I spent $300.00 on a pair of shoes for work back in '93. They've been resoled twice, and I'm still wearing them. Figures out to less than 16 bucks a year for comfortable, good-fitting shoes. The best investment I've ever made.
Back in the day I operated a Case backhoe and my last job of the day was to grease everything I used, for all the track equipment we had a team that was responsible for greasing them.
On the greasing ,as a plant equipment technician, I always say go by the hours of usage and if you are going to be laying the machine up for a period time then make sure all the grease fittings are topped up and machine briefly ran to get grease spread out. I always recommend to operators to clear the grease nipples before and after to reduce the risk of pushing in any dirt. I also recommend to operators to use their leaf blower and give the loader a good blow through in the engine and under the cabin and in the cabin area at least weekly (unless op site dictates daily) and to operate the reverse fan on radiator to ensure that dust / leaf / earth collation is minimised. Just makes life easier if you get a leak that it's easier to clean up, less likely hood of fire. Basically, just care for the plant equipment as you do your sawmill as you clearly give that machine all its love and attention it needs.
I ran a case 1845 years ago and we greased it every morning ... When attempting to level your area you can get a bucket full of your material and you use that as weight to help move and level the area ..
Nathan, keep in mind that the shale will settle when you finally get some rain. I have found that the best method for leveling soil or rock is to drive the track loader to a known level spot, lay the bucket flat on that surface and then simply move forward. Any high spot will be caught by the bucket. Give it a try and let us know the outcome.
Bob, I concur with that method as a skidsteer operator. One thing though, once you're happy with the leveling/flattening, being a track loader, roll it in a few times. After a good rain, wait a day or two...then roll it in again to compact it. Nathan, as a rookie, you did well. Practice is the best experience. I hope this helps. Nice job!
I have a bobcat and a new holland. They get used a few minutes now & then, sometimes a few hours at most. I hit the arms once a week (or so) but the bottom pins get grease more often, depending on use time and my memory. Grease is cheap compared to worn pins. Push to start with and pull to finish. Set the bucket down at the back then the 'toe', this will allow the back of the bucket to drag excess and the front edge will fine grade. Love working the skid steer & watching your videos.
Really enjoyable video .:) .Makes me want to move to Tennessee ( No not really ) . :) I'm Canadian . . Your whey of expressing your self just doing chores + Family , nabours freinds; and live happy Love the new loader its got to be fun! Cheers Thumbs up !
I've had the White's boots for over 20yrs. Very happy with them, made in Spokane too. They look just about the same, I wonder if they're the same company. Expensive, but in my opinion, very well worth the money. Cheers !!
Daily is good for regular use. we did it with the Case and Bobcat loaders every day. Since I'm no pro either I might back drag it, but really you should puch it with your bucket flat.
I have run heavy equipment my entire life. You should cut it driving forward using the bucket as it’s designed and do minimal back dragging as it causes heavy wear on the bottom of the bucket. Back drag just to fine tune. One tip I would give to get better and smoother is practise doing two functions at one i.e. lift and curl at same time. Practise makes perfect
Great video Nathan. You did a great job on the blade work. It looks real good. Just like a professional. Take care and have a Happy Father’s Day. 👍❤️🇺🇸
You're learning well on the skid loader doing dirt work Nathan, takes lots of practice. The area around the kiln looks so much better. Thanks for a great video, keep up the good work and stay safe around there. Fred.
You did an excellent job of dragging the slate back. Dragging is the way if you’re not going to remove a lot of soil. By gouging it out with the blade you run the risk of removing too much, but you do what works best for you.
Words of wisdom my Mother told me one time about boots/shoes. You'll get longer life out of shoes having 2 pair alternating day to day than you will wearing 2 individual pair consecutively day after day. How right she was. I bet I get at least a year's worth of wear out of all my shoes now.
I grease daily but I run a excavator...but remember something my dad told me ,a 2dollar tube of grease and ten mins of time is way cheaper then a broken or stuck very costly pin and down time
Back dragging has always worked well for me but try pointing the front of the bucket straight down and back drag it in a dump position that way you can raise and lower the bucket as you go.
I agree that your shale will start to settle after receiving the first good rain. You can start the compacting process by driving your heaviest tractor over the pad.
My rule is at the end of every day, grease it and top up the fuel. It may only take 1 pump of grease or it may not take any. This way its ready to fo in the morning and doesnt get to build up condensation in the tank. Plus if you cone in not feeling well for whatever reason you cant use that as an excuse to not do it.and all the joints are warm so the grease goes in easily and you can spot any problems that may need addressing right away or so.
The tracking shot on the sawmill adds a lot of production value! Great video! And, it may not make any difference at all but please replace the connector caps on the hydraulic lines on the loader. Just me, probably. Thank you and keep up the great work!
One thing I can suggest from what little construction I did when I was trucking is, when you only need an inch or 2 of clearance, you can run the loader back & forth slightly overlapping your tracks, & tamp down the fill bit. Like others have stated, & you also mentioned, time, weather & use will settle & pack that pad in nice & solid in a few weeks/months.
As far as the boots, I just started buying Carolinas down at Wiseman's in Unicoi, after decades of buying Walmart Specials. I will check out the place where you get your boots though for my next pair.
Nathan hi how are you, for your skid steer backward is the way to go, and drag with a slight forward tilt a couple of inches, as when you go forward you drive forward with a forward tilt as you drive over the lip you have just cut you then cut deeper than you need or expect to cut which you then have to backfill Nigel Australia
Nathan, I'm like you but I don't have a track loader just a tractor with a bucket. But if I did have one I think I'd go out and dig holes just to fill em back in. LOL My wife on the other hand is not really on board with that for some reason. hahaha. Keep up with the great videos!
Been a few years but pulling. You did a fine job. If you want to get accurate in grading without fancy equipment. Stakes, Tight string and bubble level. But from the looks of it...you're on the money
Some people see your out in Tennessee sawmill as a kind of a hillbilly thing, but they don't know you have it infested more than a million in this whole thing. Joe from Wildwood
Hey, Nathan doing fine on the skiddy, just don't push with the bucket roll all the way down. If you snag something it will pull your cylinder apart at the threads. The isn't enough oil in the cylinder to absorb the shock. And I just wondered if you can load all 3 cants and cut your 6.5. boards all at the same time. Like Matt cremona does.Great YT ing. Enjoy y'alls videos. Little bit of souther there
Always push with it. Now, if you are in sand or fine gravel, you can back drag. If you notice on the machine it has stops the arms hit to make it have the support they need to prevent damage. Now I don't know the machine you have it may be totally different. It's up to you and how it's built.
When I find a pair of boots or shoes that I really like I always buy two pair, sometime 1 pr black and 1 pr brown, and I try to never wear the same pair two days in a row, they will last a much longer. Plus good boots cane be reconditioned from time to time.
Running a beatup old T190 Bobcat skid steer. Grease it daily if in constant use, otherwise, whenever it is fired up after a couple of weeks of no use. So, pretty much any day I use it. Unfortunately, I'm not the owner, nor the only operator and I know for a fact that none of the others ever bother greasing it. 😡😡😓 Drag back is good for fine trimming or smoothing off soft surface. Then again, I mostly run a 4in1 bucket so I can do a few different things than a straight face
I ran a cat 953 track loader daily. I greased the entire tractor every 3 days of working 8 to 12 hours daily. In my opinion you have a tracked skid steer not a loader. I liked the remark about not being a professional operator but being a professional youtuber you should be able to do anything. Getting on the otherside pushing it is the answer to your push pull question which you learned.
Grease it every 8 hrs of operation! More often depending on the enviroment. Such as real dusty! After you pressure wash it is te best time to grease ALL zerks. It flushs all the water and dirt/crap out.
In Central Fl we have crushed concrete or limestone base. How does the slate hold up to water ? Got the answer at the 12:50 mark . Thanks. Both crushed concrete and limestone turn to mud with a heavy rain.
I like back-dragging in that situation because there is finer control, IMHO. But in this case, there was an advantage to using the bucket to push with that kind of machine because it's so good at leveling. More efficient at that than a tractor FEL
Another Great Day,,,without rain.....Great video Nathan....Was Wondering where do you keep all your cut wood at,,you got a Barn..or do you just cut and sell..
I've been running heavy equipment 35 years. What side of the bucket is the cutting edge on? The front, of course. You did well turning around and pushing.
I noticed that you milled right up until dark. Hope you got Bruno’s Tracker ride in off camera. Wouldn’t want to be the one to have to explain to the the boss man why he didn’t get his ride.
You should really slope that slate downhill away from the structure! Keep water away from the kiln. Also you should water down the dirt to help it settle.
Boots I wear: www.jkboots.com/outofthewoods
I'll never give up my Justins work boots, or My Old West cowboy boots.
I spent $300.00 on a pair of shoes for work back in '93. They've been resoled twice, and I'm still wearing them. Figures out to less than 16 bucks a year for comfortable, good-fitting shoes. The best investment I've ever made.
Can't beat knowledge, trial and error and experience!!
👍👍
You are like a dairy farmer, their is always work to do.
Very true!
Clearance, Clarence....
Someone said to me long ago: "In every man, there is a lot of boy" ! Got to love a new toy!
A couple of good rain storms will settle that slate nicely.
That sweet KATO just makes the funniest sound with its "CLICLICK CLACK CLACK" coming from the tracks. ;-D
Back in the day I operated a Case backhoe and my last job of the day was to grease everything I used, for all the track equipment we had a team that was responsible for greasing them.
Nice job Nathan, I think your grease comment is the most overlooked maintenance item on equipment.
You want the floor higher than the dirt out side to give rain a place to go. Good job. I Like the music, it even sounds like Tennessee.
Push it . Push it real good.👍
Another very good video Nathan. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Don from South Australia.
MM77 Approved 👍🏻👍🏻
hello nathan it's is randy and i like yours video is cool thanks friends randy
YOU ALWAYS DO A GREAT JOB!!!!
On the greasing ,as a plant equipment technician, I always say go by the hours of usage and if you are going to be laying the machine up for a period time then make sure all the grease fittings are topped up and machine briefly ran to get grease spread out. I always recommend to operators to clear the grease nipples before and after to reduce the risk of pushing in any dirt. I also recommend to operators to use their leaf blower and give the loader a good blow through in the engine and under the cabin and in the cabin area at least weekly (unless op site dictates daily) and to operate the reverse fan on radiator to ensure that dust / leaf / earth collation is minimised. Just makes life easier if you get a leak that it's easier to clean up, less likely hood of fire. Basically, just care for the plant equipment as you do your sawmill as you clearly give that machine all its love and attention it needs.
HI THERE ANOTHER GOOD SHOW JOHN
Thanks!
You bet!
I ran a case 1845 years ago and we greased it every morning ... When attempting to level your area you can get a bucket full of your material and you use that as weight to help move and level the area ..
1845 years ago was A.D. 178! Just Joking!
Nathan, keep in mind that the shale will settle when you finally get some rain. I have found that the best method for leveling soil or rock is to drive the track loader to a known level spot, lay the bucket flat on that surface and then simply move forward. Any high spot will be caught by the bucket. Give it a try and let us know the outcome.
Bob, I concur with that method as a skidsteer operator. One thing though, once you're happy with the leveling/flattening, being a track loader, roll it in a few times. After a good rain, wait a day or two...then roll it in again to compact it.
Nathan, as a rookie, you did well. Practice is the best experience.
I hope this helps. Nice job!
I have a bobcat and a new holland. They get used a few minutes now & then, sometimes a few hours at most. I hit the arms once a week (or so) but the bottom pins get grease more often, depending on use time and my memory. Grease is cheap compared to worn pins.
Push to start with and pull to finish. Set the bucket down at the back then the 'toe', this will allow the back of the bucket to drag excess and the front edge will fine grade. Love working the skid steer & watching your videos.
You make it look like hard work
Really enjoyable video .:) .Makes me want to move to Tennessee ( No not really ) . :) I'm Canadian . .
Your whey of expressing your self just doing chores + Family , nabours freinds; and live happy
Love the new loader its got to be fun!
Cheers Thumbs up !
I've had the White's boots for over 20yrs. Very happy with them, made in Spokane too. They look just about the same, I wonder if they're the same company.
Expensive, but in my opinion, very well worth the money.
Cheers !!
Get it where you want. Don't wait for rain over time to exacerbate the compaction.
Soak it gently now and let it settle. Then fine tune it after.
Nathan...ur runnin' that Kato like you had one next to your crib when you were a baby...kiln looked good, you feathered the edges out nicely.
A good one Nathan
Grease I use, Lucas Red and Tacky, best for almost anything.
Great video!
Daily is good for regular use. we did it with the Case and Bobcat loaders every day. Since I'm no pro either I might back drag it, but really you should puch it with your bucket flat.
I have run heavy equipment my entire life. You should cut it driving forward using the bucket as it’s designed and do minimal back dragging as it causes heavy wear on the bottom of the bucket. Back drag just to fine tune. One tip I would give to get better and smoother is practise doing two functions at one i.e. lift and curl at same time. Practise makes perfect
Every day we grease the machine. If it gets dusty you may hit the fittings close to the ground. Always back drag to help level off.
Great video Nathan. You did a great job on the blade work. It looks real good. Just like a professional. Take care and have a Happy Father’s Day. 👍❤️🇺🇸
For "not knowing what you are doing", you did a great job! I'd have screwed it up!🤣
Nathan put some dirt in bucket when back dragging like that it will level it better.
Seat time is the best teacher or you could contact Mike Morgan - he uses similar machines all the time. Stay safe.
Great video! I learn a lot watching you work. Always enjoy it.
Glad to hear it!
You're learning well on the skid loader doing dirt work Nathan, takes lots of practice. The area around the kiln looks so much better. Thanks for a great video, keep up the good work and stay safe around there. Fred.
Thorogood boots are really good also
Nice job leveling thet up!
Thanks!
I like the work, the machine is good
You did an excellent job of dragging the slate back. Dragging is the way if you’re not going to remove a lot of soil. By gouging it out with the blade you run the risk of removing too much, but you do what works best for you.
That's nice having a smaller machine to do that work with obstacles. It would take me 3x as long with a tractor. Looks good!
Thanks 👍
Words of wisdom my Mother told me one time about boots/shoes. You'll get longer life out of shoes having 2 pair alternating day to day than you will wearing 2 individual pair consecutively day after day.
How right she was. I bet I get at least a year's worth of wear out of all my shoes now.
I grease daily but I run a excavator...but remember something my dad told me ,a 2dollar tube of grease and ten mins of time is way cheaper then a broken or stuck very costly pin and down time
Nathan,excellent video maybe you could use the popular boards for your shelter for your diesel fuel tank down in your backyard ❤😊😮🪵👍
Back dragging has always worked well for me but try pointing the front of the bucket straight down and back drag it in a dump position that way you can raise and lower the bucket as you go.
Jeremiah, if the machine you're using is a rubber tire, back dragging is good. On a track machine, pushing is the best.
It looks good to me
You are new to a loader. The more you work with it the more you figure how to use it and what works best for you. Have fun.
Thanks 👍
It might be a good idea to get yourself a bucket with opening jaws
I agree that your shale will start to settle after receiving the first good rain. You can start the compacting process by driving your heaviest tractor over the pad.
I'm in Connecticut and we call it cedar too
My goodness, that is one hell of a good job on that slate..
My rule is at the end of every day, grease it and top up the fuel. It may only take 1 pump of grease or it may not take any. This way its ready to fo in the morning and doesnt get to build up condensation in the tank. Plus if you cone in not feeling well for whatever reason you cant use that as an excuse to not do it.and all the joints are warm so the grease goes in easily and you can spot any problems that may need addressing right away or so.
The tracking shot on the sawmill adds a lot of production value! Great video! And, it may not make any difference at all but please replace the connector caps on the hydraulic lines on the loader. Just me, probably. Thank you and keep up the great work!
One thing I can suggest from what little construction I did when I was trucking is, when you only need an inch or 2 of clearance, you can run the loader back & forth slightly overlapping your tracks, & tamp down the fill bit.
Like others have stated, & you also mentioned, time, weather & use will settle & pack that pad in nice & solid in a few weeks/months.
As far as the boots, I just started buying Carolinas down at Wiseman's in Unicoi, after decades of buying Walmart Specials. I will check out the place where you get your boots though for my next pair.
Nathan hi how are you, for your skid steer backward is the way to go, and drag with a slight forward tilt a couple of inches, as when you go forward you drive forward with a forward tilt as you drive over the lip you have just cut you then cut deeper than you need or expect to cut which you then have to backfill
Nigel Australia
Nathan, I'm like you but I don't have a track loader just a tractor with a bucket. But if I did have one I think I'd go out and dig holes just to fill em back in. LOL My wife on the other hand is not really on board with that for some reason. hahaha. Keep up with the great videos!
Remember to leave enough room so that when the ground freezes in the winter (you do get to freezing there right?) door will still clear.
no Cold here, ground never freezes
Nathan. You need to work on the Mike Morgan method of spreading material by going backwards while slowly raining it down
Maybe you should have used one of your other toys with the box scraper. I would pour a concrete pad in front of the kiln.
Dude! You look like Andy Camarata. All you need now is a container castle saw mill. Lol 😊
That would be cool
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Be well and stay safe.
Thanks 👍
@@OutoftheWoods0623 You're welcome.
Been a few years but pulling. You did a fine job. If you want to get accurate in grading without fancy equipment. Stakes, Tight string and bubble level. But from the looks of it...you're on the money
Some people see your out in Tennessee sawmill as a kind of a hillbilly thing, but they don't know you have it infested more than a million in this whole thing. Joe from Wildwood
Keep up the good work !! Awesome 😎
Thanks! Will do!
You can do both that’s how I learned to run the one I used to
I would use the front of the bucket to move material and back blade to polish it up after.
Hey, Nathan doing fine on the skiddy, just don't push with the bucket roll all the way down. If you snag something it will pull your cylinder apart at the threads. The isn't enough oil in the cylinder to absorb the shock. And I just wondered if you can load all 3 cants and cut your 6.5. boards all at the same time. Like Matt cremona does.Great YT ing. Enjoy y'alls videos. Little bit of souther there
Push it if you drag it you are packing it. If you push it you are breaking it first if that makes since
Always push with it. Now, if you are in sand or fine gravel, you can back drag. If you notice on the machine it has stops the arms hit to make it have the support they need to prevent damage. Now I don't know the machine you have it may be totally different. It's up to you and how it's built.
When I find a pair of boots or shoes that I really like I always buy two pair, sometime 1 pr black and 1 pr brown, and I try to never wear the same pair two days in a row, they will last a much longer. Plus good boots cane be reconditioned from time to time.
Throw some concrete powder on it before you compact it then wet it. It will make like a solid slab and keep the dust down.
Running a beatup old T190 Bobcat skid steer. Grease it daily if in constant use, otherwise, whenever it is fired up after a couple of weeks of no use.
So, pretty much any day I use it.
Unfortunately, I'm not the owner, nor the only operator and I know for a fact that none of the others ever bother greasing it. 😡😡😓
Drag back is good for fine trimming or smoothing off soft surface. Then again, I mostly run a 4in1 bucket so I can do a few different things than a straight face
I ran a cat 953 track loader daily. I greased the entire tractor every 3 days of working 8 to 12 hours daily. In my opinion you have a tracked skid steer not a loader. I liked the remark about not being a professional operator but being a professional youtuber you should be able to do anything. Getting on the otherside pushing it is the answer to your push pull question which you learned.
0:27 In my experience, maintenance scheduled every 10 hours gets done more often than maintenance scheduled every 8 hours.
Grease it every 8 hrs of operation! More often depending on the enviroment. Such as real dusty! After you pressure wash it is te best time to grease ALL zerks. It flushs all the water and dirt/crap out.
once that slate gets wet and settles it shoild be about perfect. I'll bet that stuff sets like concrete.
I work on equipment that gets grease after the operator gets annoyed at the screeching.
Well sounds like Blue Creeper is going to replace my old tin can of 3-in-1 oil, Sure sounds like to me the JK boots are worth the investment. 🤠🇺🇸
Don’t forget about grass height. I greased my backhoe every 8 hrs
There have been few failures from over greasing. Conversely there have been few healthy greased joints resulting from lack of grease.
you need a trancit and cut it to grade or first rain you will have a pond or a wash out or both
Nathan, when you opened the kiln doors @12:21, the outer
1/3 of the right hand door seemed to still be dragging the seal strip.
In Central Fl we have crushed concrete or limestone base. How does the slate hold up to water ? Got the answer at the 12:50 mark . Thanks. Both crushed concrete and limestone turn to mud with a heavy rain.
I would go rent a diesel plate compactor for a few hours. Compact that down and it would turn into concrete,
I like back-dragging in that situation because there is finer control, IMHO. But in this case, there was an advantage to using the bucket to push with that kind of machine because it's so good at leveling. More efficient at that than a tractor FEL
Curious as to why you got a track loader when the big tractor you have will do the same jobs plus more.
Another Great Day,,,without rain.....Great video Nathan....Was Wondering where do you keep all your cut wood at,,you got a Barn..or do you just cut and sell..
Thanks 👍 most goes out the door fast
Once a day
I've been running heavy equipment 35 years. What side of the bucket is the cutting edge on? The front, of course. You did well turning around and pushing.
Question for you: What do you need to do to maintain/align your laser beam on the Wood-Mizer?
I am not an Operator but the ones I watch would be pushing it away first then flatting on the way back.
I noticed that you milled right up until dark. Hope you got Bruno’s Tracker ride in off camera. Wouldn’t want to be the one to have to explain to the the boss man why he didn’t get his ride.
You should really slope that slate downhill away from the structure! Keep water away from the kiln. Also you should water down the dirt to help it settle.
Nathan, Don't you have a Grader/Leveler that you pull behind the tractor to do your driveway? Why not use that for the shale?
Yes Nathan grease your gear about every 8 to 10 hours and you can't go wrong
Push it
What ever way you find easy with