Digging Under The Lights?

denick

I was talking to a guy who just bought a used 140 size machine. Spent 90,000 on a machine with 3,600 hours on it and got 4 different new buckets. He's been in business 2 years. He has been around farm equipment and did small side jobs excavating for a couple of years before quitting his job and going into excavating full time.

All that said we were talking about things and I mentioned he'd have to put a lot of hours on that machine to pay for it. He started to tell me about all the work he might have and how he isn't turning anything down he'll work all night if he has to. I commented you don't get much work done in the dark. He said "with the lights on this new machine I'll get just as much done in the dark as during the day" I stated the opinion that even with good lights on a machine productivity goes way down and bad things can happen. He then gave me a quite long explanation on how safe he is and how he plans out his work to get maximum production. And on and on.

This is the question. Working alone. No site lighting.
Do you work late with the lights of your machine?
Do you get as much production?
Do as good a job?
Seem to have things happen for the worse?

I always seem to miss something when working with lights. I find it hard to carry a grade. And I hate what might be in the shadows. The last couple of years I have started to be a little paranoid about who's in my work area and at night the shadows are just feet from the machine.

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Nick

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving" Albert Einstein

dayexco

personally, i think he paid waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much for that size machine with that many hours. the hyundai we bought had 800 hrs on it when we bought it, and only paid 10k more for it. we spent another 7k for a new jrb coupler.

as for nite digging? it didn't bother me much in my younger years. but as far as quality of workmanship, i'm quite sure it suffered. and another thing i've found out getting older is that my depth perception isn't near what it used to be. and i'm a LOT more concerned with safety on my jobs. the safety aspect alone tells me unless you have site lighting, is not a good thing.

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

rino1494

I agree.

As far as digging at night. It isn't worth it all the time. Production does go down, safety is a problem and so is quality of work. Sometimes I have worked late into the dark with lights on just to finish up. It is rare, but it does happen.

Don't worry, he will learn.

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fhdesign

I've worked alone after dark many times, running an excavator with good lights.
I would normally never be doing anything critical and didn't feel any loss in production or quality of the work performed.
Never had any problems, but there is definitely more of a potential for a problem so I would not recomend it.
Jon

Dirt Works

We used to try to squeeze some extra small jobs after normal hour (normal hours not in this business). But it always seemed that was when things would go wrong. Plus productivity sucked and overtime was costly.

With so many developments in Southern NJ, the chances of working after normal hours and not having the Police show up would be amazing. Some areas will not let you start till 8:00am on weekdays??

I know I love what I'm doing, but sometimes I wonder, (usually at the end of the month ) where is the Glory of it all. I'm sure some of you guys who have been doing this for many years feel the same.

denick

DW,

Your not alone. Thats the value of this forum. Misery does love company!

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Nick

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving" Albert Einstein

Dirt Works

Hey Denick, I love when somebody new in the business approaches me and tells me of all the equipment the will be buying. My reply is buy everything and finance yourself into a hole because there is alot of money to be made. You know since we are all Millionaires here or at least that's what I'm told on a daily basis.

4theroc

Being that im new into this excavation stuff, Im still trying to figure out why this guy would go spend 90,000 on a 140 sized hoe with 3600 hours? i see 160 sized hoes with those hours for about 45-65k all day

denick

DW,

Oh you mean the old,

"I can't believe how much money you guy's make"

conversation. yeah, yeah, yeah!

Not all of us are named jmic!

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Nick

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving" Albert Einstein

rino1494

Rofl

__________________
Life is hard. It is harder when you are stupid

Uncle Sam wants YOU....to speak ENGLISH