Several months ago I delivered a new New Holland tractor to a couple of guys to help maintain their recreational property. I spent a great deal of time teaching them the controls, what to watch out for, what to optimize for, etc. Really appreciative for the time taken. They are both engineers at Caterpillar in E. Peoria, and Mossville. We exchanged ideas, hobbies, families, etc. The one gent knew my wife quite well as she was the main accountant for the truck engine group when ACERT was first coming into play. First cabbed tractor they'd ever had and when mowing, the suction line for the air conditioner come apart at a crimp fitting, so I hauled it back in for warranty repair. At the front of their property and bordering a state highway was an old dilapidated house with a bunch of junk all around. Upon returning their tractor with new hoses and recharged A/C system, I noticed a new 84" rotary cutter setting outside their building. I showed them how to connect it to the tractor 3 point, level and center the mower, engage the pto, and match cutting speed/rpm to the job at hand. Again, real attentive and nice guys appreciative of the direct instruction. Now to the core of the story: That dilapidated house out front was to be burned as a training exercise for the volunteer fire departments of the area. It was a rental property for several years but had really been let go. When it became available the tractor gents made purchase ending their easement to ingress their property. The junk in the yard was the initial start of the property cleanup. I delivered them a new grapple bucket this afternoon and the house is burned down. There is an excavator there pulling out the foundation block that was the basement walls and they are going to backfill the hole with dirt from further back on the property. Since they knew I had the dozer from prior conversation, I'm told when I'm ready, "to come clean the property up" removing about 35 trees and unkept undergrowth in the process. Don't want a price, just want it done. I explained I'm an apprentice at best to which the reply was "We all got to start somewhere", (my kind of guys) so looks like I need to get off the cheeks and make the machine start earning it's keep.
Congrats! Now you have to be polite and post pics of your work so we can pick it apart. Just kidding.
That is exactly what I plan to do. My son and I have been working on that tractor for some time getting it ready for work with our limited availability. In hindsight; kinda wished I'd had it hauled home rather than to the property but it is what it is. Son and grand daughters have really enjoyed it down there too. End of this month plates and insurance go back onto my Mack tractor, so I'll bring it home then myself. In the meantime got to "bone up" on the new laser system purchased and fabricate a blade mount to attach it to.
Here is where I leave you all at the edge of your seat in suspense: Flush with excitement from paying my real estate taxes down at the county seat, and on my return trip home, I decided to stop by this jobsite and snap a few photos to share. I get parked and just then notice I'd left the eff'n phone on the charger at home. No problem I thinks as I carry a digital camera in the console of the truck. Finding the camera, and hitting the power button it begins it's "boot" routine, then goes dead as a door nail!! Dead batteries!! Swear I can't win for losing sometimes..... I'll get back by sometime but they were making good progress on the basement tearout and had dug a depression ditch to burn in.
Congrats and look forward to the posting
Might as well put this up as it came from this job. 150 gallon fuel barrel and stand dragged out of the weeds behind the existing garage: Barrel still has at least 25 gallons of gasoline in it which smells good still. They wrapped it with a choker and swung it around to the driveway with the excavator not knowing if empty or not. I had to load by hand, (and lonesome) so wrapped a 2" strap around the barrel and frame, and leaned it over into the bed of my pickup. Same thing getting it out and stood up in the drive at the shop. I'll put a fresh filter on it and see how it burns in the lawnmower. If no good there, got a couple dozen tires it will help ignite with used engine oil.
This is getting better and better. The gents have also purchased the derelict home that was just to the south of this existing property. While this house was lived in up to two years ago, it was lost in foreclosure and these guys picked it up to take down. So the same scenario is going to play out there also with the volunteer fire departments using it for training, and I'll knock down all the scrub after the house debris is removed. Looks like the tilt blade is going to lend good use cutting roots. I didn't realize it but the recreational property I've referred to is 660 acres before these two parcels are added. There is a nice skeet and shooting range, three stocked lakes, and limited recreational boating available. It is going to become an RV park in the long term with some permanent spots offered. The building I have dropped the tractor off at is to become the clubhouse with meeting rooms, kitchen, showers etc. to support the grounds once fully operational. I can do all the bulldozing to my hearts content if I like they tell me so I must have hit off right with them. This ground is strip mine reclamation and they've been working with it almost 20 years to get it where it is today. Going to pick up a dump trailer as the amount of block and broken cement generated with these tearouts will be too much for my old 51 Mack dump truck to handle expeditiously. I'll install the wet kit onto my R model Mack and put it back to work more than originally anticipated which was to haul grain during harvest, and my dozer around. What the hell, as much as it costs to operate a truck these days, may as well maximize the return if able. Have located a nice 28' Dorsey end dump that is composite and I think 1/2 frame. Aluminum shell with steel floor. Single line hydraulics and in decent shape from the photos. Neway spring suspension and probably 50% brakes with usable tires in the short term. Owner purchased it to work, but found full time employment more lucrative for him so never did. Wish it had a barn door but it does not so will see how much effort required to convert, or build one. Trailer was a dirt hauler in former life so photos don't show it all beat up.
You asked for some photos so I'm going to oblige; enough to bore you with multiple posts of them. Please don't beat and hurt me too bad as I'm emotionally sensitive and my wife gets really pissed when I soak her brassier straps crying on her shoulders. Here we go as I drove by this morning: This is the second house that will be burned after the cars are removed, and the area cleared for a fire break.
Continuing on the trek: This shows some of the scrub to be removed: More scrub: Remnants of the first house. The excavator blew a hose or some other problem so had to cease work temporarily:
This is some of the foundation of the burned house: Some of the gatherings: More to be taken down and leveled flat:
More to take out: Easement road for ingress to the rear of property: Excavator doing the tearout and now out of service: Another View:
Accumulation they are staging so I can load with my skid steer: View of the front property line bordering the state highway. Will look a lot nicer with the dead trees down and property opened up:
You're going to need a bigger dozer...............
Another buddy has a large ditch to dump all the concrete and clean fill into. It's only about nine miles distant and it will take however much is generated. No trash, just clean fill to be placed and it will be covered over with about four foot of topsoil to be converted to productive ground.
Grandpa, (RIP) said "small bites thoroughly digested, don't let you get fat". Always have followed the man's advice and done alright so far..... I'm new at this game so small bites are in order. It may take me six months to accomplish what a skilled operator can do in a week, but that will be alright on this task I'm thinking. Thanks for the encouragement!! It sure seems like the little engine that could.
What type dozer do you have?
I have a Fiat-Allis 11-B series tractor in quite nice condition. When I clean it up this winter it will be properly rebranded back to: Allis-Chalmers HD-11 Series B which it actually is under the decals:
excavator doing the removing = pathetic toy. That is the smallest possible excavator to load junk in a truck and the poor operator is going to wear a lot of it. I know, not your deal but it had to be said.
It is small for sure for any kind of production. I don't get the impression it is maintained well either looking at it up close. Owner is primarily a residential plumber and friend of the property owners. Really don't know any more than that but I think it's a gratis job for them. I've never ran one to actually dig with; only to load, and unload from a trailer. He is only staging the materials for me to load with my backhoe tractor. After thinking, I don't think my 1845C Case will lift high enough to load the prospective dump trailer I'm looking at. The trailer has side boards which can be removed of course, but the skid steer does not have near the lift height, or capacity of a newer one. Initially I was thinking of using my old Mack for the hauling task but the scope has changed dramatically so need to upsize. I can get a brand new New Holland 337, or 345 from the implement dealer I help out but won't do that unless no alternative with my own equipment.
11-B 25L18878 and under are genuine AC. Later ones had the FA badge
Hi Merv; yes we know for the purists out there what it is but to me it's like painting a car "Hugger Orange" when it was originally blue. If done tastefully, or correctly, it fits right in. I feel you only have to please the owner. My parts tractor is a true AC machine with the only difference being two top carrier rollers instead of the single on mine, (earlier production). Everything else is a dead ringer match as far as installed options. The engine is missing and the transmission is shot with undercarriage about 40% remaining overall; but still a lot of useful parts remain. Far more wear than this tractor has. I'll blast this one clean and repaint it the same construction yellow it is. With exception of the seat cover which will have the AC emblem embroidered, into the seat back, all will look original. I've had the decals all cut by the girl that does my signage, but need to work with her further to come up with all the OEM safety, warning, and item number decals used. She does silkscreen printing also and can make anything as far as labels. I've photographed each decal on the tractor, (they are all still there) with most having the "Allis-Chalmers" name on them such as these seen here: And the look I'm going for once complete is shown here from an original HD-11 Series B brochure given to me by one of the guys I worked with that built the finals in my tractor:
If you are getting in good graces with these fellows and the excavator end of things drags on too much, tell them to rent a big machine for you to operate. Pure win.
I really would like to have an excavator but the limited usage it would see makes it prohibitive. I have two buddies that will loan me their medium machines if ever needed but as mentioned earlier, I have absolutely no experience in one other than loading, or unloading onto a trailer for transport. If the future warrants I'll acquire a machine but for now having a TLB, a medium dozer, along with a skid steer seems to have me covered. I feel I'm proficient with the skid steer but the others, I'm just starting out on. This is a buddies small excavator. We put the hydraulic thumb on it two years ago and that by itself really made the machine useful. I've never ran it myself other than functionally checking it out. I can borrow this at any time: Another buddy has a Caterpillar 312 series machine from the early 90's. He is a septic installer and this one is right at the limit of needing a permit to move but doesn't. It goes with him on a tilt tag trailer.
yeah that is the beauty of the 12 tonners. Load and go, day or night. 102" Some guys would whittle down the tracks on 160's to 102"
Just got some photos of the trailer I've been conversing about. Looks like it is going to need brakes and possibly drums. I don't know if this one is on Dayton, Budd, or Unimount wheels as I've looked at so many over the months. This one has stainless panels down the sides to hide dents I'm sure but I'm told the steel liner is in good condition. Looking at the photos, it appears the inner rims on the rear axle have been ran with flat tires at some point. The bead sealing area looks deformed to me. Seller says ground to top of wood sides is 10' so assuming 9' with the boards removed my 1845C would struggle loading I think. 41" 5th wheel plate from ground he states. Tires are usable but probably short term. Here are some photos. Feel free to comment:
That is a really nice looking L9000! What engine and trans. does it have?
Seller writes back 11RX22.5 tires on Dayton hubs. I have plenty of good spares in the size and style but I'll have to check drum numbers for availability. Seller cannot locate numbers. 16" brakes but I've not the experience to ascertain type or style from visual cues.
3406B with the brake saver and a deep reduction 15 speed. I forget the trans model number.
That's a rock setup, the tailgate would indeed suck. I can't tell if the back is sloped a bit or not, if so you'd have to fab up some for that too. IMO you are doing cart before horse. You have nothing to properly load it with.
When you say "sloped" do you mean the end gate being perpendicular to the ground, or "sloped" more forward at the top than bottom? It surely looks sloped to me and that would be a bit more difficult to convert to a barn door type gate.
I hate it when people want to burn the houses down and then have me clean up the mess. All the fire does is make a mess out of everything, and makes the excavator smell like structure fire for a week afterward. As heavy as the boxes get on a burn job I don't think much is really saved on the demo.
I have actually thought about that horse and cart thing. It is kind of the purpose of the ditch being dug to get the backhoe loader bucket something to bear against when pushing into the broken block and cement piile. Once in the bucket the back curl should keep it there to load into the trailer. I have a grapple on the skid steer bucket but I don't think I can use it on this trailer:
That's a desirable HD truck.
I won't disagree at all as the place does smell like the remnants of a fire. However this is a learning experience with/for me as I've never done anything to this magnitude in the past. I took down several outbuildings when building my shop but a lot of those were wood and farm related. A steel cable from my winch tractor around the perimeter made short work of it. I did burn for weeks in a ditch I'd dug out back also. Much of the concrete pile in the prior post is breakout from foundations and walkways broken out many years ago at my shop. As I gather more equipment I will continue to clean up and look for other work. I should also say that none of my equipment has any liens or encumbrances upon it. I own it lock, stock, and barrel so keep with older stuff and upgrade as time and $$$ permits. I like it this way as don't lose any sleep if don't have work for the day.
yep you need to put a little wedge at the top to get a barn door on it. Here is what I have to say on that trailer and your setup: You have a tractor for a trailer. You have limited loading height rigs. Get a low trailer. They are really cheap to free out there. My truck in the picture up there is a fine example, it is low enough that I can dip out of it with the 35G mini. You can always sideboard up.
My old Mack is low sided about the same as your truck and the skid steer works well with it. I've only seen a single low sided trailer in my looking and not at all settled on the one I posted. Best thing is time is on my side so I can look for a while longer. I can still use my old Mack but it is small capacity and very slow to drive. Think I'm going to follow the advice and get a better fitting trailer as that is less money outlay than more equipment. Thanks,
something this high would be nice, but wow. https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/hvo/d/whiting-1967-trav-co-26-ft-long-dump/7620727159.html Looks to be a little under 8' high and a steel edge is nice for demo stuff.
Kind of pricey considering it has moss growing in it and likely needs new tires and maybe brakes.
yeah that was the wow. I was looking near the OP when I found that gem. They were really proud of the condition of the tires with no pictures. If I were getting an end dump I like the straight razor edges for loading brush on. A light run down the edge with the back of the bucket slices off any overhanging limbs.
It's a 56 yr old dump trailer and beat up to h***, and they have the hide to ask $9,800 for it?? In my neck of the woods, only scrap dealers would fight over that for maybe $1,000, so they could cut it all up quick smart, and send it on the boat to China. I must say I'm surprised you burn old buildings down. Wouldn't be allowed here, too much air pollution and a potential danger of any asbestos fibres from building materials, being spread. We pull out the asbestos, send it to a dedicated asbestos landfill - pull out anything else salvageable (they used good timber in the old days, and people pay good money for recycled timber today - especially nice wide floorboards, and big thickness sections) - the plumbing and wiring is ripped out and recycled (copper is in major demand, and even steel pipes get sold for scrap). The building is then pulled down with an excavator, and bricks and concrete get trucked off for recycling as well. The least amount you can send to landfill, the better, as landfill costs just simply keep getting higher every year. One local scrap dealer is even looking at a way to reuse the PVC insulation stripped off copper cable, they're talking about using the PVC chips for filter media for water filtering. What look like cake sprinkles are an environmental threat, but a 'recipe' trial could be the solution Using PVC granules, a WA scrap dealer is partnering with engineers to test an "economically viable" solution to Australia's plastic recycling problem. www.abc.net.au
That one has been listed for a long time. I seen it probably six months ago. I'm not a FB user myself and the one I posted photos of was from a link sent to me by someone else. I don't know the seller but was looking further south than me to avoid rust if possible. There are a lot of them around Chicagoland, and beat to hell is an accurate description. The search continues.
Showed this thread to my son in law. He tells me they have a 160 coming into the dealership on trade this next week. Don't know the sub series yet, (A-G) but it is a few years old, owner purchased new, and always maintained by this dealership. Supposedly runs and operates well and the owner has already taken delivery of a new, and larger machine. Out of curiosity, going to look into this further the first of the week. Been looking at FB via "Searchtempest.com" at dump trailers. I don't have a FB account so cannot contact any sellers. I do know several that will make the initial contact however. This may sound far fetched, but how feasible would it be to remove say 12"-18" of the sidewall height of a dump trailer to load using my existing equipment? I have the capability and skill set to do this, just not the experience to know if the effort would be justified? I don't want a frameless trailer at all, and a 1/4 frame that stays on it's wheels when dumping, or a full frame is what I'm after. 26' to 28' maximum in length also. I looked at a "Hillbilt" demolition trailer earlier today but it has 60" sides and is almost 10'4" from the ground to the top without sideboards. Again, this is too tall for what I need but this trailer was sound, barn door end gate, on spring and the brakes/drums looked good. A couple of 22.5" tires need replaced shortly, but all were inflated. Trailer is on Dayton hubs. I want to say it was a 1989. Raining today and camera port got moisture detected alert so couldn't take photos.
If you ever got the chance to use it with an excavator of decent size, you'd be bummed you cut it down if you are hauling house demo or brush. You cube out long before you get over weight. A guy could cut down one side and scab it back on later though.
Cutting down one side I hadn't thought of. If I were to weld channel, or angle steel to the cut edges of the removed panel, and remaining sidewall panel, these could be bolted back together restoring the original trailer capacity. Enough fasteners would nearly restore the side strength too from pushing out. I only have this screen grab but here is the trailer looked at:
Cutting down the sides defeats the purpose. I am not sure I caught what your wanting to load it with. I have a buddy that has 3 tall sided end dumps that I use for demos. The only thing you can use to load it is a decent sized excavator. I use my 160 without issue, but it couldn't be much smaller, maybe a 130 would still work. If you breakdown the material well, you can over load them with household debris. However there is no better way to handle demo. You just need the equipment to take advantage of the high cube trailers.
I'm afraid this trailer is going to be out of the running. On top of being too tall, it needs three brake drums for sure and the fourth won't last another shoe set. They are Gunite #2893 and kinda expensive as seen here: https://www.fleetpride.com/parts/gunite-brake-drum-2983c I get a little better pricing but still about $250.00 a copy plus relined shoes, hardware, seals, bearings, etc.
Hi and thanks. I really am wanting to use either my 1845C, or the backhoe tractor to load. Don't mind more than one trailer either if can stay under my 20K budget for this to start out. You have a 160? What series and is it a reliable excavator? I'm going to run up and look at the one mentioned next week as I can make purchase for close to what they have in it, but I don't know that yet.
Is that a Palmer?
It is a Hilbilt trailer. Old name and I think made in Missouri, or used to be. I see a lot of Palmer trailers more in the south than up here?
Yeah Palmer is made in Mississippi. Similar design.
We were upgrading the radar sites at Biloxi, MS, and Mobile, AL and about every other trailer around there was a Palmer. Had never seen them prior. Hilbilt, and the other major players are popular around here.
I have a 2020 Link Belt 160 X4 long stick, prolink, and hyd coupler. I really like it.
I'm really not familiar with any of them except ones I've seen on jobsites. Don't think I've ever seen a Link-Belt except older friction cranes. I didn't know they made excavators really. The one traded in I'm going to look at, (possibly) is a Deere. Don't know anything about it either than what I'm told but my son in law knows the seller very well through the years being the parts manager at the dealership. He tells me it's been maintained well but that's all I really know now. Here is a link to the series. I don't know what boom option it has: John Deere 160C LC Excavator Specs, Dimensions, Comparisons : CEG Specs for the John Deere 160C LC. Find equipment specs and information for this and other Excavators. Use our comparison tool to find comparable machines for any individual specification. www.constructionequipmentguide.com
How about building a ramp to get your height? If it's debris from a tear down it's all in one place, build a ramp or park the trailer in the basement. Joe H
That is a big shift in equipment for you! If you want us to "look" at it, take many pictures of the undercarriage, note any leaks, and find @John C. guide on evaluating equipment. 160C's are really nice machines IMO. I always enjoyed my time with them. One time I was moving a 200LC onto the interstate every night with a 3 axle pintle trailer behind a 1978 water truck with a 318 detroit : Major Facepalm: I misjudged the bridge and had not folded it up exactly the same and I hit an overpass and damaged he lines on it. Oops. Boss asked if I could work the jersey barriers with a 160C. heck yeah! It handled them fine and was much nicer to move @35,000 pounds and 102 wide. They are really the culmination of permit free hauling. They easily handle double stacked structure boxes, and do OK loading trash trailers like that. Keep in mind that with the highest sided trailers they are still a little short but you can make do. The 10' trailers are easy peasy. I only speak about those 13'6" monsters that the scrap guys run as being an issue.
Thank you and it is a "shift" from the original posted intent. However, with zero debt load to pay down, "capital gains" are going to hit me hard this year if I don't obligate funds someplace. I really have a hard time replacing a piece of equipment with new that both fits needs, and is dead reliable, (1845C, 1980 Mack R series referenced). Would much rather purchase something I could use and don't have. Don't need, nor want new, so you're seeing the path chosen and followed. I don't want to do this work full time, but with the list of contacts I have, it will keep me busy enough to justify the expense(s). My implement hauling gig was to be short lived but I've met so many nice people along the way, it's not been so easy to let go of. Think of it this way; When you show up it is to take someone's problem away. When you return, there is no problem any longer. Either that or you are delivering someone's new toy. It's a "win-win" for me as I have no skin in the game but the people are happy to see me any time. When I run up to look at this excavator I will take many photos. I don't know anything about them really and as mentioned I've never dug a hole with one other than a trench. This one has a thumb but don't know if manual, or hydraulic at this time. Son in law says it's a 2003 build, placed into service in early 2004 and does not show it's age so I gather well cared for.
It will have a progressive thumb from CWS or one of the other major players at that time. It is likely to have a wedge coupler for bucket changes, but it might have a pin grabber. Those were more common in the larger machines then, but definitely a possibility. It will have a standard 36" bucket with probably 5 teeth that mesh with the 4 tooth thumb for grubbing. Ask about buckets so you can get the all the ones it came in with. It sucks when they get separated from the machine and are costly to get. It can handle a 5' cleanup bucket fine. Some of them came with a 4' but if I had to go shopping I would go for the 5'.