ROPS and ramps

[Eric McCarthy]

Well ya learn something new every day. I had no idea you worked in a Iron Orr mine. You've had quite the life playing with all these big toys!

 

[Bulldog]

Hey you did ask

Paul, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't curious buddy. That's kind of the same back ground I have except I worked at limestone and granite quarries. I started at 19 as a jaw crusher operator and went to the main plant operator. Those 2 jobs also included general plant maintainence, welding and clean up. The first wheel loader I ever got on was a 125 Michigan that we used to feed the plant when our crusher went down. My first official loader job was on a WA 600 Komatsu with a 988 B for a spare. After about 1 1/2 in the pit I moved to the yard loader (970 Cat) and my first new loader was a 980 G. I had the pleasure of being sent to Tucson AZ. to the Cat proving grounds and was certified on large wheel loader (up to 994) and large off-hyw trucks which at that time the biggest was 240 ton. That was a cool experience and I got Cat certification papers plus a custon Cat belt buckel with my certified operator info engraved on it.

I have 2 things I would love to do at some point but may never get the opertunity. The biggest dozer I have ever been on was a D10 and I would love to try out a D11. The other thing would be to operate a monster trackhoe. The biggest we ever had was a 550 Hitachi which is no slouch but the bigger it is to me the higher the thrill level. To me a equipment operator is more fun than a amusment park ever thought about. I guess the biggest thrill I ever had was using a 480 Kobelco cleaning off a bench on top of a 450' high wall. Nothing to do with a death wish or anything like that but just knowing I had the skills to be there and knowing my boss trusted me to get the job done safely was a feeling I had never experienced before. I can certainly understand your love for large equipment. At times I really miss being a full time operator but farming sure has alot less stress.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

My dad was telling me when he was in the Marine Corps he was a heavy equipment operator and a marksman on the rifle range. In his equipment days he ran a clam shell dredging the waters over in Vietnam. He said while he waited for dumptrucks to return he'd take the clam shell and pluck broken limbs out of trees.

 

[Bulldog]

Clam shell operator is a work out. One of those takes the entire body, man needs 12 hands, 14 feet and 6 eyes to watch everything.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

You fellows need to come up here and down here in September to the Field Day of the Past event. Its a huge 3 day event that draws a crowd of over 30,000 people a day. Alot of antique equipment on display and many of those are playing in the dirt. One piece is a steam shovel digging in the dirt. Also there's a large area of antique Cat equipment pushing and pulling the dirt.

I met up with Hodge last September and gave him the unofficial tour guide by me.

 

[Wildfire]

Paul, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't curious buddy. That's kind of the same back ground I have except I worked at limestone and granite quarries. I started at 19 as a jaw crusher operator and went to the main plant operator. Those 2 jobs also included general plant maintainence, welding and clean up. The first wheel loader I ever got on was a 125 Michigan that we used to feed the plant when our crusher went down. My first official loader job was on a WA 600 Komatsu with a 988 B for a spare. After about 1 1/2 in the pit I moved to the yard loader (970 Cat) and my first new loader was a 980 G. I had the pleasure of being sent to Tucson AZ. to the Cat proving grounds and was certified on large wheel loader (up to 994) and large off-hyw trucks which at that time the biggest was 240 ton. That was a cool experience and I got Cat certification papers plus a custon Cat belt buckel with my certified operator info engraved on it.

I have 2 things I would love to do at some point but may never get the opertunity. The biggest dozer I have ever been on was a D10 and I would love to try out a D11. The other thing would be to operate a monster trackhoe. The biggest we ever had was a 550 Hitachi which is no slouch but the bigger it is to me the higher the thrill level. To me a equipment operator is more fun than a amusment park ever thought about. I guess the biggest thrill I ever had was using a 480 Kobelco cleaning off a bench on top of a 450' high wall. Nothing to do with a death wish or anything like that but just knowing I had the skills to be there and knowing my boss trusted me to get the job done safely was a feeling I had never experienced before. I can certainly understand your love for large equipment. At times I really miss being a full time operator but farming sure has alot less stress.

Very cool sir. Some nice equipment there in the mix and obviously you are a very good operator. I'm impressed.
I had a shift on a D-10. Man what a beast! I was pushing loads that were dumped by 250 ton trucks. No problem for the 10 to handle it either. Our D-9 next to the D-10 looked like a dinky and they say the D-11 is that way next to the D-10. Now they have the D-12!
I remember when we got our first 992. I was 21 years old and feeling pretty proud of it all. Brand spanken new. This old guy up in the minds asked if he could com up to see the cabin. I said sure. He cam up and had his look and asked " feel good operating this"? I said " yes sir" he replied " well you shouldn't because it just put five operators out of work"".

I never really felt the same about large equipment after that. My friend has a large company with equipment. I've went up from time to time to operate it when he was short on staff but no way would I ever want to do it for a living especially now with GPS equipment.

My dad was telling me when he was in the Marine Corps he was a heavy equipment operator and a marksman on the rifle range. In his equipment days he ran a clam shell dredging the waters over in Vietnam. He said while he waited for dumptrucks to return he'd take the clam shell and pluck broken limbs out of trees.

I operated a drag line for a few months. OMG that keeps an operator busy too.

You fellows need to come up here and down here in September to the Field Day of the Past event. Its a huge 3 day event that draws a crowd of over 30,000 people a day. Alot of antique equipment on display and many of those are playing in the dirt. One piece is a steam shovel digging in the dirt. Also there's a large area of antique Cat equipment pushing and pulling the dirt.

I met up with Hodge last September and gave him the unofficial tour guide by me.

I bet that would be an interesting thing to see