Just to be completely transparent. This is a big learning curve for me. Learning how to run the machine and how to record video in a different way than what I'm used to. Hoping to improve on both as time goes on. Thanks for watching and bear with me please 😊 -Eric O.
Anyone that's ever operated a machine like that started out just like you (heck, probably even more green!). Everyone's gotta learn sometime, and if you're not learning, you're dying. Enjoy!
How fun! 25 years ago or so I was having a retaining wall installed in my backyard. They delivered the backhoe on Friday afternoon to start Monday morning. The key was in it so I jumped in (without their knowledge or permission) and started digging the footers for the wall. I was all proud on Monday morning and was looking for a pat on the back from my contractor buddy. He said he had good news and bad news. The good was I did a "pretty damn good job". The bad news was now my concrete bill was going to be doubled. It was so worth it though cuz it was fun!
It looked pretty efficient to me. I did a gum tree trunk with a shovel and an axe; took me all day. Eric, I'd say you have a pretty good handle on that John Deere (already).
If you need inspiration, Andrew camarata…. This video feels similar to one of his videos, just no dogs. Haha. Whatever videos you put out, we will watch.
Not too shabby Mr O. Long time operator of the bigger machines and we have a safety rule that you should really observe. No lifting heavy objects over the side. That means keep the tracks facing into what you lift, such as where the blade faces. You have more stability in the machine and less chance of it tipping over. We don't want Mrs O coming unglued over something preventable!
Imagine how much more popular you just became. A skilled mechanic with an excavator. When I bought my backhoe ( 580C ) last year, I immediately hid it behind the barn .
I sure Hope to GOD Mrs. O. Is Paying you Real Cash for Every Bucket Full of Dirt you Removed from the Hole. Nice Job, Eric. Your Accomplishments are Many. 👍🙏
Drag the wood to the fire pit and let it dry out a few days! My dad taught me on a full size machine. When I was 18 yoa I would go do the patio, sidewalk and driveway cut outs? It paid for my first New Car!
Handy unit you got yourself. Here’s a couple “pro tips”, travel alarms don’t set codes when unplugged. Build good habits now, bad habits die hard. Ground your implements, Look where your swinging ect. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, smooth>speed. Have fun.
After years of watching Let’s Dig 18 and Dirt Perfect channels I dream about buying a small excavator and digging stuff up. You are living the dream. For a newby operator I think you did an excellent job on the stump.
Not boring at all mr O. I would like to make a suggestion for another vid. I’m sure I’m not alone when I ask for a video of paint drying. It could be drying on a barn, a wall, a ceiling. In slow motion would also be just as genius! Thanks for taking us along on your backyard adventures. Maybe the kids will convince you to dig and build a pool? Also a good suggestion. Probably better than the paint drying!
When that stump finally broke loose, In my mind I could hear you saying Hallelujer. Good job. I now want an excavator even though I don't even have a house yet.
Not bad at all Eric!!! In my humble opinion, I think you did a darned good job! You accomplished what you set out to do, didn't break anything, didn't hurt yourself or others, and covered it all back up again. I think that's what is called a success. Keep it going Brother!!!
Top tip Mr O. See if you put your blade down, you can use the bucket to jam the trunk against it, lift the blade and you can carry it with the machine. Also. Remove the turf and cast it to the side. Any other arisings go in a separate pile. Reason being, when you backfill and compact (in layers) and you can replace the turf. Voilà nobody will know you've ever been there😉
Eric O - After Hours.. I've been an operator off and on since I was 16 and I'm 53 now so.... Dang I'm old.. Haven't operated in a while and I do miss it. You did great for your first time Eric.
Lots of fun. Sometimes depending on the stump you can wedge it between the blade and the bucket; then raise the blade and bucket together to capture the stump for transport. Keeps the weight close to the balance of the machine; something to try later on. These excavators are great for draining projects; dig quickly with a light foot print. Very cool thanks for sharing.
My first time operating a mini excavator was a steep learning curve for me. My operator had never drove a "wobble stick" unit before. So I had to save the job by jumping in the unit, and giving it a try. Long story short, We replaced a 60' long 4" sanitary sewer in a fenced yard, and didn't damage any buildings, fences, or utilities. Took about 2 hours longer than bid, but we got it done.
Great video of your first time use with the excavator. I am not going to lie - every man who has never operated one will be envious Eric - you can't take the boy out of a man, and every boy wants to operate one when they grow up! Little ones like yours that look exactly like the big ones, operate like the big ones probably did not exist many decades ago
It's always good to get rid of blade benders from the yard. I remember those days of frustration. At the time, I barely knew how to change a blade. One stump bent my crankshaft.
Another way to deal with this is dig around the stump then burn it that way you don’t end up with a stump to dispose of and you get to hang around a little bonfire in the evening. Don’t get me wrong you killed it taking it out. Just a different way of going about it that is sometimes fun. Nice job!
I was hoping that you'd be like Jed Clampett: "Up through the ground came bubblin' crude, black gold, Texas Tea--Well the first thing you know OL JED'S A MILLIONAIRE"
Very nice job Mr. O! I have been an operator for 34 years and I must say you did everything right and graded it perfectly. Just one tip: after you backfill, you can track over it to help compact.
For the gardeners / lawns men and anyone who has time to see the soil well managed after the event. The first foot (or spit - named after the length of a spade) of soil is usually the topsoil, deeper colour, less large stones and recognizably fertile. In Mr. O's case this appears to extend beyond one foot - good land. Below this is the subsoil, more stones / parent rocks and less fertile. As a machine operator working on their own land and with a view to reseeding or planting; it is considered wise to keep these two soil types apart as much as possible so as to replace them at their respective depths. With regards to stumps and their removal, if you can cut the larger (2 foot diameter and wider) live tree stumps flush with the ground and allow them three years to die then their removal will entail less strain on the hydraulic system of your machine. However those larger stumps can be made use of when you do get them out fresh by placing them in areas of marshy ground as a sub-base. There is a stretch of railway (railroad) laid over one hundred years ago across boggy ground that still functions well enough today and that was laid on top of piled stumps. I know not how the stumps were orientated but I presume upside down.
When you were trying to pull the stump with the claw it reminds me of the beginning of over the hedge. When he was trying to get the chips. It already paid for itself on that stump
JD saving you money already. And a sore back and a trip to the chiropractor 😅😅. A Great piece of equipment added to the line up to be even more self efficient.
Well done, you got onto that quickly, I am looking at a 35g currently and enjoyed seeing how well it handled that stump, it will compliment my cat and tractor on my acreage very well...Thanks again...
Nice Job Eric, I´am not an excavator operator, but I have use one several times, and getting the feel fore it, some things I would have done different, (don't say that it is more correct) but I would have used a wider shovel to fill the hole (maybe you don't have one) and the use the dozer blade as the last touch, and when I dig up stumps, I free the stump, take it out of the hole, and dig the hole 50cm deeper, and drop the stump in the hole again, and fill with dirt, then I don't need more dirt to fill, I know that it will rot out over time, and the dirt maybe will sink a bit
eric i just started watching this vid only 2 mins in you should keep the blade to the rear always, unless your on the side of a hill as well as the travel motors not so important anymore they used to stick way out you could rip them off. you also want to drive over the back fill every foot or so to compact it back in other wise good job
That was fun! I know nothing about such rigs but it seems to me that you did a fine job. I enjoyed the PM videos a lot too. I can imagine Mrs. O. rolling her eyes and smiling as you played with your new toy. The machine appears to work just fine - a good buy on Craig’s list.
Once the gear is out, it will be worth it ! I had them for 6 years, upper and lower but I was a youngster at the time, less stress ! Your going to feel them as if they are glass for a few months once the hardware is gone.
Years ago I watch a video of one man who had the same problematic. He decided to burn it. So he made a camp fire and after a few hours that stump was reduced by12" deep. Cheap and efficient. 😁
You’re a natural excavator operator Eric, it’s obvious you’ve got the “touch” for them👏👏👏 if you want to hone your skills some more, just watch a few of letsdig18’s videos - it’s an excellent excavator UA-cam channel👌👍
Great job for a beginner two things wedge the stump between your bucket and that handy little blade and if it is safe put a few inches of dirt in track over it add some more track some more. Have fun.
Here we are grown men watching another guy dig a hole :) And loving it ! Very jealous of the new 'toy' Eric ! BTW, your soil looks great ! I also watch Al from Lumnah Acres, about 400 miles north east of you, and their 'soil' is 99% stones !!
I love taking out stumps. One thing is to keep your boom out and the bucket close to the ground when pushing with the blade near the hole. That way if you go to far and start to tip, the bucket will touch the ground and stop you.
That was an excellent job for a beginner, you'll be an expert in no time. Nice thing about the minis is how intuitive they are,, now find more jobs for it.
Over the years I've had projects where I rented a Terramite and since I've had absolutely zero training on any equipment like that there was a monumental learning curve on my part. By the time the project was done I wasn't doing too bad but it was so long between times I ran one I had to start from scratch the next time I rented one. I would love to play with an excavator. Looks like fun!
Nice to see the mini fiber detector doing some productive work, even if it's not work towards it's purpose in life - finding and cutting fiber cables! They say if you're ever lost in the woods, bury some fiber optic cable - a backhoe will be along shortly to dig it up!
Not bad for a grease monkey. Couple tips on stumps, dig the first couple buckets out then just go deeper but drop the dirt back in the hole, you just want to cut the roots but can leave them in the hole. second, dump the dirt all on one side. Less to clean up that way and to fill in you can just use the swing to push the dirt into the hole, like sweeping your hand across a bench. Usually leaves a cleaner area because you can set the bucket on the ground then sweep the dirt and the bucket will somewhat follow the contour. Then practice...
About 5 years ago I rented one and dug a 550 foot trench for a new water line and I loved it , about a year later I bought one the same weight class as yours but its a Kamatsu and it is great . It had about the same hours on it as yours and I did the same things , bought the service manual and did the complete 2000 hour service , looks like yours has new tracks and that is my next purchase .
As someone with all of about 20 minutes of seat time in one of them myself, I would say that was about outstanding for a first use! Way better than me, for sure.
Practice makes perfect! You'll be slingin' dirt like Letsdig18 in no time! And hey, added bonus: You can tell people who get on your wrong side that you've got land, and an excavator... 🤐
You are doing great! Every time I get on a machine like that (I don't to it very often) it takes me a bit to get used to it. The more you use it the more comfortable it will feel..
Way to go Mr. O! Go from a stump that was hard to mow around to no grass to mow at all!😁 Just making your life easier while you’re out there having fun!😂
Eric, you did well for the first time in a excavator. I'm mildly impressed that 35 picked up that stump. Some machines that size do not have enough power to pull it off.
I did similar a couple of years ago picking up an older Bobcat 331G (pre-emissions), but it's not nearly as clean as your machine. And you operated it WAY better than I did the first time(s) out. But there is no substitute for stick time. Ours has been extremely useful in clearing brush and many other projects. One of the better purchases I've made so far. Unlike auto's, these machines don't depreciate quickly. Nicely done!
I think you did a pretty good job of both aspects - getting the stump out, and videoing the whole thing. I think we can all hear it now "Kids - where's your dad? - Oh - he's out playing with the mini excavator" 😂
I don't live to far from you and I thought you did a great job. I think I would have torn the grass up allot more. Great job for you first time. I have allot of rocks coming up and grabbing my mower blades. The gator blades work great.
Good first time, when filling the hole, I would compact the fill dirt with the back of the bucket after ever couple of buckets of fill, all the way to the top.. You will have to add more soil on top to make up for the stump volume. Also a properly compacted soil takes about 20% more fill than was removed but you won’t have settlement over time.
I was just searching on Google to find the right size excavator to dig stumps out on a piece of property I just got. I open this video and it’s a fricken south main auto video!!! Man you really do it all, keep up the great work I love it!
You did a great job what I really liked was that you did not bring the machine to jarring stops on boom swings and stops and starts forward and reverse moves, you maintained a smooth transition which has to help the machine retain its great condition
Eric, you are reminding me of my first job at a construction machinery company proving ground as a rookie mechanical engineer. They put me out in the shop for 2 weeks with the mechanics and test operators as an introduction. I went out on the testing grounds with an old hand operator and ran a Fiat-Allis HD41 dozer. When we got back he told everyone I was "another fancy operator" because I was overcorrecting the dozer blade making a stairstep plowed path. He would not be able to say that about your efforts. Nice job.
Eric, I think you did a great job!! Learning something new is fun and exciting. Looks like you'll pick up the learning curve quick. Thanks for the video!
Just to be completely transparent. This is a big learning curve for me. Learning how to run the machine and how to record video in a different way than what I'm used to. Hoping to improve on both as time goes on. Thanks for watching and bear with me please 😊
-Eric O.
Anyone that's ever operated a machine like that started out just like you (heck, probably even more green!). Everyone's gotta learn sometime, and if you're not learning, you're dying. Enjoy!
How fun! 25 years ago or so I was having a retaining wall installed in my backyard. They delivered the backhoe on Friday afternoon to start Monday morning. The key was in it so I jumped in (without their knowledge or permission) and started digging the footers for the wall. I was all proud on Monday morning and was looking for a pat on the back from my contractor buddy. He said he had good news and bad news. The good was I did a "pretty damn good job". The bad news was now my concrete bill was going to be doubled. It was so worth it though cuz it was fun!
Eric O, you are doing just fine. In my years of operating I have seen much worse
It looked pretty efficient to me. I did a gum tree trunk with a shovel and an axe; took me all day. Eric, I'd say you have a pretty good handle on that John Deere (already).
If you need inspiration, Andrew camarata…. This video feels similar to one of his videos, just no dogs. Haha. Whatever videos you put out, we will watch.
Not too shabby Mr O. Long time operator of the bigger machines and we have a safety rule that you should really observe. No lifting heavy objects over the side. That means keep the tracks facing into what you lift, such as where the blade faces. You have more stability in the machine and less chance of it tipping over. We don't want Mrs O coming unglued over something preventable!
No more shallow graves for those annoying customers!
Oh schtaahp! 😅
Always bury them in a neighbour's property.
If you mess with my daughter I have a shotgun, 5 acres and a backhoe!
Add plenty of lime too.
@@clintprice2123 Quick question. Do keep gaffa tape and plastic sheeting in your van.
Imagine how much more popular you just became. A skilled mechanic with an excavator. When I bought my backhoe ( 580C ) last year, I immediately hid it behind the barn .
I sure Hope to GOD Mrs. O. Is Paying you Real Cash for Every Bucket Full of Dirt you Removed from the Hole. Nice Job, Eric. Your Accomplishments are Many. 👍🙏
Drag the wood to the fire pit and let it dry out a few days! My dad taught me on a full size machine. When I was 18 yoa I would go do the patio, sidewalk and driveway cut outs? It paid for my first New Car!
Handy unit you got yourself. Here’s a couple “pro tips”, travel alarms don’t set codes when unplugged. Build good habits now, bad habits die hard. Ground your implements, Look where your swinging ect. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, smooth>speed. Have fun.
After years of watching Let’s Dig 18 and Dirt Perfect channels I dream about buying a small excavator and digging stuff up. You are living the dream. For a newby operator I think you did an excellent job on the stump.
peace and harmony when operating that machine. it may not be the big one but it does the job as well and it's fun.....
Not boring at all mr O. I would like to make a suggestion for another vid. I’m sure I’m not alone when I ask for a video of paint drying. It could be drying on a barn, a wall, a ceiling. In slow motion would also be just as genius! Thanks for taking us along on your backyard adventures. Maybe the kids will convince you to dig and build a pool? Also a good suggestion. Probably better than the paint drying!
When that stump finally broke loose, In my mind I could hear you saying Hallelujer. Good job. I now want an excavator even though I don't even have a house yet.
Great job. "Just like ya knew what you were doing." An old friend used to respond to that with, "You and I both know better."
You’re never too old to play in the dirt with big toys👍. Looks like fun, Eric🤘
As you get older the toys just more expensive LOL.
I can watch you paint a door and enjoy it! Thank for video from the homestead!
Not bad at all Eric!!! In my humble opinion, I think you did a darned good job! You accomplished what you set out to do, didn't break anything, didn't hurt yourself or others, and covered it all back up again. I think that's what is called a success. Keep it going Brother!!!
Top tip Mr O. See if you put your blade down, you can use the bucket to jam the trunk against it, lift the blade and you can carry it with the machine. Also.
Remove the turf and cast it to the side.
Any other arisings go in a separate pile.
Reason being, when you backfill and compact (in layers) and you can replace the turf.
Voilà nobody will know you've ever been there😉
I was just thinking that.👍🇨🇦
Eric O - After Hours.. I've been an operator off and on since I was 16 and I'm 53 now so.... Dang I'm old.. Haven't operated in a while and I do miss it. You did great for your first time Eric.
Love the Machines , Surprised how much these mini's can do , The Thumb is a God send , You keep posting I'll keep watching ! Thanks for sharing
Lots of fun. Sometimes depending on the stump you can wedge it between the blade and the bucket; then raise the blade and bucket together to capture the stump for transport. Keeps the weight close to the balance of the machine; something to try later on. These excavators are great for draining projects; dig quickly with a light foot print. Very cool thanks for sharing.
It's easier if you leave the blade a little off the ground and simply pin the object to it then lift with the bucket.
My first time operating a mini excavator was a steep learning curve for me. My operator had never drove a "wobble stick" unit before. So I had to save the job by jumping in the unit, and giving it a try. Long story short, We replaced a 60' long 4" sanitary sewer in a fenced yard, and didn't damage any buildings, fences, or utilities. Took about 2 hours longer than bid, but we got it done.
What CUTE LITTLE machine, reminds me of my old Tonka Trucks when I was 10 (just kidding)
Eric great job for your 1st time👍👍👍👍👍😺🫠🐺
Good job Eric. Don't forget, that stump took up some room in that hole. You'll need some fill dirt.
You're a natural. The only suggestion I have is you might want to water that dirt in and let it compact
Nah problems , Eric's got Letsdig18 on speed dial...👍😉🤭🇬🇧
Great video of your first time use with the excavator. I am not going to lie - every man who has never operated one will be envious Eric - you can't take the boy out of a man, and every boy wants to operate one when they grow up! Little ones like yours that look exactly like the big ones, operate like the big ones probably did not exist many decades ago
Hi, Mr. O. I think that is a nice vehicle for a large property like yours. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!
It's always good to get rid of blade benders from the yard. I remember those days of frustration. At the time, I barely knew how to change a blade. One stump bent my crankshaft.
Another way to deal with this is dig around the stump then burn it that way you don’t end up with a stump to dispose of and you get to hang around a little bonfire in the evening. Don’t get me wrong you killed it taking it out. Just a different way of going about it that is sometimes fun. Nice job!
I would've burned it out too.
I was hoping that you'd be like Jed Clampett: "Up through the ground came bubblin' crude, black gold, Texas Tea--Well the first thing you know OL JED'S A MILLIONAIRE"
Very nice job Mr. O! I have been an operator for 34 years and I must say you did everything right and graded it perfectly. Just one tip: after you backfill, you can track over it to help compact.
It looks like he did track it in.
Thank you for conveying positive feedback. Most post ripe people apart. Thank you again
Hey I'm a highschool student in California and I'm interested in being a heavy equipment operator. Does th job get boring? Is it worth what it pays?
he did track over it.
For the gardeners / lawns men and anyone who has time to see the soil well managed after the event. The first foot (or spit - named after the length of a spade) of soil is usually the topsoil, deeper colour, less large stones and recognizably fertile. In Mr. O's case this appears to extend beyond one foot - good land. Below this is the subsoil, more stones / parent rocks and less fertile. As a machine operator working on their own land and with a view to reseeding or planting; it is considered wise to keep these two soil types apart as much as possible so as to replace them at their respective depths.
With regards to stumps and their removal, if you can cut the larger (2 foot diameter and wider) live tree stumps flush with the ground and allow them three years to die then their removal will entail less strain on the hydraulic system of your machine. However those larger stumps can be made use of when you do get them out fresh by placing them in areas of marshy ground as a sub-base. There is a stretch of railway (railroad) laid over one hundred years ago across boggy ground that still functions well enough today and that was laid on top of piled stumps. I know not how the stumps were orientated but I presume upside down.
TIME FOR A SKID STEER NOW GREAT JOB !!!¡!
nothing better than a day of digging holes with heavy equipment.
When you were trying to pull the stump with the claw it reminds me of the beginning of over the hedge. When he was trying to get the chips. It already paid for itself on that stump
JD saving you money already. And a sore back and a trip to the chiropractor 😅😅. A Great piece of equipment added to the line up to be even more self efficient.
looked like fun and satisfying to get rid of blade wrecker stump. Enjoy your toy. I love my tractor time in the seat.
Well done, you got onto that quickly, I am looking at a 35g currently and enjoyed seeing how well it handled that stump, it will compliment my cat and tractor on my acreage very well...Thanks again...
from someone who owned many excavators over the time, you a natural at it. before you know you it, you be digging up anything you can think of.
Big stump, was deceiving until you pulled it out. Fun times, I need one.
Hey Eric you are a natural God bless.
Nice Job Eric, I´am not an excavator operator, but I have use one several times, and getting the feel fore it, some things I would have done different, (don't say that it is more correct) but I would have used a wider shovel to fill the hole (maybe you don't have one) and the use the dozer blade as the last touch, and when I dig up stumps, I free the stump, take it out of the hole, and dig the hole 50cm deeper, and drop the stump in the hole again, and fill with dirt, then I don't need more dirt to fill, I know that it will rot out over time, and the dirt maybe will sink a bit
Great job Eric. Keep learning and playing. This will be another thing for us to want to do!!!!
You have it mastered! Now time to start a 5 acre pond!
eric i just started watching this vid only 2 mins in you should keep the blade to the rear always, unless your on the side of a hill as well as the travel motors not so important anymore they used to stick way out you could rip them off. you also want to drive over the back fill every foot or so to compact it back in other wise good job
Great job Mr O. If you hadn't thrwn out the disclaimer at yhe beginning I would never had guessed that you were a rookie 😉
Your never too old to feel like a kid again. i dig the dual view. Keep the shiny side up.
That was fun! I know nothing about such rigs but it seems to me that you did a fine job. I enjoyed the PM videos a lot too. I can imagine Mrs. O. rolling her eyes and smiling as you played with your new toy. The machine appears to work just fine - a good buy on Craig’s list.
Once the gear is out, it will be worth it ! I had them for 6 years, upper and lower but I was a youngster at the time, less stress ! Your going to feel them as if they are glass for a few months once the hardware is gone.
Wow Eric for someone who has never used one of those You did real well
Years ago I watch a video of one man who had the same problematic. He decided to burn it. So he made a camp fire and after a few hours that stump was reduced by12" deep. Cheap and efficient. 😁
You’re a natural operator Mr. O. Nice job!
You’re a natural excavator operator Eric, it’s obvious you’ve got the “touch” for them👏👏👏 if you want to hone your skills some more, just watch a few of letsdig18’s videos - it’s an excellent excavator UA-cam channel👌👍
I love watching that channel. He's damn good!
.....and Andrew Camarata. One of the best channels!
Officially jealous. John Deere 35D or 35G has been on my wish list for our farm for some time. Looks like it was a lot of fun
Great job for a beginner two things wedge the stump between your bucket and that handy little blade and if it is safe put a few inches of dirt in track over it add some more track some more. Have fun.
Use the Excavator a little every day and your brain will develop muscle memory for the controls. Good job!!
Really enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing a moment all us guys want to do.
I love the extra content! So this is how Eric O Earthworks gets started . . . . . .
Here we are grown men watching another guy dig a hole :) And loving it ! Very jealous of the new 'toy' Eric ! BTW, your soil looks great ! I also watch Al from Lumnah Acres, about 400 miles north east of you, and their 'soil' is 99% stones !!
Yeah, I've got rocks and silt! That soil looks beautiful!!
Looks like more fun taking the dirt out of the hole than putting it back in
You did great Eric. Discovery Channel will be calling you to be on the show gold rush!!!!
The right machine for the job. Amazing how tenacious those stumps can be to remove. Good job and your operating skills look fine. Enjoy!
Have fun and be safe. You will figure it out.
Much more satisfying than just grinding it down.
I love taking out stumps. One thing is to keep your boom out and the bucket close to the ground when pushing with the blade near the hole. That way if you go to far and start to tip, the bucket will touch the ground and stop you.
That was an excellent job for a beginner, you'll be an expert in no time. Nice thing about the minis is how intuitive they are,, now find more jobs for it.
Over the years I've had projects where I rented a Terramite and since I've had absolutely zero training on any equipment like that there was a monumental learning curve on my part. By the time the project was done I wasn't doing too bad but it was so long between times I ran one I had to start from scratch the next time I rented one. I would love to play with an excavator. Looks like fun!
Nice to see the mini fiber detector doing some productive work, even if it's not work towards it's purpose in life - finding and cutting fiber cables! They say if you're ever lost in the woods, bury some fiber optic cable - a backhoe will be along shortly to dig it up!
Eric O's version of the "Mic Drop"..Thanks for leaving it in.......🙂
You're a natural Eric!
Not bad for a grease monkey. Couple tips on stumps, dig the first couple buckets out then just go deeper but drop the dirt back in the hole, you just want to cut the roots but can leave them in the hole. second, dump the dirt all on one side. Less to clean up that way and to fill in you can just use the swing to push the dirt into the hole, like sweeping your hand across a bench. Usually leaves a cleaner area because you can set the bucket on the ground then sweep the dirt and the bucket will somewhat follow the contour. Then practice...
About 5 years ago I rented one and dug a 550 foot trench for a new water line and I loved it , about a year later I bought one the same weight class as yours but its a Kamatsu and it is great . It had about the same hours on it as yours and I did the same things , bought the service manual and did the complete 2000 hour service , looks like yours has new tracks and that is my next purchase .
Like a pro. You will be making ponds in no time, Nice work.
As someone with all of about 20 minutes of seat time in one of them myself, I would say that was about outstanding for a first use! Way better than me, for sure.
You got some great soil should be able to grow anything you like 👍
Practice makes perfect! You'll be slingin' dirt like Letsdig18 in no time! And hey, added bonus: You can tell people who get on your wrong side that you've got land, and an excavator... 🤐
You are doing great! Every time I get on a machine like that (I don't to it very often) it takes me a bit to get used to it. The more you use it the more comfortable it will feel..
Way to go Mr. O! Go from a stump that was hard to mow around to no grass to mow at all!😁 Just making your life easier while you’re out there having fun!😂
That looked like a lot of fun Dr. O!!!
Eric, you did well for the first time in a excavator. I'm mildly impressed that 35 picked up that stump. Some machines that size do not have enough power to pull it off.
Could be skill and light dirt, but who am I, just a guy in the basement
Awesome Mr. O! Let’s dig 18 would be proud! Cheers 🍻
You work hard,I'm glad to see you get something cool, and expensive
Not too shabby at all there Mr O. 😊
Looks like you enjoyed it. 👏
Awesome job Eric no learning curve for you👍👍
I did similar a couple of years ago picking up an older Bobcat 331G (pre-emissions), but it's not nearly as clean as your machine. And you operated it WAY better than I did the first time(s) out. But there is no substitute for stick time. Ours has been extremely useful in clearing brush and many other projects. One of the better purchases I've made so far. Unlike auto's, these machines don't depreciate quickly. Nicely done!
That was awesome. Reminded me of trying to win a toy for my kids out of one of those arcade games.
I think you did a pretty good job of both aspects - getting the stump out, and videoing the whole thing. I think we can all hear it now "Kids - where's your dad? - Oh - he's out playing with the mini excavator" 😂
Don't forget starter fertilizer with the Scotts grass seed , just add water ! Nice
Looks like good soil there.
Good for growin👍👍👍🇮🇪🇺🇸
I don't live to far from you and I thought you did a great job. I think I would have torn the grass up allot more. Great job for you first time. I have allot of rocks coming up and grabbing my mower blades. The gator blades work great.
Good first time, when filling the hole, I would compact the fill dirt with the back of the bucket after ever couple of buckets of fill, all the way to the top.. You will have to add more soil on top to make up for the stump volume. Also a properly compacted soil takes about 20% more fill than was removed but you won’t have settlement over time.
I was just searching on Google to find the right size excavator to dig stumps out on a piece of property I just got. I open this video and it’s a fricken south main auto video!!! Man you really do it all, keep up the great work I love it!
Just like Dr. O says: “Play cool games, win cool prizes”!
He did a good job , just slow as to be expected when just starting out on it. Little tidbit ,the bigger the excavator the easier to operate.
You did a great job what I really liked was that you did not bring the machine to jarring stops on boom swings and stops and starts forward and reverse moves, you maintained a smooth transition which has to help the machine retain its great condition
Great video Eric. You did great
Heyy Eric from my home coaching chair for someone who's never done this before..you did a great job seriously 👏 👍
You accomplished what you set out to do. That means something.
Eric, you are reminding me of my first job at a construction machinery company proving ground as a rookie mechanical engineer. They put me out in the shop for 2 weeks with the mechanics and test operators as an introduction. I went out on the testing grounds with an old hand operator and ran a Fiat-Allis HD41 dozer. When we got back he told everyone I was "another fancy operator" because I was overcorrecting the dozer blade making a stairstep plowed path. He would not be able to say that about your efforts. Nice job.
Eric, I think you did a great job!! Learning something new is fun and exciting. Looks like you'll pick up the learning curve quick. Thanks for the video!
Are you kinning me!! You did GREAT driving that thing. Also...your property has some great looking soil there...