[AT] Digging

[Robinson]

	I was using the Farmall Super M and loader to move some mulch yesterday 
and Scott pulled in with his work truck and a tandem dually trailer with 
a Bob Cat 334 mini-excavator. He had been doing a drain tile repair job 
at the stable where his lady friend keeps one of her horses. He knew we 
needed a few scratches made here so he unloaded and started doing these 
little jobs. He had brought another mini-excavator home before when he 
was working at his house and dug a few holes for me at the same time. I 
am constantly amazed at the amount and kind of work those things will 
do. Remember I used to own a fair sized Deere backhoe/loader. These 
things are not quite as fast at just raw digging across a field (my old 
Deere was almost too fast in tight places) but the flexibility and 
control of these things is remarkable. They tend to look like toys from 
a distance and I don't know their weight but they are really very heavy 
for their size. Those backfill blades are really effective. I also like 
the fact that they are quiet enough to talk above. These are toward the 
large end of the line for mini's.
	They keep a couple of very heavy backhoe/loaders at his work (one a 
Deere and the other a Case) and he has brought them home a few times for 
digging jobs.
	One of these day before long he will be bringing a boring machine home 
and installing a conduit or two across under the road for us so I can 
run a water and power line under there. We will have to have our ducks 
in a row ahead of time on that one as it will pass under an 11" high 
pressure gas line. I don't think it needs any holes in it.  :-)
	It was a pleasure watching him digging with that excavator. He was only 
about 16 when I bought my backhoe and picked up on running it in 
minutes. He was already used to grading and filling etc. before I got 
it. I have a fair number of hours stirring dirt and have watched a lot 
of guys with many years of experience digging. I have yet to see one do 
any better at it than he does.
	I referred to him being in his work truck. It is a company truck that 
he uses on the job and it has a great big tool box under the bed where 
he keeps his "stuff" locked up. I haven't ever noticed the model of it 
but it is about like a very stretched out single axle semi with a dump 
bed on it. I have no idea why they made it as high as they did. The 
floor of the bed at the back is almost as high as my chin. 90% of its 
job is hauling tools, conduit and wire and pulling trailers.
	The last 6 months or so has been a real education and an eye opener for 
him. Since they put him in charge of one of the crews he keeps talking 
about how he just doesn't understand why the guys are so bad about 
anticipating the next thing needed on the job. All but one of his crew 
has been there long enough to know what needs to be done next but won't 
do it until they are told. That is the reason those guys that were 
working there when he started are now working under him...   :-)
	Being able to bring home equipment is quite a perk for him and me both. 
It has saved me a fortune in digging cost. As long as he doesn't get 
carried away with it and they are not too busy his position allows him 
to use their equipment to moonlight a little for a bit of extra income. 
It is good for them too as some of the guys are really rough on stuff 
and he rarely takes something back that he has not made at least minor 
repairs on and cleaned up a bit.
	I remember my father referring to guys tearing stuff up as their 
"being rough on rats". I don't know where that expression came from, has 
anyone else ever heard it used?
-- 



"farmer"

I was going to mention something cute about my failing memory but I have 
forgotten it already...  :-)


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana USA
robinson at svs.net