Turns out I really hate working for others so I am going to bite the bullet and purchase some equipment again. One of the first things is a 872gp grader for the winter road maint I have lined up. I have a meeting at Brandt tractor monday afternoon to go over the number's what I really want is a 16h or M but this might be out of budget. Second is the new Deere HSD paird with the blade I figure this might work well faster then the Dozer pulling tires or drag. And able to do more then a farm tractor . See what I can get it for and what the client will pay per hour for it and see if the numbers work. Im hoping the 872gp can do almost as much as the 16 series I know it wont be the same but im hoping the all wheel drive will increase production of cours I will have to adjust the rate for the smaller machine. So anyone else think im on crack for trying to make the Deere be a 16 lol ointhead
Well, I had only a half hour demo on the GP, and I was very impressed by the 6 wheel drive ability, and the overall machine. It won't be the horse that a 16 is, but it will certainly hold its own. I like the HSD as well, when used in the right application. From your posts, I think you understand that. Good luck with the new venture.
I know the HSD is not a true dozer but its faster and can push more then a tractor and with the rear hydro ports hooking a drag to it should suit it fine when the snow is heavy unhook the drag and push out the lease or road faster then a dozer or the tractor. The HSD might be a perfect machine for what we will be doing lets hope I really wana try it it's just convincing the client to pay what I need to justify buying it. The Deere sale's team assures me the 872gp will be on par with the old 16g i had a few years back. I dunno the 16G is a beast In the summer striping topsoil on farm land lease acces will be its summer job lets hope it's a good match I hope I get a better feel for the 872 after the test run in the afternoon.
I saw somebody last year using a Challenger 75 or 85 along Highway by Gimli pulling an track chain from a dozer to fill gully's in the ditches after heavy rains eroded the front and back slopes of the highway. This was of course opposite conditions from what you'll encounter. However that six way dozer blade could be a big help if you encounter a heavy snowfall and will be good to knock off any finger drifts.
Im really guna have to sit down with Ms. number cruncher monday night and see if what I need per hour to run the machine for a profit is worth the investment. Im sure IF the 872 will do 90 percent of the work a 16g can it will be a good choice I was thinking six tire chains would help out but my Consultant buddy gets real red in the face when you mention those LOL might take a case or two of rum to get those on LOL.
Well spent the afternoon at Brandt and Toromont with my brother and 245dlc Spent some time with the Deere and the CAT grader's we will be purchasing the 872GP this week I got offerd a very good deal on the HSD I think we may end up with one in the next 2 or 3 months. we looked at the 160M all wheel drive at Toromont and after the your wasting my time attitude from the two sale's goof's and being told the bare bones 160M was guna be almost 200 thousand more then the Deere with the Grade pro GPS ready unit. This cemented the Deere in my mind. The HSD will work well in the way I intend to use it wanted to get vid of it but the yard was muddy and I guess the HSD is scared of mud and they didnt wana drive it. Kinda mifd me cause I drove 2 and a half hours to drive it again with my brother and for 245dlc to give me there opinons. That aside I was very impressed with our salsemen at Brandt never rushed us or pushed us around let us take all the time we needed and hung back and let us talk and would jump in and answer anything we needed. I think we will end up with an all Deere fleet except dozer's witch will be CAT So at the end of the month we will have sealed the deal on a few machines I hope 872GP for sure this week 240D with thumb 450D 650D with frost bucket and ripper HSDlater on 50D mini for the MB company in the spring. Some of this will be low hour used lots new One 8 size dozer and a couple 6N 5H machine's Im a lucky guy to have a family that will stand behind me and my brother on all this hope we don't commit financial suicide LOL I would like to thank Bert(245dlc) for his time to come out and look over the machines and give an objective veiw.
Lol, I'm happy to help. I really wish it stop raining this is depressing.
The 872gp will be great for the kind of work you will be doing,had a demo on a 772gp great machine,the 872 had alittle more power and weight then the 772.An 872 would not be on par with a 16g,a 160h/m with six wheel drive would be on par with 872.There is alot of weight/hp differance between 872 and 16.
Were abouts are these machines going to be working?
Damn Bro You are divin in DEEEP! Good luck to ya though! Make sure they have the cross slope working before ya buy the 872. a county here bought two of the GPs a year ago and the Deere dealership still hasnt figured out how to get the cross slope to work at all.
I've been running a 772gp for the last month and have run into the problem with the slope control not working right. Had Brandt out yesterday and he said that if the brass slides are out or not tight in any way it will cause it to be wrong. We adjusted the slides and checked using smart level on the table and it was within .2 percent if not dead on. It was closer when the grader was facing downhill on the curve than up hill. I'm impressed with this machine. There are a few little things that I think could be changed but that could be just for me
The slope control has to be calibrated exactly. Proabley if you do it right it will take you 2 hours. If it isnt calibrated your return pass will be out every time. YELLOMTLMILITIA Calibrate the slope control properly and your problems will go away.
Cummings, Some thing you should be mindfull of is snow build up on the HSD's tracks and undercarrage, I have not seen a HSD up close but I do know that the Quad Tracks, (Stigers) have issues in deep snow with ice build up, I belive that it has to do with the steel drive wheels on rubber tracks as this is where you will get massive ice build up.
Cummins05, glad to hear your going with deere. Thats a hell of a difference between the deere and cat graders You will love that 240D. Surprised to hear no deere dozers. What are you using for finish dozers? Can't wait to see this iron on some job site picts!!
well it isnt my grader but I do know they have done it by the book and made sure they had thier hydraulics are within operating temps and still no avail.
i had the deer guy come and fixed the brass in my grader because he said that if was worn or not shimmed right, it can throw the system out of wack. he fixed it and we calibrated according to the manual and the on screen display and it worked great for a few days, (two to be exact) then the next morning it was all messed up again would read like 10% going one way and then 1-2% comming the other way on a 6% eleveted curve im gonna try and re-calibrate again once it quits raining and i go back to work and maybe call the deere guys back it it dosent help . Calibrating every other day could become a pain in the butt, hopefully there is a better fix.
All those bells and whistles are nice, when they work. When they don't, they just give you a headache!