Pretending to know how to operate real machinery

ClifFord and I rented this

Jack shaking his head and thinking, "You do not know what you are doing dumbass"

Moving some dirt from A to B

Some of it was VERY wet

Some not so bad

Tilled up a big vegie patch as well, not bad for my first time.

I do love playing with hydraulic machinery. Looks like a fun day.

You could have almost loaded it into the bed.
That's rad.

I did, umm, errr, wait.... what?

I used to that job every day. And get PAID to do it.

I grew up on a farm. I know all about pretending how to operate machinery

In the first picture the truck makes that thing look tiny!

I love thrashing around on my tractor. Neighbors must think I'm nuts.

That's about the size of the John Deere I learned to drive on at age 7. Is that the Hydro-drive setup?

Farm Equipment was what I learned to drive on. I sometimes enjoy it more than driving a car.

Same here.

Outside of an ATV, the first thing I ever rolled was a skid steer/bobcat. 14 years old and the contractor for a big housing development was stupid enough to leave the key in one. I said to a couple of the neighborhood kids “I got this”. Should have maybe read about geology/botany because one of the first things I did was try take this down a hill of freshly moved dirt….which was very soft….which made the bobcat dig in….and roll over on its side. I thought it was awesome…neighbor kids were pissed because I was the only one that got to operate it. Been operating hydraulic equipment ever since.

Did you know that all Caterpillar stuff uses the same key? I'm guessing it's just too much trouble to steal most of it. But the amount of potential havoc parked overnight at a construction site is mind-boggling.

I have been in 2 Bobcats.

One with wheels, one with tracks.

I got one high centered, and one stuck.

I should not operate heavy machinery.

But then again, I also put a ski boat in the back of a van, so maybe I should not operate any machinery.

Flight Service wrote: I have been in 2 Bobcats. One with wheels, one with tracks. I got one high centered, and one stuck. I should not operate heavy machinery. But then again, I also put a ski boat in the back of a van, so maybe I should not operate any machinery.

Please tell me more about putting a ski boat in the back of a van. Boat ramp stories are freaking hilarious. A very busy south florida boat ramp I frequented often would actually have locals perched up on a hill drinking beer watching all the shenanigans transpire at the ramp. If I lived near the water and I didn't have a boat or better yet a friend with a boat, I'd probably go to the ramp with some beers and laugh life like I was at a comedy show

Keith Tanner wrote: Did you know that all Caterpillar stuff uses the same key? I'm guessing it's just too much trouble to steal most of it. But the amount of potential havoc parked overnight at a construction site is mind-boggling.

When I was a kid one weekend a bunch of us started a big green Euclid bulldozer, it scared the crap out of us. We had no idea we could actually start the damn thing, it was just climb around and flip levers then suddenly it farted a big cloud of black smoke and started rumbling.

When I was a CAT parts manager everything was on microfiche. Each model had a full page (sometimes 2) devoted strictly to antitheft and anti vandalism accessories. Y'all have all seen the generators and compressors hanging from cranes, they run the equipment up the crane then solidly lock the crane to prevent theft.

Its almost impossible to get a Bobcat stuck. No traction? You can use the bucket to push/pull yourself out. I've been in places that equipment has no business going.

What kid doesn't wanna play in the dirt... no matter how old ya are.

I rented a 3-cyl. diesel JCB mini-excavator to dig out for the carport pad and some landscaping. More fun than an amusement park.

Keith Tanner wrote: Did you know that all Caterpillar stuff uses the same key? I'm guessing it's just too much trouble to steal most of it. But the amount of potential havoc parked overnight at a construction site is mind-boggling.

yea i have a set of keys for them still for them from when i worked for the county, the problem (atleast how we had them set up) was there was a battery disconnect switch that was usually behind a padlocked panel, of course that was a simple little 2 prong key that could be easily duplicated

Appleseed wrote: Its almost impossible to get a Bobcat stuck. No traction? You can use the bucket to push/pull yourself out. I've been in places that equipment has no business going.

Almost impossible. We rented one at a shop I worked at to dig the pit for a down draft spray booth, it's basically a four foot deep put about 20ft x 30ft. Once it started to get deep I learned you had to keep the bucket low to go up a hill. I raised it high so it wouldn't dig into thebottom of the ramp and about half way up I rolled over onto the back of the machine dumping all the dirt out onto me. We had to hook the wrecker to it to get back down on it's wheels.

HAZZARD wrote: A very busy south florida boat ramp I frequented often would actually have locals perched up on a hill drinking beer watching all the shenanigans transpire at the ramp.

When I lived in Ft. Lauderdale many years ago, my dad and I would do this on Saturday mornings. Make a Dunkin Donuts run, and have breakfast at a boatramp just watching everybody come and go. Some people were actually very talented, like RWD sports cars hauling a jet ski or small sailboat, and they'd just land, go up the wet ramp with no drama, and off they go. Then there was the inverse, someone in a diesel 4wd that would slowly slip backwards into the water every time they tried to climb the ramp. Watching the spousal debates ensue while trying to land a boat on the trailer was also amusing.

Eww, why did you rent a tiny John Deere?

In reply to yamaha:

That is a Yanmar actually. You can still get a lot done with a small(ish) tractor.

Love mine, Bruce the Kubota and Fergus the Ford - who will come out of hibernation this weekend.

My dirt bike club had a Kubota 7300 4wd with ag tires, that thing would go just about anywhere. I got it in deep more than once, amazing what a diff lock can do.

We must be elitest pricks.....