Big thanks again to Jobber for supporting the channel and helping offset bone-headed moves like these on my part! :D If you want to try jobber for free you can at this link: go.getjobber.com/coppercreekcuts
1:36 in and I have a suggestion. Get yourself a jump starter pack for those batteries. It could also save you from battery drain running your yellow lights. I got a basic one from Harbor freight that someone had returned. Have used it to repeatedly start my tractor for snowblowing then used it for phones when we lost power.
@@CopperCreekCuts Battery tender in the garage isn't the worst thing either, I've got a 4 bank with quick connect leads on all my equipment, especially nice up here in NY when I put stuff away for the winter.
If there is a next time you do stormwater work in the city limits of orlando hit me up and I'll look at it for you.i believe they had some one come in with a long arm excavator to reach down those steep slopes.
You should have canceled this job the minute you got there. Also I’m severely ocd as it appears you are by the looks of your equipment. That’s why I’m not in this line of work. There is no way to make money while keeping your gear pristine. So I’m stuck with using any equipment I have only on my spare time.
I have been a commercial general contractor for 35 years doing primarily manufacturing plants nationwide. I have seen subcontractors that after arriving were clearly in over their head. It happens to all of us. That job looks like it requires some yellow iron. They probably knew that but gave you a shot. You were probably what we call "red ball low" on your price. You did the right thing and called the contractor and backed out as soon as you were sure you could not complete the project. You gave it your best shot and didn't just do a drive by. I wish I had more contractors like you. Thank you for your time.
What a job. I have learned to never bid a tough cut job without looking at it first- it burns me every time. With that said there are always unforeseen circumstances. Congrats to you and the Mrs for battling through it even though you could not complete it. This work will humble you sometimes and you handled it well. Thank you!
I often have the same problem as you, if someone only sends me photos of the work to be done - then the work seems very easy and pleasant, and later it turns out to be completely different. My wife also often tells me in such moments that it is better to increase the price of the order at the beginning than to be upset later that the payment is too low. P.S. I also love it when my wife accompanies me during hard work 💖 And you could mow it down with a petrol brushcutter without any problem 🦾👋 Greetings from Poland 👋🙂
So relatable when you reach a point with things that you have to just laugh at it. Thank you for sharing your experience, there is always a silver lining…im glad you had your wife there to help you through it!
We ran Steel Spiked Tires on all of our walk behind equipment. I only wish we would have had a VENTRAK back then. in the early 90's, we were very limited on resources.
I'm reminded of what motivated me to get my first come-along: getting a 60" ZTR stuck in mud a hundred yards from the house and barn. But fortunately 30' from a tree line. Well played, sir. Well played in spite of everything!
Well, this was a better outcome than I thought it was going to be based off the title. I thought maybe the Ventrac went into the drink and was stuck there! Certainly one of those situations where if you don't find a way to laugh about it, you'll just cry. So, glad your wife was there to help keep your sanity!
As a lawn mowing business owner that also only has only me and my wife. I can definitely say we've been in this position before and of course the wife knew better. Don't feel bad we've all made mistakes.
Someone needs to invest in a portable jump pack. Noco makes a decent lithium ion unit you could literally carry in your back pocket that would have no issue at all spinning over that Toro. At that time it would have been the best hundred bucks you have ever spent.
I was on a chain gang in Georgia did a few of these. Mower, bush axe, string trimmer, free state labor & maybe a chainsaw. You would be surprised what you can cut down with a mower easing the blade on to it. Which is another point; with your Toro bush cutter, raise the front up/ tilt it back, cut a rough path & then go back to make it uniform.
how we do it here in Ellendale ND at the city is we just take our John Deer with the brush Hog, it's an older modle that allows you to offset the Hog. By the time you run down each side the over hang in the ditch is completely cut. Either way you can't do it when it wet or like anything your going to sink on the incline and your going to rut it out.
11:15... The gradient to me looks a no go. Reach mower or excavator with reach to remain on the level and reach with boom to the batter areas. I'll keep watching
Amazing...... Winch from harbor freight works well, the 3500 one... Oraybe it's the 3000.... Got it for my tow dolly and it works well. Thanks for sharing the experience.
Oh, Brad, I've been there. Sometimes, in spite of the best of intentions, things just seem to unravel once you start. I admire you for at least giving it a heroes try.
Brings back bad memories for me when I was starting and hungry for jobs and to make a name for myself. I honestly think we all have to go through this and learn. I have a hard time putting my pride to the side and walking away from a job. Especially if a big pay day. After your first walk through I said I’d walk away now. Always an easy decision watching from a screen 1200 miles away! Best you can do is learn, move on, and not beat yourself up for trying. Keep up the great work!
If you do get another job like this. Consider an excavator rental for the weekend. They just cleaned up a pond hear near my home and they used a excavator and literally put the machine straight into the middle of the pond. For larger jobs that I need a rental. I either split the cost if needed but mostly just put the rental charge into the bid amount. Consider also a trip charge for further away projects include your prep and clean up time into that. It took a minute to learn but hope this helps.
You need to grab yourself a jump starter. It would have saved you a lot of grunting there. I use a Noco Boost GBX45 that worked great the 3 or 4 times I've used it on a V6 and a V8. It also has an override for the reverse polarity safety circuit that allows you to jump a completely dead battery. Charge it up and toss it behind the seat of your truck. Check the charge every 6 months. BTW, you can also use it as a power bank to charge your phone and cameras.
You will.....Wright ZK 72 in with dual tweelsnand the Ventrac will set you straight. Clean the rain gutter traps at the loading dock,check for blockage at the gutter drainage into the pond. Pick up arrogaus litter before mowing. You got this Brad. I worked for a company in NC doing this work. Traveled a lot for different DIY er stores. A piece of advice, try and get some small contracts with you local county. See what requirements they need from you in order to submit a bid proposal. Even if it's just a few parcels of land here and there. It can open up other opportunities. When it comes to them stupid branches, unfortunately they have to be picked up first. Along pond edges,do not blow grass into the water. It will screw up the O2 levels from nitrogen buildup from decay from the grass and looks ugly. Not telling you what to do,just what I learned from a company that does for a business. There's more to it as well, mostly with the cultivars and types on native plants that clean the storm water run off.
If you're going to do retention pond restoration and management for people You're going to need a long reach excavator. I think you just figured out why you need a long reach excavator because you're going to get the places that you just can't get in there with equipment You're going to need something tracked that can reach a long way. Now where I live I see people with specialized mowers and they're about they got two or three wheels on each side they're very similar to your ventrac but sometimes they got to get in there with a excavator because they have rip rap they have to work around as well or replace. Good luck buddy like many contractors the job looks like you can do it till you start working on it and you find out the hard way but there's no disgrace in bailing out if you can't do it correctly. I think it's better to tell the customer you can't do the job correctly then trying to do the job wrong.
Braver than me, and you know that there is no way to anticipate everything you'll need for such a job especially three hours away. So cut yourself a break, and how much better to have a wonderful wife to be there. Your gratitude towards her is admirable. Great video, and thanks for sharing it!
I would venture a guess that the area is poorly designed. Seems they did a good job of making it catch water but completely ignored the issue of maintenance. Shame on them and bless your heart for making a valiant effort on an impossible job.
Hey seeing use that come along give me anxiety I hate those things I put a 3500 pound Badland Harbor freight winch on my exMark stand on and I think getting one of those would be a great idea for your Ventrack
First and only landscaping job I ever did by myself was a disaster. Took on way too much. I got it done because I took the job and wanted to see it through. But good lord did I make a mistake there.
Hey Brad, I’ve got a question for you. What happened to the Green striker trailer? I have not seen you use it since you bought it and it’s not even in the background of any of the shots that you’re loading stuff up.
I still have it! Unfortunately the WAM (wide area mower, 95" cut for the ventrac) was the main reason I got it and that side of mowing never got any traction around here. I am going to try and re-advertise for it this coming spring. I have only used the trailer a few times when I needed more attachments than the regular trailer holds. I'll try to work in an update video soon on it for you.
Keep up the great work man it happens sometimes we look at pictures Biden the job a certain way get there and it's totally different. Next time I would factor in three hours of travel time just to look at the job and I would also figure in an extra day make them pay for lodging. Since you're three hours away from home
i cant stand it when a job goes wrong in every possible sense lol. at times I have gave up and tried another day. i know thats not a good mentality but sometimes its all you can do
great video, thanks for showing the dark side of the industry. I really enjoyed this. Also, you kind of look and sound like sean strickland! lol following you! loved the video
I can’t believe the ventrac or whatever that mower is is not a diesel and sounds like it runs on a darn Briggs and Stratton!!! No way I would invest in one for that simple observation alone. I’m sure it’s a high dollar item and would think it would at least have a 3cyl diesel engine.
Sand is terrible. Once you spin your done. I could not imagine being on that sand on that steep of a hill. We learn from our mistakes. You lost some money, But you did not get hurt an gained some knowlage for next time.
How bad did your poison ivy get the next week ? At least you or your wife didn't have to deal with any pythons...I would have gotten out of my pickup taken one look at that property and gone home. Maybe gone back with a weed eater in the trunk of my wife's car and got it done.
What are you rambling on about it seems to me you are advertising saying look what I own, and some company has gave you some gear?????????????????????? big deal
I bet a lof of people will point out how much this is your fault. I just wanna say: I applaude you for reflecting so much on yourself here. You clearly said this job was like 90% your fault and maybe 10% the fault of people sending you outdated and/or bad and therefor misleading pictures.
Thanks! I would be willing to say 100% my fault since my wife was even able to stop and say 'should we be using those photos?'. But I appreciate you putting 10% off me! 😆
Brad, what makes me watch your channel is your honesty and willingness to discuss and narrate your jobs and the issues/problems that you face and have to deal with. We hopefully learn something new with every challenge! I believe your honesty and forthrightness will win the day with the contractor you work for! I do enjoy the stormwater additions to your videos! 👍
This video helped me so much wow, I would have been a lot angrier than you. However after seeing how you handled it, I am now going to work on my internal anger when I make mistakes. I grew up in Orlando, it’s the most humid area in the world. I can’t believe your attitude stayed in the green, I would have been mad. I definitely would have been up front like you but I would have been visibly angry.
If I were you I would invest in a battery jump box I have one in every vehicle and they work awesome!! Project farm even did a few reviews on them. Also invest in a detachable winch for your hitch so you can pull yourself out if you get stuck. It would also be good to maybey look into getting a excavator with a long reach bushhog or brush cutter, I bet somthing like that would have made this job a breeze
Some one selling a small self propelled flail mower over here for 2k. Weima wmx-663 might be worth a look some videos out there as well of it being used. Would be good to hire it for a day and test it first as it is from china style equipment as the price reflects. Not sure if suitable or not just putting some ideas out there.
I don't know if it would have worked for you on this one, but don't forget that you can use down pressure on your deck to lift your front tires up. I've gotten myself out of several situations where I was almost stuck by doing this.
Brad! DO NOT give up! The more experience you get the better you will get! Put that ventrac to work man! Don’t get down cuz you made some mistakes. We all make mistakes we just have to learn from it. I really do enjoy watching these new storm water videos! Seriously don’t stop making them! Charge more for them, etc.! Charge them to have you drive down and back to check it out for quoting purposes. Just don’t give up! If you’ve made it this far, invest in a Polaris Ranger so you have something that can pull the ventrac out. Get a longer trailer that can hold everything. Wait… if you’ve made it this far the boom mower would really help here😂😂 I’m not sure what to do about the brush. If you had a dump truck you could’ve used that but they get pretty expensive and not worth it if you don’t use it often. Maybe you have some things to consider before doing more of these jobs, BUT I think you are also still learning. This is like a different industry in and of itself.
You should have told the customer you needed those tree cuts down, which would occur more cost and Everytime you deal with another contractor get a deposit, remember you're in the business to win not to be working for free sometimes you gotta get chicken shit!!!
I'm not sure you understand, I work for a contractor and they are the ones that communicate with what needs done with the client. No chance of a deposit, this is commercial work.
I've been a contractor for over forty years, you're better off dealing with people that're going to pay you a deposit and pay you when you finish the job, if you have to wait for your money charge double, trust me your life will be less stressful.
I know having your wife there was definitely a massive help if for nothing more than just carrying you through the mental and emotional hurdles of a stressful job. I’ve taken overnight work and brought my wife along. When I realized I was in over my head at several moments I would just look over at her and her presence alone just made me calmer and not stress like crazy.
DUDE! You aggravated me SOOOO much with all the things you did in this video, still I have respect for you. So I am going to give you a few tips. Your Ventrac attachments. Put them on pallets. Get a pallet jack. You will find life so much better. If you ever take on/ or want to take on a job like this invest in the sickle bar boom mower attachment. Never wrap the come along cable back onto itself. What you should have done is take off the hitch bar and shackle and just used the hitch pin by itself. Hook onto that. Buy Anderson Power plugs/connectors and put them on every piece of equipment you have. Put them on your truck. Put them on a battery that you carry with you and is charged and maintained by your truck. A small deep cycle lawn tractor battery is good. Install battery disconnects on all too. Blocks are ok but better yet invest in some Tanden Master Jiffy Jacks. Not only will they make putting on and take off the tires on the Ventrac so much easier you use them for what they are intended. Changing tires on your tandem axle trailer. Learn to unlink chain link fence. Using that come along and some chain link bar and puller, you could have very easily taken a section of fence off and saved yourself a LOT of walking time. You could have had that pond drained and had the ventrac cutting all that in the center in no time. When it came time to pull out, just use your truck. Pulling the toro, you should have used the sling. wrap onto the lowest point as close to the wheels as you can. Sling over the shoulders like an ox. This will help you pick up on the wheels. Picking up on the wheels will make it so they don't dig in as much. Pulling from the blade/skid side with sling under the deck would probably work best. Invest in two 50 foot sections of 3/8 or 1/4 stainless cable with eyes at the ends. And a couple of snatch blocks. You could have used your ventrac to pull the toro back to the truck.
As a small business owner, I love that you share these experiences. Your content is always both entertaining and full of knowledge :) I got to say, for the price of a Ventrac, I am really disappointed to see that it doesn't have locking differentials :/ Though for a bog down like this, especially if you are alone the next time, taking one of those blocks of wood and attaching it to the wheel with a ratchet strap would probably have gotten you out. Look up how a tank uses a log for scooping itself out of harsh terrain :) Best of luck going forwards, and apologies for my less than ideal English :)
I hope you continue with these storm water clean ups. I know this job was a hard hit and lot of learning points. Great watching these to see how you solution it even if that is later call to cancel with customer.
Wow. This video surely is very educational. I was asked to do a job at a backyard of an abandoned commercial property that looked like a jungle with thick, tall 8-foot weeds while I specialized in mowing grasses and doing moderate cleanups. That was crazy but I politely declined the offer. Now I know it s ok to say NO if I can not do a proper job.
Been there done that. Glad nothing got damaged and you didn’t get hurt that job could have gotten really nasty and did more damage than it would have been worth
Remember this. Mistakes are the part of your life. Its okay to make mistakes. Yes you are going to make mistakes, a lot of. And its okay. Its a proof that you are living your life, you are doing something BUT a) Never repeat the same mistakes twice okay if you gonaa do that never repeat it thrice, remember this. b) learn from your mistakes. I believe mistakes are something magical. They happen for a reason. They want to teach you. Something, anything. So dont loose your hope and faith
I said it once and I’m gonna say it again, It’s ur work ethic, mentality and how u analyze and then come to logical conclusion, what makes ur content so much interesting and helpful 🙏🏼.
Well Brad, I'm going to say two things. #1) You learned some lessons, what not to do. #2) Can't get any worse. It can only get better from here. Brad thanks for sharing this!
Big thanks again to Jobber for supporting the channel and helping offset bone-headed moves like these on my part! :D If you want to try jobber for free you can at this link: go.getjobber.com/coppercreekcuts
A small 2 ton mini excavator with a mulch blade may have helped, but I agree the land was too steep and sandy for your equipment.
The best UA-cam channels are the ones who are willing to show fallibility. Your humility and integrity are without parallel.
1:36 in and I have a suggestion. Get yourself a jump starter pack for those batteries. It could also save you from battery drain running your yellow lights. I got a basic one from Harbor freight that someone had returned. Have used it to repeatedly start my tractor for snowblowing then used it for phones when we lost power.
Good suggestion, I do need one! I had a Stanley model for a year or so that died and I never got around to replacing it.
@@CopperCreekCuts Battery tender in the garage isn't the worst thing either, I've got a 4 bank with quick connect leads on all my equipment, especially nice up here in NY when I put stuff away for the winter.
I am a Stormwater Compliance Code Inspector for the City of Orlando. I didn't write this violation but my partner did. Such a small world.
Get the heck out of town! That is too funny of a coincidence! At least now you and your partner can see why no one touched it for so long!🤣
If there is a next time you do stormwater work in the city limits of orlando hit me up and I'll look at it for you.i believe they had some one come in with a long arm excavator to reach down those steep slopes.
@michealwilkerson5643 this is funny
@@michaelwilkerson5643yea least you can do for brad is let him know what he be up against in the future
You should have canceled this job the minute you got there. Also I’m severely ocd as it appears you are by the looks of your equipment. That’s why I’m not in this line of work. There is no way to make money while keeping your gear pristine. So I’m stuck with using any equipment I have only on my spare time.
I have been a commercial general contractor for 35 years doing primarily manufacturing plants nationwide. I have seen subcontractors that after arriving were clearly in over their head. It happens to all of us. That job looks like it requires some yellow iron. They probably knew that but gave you a shot. You were probably what we call "red ball low" on your price. You did the right thing and called the contractor and backed out as soon as you were sure you could not complete the project. You gave it your best shot and didn't just do a drive by. I wish I had more contractors like you. Thank you for your time.
What a job. I have learned to never bid a tough cut job without looking at it first- it burns me every time. With that said there are always unforeseen circumstances. Congrats to you and the Mrs for battling through it even though you could not complete it. This work will humble you sometimes and you handled it well. Thank you!
I often have the same problem as you, if someone only sends me photos of the work to be done - then the work seems very easy and pleasant, and later it turns out to be completely different.
My wife also often tells me in such moments that it is better to increase the price of the order at the beginning than to be upset later that the payment is too low.
P.S. I also love it when my wife accompanies me during hard work 💖
And you could mow it down with a petrol brushcutter without any problem 🦾👋
Greetings from Poland 👋🙂
Looking forward to meeting you Sunday. The man, the myth, the legend who my 3 year old son watches some mornings when he wakes up.
You gave it your all. That kind of work ain’t easy and many people wouldn’t even try. Good news is we got some enjoyment out of it. Thanks
Much appreciated!
So relatable when you reach a point with things that you have to just laugh at it. Thank you for sharing your experience, there is always a silver lining…im glad you had your wife there to help you through it!
We ran Steel Spiked Tires on all of our walk behind equipment. I only wish we would have had a VENTRAK back then. in the early 90's, we were very limited on resources.
I'm reminded of what motivated me to get my first come-along: getting a 60" ZTR stuck in mud a hundred yards from the house and barn. But fortunately 30' from a tree line.
Well played, sir. Well played in spite of everything!
Well, this was a better outcome than I thought it was going to be based off the title. I thought maybe the Ventrac went into the drink and was stuck there! Certainly one of those situations where if you don't find a way to laugh about it, you'll just cry. So, glad your wife was there to help keep your sanity!
As a lawn mowing business owner that also only has only me and my wife. I can definitely say we've been in this position before and of course the wife knew better. Don't feel bad we've all made mistakes.
Someone needs to invest in a portable jump pack. Noco makes a decent lithium ion unit you could literally carry in your back pocket that would have no issue at all spinning over that Toro. At that time it would have been the best hundred bucks you have ever spent.
I had a Stanley one that burned out and I just never replaced it. Thanks for the tips!
Wow! That's a big job!
I was on a chain gang in Georgia did a few of these. Mower, bush axe, string trimmer, free state labor & maybe a chainsaw. You would be surprised what you can cut down with a mower easing the blade on to it. Which is another point; with your Toro bush cutter, raise the front up/ tilt it back, cut a rough path & then go back to make it uniform.
I wonder if you could use something like a snowmobile dolly to move those mowing decks around
Maybe! The only issue would be how high they bring it off the ground which makes disconnecting and hooking up problematic.
how we do it here in Ellendale ND at the city is we just take our John Deer with the brush Hog, it's an older modle that allows you to offset the Hog. By the time you run down each side the over hang in the ditch is completely cut. Either way you can't do it when it wet or like anything your going to sink on the incline and your going to rut it out.
11:15... The gradient to me looks a no go.
Reach mower or excavator with reach to remain on the level and reach with boom to the batter areas. I'll keep watching
Amazing...... Winch from harbor freight works well, the 3500 one... Oraybe it's the 3000.... Got it for my tow dolly and it works well. Thanks for sharing the experience.
Oh, Brad, I've been there. Sometimes, in spite of the best of intentions, things just seem to unravel once you start. I admire you for at least giving it a heroes try.
Don’t worry about it. Live and learn. Great teaching video.
Maintenance is key. But I've helped a buddy before, one ventrac, and two-three guys with weed eaters and boots can be a big help for ya
Brings back bad memories for me when I was starting and hungry for jobs and to make a name for myself. I honestly think we all have to go through this and learn. I have a hard time putting my pride to the side and walking away from a job. Especially if a big pay day. After your first walk through I said I’d walk away now. Always an easy decision watching from a screen 1200 miles away! Best you can do is learn, move on, and not beat yourself up for trying. Keep up the great work!
If you do get another job like this. Consider an excavator rental for the weekend. They just cleaned up a pond hear near my home and they used a excavator and literally put the machine straight into the middle of the pond.
For larger jobs that I need a rental. I either split the cost if needed but mostly just put the rental charge into the bid amount. Consider also a trip charge for further away projects include your prep and clean up time into that. It took a minute to learn but hope this helps.
You need to grab yourself a jump starter. It would have saved you a lot of grunting there. I use a Noco Boost GBX45 that worked great the 3 or 4 times I've used it on a V6 and a V8. It also has an override for the reverse polarity safety circuit that allows you to jump a completely dead battery. Charge it up and toss it behind the seat of your truck. Check the charge every 6 months. BTW, you can also use it as a power bank to charge your phone and cameras.
You will get more drainage work because you was honest about the whole job
I hope so, but we will see!
You will.....Wright ZK 72 in with dual tweelsnand the Ventrac will set you straight. Clean the rain gutter traps at the loading dock,check for blockage at the gutter drainage into the pond. Pick up arrogaus litter before mowing. You got this Brad. I worked for a company in NC doing this work. Traveled a lot for different DIY er stores. A piece of advice, try and get some small contracts with you local county. See what requirements they need from you in order to submit a bid proposal. Even if it's just a few parcels of land here and there. It can open up other opportunities. When it comes to them stupid branches, unfortunately they have to be picked up first. Along pond edges,do not blow grass into the water. It will screw up the O2 levels from nitrogen buildup from decay from the grass and looks ugly.
Not telling you what to do,just what I learned from a company that does for a business. There's more to it as well, mostly with the cultivars and types on native plants that clean the storm water run off.
BTW I'm In Florida as well......not to far from Citra
If you're going to do retention pond restoration and management for people You're going to need a long reach excavator. I think you just figured out why you need a long reach excavator because you're going to get the places that you just can't get in there with equipment You're going to need something tracked that can reach a long way. Now where I live I see people with specialized mowers and they're about they got two or three wheels on each side they're very similar to your ventrac but sometimes they got to get in there with a excavator because they have rip rap they have to work around as well or replace. Good luck buddy like many contractors the job looks like you can do it till you start working on it and you find out the hard way but there's no disgrace in bailing out if you can't do it correctly. I think it's better to tell the customer you can't do the job correctly then trying to do the job wrong.
Braver than me, and you know that there is no way to anticipate everything you'll need for such a job especially three hours away. So cut yourself a break, and how much better to have a wonderful wife to be there. Your gratitude towards her is admirable. Great video, and thanks for sharing it!
I would venture a guess that the area is poorly designed. Seems they did a good job of making it catch water but completely ignored the issue of maintenance. Shame on them and bless your heart for making a valiant effort on an impossible job.
Hey seeing use that come along give me anxiety I hate those things I put a 3500 pound Badland Harbor freight winch on my exMark stand on and I think getting one of those would be a great idea for your Ventrack
Good future upgrade!
First and only landscaping job I ever did by myself was a disaster. Took on way too much. I got it done because I took the job and wanted to see it through. But good lord did I make a mistake there.
Hey Brad, I’ve got a question for you. What happened to the Green striker trailer? I have not seen you use it since you bought it and it’s not even in the background of any of the shots that you’re loading stuff up.
I still have it! Unfortunately the WAM (wide area mower, 95" cut for the ventrac) was the main reason I got it and that side of mowing never got any traction around here. I am going to try and re-advertise for it this coming spring. I have only used the trailer a few times when I needed more attachments than the regular trailer holds. I'll try to work in an update video soon on it for you.
Lesson learnt always listen to your wife!
Congratulations 🎉
Note to self always carry a portable jump pack
Good advice!
Oh man just one of those days where everything keeps going wrong!😅 Glad you could laugh about it and have your wife there to help!
Probably wouldn’t hurt to get your hands on a portable jump pack and keep it in your truck glove box 👍
If that walk behind had duel wheels it would have done well.
Keep up the great work man it happens sometimes we look at pictures Biden the job a certain way get there and it's totally different. Next time I would factor in three hours of travel time just to look at the job and I would also figure in an extra day make them pay for lodging. Since you're three hours away from home
i cant stand it when a job goes wrong in every possible sense lol. at times I have gave up and tried another day. i know thats not a good mentality but sometimes its all you can do
Why couldn’t you take the spreader and seed back to Tractor Supply? They will give you your money back!
great video, thanks for showing the dark side of the industry. I really enjoyed this. Also, you kind of look and sound like sean strickland!
lol
following you! loved the video
I can’t believe the ventrac or whatever that mower is is not a diesel and sounds like it runs on a darn Briggs and Stratton!!! No way I would invest in one for that simple observation alone. I’m sure it’s a high dollar item and would think it would at least have a 3cyl diesel engine.
Lesson learned, go look at the job ( in person ) before quoting.
You need to run with some Max trax in the trailer
When it comes to the toro you need a battery jumper pack
Or a new battery!
@@CopperCreekCuts Get both. Thanks for sharing this video. Hopefully, we can all learn from your experience.
Gum boots and brush cutters, half a days work for a couple of blokes.👍
Wouldn't it take 2-3 days to dray the area you drained?
I don't know how often your wife goes with you on jobs.But i'm pretty sure you were grateful to have her own that one
All I can say is I feel bad for you, and your wife. Better luck on the next job !
When you drain water there’s mud under it.
Yes, I would have had to put on the waders and get in there!
I get myself into these situations frequently. I often take jobs simply for the learning experience, knowing I won't make a very good profit.
3 hours away is a stretch! Do you know what the contractor did instead?
I love that you can laugh about this goof!
weedeater and brush blade. Ask me how I know.😊
XD I was mad I left the brush blade at home on accident, too.
bro i bet i can fix it no problem
Sand is terrible. Once you spin your done. I could not imagine being on that sand on that steep of a hill. We learn from our mistakes. You lost some money, But you did not get hurt an gained some knowlage for next time.
Just use a weed trimmer and brush cutter....I could have had this done in hours!
💚👍👍👍
Couldnt stop laughing
How bad did your poison ivy get the next week ? At least you or your wife didn't have to deal with any pythons...I would have gotten out of my pickup taken one look at that property and gone home. Maybe gone back with a weed eater in the trunk of my wife's car and got it done.
What are you rambling on about it seems to me you are advertising saying look what I own, and some company has gave you some gear?????????????????????? big deal
I have no idea what you are saying. I was rambling on about a job gone wrong and the factors that caused it.
🦘❤️❤️❤️
You wasted so much time for nothing
GREAT HONEST BUSINESS MAN SURE HOPE THIS GENERATES MORE BUSINESS
Thinking you’re gonna have a quick big payday usually pulls the blinders over your eyes.
100% happened here, especially since I had just got done with that basin that was cutting and clearing all those trees.
I bet a lof of people will point out how much this is your fault. I just wanna say: I applaude you for reflecting so much on yourself here. You clearly said this job was like 90% your fault and maybe 10% the fault of people sending you outdated and/or bad and therefor misleading pictures.
Thanks! I would be willing to say 100% my fault since my wife was even able to stop and say 'should we be using those photos?'. But I appreciate you putting 10% off me! 😆
@@CopperCreekCuts2 REPLIES
@EtwasMartin . 2w ago YOU SPELLED THEREFORE WRONG.
Brad, what makes me watch your channel is your honesty and willingness to discuss and narrate your jobs and the issues/problems that you face and have to deal with. We hopefully learn something new with every challenge! I believe your honesty and forthrightness will win the day with the contractor you work for! I do enjoy the stormwater additions to your videos! 👍
You should buy or build a winch plate for your 2” recover hitch so you can winch the ventrac or truck out when stuck or if you need to pull things.
This video helped me so much wow, I would have been a lot angrier than you. However after seeing how you handled it, I am now going to work on my internal anger when I make mistakes. I grew up in Orlando, it’s the most humid area in the world. I can’t believe your attitude stayed in the green, I would have been mad. I definitely would have been up front like you but I would have been visibly angry.
Sorry things didn't work out and thanks for sharing. We all can relate to situations when we're in over our heads. Glad your wife was there for you!
Thanks for the kind words!
If I were you I would invest in a battery jump box I have one in every vehicle and they work awesome!! Project farm even did a few reviews on them. Also invest in a detachable winch for your hitch so you can pull yourself out if you get stuck. It would also be good to maybey look into getting a excavator with a long reach bushhog or brush cutter, I bet somthing like that would have made this job a breeze
Some one selling a small self propelled flail mower over here for 2k. Weima wmx-663 might be worth a look some videos out there as well of it being used. Would be good to hire it for a day and test it first as it is from china style equipment as the price reflects. Not sure if suitable or not just putting some ideas out there.
I don't know if it would have worked for you on this one, but don't forget that you can use down pressure on your deck to lift your front tires up. I've gotten myself out of several situations where I was almost stuck by doing this.
Brad! DO NOT give up! The more experience you get the better you will get! Put that ventrac to work man! Don’t get down cuz you made some mistakes. We all make mistakes we just have to learn from it. I really do enjoy watching these new storm water videos! Seriously don’t stop making them! Charge more for them, etc.! Charge them to have you drive down and back to check it out for quoting purposes. Just don’t give up!
If you’ve made it this far, invest in a Polaris Ranger so you have something that can pull the ventrac out. Get a longer trailer that can hold everything.
Wait… if you’ve made it this far the boom mower would really help here😂😂
I’m not sure what to do about the brush. If you had a dump truck you could’ve used that but they get pretty expensive and not worth it if you don’t use it often.
Maybe you have some things to consider before doing more of these jobs, BUT I think you are also still learning. This is like a different industry in and of itself.
I think this mess needs to be rebuilt with retaining walls
You should have told the customer you needed those tree cuts down, which would occur more cost and Everytime you deal with another contractor get a deposit, remember you're in the business to win not to be working for free sometimes you gotta get chicken shit!!!
I'm not sure you understand, I work for a contractor and they are the ones that communicate with what needs done with the client. No chance of a deposit, this is commercial work.
I've been a contractor for over forty years, you're better off dealing with people that're going to pay you a deposit and pay you when you finish the job, if you have to wait for your money charge double, trust me your life will be less stressful.
I know having your wife there was definitely a massive help if for nothing more than just carrying you through the mental and emotional hurdles of a stressful job. I’ve taken overnight work and brought my wife along. When I realized I was in over my head at several moments I would just look over at her and her presence alone just made me calmer and not stress like crazy.
DUDE! You aggravated me SOOOO much with all the things you did in this video, still I have respect for you. So I am going to give you a few tips.
Your Ventrac attachments. Put them on pallets. Get a pallet jack. You will find life so much better.
If you ever take on/ or want to take on a job like this invest in the sickle bar boom mower attachment.
Never wrap the come along cable back onto itself. What you should have done is take off the hitch bar and shackle and just used the hitch pin by itself. Hook onto that.
Buy Anderson Power plugs/connectors and put them on every piece of equipment you have. Put them on your truck. Put them on a battery that you carry with you and is charged and maintained by your truck. A small deep cycle lawn tractor battery is good.
Install battery disconnects on all too.
Blocks are ok but better yet invest in some Tanden Master Jiffy Jacks. Not only will they make putting on and take off the tires on the Ventrac so much easier you use them for what they are intended. Changing tires on your tandem axle trailer.
Learn to unlink chain link fence. Using that come along and some chain link bar and puller, you could have very easily taken a section of fence off and saved yourself a LOT of walking time. You could have had that pond drained and had the ventrac cutting all that in the center in no time. When it came time to pull out, just use your truck.
Pulling the toro, you should have used the sling. wrap onto the lowest point as close to the wheels as you can. Sling over the shoulders like an ox. This will help you pick up on the wheels. Picking up on the wheels will make it so they don't dig in as much. Pulling from the blade/skid side with sling under the deck would probably work best.
Invest in two 50 foot sections of 3/8 or 1/4 stainless cable with eyes at the ends. And a couple of snatch blocks. You could have used your ventrac to pull the toro back to the truck.
As a small business owner, I love that you share these experiences. Your content is always both entertaining and full of knowledge :)
I got to say, for the price of a Ventrac, I am really disappointed to see that it doesn't have locking differentials :/
Though for a bog down like this, especially if you are alone the next time, taking one of those blocks of wood and attaching it to the wheel with a ratchet strap would probably have gotten you out.
Look up how a tank uses a log for scooping itself out of harsh terrain :)
Best of luck going forwards, and apologies for my less than ideal English :)
I hope you continue with these storm water clean ups. I know this job was a hard hit and lot of learning points. Great watching these to see how you solution it even if that is later call to cancel with customer.
Things don’t always work like we think they will and your showing one of those times. It may help others.
I hope so!
Why was I holding my breathe when you guys were getting the ventrac unstuck. 😂 that was intense!!!
33:18 do you have a hover mower.
34:43 do u have a jump pack in the truck ?
I do have a hover mower, didn't think about that. No jump pack.
Check out the Tri-clone HEAVY DUTY trimmer heads for your next lawn care jobs
This job needs a mini excavator with a mulching head not a Ventrak I am sorry to say 😐
You can buy a harbor fright torque wrench for like $30….
Wow. This video surely is very educational. I was asked to do a job at a backyard of an abandoned commercial property that looked like a jungle with thick, tall 8-foot weeds while I specialized in mowing grasses and doing moderate cleanups. That was crazy but I politely declined the offer. Now I know it s ok to say NO if I can not do a proper job.
You should have use a weed Wacker for the sides next to the Pawn
Like to See More Videos of You and Your identical Twin brother Working together
🤣
you will never hear the end of that one "I should have listened to my wife"
Tri-clone trimmer head is perfect for this job
Been there done that. Glad nothing got damaged and you didn’t get hurt that job could have gotten really nasty and did more damage than it would have been worth
A jumper pack would be a great addition to your truck ! No need to depend on another vehicle for jumping
Remember this. Mistakes are the part of your life. Its okay to make mistakes. Yes you are going to make mistakes, a lot of. And its okay. Its a proof that you are living your life, you are doing something BUT a) Never repeat the same mistakes twice okay if you gonaa do that never repeat it thrice, remember this. b) learn from your mistakes. I believe mistakes are something magical. They happen for a reason. They want to teach you. Something, anything. So dont loose your hope and faith
I said it once and I’m gonna say it again,
It’s ur work ethic, mentality and how u analyze and then come to logical conclusion, what makes ur content so much interesting and helpful 🙏🏼.
Well Brad, I'm going to say two things.
#1) You learned some lessons, what not to do.
#2) Can't get any worse. It can only get better from here.
Brad thanks for sharing this!