Trying Not to Tip a Vintage Excavator Making Trails in the Woods
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- Trail building has got a whole lot easier with a mini excavator. Despite the old age of this vintage Takeuchi 1.5 tonne machine, it sure proves its worth on today's video. Watch as I take it well off the beaten path and into my forest where I hope to make a new trailer where heavy equipment has not traditionally been able to traverse. As a long-time user of a tractor and other wheel machines, I'm new to this whole tracked machine experience and I'm hoping my limited skills serve me well here today. Glad you're all here for the ride!
Mini Excavator shown in this video: mid-90's (I think), Takeuchi TB15
#takeuchi #miniexcavator #excavator #trailbuilding
Hi Sandy!!😀😀
Slow and steady wins the race.
You are getting better all the time with it .
I've got about 40,000 hours of running small excavators over my life logging. The only difference is my excavators mostly had tree harvester heads on them. But most of the move's are still the same. I do have a few thousand hours digging and clearing trees and stumps along with digging 3 half acre ponds on my property.
All you need is some hours under your belt and it will become second nature.
Take care my friend!!😀😀
Logger Al
Hey Al! I sure could learn some things from ya! I appreciate all your encouragement here
Hey, Sandy, you looked pretty good on the machine. Remember, you only become an expert after first being a novice and an amateur. Like I used to tell my flight students, you can't log 100 hours in your logbook until you've logged 10 hours, 10 times. Remember, you have more stability front-to-back than side-to-side. Try to avoid driving on the sides of slopes; go straight up or down, or zig-zag if you have to traverse a slope. Climbing a hill on soft/wet ground, extend the bucket out and plant it if necessary, then bring the arm and boom in as you drive forward, with it pulling you along with the crawlers. Going downhill, extend the bucket way out so you can put it on the ground to stop or stabilize yourself. There's a zillion techniques you can apply, and you'll figure them out with practice. You said the most important thing, though: GO SLOW! If you question something, stop the machine, get off and check it out before you get into a situation where you wish you had stopped, gotten off and checked it out. Believe it or not, the smaller the machine, the more difficult to operate. If you can handle your machine, a Kubota 057-4 would be a snap, as would a Volvo 220..... OH... put the thumb back on so you can pick up debris to move it, rather than trying to push it laterally with just the bucket.
Thanks Carl! Will for sure be taking it slow as I go. Would hate to get this old thing stuck down here. I've only operated a 3.5tonne machine for a few days before this and the heavier machine was nicer to run. this thing is like a buckin bronco
Funny you should mention Flight Students, My instructor pretty much said the same thing All flight instructors are the same they had to start the same way and pass it on to their students. JLa
G'Day Sandy, I have a Kubota U-17 that I've owned for about six months and like you I'm taking it slow and steady and learning as I go. I don't have any experience on other machines so picking up hints and tips wherever I can. Appreciate the videos and loving the content. Cheers from oz.
Great to hear from you! That U-17 sounds like a nice machine. I"ve seen them in person and they're a great unit. I'm not used to the "teeter totter" feeling when going over little bumps and that coming from a tractor so that's the biggest thing I"m getting used to
A mechanical Fixed thumb would go a long way in helping move debris. Looks like you already have the mount holes. That would be the least expensive option and increase your productivity cleaning up the dead fall.
I have one of those thumbs for this machine but it gets in the way digging so I just left it off for this project
Thanks Sandy that was a whole lot of fun, one fun fact about mini excavators is if you feel it falling side ways don't please just don't put your arm out to save yourself as the snapping you hear may not be the branches, also when you are operating the mini please watch out to the sides, if it does tip on it's side make sure there is nothing to impale you, happens with these mini excavators to many times operators just get so fixated on what they are doing they forget until it is to late, and it happens so fast, I know you are careful but just watch out especially working in the woods.
Thanks for that Jimmy
"Sandy the Road builder" nice job man. once the area is opened you can improve it each time you go through or feel the urge. Cheers to you man!!!
Thank you! One of my favourite things to do is trail build
First slab cut on the new mill Sandy! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hey Peter! Great to hear that! Have fun
Howdy Sandy- it takes time to learn a machine. You got done what you set out to do and that’s good. Take care and God bless
Thank you I appreciate that!
Sandy You did well with the mini. It looks great painted. Need to get used to the white make sure you know where you park it before it snows.
You are going to love traveling through the new trails.
hahah that's for sure Ray
You did pretty good for your first big project with the mini, just remember that you can’t make a flat trail unless the machine is level from side to side, scratch up the dirt in front of you and blade it flat, if it’s not level just add to the low side and go back over it with the blade, repeat until it’s flat… be patient with it and you’ll get really good at making roads not just trails.
You need a thumb on that machine, even a mechanical one completely changes the machines ability to move logs and branches… walk thru the area you want to clear with your saw first and cut or slash everything into 5’-10’ pieces, makes it much nicer to pile stuff up and you won’t damage the standing trees as much from hitting or rubbing logs against them.
Thanks for coming along for the video. All great tips. I do have a mechanical thumb for it but I just took it off for this project as it tends to get in the way with the digging I was doing
Hello Sandy, Nice excavator, With A little Practice and you will be ready for a Bobcat😂🪵👍🏼🇺🇸
Thanks for that! coming right along but slow but sure
Nice one Sandy, you got the perfect classroom for learning the machine on. A few weeks of practice and you will be driving that machine like a boss, trailblazing a road they there like a king!! All the best.
Thank you! I'm hoping I get a bit more chances to get out on it before the snow flies
Good afternoon Sandy i wpuld say you did really good considering the amount of hours you got on it ,and it did a nice job for you to get to that wood that was hard to reach i remember very well that part of you with the winch hauling those trees out it was a lot of work now this coming winter you will be able to take the snow mobile across the area by next spring you will be able to do more improvement , in a couple of years you will have an highway going through there lol have a great day
Absolutely. Looking forward to working this trail in for more access to parts of the bush I couldn't get to before. Will need to dry up some but coming right along
Sandy, another great Video, you have gotten better with your Mini-Excavator, keep up the good work, you will soon be a fantastic Operator. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Thanks for all your support TJ!
I rented a larger excavator to make the trails I needed on my property. In less than three days, my sons and I got two major trails carved out. The excavator just plowed through the things that slowed my tractor down. It would have taken months to finish this work using hand labor and my tractor. I've had backhoe experience, and that helped when learning the ropes on the excavator. Being as large as it was, it was still a little unstable under some circumstances. I had the tracks get light on me in the back on a hill and used the bucket to catch myself. Lesson learned. It was great fun and very productive. Now I can do all the finish work with my tractor. At my leisure, of course. Thanks for sharing all of the helpful information that you do. It comes in handy more than you could imagine.
I can relate to that Marvin. Sure is a great tool for trail building. Surprising what a tracked machine vs wheels can do I found.
Hey Sandy, super enjoyed the video and seeing the trail clearing with the excavator! Nicely done and glad that this is going to be a game changer for you down in those lower lying areas of the property! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the road construction process! Andrew from NB :)
I'd love to add a mini x to my equipment list. Well done.
Hey there! Sure is a great addition . I find it to be one of the most versatile tools I've got. Now if only I could improve my operating skills haha
I think you did GREAT Sandy 💛
Thanks Bruce!
Casper is out haunting the forest with his trustee human at the reins! Nice little piece of equipment. Were you sore after? Looks like it was bucking you around a smidge. Good stuff Sandy! 👍👋👏
It sure bucks like a bronco!
Hi Sandy, what you are doing somehow reminded me of the old adage, " How do you eat an elephant...one bite at a time" LoL stay safe looking forward to the next episode. John Toccoa GA
hahah that's right John. Slow and steady. I've got a lot of land and some days I have to remind myself that I won't be done today or tomorrow or even the next day but instead just take my time
You did fine on the operating and that's some nice property.
Thanks Hayes! Trail ended up coming right along. Hopefully with time I get a bitter better on the machine
I see plenty of wood chip material for your drive path. Nice to see your new toy!
Good idea there Chet. Would go well on this trail
MM77 Approved 👍🏻👍🏻………………………………………….Look on the bright side. That’s YOUR machine, you are under no time constraints to figure out how to use it efficiently. If you were renting it, you would have to figure it out in a hurry! If I rented an excavator, it would have to be for at least a week. Half of that time would be learning how to run the machine, and I still wouldn’t be any good at it. You are very fortunate.
I'm with ya on that one. As long as the machine holds together I'm happy with the purchase as I don't have any rental time I have to return it in and there's no bills to keep it going. Also nice being able to go as fast or as slow as I like
Last time I rented a mini ex was about 5 or 6 years ago and it was over $400 CDN /day + $200 trucking each way. My wallet asked me not to do that again unless I had to haha
The excavator looks pretty good with the paint job
Thank you!
Sandy better to be safe than sorry because in your case it probably would be quite difficult for someone to get there before it was to late 😮😊❤
For sure. Slow and steady here
I think the old Takeuchi is due for some flames 🔥
hahah I like it!
What a way to enjoy such a beautiful day than to be operating one of your machines whether it be your tractor or chainsaw or mill or wood splitter or mini excavator. Great video glad you didn't interrupt my or'n
Thanks for coming along for the video Ronald
The little mini excavator is a very capable machine. I believe your skills are improving at a fast pace. You are making me want a mini excavator haha great video, Sandy
Hey Jeff. They sure do make themselves useful having one around. This unit is something I was going to sell but now I think I have to keep it haha
Takeuchis are good machines.
You should get a thumb put on that for doing a lot of tree work.
"Let'sdig 18" does a lot of tree work. You should watch how he deals with trees.
I've got a manual thumb for this unit. I just kept it off as it hinders the digging
You are def my brother from another mother......I go out with my bushwhacker and Dewalt 12v saw to blaze my trails, then the Husky to clean the big stuff off the new path, then go through again grabbing everything near the path. You've def got those controls figured out - working like a pro out there!
We think the same! Nothing like cutting in some new trails eh Earl!
@@sawingwithsandy One of my favorite pastimes! Love adding curves every so often on the trail so you can only see so far down the pathway.....makes you want to keep going to find out what's around the corner!
63K !!! 🎉
Thank you! Couldn’t do it without your support!
Toys for big boys. Have fun out there be safe.😁
I pretend it’s work but let’s be honest. Haha
Hi Sandy. This looks a bit like my wooded lot. I really enjoy your videos related to roads and trails. I have seen a flail (cutting teeth on a spinning drum) attached to the business end of the excavator. It was an absolute monster - the trees were very scared. 😂
Those things are pretty slick! I've seen them as well.
Hey dude you are getting much better.i takes time.the more seat time the better.good job.i love mine but it's around 4 ton.
I sure would like a 4 tonne!
Looks real good!
Thank you!
Hello Sandy. Anyone that operates an excavator got on one for the first time. I think you do well with your machine. Finding its limits will come with time spent in the seat. Would digging some trenches help to drain some of the water? Have good days!
Hey there Buddy Reed! I think some ditches would be a great idea. May be on the docket for spring now with cold weather on the horizon
Looks good to me
Impressive machine! I think you did great 👍
Hi Russell. Sure did a great job. Very impressed with what it can do compared with my tractor
Good job! It’ll probably dry up some with it cleared out.
I’m hoping so!
Seat time is the best teacher
I agree with ya there Jeff!
I forgot. at 9:45, I think it startled you, when you pushed over that little tree, and the BIG dead one next to it went over as well. As with a chainsaw, dropping dead trees can be Very dangerous!
Absolutely! This bush lot is full of dead standing and lots to be respected
awesome job. You are doing great with the excavator. Takes a while to get used to the controls. But that machine is better than my backhoe for trail building. I had to chuckle when you tipped that big dead tree and just froze in the seat...lol. Have fun, be safe
Hi Yves! hahah few moments I wasn't expecting for sure
Hey Sandy…have you ever thought of using those scrub balsams to lay a courderoy base for your trail in the wetter areas?
That would be a good way to make the trail more possible. Good idea there Barry!
im doing the same thing at my woods.... with an axe and chainsaw only 😭 til i can afford equipment. your paint job is looking good
Hey Shawn! Nothing wrong with the axe and chainsaw. Just take some effort but you’ll get it done
Hi Sandy, nice job with the excavator, looks like a nice place to deer hunt, I think some of those trees fell over without you touching them
they sure looked like some of them were ready to come down with nothing more than a breath
I have the same excavator. I only paid 700 for it. I bought it 2 years ago and still havent used it. Its really nice. I cant wait to use it. I will in about 2 weeks😂
Now that's a steal! The cost of one track is nearly $700 here
@@sawingwithsandy thats why i love your show because i get to see what i can do through you. I also have a bobcat t140 i paid 32k for that :( lol.
Really good to have ya along for the adventures. I hope the mini x works as good for you as it has for me
None of my business but just a thought here. A Caterpillar D2 dozer would cut the basic path in a very big hurry. Then the excavator could follow up with the cleanup and polishing.
That would certainly be a handy piece of equipment to have around
Very well done! Especially with as little experience as you have.
Thanks!
So Sandy the upper boom on your excavator looks like it has mounting holes for a manual thum. Now a hydraulic thum would be great it's easy to use but that means putting in a different valve for that mechanism but a man your thumb is just as good it just means you manually have to put it in place it sits on a piece of equipment but you move it into position so you can operate and use it as a grappler to move more smoothly debris in your way I do believe you are a welder you should look into fabricating one for that tractor if you don't already have one or see if you can find one online for that tractor because that boom looks as if it has the correct holes already attached. Side note take out the dead save the little ones what's what I now I see you doing 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🪵🪵🪵🪵🪵❤️👍👍👍👍👍
I’ve got a manual thumb for it already but sure wouldn’t mind a hydraulic one
Looking at those trees... That's a steep hill.. I'd be afraid to try that with an excavator that is 38" wide.
Was definitely steep
Sandy I noticed that you are not using the thumb you installed on your excavator? Just wondering if you are still happy with the VEVOR thumb?
I do use it regularly but since it can prevent me from digging down too deep I sometimes leave it off. I still like it though
You better be careful. You're going to find out how versatile the mini-excavators are and you'll be looking to buy a bigger mini. LOL
Hahah that’s my fear!
It might have gone easier renting a root/brush rake attachment. Some even come with a grapple. Otherwise look like you did well enough doing it with out one. Good vid. Thanks.
Thanks for coming along for the video
A thumb would really help if you can get one. Good job
I've got one for this machine but I kept it off in this case as most of the work was digging and the thumb gets in the way
I think you did a great job running the mini. I must of missed a video cause I don't remember when you painted it white. Looks good. Is the stationary thumb you put on after getting hard to take on and off, I didn't see it today.
Thanks Mike! Tracks are still on the ground so I"l call it a win haha . Here's the paint video for the mini ex ua-cam.com/video/W4AEQXtAu2Y/v-deo.html
@sawingwithsandy sorry Sandy when I went to the video I noticed I had liked it, my bad jyst forgot
Hello Mr. Sandy, one thing I want You to stop doing, and that is discounting your abilities, YOU did a fine job in operation, and the end result was very good, you accomplished what you set out to do and that is a win for the books, Great Vid!!
Thanks Ben. I appreciate that!
Just curious, how many acres of land do you have? Lots of nice trees for lumber.
I normally film on around 14-20 acres or so
Take care on slopes to avoid pulling the bucket/boom come in close to the cab with the rear counterweight on the downhill side. Small excavators have been known to fall backwards as the weight of the counterweight drags it over. Keep the boom out especially if it is side on the the tracks if you know what I mean.
Thanks for that and checking out the video
So in my situation, I just got a backhoe for my tractor to be able to pull myself backwards on the same type of terrain tractor where the bucket works so much better than an excavator for trails....
That would be a good setup I bet
I don't recall the mini excavator being so shiny white. Did you forget to video the painting process? LOL
Here's the link to the painting video: ua-cam.com/video/W4AEQXtAu2Y/v-deo.html . I must've snuck the video in there
@@sawingwithsandy Don't know how I missed that video, I've been a subscriber to your channel for a while. I must be getting old. LOL
I remember you from years ago commenting on the videos. I do appreciate the support over the years!
Geeze, Did I miss a Video a the White Paint explosion HAHHAAAHAHAHA...
Sorry Sandy, It looks to be to sterile to be out in the Woods....
That is I have to look forward too. My woods are bumpy/Hilly too..
Thanks Much..
Mike M.
hahah I sure went to town with the rattle can
Here's the link to the painting video: ua-cam.com/video/W4AEQXtAu2Y/v-deo.html
don't scratch your new paint job lol
hahah
is that a yanmar b12?
This is a Takeuchi TB15
Why are u not using the thumb
Get's in the way when digging
Wrong colour for an excavator! You'll never find it in the winter. You be extra careful on that thing.
Hahah
I wish you had not painted it white it is so bright. I had to put on my shades to watch this video.
Had to spruce the ole iron up to make it work like it's new again
How many trees are in a ton?
2000 lbs of trees?
You way over use the word "ton"!
If you don't use that word only for its specific and only meaning then it loses all meaning whatsoever! So it's a waste of time rven saying that word!
That word has no more meaning than saying blah blah!!!
You can say "a lot" or "a bunch" or something similar.