Been a little short-handed lately. My one employee, 32, is out indefinitely with a pre-existing GI issue. Ulcer/ Reflux thingy that Thanksgiving over-indulgence has brought to a head. Monday he came in to work, and told me he might be out for up to two months. He's been down this road before.
My other guy, 37, pretty solid, ready to learn, coming in with some skills, Desert Storm Marine, good with a wrench, has been working out well. He's not got as young of a back, but likes doing things the easy, efficient way, mostly, and everyone goes home with all ten fingers.
He and I did a quick box build. The F450 has been doing ok, with the little driving its gotten. Its had a tune-up. Needs some other TLC, like rubber, and the heater fan is noisy. It was $2850, 220k, gas 460, with a new clutch. Might be a shorter term truck. Much needed upgrade from my 1/2 ton rwd. I no longer am at the mercy of only one medium-duty truck for hauling and towing. Should be a big improvement until I get a second dump truck. Upgrading a trailer soon, too.
My SuperJr stump grinder is giving me a headache after changing the fuel filter (and I thought I was doing it a favor). Recently replaced the fuel pump and ground a big stump (it climbed over the stump and tipped over, breaking the old fuel pump, that was starting to go, anyhow). I will have to check that the pump is still connected properly (mental problem solving while typing). Older, but lower hour, Onan 25 HP with a diaphram-type fuel pump, actuated by the pressure from some part of the engine.
I filled the gas tank to try to make it as easy as possible to fill the system, but I can't get it 'primed' (I think one would call it). Seems like there a long stretch of air in the line. I might try detach the fuel line right before the pump and pressurize the gas tank with a clean funnel, some duct tape (gray magic) and lung power, pushing fuel all the way through (again, mental problem solving while typing...wish I had thought of that before).
Around $100 in new materials. Under 5' wide, 6' tall, 8' deep. Took us the morning and little more to build. It was cold this morning, snow, and the bed needed to be emptied of yesterday's chips with improv'ed walls for a day (short-handed, and sick kid this week). Had time to get over to the job, and put it to use on yesterday's pruning before dark.
Basic light frame walls, 2x4's across the top, leaving an air gap along the sides for venting, with a 6" plywood strip running front to back on the ceiling to greatly reduce debris blowing out. I'll probably get some fiberglass window screen in place of them.
Simple tail gate for the moment. I'd like to add dutch barn door that lock for short-trips-into-the-grocery-store/ restaurant level of security.
Mick, I have an easier way than an employee forking it out. It's meant as back-up to my dump truck, or so I can chip into one truck, and load logs into the other.
Soon, I'll get ramp brackets and tie-down points for the mini and/or stumper, and hope to get LoadHandler brackets.
Stressed maple indeed. A lot of power line trimming here is pretty stressful too. Pretty cool work platform there Scott! I know the small tree/easy money thing is sweet after all the giant pines you guys have been taking out. Removed seven pines for a local fire dept. Took out six before lunch and was able to swing or make a short traverse and get five with the same TIP. Bombs away on most it. The seventh took most of the afternoon with multiple targets, secondary cable and pole underneath. Got a local sawmill owner to pick up the logs and the county is hauling the rest which is mighty sweet. Was given several pairs of these gloves by a distributor and have been very impressed. Anybody else use them?
Mick!! Nice ones, mate... you've owed us for quite some time now.
Some ugly stumps for Cory, but the training day ended-up being pretty stinkin cool. The boys blew me away, really. Jake's the thicker guy, and Joe the thinner. Caught a cool shot of Jake during our old-school chunkin show.
Jake fell the stick that Joe chunked down (no, it wasn't a side-leaner )
Shaking those money makers Scott! Had one little pine today like that ... Two of us hit it for about 200 per. In and out. Then on to the next. Then it was a falling fest getting ready for when Deva and I strip the harder ones.
Cool stuff Ray. Never tried those gloves. Been using the black ones from O' Reilly's. They are holding up better than the Atlas I used to buy.
Stressed maple indeed. A lot of power line trimming here is pretty stressful too. Pretty cool work platform there Scott! I know the small tree/easy money thing is sweet after all the giant pines you guys have been taking out. Removed seven pines for a local fire dept. Took out six before lunch and was able to swing or make a short traverse and get five with the same TIP. Bombs away on most it. The seventh took most of the afternoon with multiple targets, secondary cable and pole underneath. Got a local sawmill owner to pick up the logs and the county is hauling the rest which is mighty sweet. Was given several pairs of these gloves by a distributor and have been very impressed. Anybody else use them? View attachment 75690View attachment 75691View attachment 75692
Little bit of our mayhem today. I think I threw 10 or so down, limbed, bucked to 8s & 16s. Some got decked. We'll burn those later. I'll make a couple of gin poles to hoist the logs out from the creek. We have more downstream. 42 trees give or take.
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