Well, with a bit of egging on from alrman ! I'm going to offer more proof of my HEF addiction. It's time to hit post #5,000. But it wouldn't do any good to post in TGIF, as it doesn't up the post count. Hmm, what to do? I've been here a little over two years, been all over the place on the forum. But the more I thought about it, the shop is my home, it's just the way I'm wired. As I pondered the shop talk section, I can't help but think about all the people I've known throughout my life that taught me so much about the things I do. My grandfather and my father are at the top of the list. And I have to mention Frank Devault, an old school equipment mechanic that took me in when I was in my 20's, green around the ears as it gets. He mentored me and taught me a wealth of knowledge about working on equipment, and I haven't turned back. Through the years, I have developed a relationship with a good number of parts persons at various companies, as well as other shop hands and formans. These relationships are invaluable when one finds themselves in a pickle and need to pick someones brain. It's people like this that offer me the knowledge to follow a task to it's end instead of telling a customer that they're going to have to take it elsewhere. But there's a limit to the number of contacts I have, takes years to build working relationships with someone. Which helps to explain why I have so many posts here at the forum. HEF has connected me with fellow wrenches around the world. Folks that I can send a message to at any time and ask for their advice. I can contact alrman, gggraham, or goose for Case advice, Mr Kobelco has helped me with Kobelco machines, Lee-Online has provided me with Cat diagrams, Motrak has knowledge of New Holland machines, and Stock emailed me a big PDF on JCB loader hoes. And there's so many other members that I haven't even mentioned that have offered me advice whether in PM's or posts at threads. Not to mention all the members that I interact with about things not related to working on equipment, might be about operating equipment. Heck, even got gramps sending cold weather my way at a thread! This forum has become a valuable resource for me, as well a place of interaction and entertainment. I have a long list of friends here of all different walks of the equipment world. I just wanted to post this thread here in shop talk to tell each and every one of you here at HEF how much I appreciate being a member and having the pleasure of your aquaintance.
:notworthy:notworthy ATCO YOU ARE GOLD !! :notworthy:notworthy What a way to chip up the 5000! (after all 'shop talk' is your baby) This only confirms in my own mind there are good people in the World. Not only have you helped hundreds if not thousands of members with tips & advise - you have not even made a cent out of it!! :lmao Plus - who knows how many 'suck buckets' now exist ????? Looking forward to the next 5000 - it is always a pleasure to be on HEF & to see you in action. :drinkup
Thanks alrman. Some things are worth far more than money. The fun I have here is priceless.
I found this forum back in 2003 and while I trying to read it most nights just never found the time to post until lately. I too have learned a lot from the people on this forum and find it a valueable resource. I have developed my own network of knowledgeable folks from other dealers who I can call or they call me and we share info. The heavy equipment business is a rather small community and so many of the folks around Indianapolis in the trade have worked with me at some point and time. Like Atco back when I was young and green I worked with a old timer who taught me so much. I had the book learning and the mechanical ability but old Lester Harding had worked in the trade for 50 years coming thru WWII and the depression. He has the ability to machine, weld and engineer that at times was beyond belief. The things I saw him produce with only a welder, cutting torch and hand grinder still amaze me. He was the last of the real old school mechanics I spent 12 years working along side this guy until he decided to retire at age 78 and he could WORK. Even now not a day passes without my thinking about old Lester. One of the things I always tried to instill in the new young hires was to shut up, watch and learn from the old timers in the shop. Some took the advice to heart and some dident. By the way.... congrats on the 5000 number.
Congrads on the 5ooo posts. I too surely enjoy your wealth of information, it is well written.
Atco I can't count the number of times you've helped me out. I usually follow your posts around just to see what I can learn. Muffler Bearing nailed that problem I was having with the truck that wouldn't build air. There are others here too. I got a chance to meet DirtDocter and he went over how he fixed a problem that we were both having with our 312's. For me, "Shop Talk" is the best thing that has happened to HEF. Where else can you get a chance to talk shop with someone that will listen and know what you're talking about and actually care. It was sorely needed and you did a fine job getting the ball rolling. Here's to your 5000...
Yeah, I enjoy shop talk being here as well Rob. As I looked over the sections to post shop related stuff, seemed like we just didn't have a place we could call home. It's made things a lot easier for me posting shop threads. BTW, that's a funny smiley you posted there.
Hey Atco BIG CONGRATS on the 5000 posts, and many of that 5000 has taught me something or at the very least amussed me Hope i can learn as much from the next 5000:drinkup Cheers Aiden:drinkup
LoL, dang Aiden...you're up late. In just a few more hours you can go outside and kick the rooster awake! :tong
congrats ATCO on #5000 i to was taught by a "old timer" and was always told if you will pay atention to them they are just trying to save you a few mistakes that they made themseves sometime i would listen sometimes i would not but i still value all of their advice great to have people like you on here for help when we need it
5000 posts say alot in itself. Being new to the HEF, I admire anyone who has the kindness to help anyone in that manor & magnitude. Congrats!
Atco congrats on the 5000 is that sorta like turnin 50 ha ha .. So true about mechanics that truly dedicated to there craft ..I know I really enjoy it , just wished both my boys would have followed the tradition . oh well i know there happy in what they do and to me thats all that matters .. I still consider myself new here and have enjoyed all the forums . Once again congrats on your milestone .
Congrats on 5K. You have done great at educating all of us and running real thought provoking threads. I don't think anyone can count how many people here you have helped. Now keep um coming!
Well, I'm 51, so done went and blowed 50 all to hell eh koldsteele? Your compliment is much appreciated John C.
Atco the thread you started here is great. The shop talk section is more helpful than you might know. And that goes to anyone that post on these threads with the wanting to help, and show insight in to the trades that they know wether it is turning wrenches or setting grade. I got started on HEF needing help to fix somthing, like many members, and found more knowledge, good stories and great pictures,( like 13 D11R's) that got me hooked. I would like to thank every one that makes this forum great, and thank you all for the help. Good job on 5K posts Atco cant wait to read more.
Congratulations on the 5,000 Atco, nothing better than a knowledgeable man willing to help out. Look forward to more of your posts. Robert.
This is a subject that was brought home to me this week. If I think about how many very smart and talented people have taught me things over the years, it is amazing how I have been blessed w/ people who would take time to help me. It started w/ my grandfather when I was a child; he was a chief engineer on steamships in the days when you had to be totally self reliant, because help would be a week away. They had a small machine shop on board and he was expected to make whatever parts and fittings were neccessary to make it back to port. He spent countless hours helping me build or modify toys and bicycles and whatever else; and at the same time giving me a basis in all things mechanical. A lot of what he taught me is still among the most valuable knowledge I have. Many of the manual ways of doing things are being forgotten because they are to slow for a production shop, but, for a small outfit they are frequently faster than waiting for more sophisticated methods. How many of today's mechanics can make there own rethreading dies on the side of the road? Thanks to listening to old men, I can, and have. They are many more people who have helped me, including the one who introduced me to the famous suck bucket, but if I get sidetracked again this will be really, reaLLY, LONG post. To get back to my original thought, thursday I was working on a field sprocket replacement on a trackhoe, it was one of those jobs where what could go wrong did go wrong. We had spent weeks getting wrong parts and having every other problem I could imagine. The engine quit on the compressor on my service truck, so we continued to work w/ 1" ratchet and pipe, untill the threads that a large bolt screwed into went bad. At this point I knew I needed air, so I went to a large commercial tire dealer that I know and deal with. He just walked out in the yard and got his leadman, and told him not to start a work order, but just to take one of the big service trucks and do whatever I needed, clapped me on the shoulder, and went back to his coffee. With air tools I was able to remove the bolt and see that the threads were destroyed inside the planetary carrier. I was at the end of my rope because I did not want to disassemble the final drive unless I had to. I called my cousin's husband, who owns a large (150 plus employees) machine and welding shop. He came out and looked at it and gave me some ideas, then listed off several thousand dollars worth of tools I should go to his shop and borrow to make my life easier. He called his shop and gave them a list to have ready when I got there, and to give me anything else I asked for. So, yes Atco, it is very valuable to know people. Congrats on 5000 :drinkup
Hey Atco, more people have walked on the moon than have made 5000 posts on HEF! Thanks for all the input. Ken
Thanks Atco Hi Atco. Congratulations on your 5000. May the next 5000 posts bring as much joy to yourself as they do to others When I was young my father my father owned a country garage in Australia. Being a rural area everything was brought in to be repaired, rebuilt, manufactured or recycled. Cars, farm machinery all came through. Back then repairs were really repairs. Not remove an assembly and replace it with a new one. Electrical repairs were soldered, engines were rebuilt, panels were welded, beaten & sprayed like new, towbars were made in the welding bay. The philosophy was we can fix anything, the impossible just takes a bit longer. I earn't my money as a kid in that garage, pumping gas, changing tyres by hand, cleaning up and working on my own projects. It instilled in me a sense of self reliance which I value to this day. I do most repairs and maintenance on my equipment, vehicles and houses, and would feel inadequate if I couldn't. People like yourself Atco and a few other spanner wielders on this forum seem to embody this fix anything spirit. It seems like anything can be done with a long hard look at the problem from a number of angles and bit of intelligent thought. The icing on the cake is your willingness to share on this forum with clear photos & diagrams and descriptions that are easy to follow. I'll bet everyone on this forum wishes you & your workshop was in their town when things break down:yup Keep up the great work, I'll be reading every post:thumbsup Regards AusDave
You got it AusDave, A problem is nothing more than an opportunity to someone who can solve it.
Hi Atcoequip, Congratulations on your milestone of 5000 posts !!! I have just joined here but am looking forward to reading and learning from all of the veteran members like yourself. Thank You, Tom
Congrats ATCO! I'd like to think this forum is the kind of thing they had in mind when they invented the internet. Never before in history have ideas and information been able to be shared like this. And some people believe that human nature is to be selfish and look out for only yourself, but here is an example of anonymous individuals freely passing valuable information with only gratitude as a reward.CRAZY!! Anyway,...I'd like to thank my Dad for saying " Well, you broke it, you can fix it" Not sure how I missed the Shop Talk section for so long, but thanks for putting it together, Tim
networking Congrats on your milestone, pretty apparent you go out of your way to help people. Forums like this are one of the benefits of the "net". Tom
Congratulations on the 5 thousand post mark... a true feat in itself. My first thought was maybe a cake.... ya a cake ,,, a cake with 5 thousand candles.... ya 5 thousand candles would be a fitting tribute to you as YOUR the only codger I know that would have enuff wind to blow that many candles out........Bah ha ha hh hhah hhah ha........ Keep lookn over your shoulder, never know when Grampa may be watching.......lol
Congratulations on 5000 posts. You are truly a great resource to this forum and website.
Congrats on 5000. I'm 72 and fooled around equipment of some sort since '65. Some say that knowledge is power but forget that knowledge not shared is garbage and will fade away over time. Also congrats to all the young folks trying to make a living with 20-40 year old equipment. Folks like you can give them a great source of help and confidence that they can make it. In the "Seabees" we called that the "Can Do Spirit.
Yep, or one day, that day comes, and you're six feet under. All the knowledge one had is useless then, at least, that's the way I look at it. The thing is, I've done so darn many things in my life, I know a little about everything and a certified expert at nothing. Installed doors, all kinds, garage doors, hollow metal doors, solid core wood doors, locksets, hinge cutouts. Installed aluminum storefronts and glass. Ironworker and crane operator, drill operator. Electrical work of all kinds, used to maintain dry cleaning machine and all equipment in a dry cleaner operation. A little bit of wood work, although working with wood is not one of my strong points. Hell, I've even installed bathroom partitions! LoL I really can't remember all the stuff I've done working years with my dad, then all the things I've done on my own. I just think it would be a waste if one day all the experience I have were to be lost because I'm am suddenly "tango uniform". It would be similar to being a wiped out hard drive. I may not be able to change the world, but I just might have the knowledge to change somebodys world, at least for a moment. And that moment is worth it to me. After all, we all really only get to live a moment if you look at time in the big scheme of things. If you're gonna kill time...work it to death.
That is some deep stuff there Paul. And I don't mean deep in the way some others may think. lol Congrats on the 5,000 posts! Just from reading your posts on here I can only imagine the number of times your help has changed someones world. Thank you very much for sharing your brilliant thoughts and wisdom.:notworthy
What ATCO descibes in the opening post is exactly what Steve had in mind when he strated this site. It goes without saying though, that without members like ATCO, and the rest of you, it would be nothing but empty pages. That having been said, it really is quite a milestone for somebody to have reached the 5,000th post. Congratulations, ATCO, and my personal thanks for all you've done here. It's been a priviledge to share the knowledge, wisdom, and good fellowship you bring to the site. :notworthy
You better step it up digger, he's got you by 801! Seriously, has anybody else hit 5000, and if so, how many?
Nope. ATCO is the family over-achiever. Actually, if you go to the memberlist, "Advanced search", you can sort it by name, join date, or post count. ATCO is the undisputed leader, and the great thing is, his content is consistently valuble. You can compare everybody's count very easily, and see who's most active. Also, the staff get credit for posts made in the Moderators' Section, so my post count, or Steve's, or CM1995's, or Squizzy's, reflect some posts that most of you will never see. (And since posts in TGIF don't count, you have to wonder how many he really has...) :beatsme
Family over-achiever. Bah ha hahahaha Thanks for the kind congrats folks. But really, it's no mystery, I've always been a person that likes to use my mind. Before the internet, did a LOT of reading, all manner of magazines from motorcycle publications to Egineering News Record, cereal boxes, cryptogram puzzles, I'd even pick up a dictionary and read it. It's just the way I'm wired. Never been a big TV person, it typically doesn't challenge the brain. This forum is a perfect fit for me. All the posts give me plenty of reading material, and I've discovered that trying to figure out a problem that someone is having with a machine is a particular challenge since I'm not there looking at it, really works the old gray jello, I enjoy the heck out of it. In all honesty, I'm just here having too much fun, and making some friends along the way. :cool2
Just a quick congratulations and a big thanks for sharing with us your life long experience and knowledge. You are the definition of an HEF addict!
JD...I'm not even going to pretend to be in denial. LoL :tong
The value of knowing people: Yup, sure are... won't kill you though, and we know where you are most of the time... lol And congratulations on making over 5000... that's amazing, keep it up... :thumbsup Your old bud from Montana, OCR...
congrats atco, thanks for taking the time to answer so many posts and give so much back to everyone here, its truely amayzing how one person can change the world, one post at a time.
Thanks for the congrats Randy88, but I'm just a lone voice among us wrenches, there are others here. I have mentioned a few previously, but there are so many others...like Cmark: Cat man, -3Doc: Hitachi, CPS: Volvo. We all strive (as mechanics, wrenches, fitters) to keep machines running and operators producing. It's what we know...what we do. It's my hope that wrench benders around the world would share there knowledge to the diggers around the globe just how to keep their machines doing just that, making money. And, when they break...get it going once again.
There are some very good people who put alot of time into this forum. It may not be shown but it is really appreciated. Sure, I like looking at all the pictures threads but I ultimately like the self gratification of helping someone get their equipment fixed. Atco and many others have a huge wealth of knowledge they are willing to share to anyone, all on their own without making any money. This just shows what kind hearted people they really are. I try to help when and where i can but i have been really busy with work lately but i will still read the forum and help when i can.
I do alot more reading than posting on this site, the knowledge base at hand here is incredible, what a mindtrust. I love this site it is one of the best forums on the net. I appreciate all you guys taking the time to post, I'll help when I can.
I am pretty new to the HEF but have learned and enjoyed so many posts. Seem so great to have so many people helping each other, all in one easy to use place. Have to start my morning and end my day here, mostly because of people like ATCO and many others, so willing to share their knowledge. Thanks everyone