I had a second chance to work alongside this 953B a few weeks back. Its owner operated with 18000+hrs on the original engine and pushes like a train. It was a straight forward topsoil strip and stockpile for trucking away with some used to build anti vehicle visitor banks around the perimeter. Trimming with the 4 in 1
bund building I got to play on the outskirts Its allowed as the 953's visible in the background
Nice pics , I like that track loader, I have run alot of 963's and 1 953B I sure did like the 953b because it was small enough to get in tighter spaces , but would put out alot of work
Good pictures.The cat 953 is a great tractor,my nieghbor has one and he love's it.That is an interesting rubber tired excavater,I see it has many options & abilitys.But it still takes an operator,and it looks like you have it mastered.
Thanks 25c, I still like to practice though, some say I have the makings of mastering it if I stick with it for a good few years That is a very nice 953B. The owner is in a bit of a " dont know which way to jump situation " in that he has good prospects of work coming up, has been looking for an upgrade but had no luck thus far. His engine, while running great with no sign of a problem is well past its recommended and excepted normal life. He knows where he can get a replacement. It needs some new running gear. All of which is normal for owners of machines but when do you say OK, and spend the money
The D series are supposed to be awesome pieces of kit, its just affording one and warranting the vast expence.
whos cleaning up now As a rubber duck operator (umm ) I accept that a lot of my work is clearing up after other people/trades. Boy, it is real nice to have someone cleaning up after me for a change The contract is very nearly complete but was short of about 3000cu yd topsoil Somebody decided to check what was left on the field where the stockpile had been It gave the 953B a couple of days play time pushing up the surplus. and it kept me and two trucks active for Saturday moving it to a new stockpile. The field needs to be handed back for seeding. Kept the JCB busy too
Single track access How to strip the topsoil off the headland of a field, truck it away and replace it with hardcore. Trees and hedge one side and crop the other. The 953B pushed the soil up into heaps that I then loaded onto trucks. once we got in a little there was access to an ajoining field that the Cat could get in to allow the trucks to pass. The trucks returned with hardcore that the Cat levelled before they backed up for another load of soil.
photos cracking pictures rob i may need to use one or two if thats ok with you especialy the one with the spreader bar good to see your keeping busy cheers graham
No problem, you grab all you want . Its an 18'x12"x12" timber he's got in the 4 in 1, well, 6 metre actually but that means its 300x300mm and it gets confusing for our brothers over the water The confession to make is that two days later I was ripping the headland ready for the farmer to seed it when I found this I put all the traffic management cameras on the M25 out for about 4hrs :Banghead
Good shots Rob. Seems like a pretty dumb place for a cable, from the pic it looks like it was just laying in the grass, or just under the surface in the middle of nowhere. It must be a nice change, working in a quiet field amongst the trees, than in the middle of a four or six lane motorway, where you usually are. I couldn't handle that, it's the wide open spaces for me. Rn'R.
rabbits rob those rabbits will chew through any thing these days we are working along side ringway on a road widening job at bracknell they have to be drink and drug tested after any damage is caused have you come across this on motorway jobs cheers graham
Yes you are bang on. It was originally layed along the field edge then this area of the field became the stockpile area for the topsoil. As happens the pile gets wider, things get buried a good while later once the pile is removed some muppet finds it again and everybody has a good laugh Dam :Banghead never thought to blame those pesky wabbits Costains have a stated drinks and drug testing policy, it is made clear before induction on first day. You can walk there and then no questions asked or stay. If you stay it is random or on suspicion and at thier descretion. There are plenty of signs up warning that, have a good weekend/day off but remember the TEST on Monday. I got picked at induction :beatsme . One foreman had a 100% hit rate. If he nominated an operator or anybody for test, they failed. A lot failed over the duration of that contract. I look at it like CCTV and speed cameras. If you haven't got a guilty concious you haven't got a problem. Why is it always me that gets stopped by airport security or customs. .........No really I do :beatsme.
New job Got on a lowloader and moved a good few miles and look what turned up a week later. Handy really as I was getting a bit concerned who was going to tidy up after me Somebody has been doing some painting
Great to see that track loaders are still geeting used on jobs in this country. Great pictures Rob. I envy that guy alot, always wanted to run my own track loading shovel but never thought you would get the work for it, this guy seems to be the exception to the rule. Keep seeing a Cat 943 for sale, used to run one and did all kinds of jobs with it, conviced alot of people to rehire me but I was working for someone so didn't need to worry about finding my next job. Just wish I could get back on a track shovel would be in heaven!! Interesting tool you got there too Rob. Have'nt seen too many of them doing that sort of work before.
Haha... you should submit that Jeremy Clarkson. I think he'd give you an award.
This guy really is the exception to the rule. Apparently he was the operator of the first track shovel in the UK when it arrived for ( I think he said ) Wimpey. Quite a while ago, so you can imagine the contacts he has within the industry. He had a phone call booking him for the M25, 3 months before the job kicked off :notworthy You know as well as I do its all about contacts no matter how good you are. He was sat on somebody elses dozer for a good few months at the end of last year as things were so quiet. Thanks for the intrest in the duck :drinkup I never thought of that really it was only the works cameras that I put out :Banghead they are in place as the roadside phones are inactive during the works. Its all recorded though and I know several times that the police were in the office to review footage following fatalaties. At those sort of times the cameras are a godsend in aiding the investigation.
he looks like he's getting the most outta them tracks(well worn) is that a tilting bucket you have on that 'duck' rob?..good device for doing 'batters'
He got his moneys worth outa them finally had to change them..............he couldnt stand the squeeking any longer Yes its a gimpy bucket. Very very handy. You dont appreciate just how handy until you have one.
New Man here! checking yal out. I have 3 953s 93b 99c 2001c I would not trade the b for both c,s it has 15,000hrs replaced one turbo ,6 mufflers ,7unders,mis. hyd.hoses.I think cat came out with the c to sell more parts.People tell me I will need a trany soon.I think I will sell one of the 953C,s to fund it! Whatu think.
Welcome dirtleg got any pics of your shovels? A few have said the same thing, stick with the b, thats service for you. I know a guy in the UK who is actively looking for some of the slightly older machines in dozer form as the newer stuff is having so much agro with electrical problems that take forever to find and repair, never mind the system one rip off that you cant split yourself.
Do not have pics of my rides yet. Will have some soon. I like the 953Bs because I can trouble shoot and repair my self. The C models have those stupid computers that is supposed to make it easy to diagnose but CAT comes out plugs in spends half a day to find a short at the wiring harness near the starter.Go figur!!!!! :