Confined Space & Limited Access Excavation

Crete Buster

Micro and mini excavators are huge in Europe. How are you guys using them over here to your advantage on any of your projects. Obviously the older cities on the east coast probably have more need for them than others but the demand and applications seem to be increasing in the states. We have found a way to cut down on a lot of manual labor that has more that off set the cost of our minis and micros.

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Confined Space & Fume Free Specialists www.cretebusters.com
Electric Powered Mini Excavators, Demolition & Material Hauling Equipment http://mini-equipment.com
Concrete Buggies, Power Buggies & Georgia Buggies Beware

muddinman04

There is a couple companies here in Columbus that are using electric mini hoes for indoor use. I thought it was pretty neat to see one in action.
Do you own anything like that?

TMatt142

With proper ventilation, we've used mini X's and small skiddy's in the basements of older building getting new plumbing systems as part of their renovations....I had a lot of fun doing that type of work.

Crete Buster

muddinman04,

We do have fume free electric powered micro excavators that are awesome in action. We have some videos of them at work on our website.

TMatt142,

I agree with you using some of the small equipment on more complex projects can be more fun than some of the big iron jobs. You know what...I don't know if it's really more fun or is it just the fact the using new compact equipment in tight spaces versus manual labor saves chiropractor visits and leaves some energy left to do something once you get home from work for the day!

__________________
Confined Space & Fume Free Specialists www.cretebusters.com
Electric Powered Mini Excavators, Demolition & Material Hauling Equipment http://mini-equipment.com
Concrete Buggies, Power Buggies & Georgia Buggies Beware

artisanstone

Cretebuster, how much do you sell those tracked buggies for? PM me if you want.

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Bill Baddorf
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www.artisanstoneworks.net
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rino1494

Easy, we stay away from that work.

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Redneckpete

I built my business as "tight access excavation." I've dug 9' deep 16'x34' swimming pools with 46" of access. I'm not eating Kraft dinner for supper. Enough said.

Pete

Crete Buster

Pete,


If you don't mind, could share with us how you pulled that project off? Methods, equipment etc. Appreciate it if you can, but I understand if you don't want to.

__________________
Confined Space & Fume Free Specialists www.cretebusters.com
Electric Powered Mini Excavators, Demolition & Material Hauling Equipment http://mini-equipment.com
Concrete Buggies, Power Buggies & Georgia Buggies Beware

Redneckpete

I began my business about 8 years ago, with a 8 ton SA dump truck, a New Holland LS125 skidsteer and a New Holland EC15 excavator. I billed myself as "specializing in tight access excavation."

As such I could feel free to approach pretty much any contractor. I would tell them "when your regular excavator can’t get it, give me a call. I can get it done." And I did get it done. I work pretty much exclusively for other contractors, and exclusively by referral. My advertising budget is zero.

Contractors want someone who can get it done. They don’t want to hear about how it’s a tough job or tricky because of this or that, or I can’t get into my dump site or I can’t line up trucks. Get it done. Show up, tell them that the job is no problem, and then make it no problem. Do a good job, leave the site neat and tidy even if it means cleaning up someone else’s mess.

I’ve moved up to bigger machines, but still relish the opportunity to do a job no one else can, and have kept my small machines to ensure I can service any job the customer has. I recently filled in a pool by hoisting a 44" skidsteer over the house, and delivered the soil to the backyard with a conveyor loaded by another 44" skidsteer.

The soil came from another job I was paid to dig. I charged both customers for the trucking, charged one for disposal and another for the soil. Needless to say, I made a killing that day.

Bottom line in my mind is, get it done. Everyone else moans and groans. Be the guy who shuts up and gets the job done.

I turn away three times as much work as I do. I’m not interested in growing my business. I love what I do. I have existing customers that I take good care of, and who take good care of me. I bill them by the hour, and never waste time quoting or looking at jobs for them. I show up, do the job and send a bill. No questions asked the bills are paid within a week. I’m not the cheapest guy in town by a long shot, but have built relationships of trust with these customers.

I have other customers that I do quote for, usually site unseen. One customer I quote the job, bill by the hour, then we split the difference, either in my favor or against. I initiated this arrangement with the customer, and as a result he trusts me and feeds me a pile of work. I could have quoted and kept it all, but then I would have been just another excavator on his list. Now he will work around my schedule.
Not sure what else. I’m new to the forum, perhaps I’ll post pictures of few jobs in the coming weeks.

Pete