I have an MX track that I'm always trying to improve and add to. I don't make money of it but can right off the expenses. I had a guy call me up and offer to help. I said I can always use help in exchange for riding privileges. He said he's run loaders and skid steers and a backhoe. I needed to dig a little clay so drove the 931B over and started digging a little hole and then put him in the seat. It was pretty clear he hadn't run a backhoe much. My hoe has excavator style controls but even if he was used to backhoe controls anyone with some experience knows to roll the bucket up as you pull the stick in. He said I made him nervous being there. I can let him try the skid steer but if it isn't any better how do you basically say thanks for the offer to help but you don't have enough experience and I don't have the time to train you. I can get 3 times more done doing it myself. If he wants to help pump water or clean up he can do that for riding priviledges. A little clue I got that he may have been a dreamer was when he said he got to drive a D12 when he 12 years old up at Ft. Mac. I didn't say anything but thought, oh boy. LoL
Be honest with him, tell him you think his operator skills are not good enough. Explain to him that even for free he is costing you a lot of money for wear and tear, fuel, breakdowns and lack of production. Offer to let him do laborer jobs if you have some available.
I think you wrote exactly what to say, just be kind when you say it.
It's also a safety and liability issue for you. Even if he is there working for free, if he gets hurt then you could be liable.
Are you super Dave from over by the training centre? If you are, I farm a few miles away.
Yes, directly South from the Operating Engineers Training Center. I asked them a few years ago if they'd be interested in doing some work at my track and I could pay them some but they came up with they don't have insurance to drive on the road! It's less than a mile down a dead end gravel road with only 1 person who lives on it. LoL I thought if they wanted to teach operators I had some real jobs that could be done instead of digging a hole and filling it back in. Drainage ditches, leveling the parking lot, grading the driveway, digging ponds for clay, etc.
I won't even get into conversation about dealing with them, on a public forum anyway! *** Nice guys, but.... policy trumps consciousness. I'm over on 222, just north of 584, and we have a 931 on our farm as well. I've often thought about getting in touch with you about the track, have a couple bikes but never really get them out to play. If you're looking for machines from time to time, I've got a handful, could drop them off on their way home sometime.
What kind of machines? I can use dump trucks, excavators, dozers, loaders, you name it I can find a use for it. We're putting in a flat track since Thorhild doesn't let them use the horse track anymore. We have Mark P from Newbrook, who knew of the track because he worked on the Opal fire, in with his JD 850L WLT clearing about 4 acres. Man that machine can do some work in a hurry. Mark is a super nice guy too.
My nephew has a D12, some kind of funny dice for fancy kid games. Maybe that's what he meant. When I was a youngin I got to do a little steering on a dozer, I'm not sure what it was besides yellow and bigger than a house, at least from my view. It was terrifying! Depends if you see some potential in this helper. I used to help my neighbor out on the farm next door, it wasn't long before I had more time on his skid steer than he did and was trusted to even go off and hay and bale a field on my own. My nephew has 0 aptitude for the backhoe, he keeps shaking himself out of the seat, refusing to learn the finesse
Have a couple 200 excavators, wheel loader, track skid, end dump, and as mentioned, the ol 931. I'd heard about the flat track being done but wasn't sure if anything was going to be replacing it. I can't put my finger on Mark P, but an 850 is a big machine, and must be pretty new to have it working on the fire line.
Penchuk's Cat Service. He used his smaller Case dozer on the Opal fire. This flat track will be the first purpose built motorcycle flat track in Western Canada. Could definitely make use of some of your equipment. If you get a chance come by on the weekend. Don't have a real big budget but we could work something out. You could have a part in the soap opera at the track. LoL
What my boos does is trys people in different spots until you find what there aptitude is someone that cant grade a road might be excellent at feeding the crusher or trimming trees, driving stakes, even going to town for parts. He doesn't say that you did a terrible job just assigns something else there is no time to train someone that doesnt show potential but might be great at something else You must need more help than just operating on that project the next step is letting him know you have nothing for him to do dont need to come in today
Due to politics, and the nature of a training site, they need to be careful in regards to things that could be considered misuse of equipment, or in the case of fuel used, misappropriation of funds
They did some brushing for another neighbor and my neighbor cuts their field and bales it. They've also used their grader on the road. They just didn't seem interested.
Absolutely. The only people they are going to use that equipment for work other than training is for some charity like Habitat for Humanity, or ball fields for Little League or something like that. .
So how come they were did work for another neighbor?