Just thought I would start a thread about some good or bad experiences with your mini ex that you may have had. I'm curious and I'm sure others are as well, to know what may have happened. Did you have a crappy customer who you couldnt please? Did you wreck anything with your machine working in tight quarters? Have you dropped a tree on your mini? Whatever, please share... there is a saying in the aviation business "Learn from the mistakes of other...you wont live long enough to make them all yourself"
Wear your seat belt! I never used a seat belt before intell one day i was building a bush trail for a freind and I was just taking out some small stumps no biggy intell the tooth of the bucket caught a big root and lifted the machine foward, there was enought force to take me out of the seat almost put me on the track controlls. After that i always wear a seat belt in any equipment.
I was lifting a big chunk of cement into a foundation. Once the cement was over he side the machine started to roll over. Luck and reactions had me drop the cement before it got too far over. Later we buried the foundation into a big hole about 12ft deep then covered it over with sloppy clay. After it dried for a week or so, I decided I would dig some drainage to help dry things out. As I got near where the edge of the filled in hole was the machine started to slide into the mud. I stuffed the bucket down and it sunk 6ft without hitting bottom. Once again luck on my side, while the bucket didn't hit anything to help me right the machine it did stop the sliding. I was then able to get enough board under the blade to prop the machine up, while I pulled out the bucket. Then I used a log to push out with the bucket. After doing some testing with a bigger machine we figured that if it kept sliding it would have rolled in and sunk in the soup. It was sort of like breaking through the ice on a frozen lake.
Wear PPE Make sure you come prepared everyday with the right protective equipment and tools. I used to work on landfill Compactors/Dozers. 826's and D9's Household garbage is scary. No one knows what is in those green bags. Needles, chemicals, cat litter.. deceased pets... all mixed with tampons and rotten meat....thermometers full of mercury... I've seen it all in the skid pan. The mechanic is just bout the only person at a landfill who actually has to handle the garbage.... And washing the machine doesn't help... just makes soup. I once tried to get away with not having goggles...wow what a mistake...the fumes...burned so hard...it was stinging for the next few days.
I've also learned that you can't trust wet clay. It may look and even seem hard as a rock{by walking on it} but the what lies under will eat a machine in a second. CatManDoes: I drove a garbage truck, back when everything had to be handled manually. It is probably the nastiest job around.
I learned that common sense goes a long way. I was working on a project where a contractor was building some soccer fields and they got a lull high centered on a rock pile. They had a guy in the bobcat come over and try to push him off the pile. Good idea at first, until I walked over and saw that they were pushing the lull by it's fuel and hydraulic tank! Luckily they only dented the tank and it did not break open. All the guys were really nice and seemed competent, but they did not get the big picture. I would also recommend hearing protection if your equipment is loud.
Another thing that I've learned is sometimes it's best to walk away and take a breather especailly when stuck. I've seen operators make a simple stuck problem a huge issue because they got nervous and kept trying to drive out, not relizing they're just making a bigger problem. Most of the time slow and steady will finish the job faster then getting into a hurry.
ointhead WOW. Poor guys. I guess I never thought about the mechanics.