed that the TL130 is pretty much bullet proof.  “Renters hammer these machines, but they just keep on working,” according to Matt Adams from Star Rentals. Electrical and hydraulic problems are unheard of, and the cab pops up for easy access to the hydraulics.

Track wear is another matter. Contractors and rental company employees all have the same complaint – rubber tracks typically wear out after about 800-900 hours. Again, La Rue was quick to defend the machine: “The TL130 has enough power that after about 800 hours the tread is scrubbed right off. No surprise there.” This is a hard pill to swallow for contractors used to rubber tracks lasting 2000-3000 hours on an excavator, but the problem is not unique to Takeuchi track loaders. It’s a problem with most OEM track loaders.

So, there’s only question left to answer (apart from the cup holder), “Will steel tracks ever be available for track loaders?”

Rubber & Steel Tracks - Weighing Track Options for Mini-Excavators

The excavation business can involve many challenges including client demands, rising costs, terrain, and weather. However, one challenge that can really hurt the bottom line is downtime due to equipment mishaps. In particular, many professionals using mini-excavators, such as the PC75 or TB175, have experienced the frustration of a rubber track slipping off on tough terrain or being sliced by a stray bit of rebar or concrete.  Now, depending on site conditions (mud, water, etc.) and location relative to resupply, the operator or an entire crew is stuck until the rubber track, which weighs approximately 1000 pounds, is refitted or replaced. This can represent a very labor-intensive fix, and a company could potentially lose hours or even a whole day of productivity until the situation is remedied.

While some in the industry say that such a scenario is just part of doing business, a simple trade up of track type may, given the right conditions, allow an excavation company to avoid or greatly reduce the chance of this particular concern. The solution may be a switch over to using steel tracks.

Some excavation companies in the Southwest Washington area have already made the change. Summit Excavation, a two-man operation serving the area for the past eight years, is one example. According to Summit’s Bud Egdbert, an equipment operator, switching to steel tracks has been quite a benefit for his company. “We have been using our Takeuchi (TB175) for about five years and started using steel tracks a little over a year ago. The results have been good.”

Despite the cost and time concerns many companies may have due to the possibility of changing out the rollers, idlers, and sprockets used with their existing rubber tracks, Egdbert says, “on our Takeuchi, we didn’t have to switch out any parts and the installation only took about two hours.” Another concern is the cost comparison of rubber tracks versus steel.  Egdbert said that it almost cost less to switch to steel. By his best recollection, there was not much of a price difference and, while he couldn’t put an exact dollar amount on his company’s savings, he did say that steel tracks did seem to have about double the life and did not “walk off like the rubber ones can. They [steel] deal with stress better.”

Beyond the time and cost savings, Egdbert did mention a safety benefit as well; noise. “The rubber tracks can be too quiet and folks may not hear you coming. The steel ones are noisy, so everyone knows you are coming, and they get out of the way.”

While Edgbert did praise the switch to steel tracks in many areas, he did have a few concerns related to site conditions and traction. “Steel has less traction in winter and the rubber treads you can put on the steel need a traction pattern.”

Many challenges for excavation companies will always be a part of business as usual and are unavoidable. However, in many situations, a loss of productivity due to rubber track slippage or sheering may be avoided by making the switch to steel tracks. If the steel track option is appealing, consider contacting a local min-excavator parts and track supplier.

Greentech Excavation Company

After spendin g 16 years working as a foreman on union jobs, Chad Bickle decided to use his experience in a new venture, Green Tech Excavation Company. The company has allowed him to blend his construction background with his long held interest in the environment: “I’ve always been self-conscious about the environment, and so I decided, why not start a green construction business?” 

The business began with two CAT rigs, a 257 skid steer, and a long boom 305 excavator. Bickle chose CAT for two reasons. First, he likes the quality of their products: “CAT is a leader in motors for heavy equipment.” Second, he likes the fact that his CAT machines are Tier IV, creating the smallest amount of carbon of any machines on the market.

The Tier IV rating was just the starting point for Bickle.  He had the dealership, NC Machinery, convert the hydraulic systems to run on agricultural based lubricants-vegetable oil-so that he could “get as green as it gets.” According to Jim Plaisance of NC, the process is pretty straight forward: “We drain the tanks, purge the hydraulic cylinders of exiting fluids which contain lead, and replace it with the vegetable oil.” Plaisance estimated that the change over takes about a
day’s labor for a small excavator like Bickle’s to about three day’s labor for larger, more complex systems.

Even though it is an expensive process, about $2,000 for his rigs, Bickle thinks the switch is worth the price. Running green machinery for all his jobs gives him a unique position in the market place because he is one of the first to complete the whole process with new equipment.

The lubricants, Environmental Awareness Lubricants (AWLs), were developed by MOBIL as a less toxic, more environmentally friendly, alternative to standard lubricants.  According to Bickle, the vegetable fluid meets the zero-fishkill test. If AWL is poured into a container of water which has fish swimming in it, the fish survive. Don’t try that with petroleum based fluids. Bickle added with some amusement that the synthetic grease he uses is USDA approved, but he doesn’t plan to try to eat any of it soon.

In addition to their environmental benefits, AWLs perform as well as standard fluids Bickle said. AWLs have had no negative effect on the operation of his equipment “no loss of power, nothing.” Plaisance, on the other hand, did note one potential drawback to the AWLs. They don’t dissipate
the heat as effectively as oil based lubricants, so on very hot days a machine might pick up some extra heat.

Because hydraulic hoses are under high pressure and prone to break, Bickle takes pride in knowing that any fluid leak from his rigs can flow directly into a storm drain with no environmental damage. Even though it is more expensive to “go green” in terms of fluid, grease, and biodiesel fuel, Bickle thinks he can carve out a profitable niche for himself.  Realistically, perhaps only 20% of his potential customers will take his green approach into consideration when choosing an excavating contractor, but he still sees a strong and growing market.

Ultimately he hopes that his construction background combined with his commitment of protect the environment will provide a decent life for himself, his wife, and kids.  “I’m taking what I learned working for really big companies and applying it to my own.”

Fast Trax 425O Crushing Downtown Portland

Jake Alhauser of Carlie’s Mobile Crushing grabs a remote control, enters a command, and 117,000 pounds of machinery begins to move. With Jake walking casually beside it, the crusher rambles down a one lane quarry road to its next destination. Watching the scene it’s easy to lose track of just how large the mobile crusher is because it’s so maneuverable and responsive.

That maneuverability means the crusher can easily be placed on downtown demolition sites. It
takes about five minutes to roll one off a lowboy, and put it to work crushing on-site concrete and
asphalt into base rock that can be used on the project. Because it is self-contained, it requires
no additional set up. According to Bill Fellows, the general manager of Carlie’s, “ It’s portable, so we can take it anywhere, and crushing on-site means a lot less trucking onto the freeways.” That means less congestion downtown, and it also means the contractor has a convenient source of recycled material where the work is being done.

Carlie’s Fast Trax 4250 crusher is a closed circuit machine with the crusher, screener, and recirculator all in one unit. In addition, it comes with its own dust control which attaches to a water tank. The combination is powered by a Cummins Diesel, Tier III. Easy to transport, the operating width of 15 ft 7 in can be streamlined to 11 ft 1 in for transport. The overall length measures 67 ft 7 1//2 in, and the height 11 ft 5 in. Cranked up and running, The Fast Trax can chew up material to 21 in at a rate of 400 tph.

The Construction Gang got a chance to watch Jake put it through its paces. At the controls of an excavator sitting atop a 15 foot high pile of broken concrete and asphalt, he began scooping up chunks. Swinging the boom, he expertly filled the hopper as the crusher went to work. In seconds, a cone of 1 inch-minus base rock began to form at the far end of the combine. Meanwhile, softball size pieces of debris bounced crazily back up the recycling circuit, to be sent back though the  innards again. A magnet in one of the belts attracted any steel which was then harmlessly directed out the side of the crusher. Because Jake was just running the rig for us momentarily, it wasn’t hooked up to the dust control. The value of that attachment became clear to us in no time.

Jake finds the 4250 easy to use and maintain: “It only takes about a half an hour to grease the whole thing, and it’s much more userfriendly than our last one.” Except for normal wear to wear plates and belts, he says it has been basically problem free.  One potential problem with crushers has been plugging them up, but the 4250 makes getting at the crusher mouth relatively easy, according to Ed Kanable of Modern Machinery.  

Kanable also noted the extra savings a closed circuit unit provides: “You can travel from job to job
without a special truck, and you don’t need to bring in another wheel loader or dozer. That saves
thousands of dollars.” In addition, the operation is safer because crusher can be controlled remotely, with the operator in the excavator, not on the ground.

Carlie’s Mobile crushing maintains a yard downtown at 1201 N.W. Naito Parkway, under the west side of the Broadway Bridge. Fellows said that they normally stock about 3,000-5,000 tons of material there. He likes meeting the challenges contractors bring to him: “There’s no work too difficult for us.”

Kanable sees equipment like the 4250 as a key to the future of the industry: “Let’s reuse this material instead of throwing it in a hole.”

Johnson Creek Rentals - The Switch

W hen Ed Hutson bought Johnson Creek Rentals eight years ago, the yard owned just two skid steers and one excavator. In the years since, Ed has built the fleet into eight skid steers and 22 excavators. He has also developed his own expertise in the field: “I consider myself a mini-excavator specialist.” He has learned the value of buying top quality equipment and attachments: “I won’t put on cheap thumbs or buckets, and because of that, I get eight years out of them.”
 
Hutson built the inventory with Takeuchi machines primarily, but has recently switched his emphasis to Case.  He likes the Case 420 skid steer because it’s bigger, stronger, more rental tough. Because it is more compact, he said it looks less intimidating to residential customers, and the smoother controls help less experienced operators.  With added horsepower and greater lifting capability, the Case is a more stable, smoother operating machine, Hutson maintains. And, he sees a fundamental shift in skid steers: “I’ve gone from rubber tire skid steers to rubber track
because they cause less fatigue.”

Other factors which influenced his decision to switch include what Hutson calls “true zero percent financing” which doesn’t include a mark up on the sales price, and better trade-in value. In addition, updating inventory makes good economic sense: “In the rental business, depreciation is a real number.” The quality of Case also won him over: “Bill Hunsinger of Western Power told me five or six years ago that Case was not up to snuff on mini excavators. Now, he tells me they are in
the top 2%.”

Hunsinger described another factor: “I sold them Takeuchi, and Takeuchi made a very good product. I think that the product support capabilities of Case led to the switch as well.” Steve Runyan of Case is especially high on the new Series 3 compact track loader: “It has a larger,
more spacious cab, more power. The product has been selling really well.” The B Series is engineered using the latest technology, is Tier III compliant, and comes with a “phenomenal warranty. “

Hutson is quick to point out that he isn’t completely disowning Takeuchi: “Half of my excavators are still Takeuchi. They make a fine product.” Using this blend of equipment, his staff of ten operates the yard seven days a week. They provide service 24 hours a day using a service
truck with a hose machine for on-site repairs. If there is a problem, the Johnson Creek staff can generally get a customer up and running again in a couple of hours.

Hutson enjoys the challenge of keeping customers happy. As an independent, he has an advantage
over some larger firms: “If you have a problem, you can talk to the owner-me. I resolve things quickly” Besides he thinks it is a “fun business,” you know, boys with toys.

SAFETY Pays At Nutter Corporation

Nutter Corporation reached over a million hours without a lost time injury at the end of September 2008 and has set a new goal of 1.5 million hours. The company handles grading, underground utilities, commercial,residential, and municipal construction work.

The milestone was recognized by the state of Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries.
The positive Experience Modification Rating (EMR), or safety rating helps Nutter Corporation maintain competitiveness. “Clients and potential employees often check with the department as it’s an indicator for our company,” said Jerry Nutter. Nutter Corporation’s EMR of 0.5906 also means that employees see a smaller deduction for worker’s compensation from paychecks.
Similarly, Nutter’s customers are able to get better pricing because of the reduced overhead costs for insurance.

The culture of safety at Nutter Corporation is underscored by the motto, Safety takes us home.
“Every single day we want our employees to go home to their families in one piece,” continued Nutter.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa A Schmidt
Nutter Corporation
(360) 759-2233 (direct) or (360) 601-3955 (cell)
(360) 573-2000 Fax (360) 576-8484