Monthly Archives: May 2016

Using a Compact Wheel Loader for Landscape Work

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The construction industry is quite big in itself and it consist of many subgenres where one can specialize in and use all of its resources to make the most of it. One such genre is the landscaping, which requires the use of various types of equipment to complete the job in an optimal manner. Making beautiful landscapes is quite profitable. Landscaping can be time consuming depending on the size of the job. Landscaping can range from small yards to entire gold courses. The type of equipment that is used on these jobs can vary greatly. A popular piece of equipment used in landscaping is the compact wheel loader. These can be found anywhere from jobsites to the yards that stock the materials used in landscaping.

Compact wheel loaders are not only used for landscape work, they have several other purposes as well. Compact wheel loaders can be equipped with a coupler allowing the machine to interchange between a bucket and forks. This allows it to be used to move earth as well as materials such as slabs, pallets, and larger pipes. Compact wheel loaders are much smaller in size compared to the full size machines. The small size makes them versatile and able. These smaller units are able to navigate areas of smaller jobsites that the larger units cannot, all while performing the same functions.

A wheel loader is also able to excavate the ground as well to certain degree, then scoop the dirt up and relocate it using one machine. When it comes to moving earth or material during landscaping, one can only imagine the amount of material that is needed to be moved during the course of a job. No other machine would be able to complete the task with as much ease as a wheel loader. The versatility makes this the ideal machine for the landscape application.

A compact wheel loader may not be extensively used for final grading or digging to deep depths, however it is instrumental in material handling on jobsites. With the various demands of the landscape application, no other piece of equipment is able to meet the demands with as much efficiency as a compact wheel loader.

 

 

 

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Give equal impetus to online training videos to learn about heavy equipment

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In order to learn heavy equipment and how to operate, it we go to premier institutions that teach us about different types of heavy equipment and what kinds of various activities they can perform. It is very important to learn about heavy equipment if you are going to deal in the construction sector. You need to know which machine does what and accordingly you got to select the machine that will meet your business requirement. Various companies are producing numerous heavy equipment and they all have similar functions (other than a bulldozer can’t be used as an excavator).

It becomes very troublesome to understand which machine should you be using to perform a particular kind of job and therefore you become dependent on others. Alternatively, if you are looking to buy construction machines and you do not know much about it, you are left at the mercy of someone who knows and the guy who knows about the stuff will definitely not do it for free. He may charge you a descent amount of money which you could have saved if you had learned a bit about this subject.

The question is how you can learn about heavy equipment when you do can’t opt for getting admitted in an institution that teaches about construction machineries. You may have a business to take care but at the same time you also need to sharpen your knowledge on heavy machinery. Well, there is no end of the road for you and you have 2 options that you can choose. The first is you can buy some books that will help you gather some information about machines and the next is you can collect some training videos on internet and watch them during your free time.

If you feel that you are more of a reader who loves to read books then you may go for the first option. However at times, you may find that to be difficult. If you have work in hand, you may not find sufficient time to read everything and as long as you do not reach everything you may not understand much about what’s written in there. Though it is not a novel that you have to read it till the end but you can’t just start it off from the middle and search for the stuff you want to know.

You have to take time to go through it to understand it. One other disadvantage that you may experience is that you may not be able to follow it as there are no pictures and if there are any pictures, it may not suffice for you to understand it clearly. Knowing the complexity of the subject, the next best available option would be to go through the training videos on the internet. You will get many videos of your interest absolutely free and that will help you to understand things much better as you will get to see the orator working on the machine and explaining things to you.

Stripping of the gears of crawler dozers made it more resourceful than it was few years ago

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It was never simple to work on a crawler dozer and only the best operator was in a position to get the work done without causing any damage to the machine or to things on the site. Operators working on a crawler dozer were paid more than other operators as they were operating a machine that is not at all easy to work on. However, this is not the case now. With the dawn of new technology, things have started becoming simpler for the operators and also for people who own the latest model of crawler dozers. The installation of hydrostatic transmissions in the under 130 horsepower machines and the introduction of advanced GPS machine control system has completely changed the dynamics of the machine. What was once known for moving at snail’s pace and leaving work undone for most of the time has been transformed into a fast paced next generation machine that has the capability to crumble the mountains or move the minutest of dirt from the site. The hydrostatic transmission that is installed in the newer version of machines is dominating this class of dozers. If we compare the hydrostatic transmission, we see that in the year 1999, there were only 25 hydrostatic transmissions which have now increased to 38. There are only 9 power shifts transmissions which were 33 in 1999. Well, this change in technology wasn’t brought overnight. It came slowly and gradually and with sheer determination of the engineers.

One company to be specific should get maximum applaud for the success of this technologically rich dozer. It is John Deere that has been in the forefront of this rapid change in technology. What they did is they removed the concept of gears from the machine making it gearless equipment. By having done this, they have got a very good control over the speed of the equipment. It becomes very useful on a flat ground where you do not have to shift gears to slow down the machine. The equipment automatically slows down when the machine takes the load and the speed increases when it discard the load. In this process, the machine just does not loses its momentum which otherwise would have been a problem with machines having gears in it.

Other than this, when the machine is moving at a speed and there is a dip in the load, the operator does not have to do anything manually. All that will be taken care by the machine and will manage the load. One very important benefit of hydrostatic transmission is that it keeps the braking system quite dynamic. The operator only has to relieve the throttle and the hydraulic pressure in the machine will do the rest of the work.

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How to clean your heavy equipment

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We tend to be very particular with it comes to completing our job and sending the invoice to the client to make the payment but there is one thing that we neglect a lot and which can cost a company dearly. We for variety of reasons do not give a lot of importance to maintain our heavy equipment. It is perhaps the only most important thing in a jobsite that remains covered with filth and hardly catches the attention of anybody. The operator is perhaps the only person who is concerned about it as he has to work inside the cabin and he can’t work with all the filth covering the face of the machine. Well, it does not make any sense to keep earth moving machines in dirt just by assuming that there is no use to clean it as it is going to become dirty again the next day.

On the contrary, what makes sense is to keep the machine clean, properly oiled and always up and running. Not cleaning the heavy equipment can lead to serious implication that may even result to sudden break down of the machine or replacing vital parts that will cost a lot. What is rather needed is to clean the machine couple of times in a week and if possible more than that. This will not only keep the machine clean but will also lengthen its life.

You can make use of a power wash machine if you know how to use it or can give it to a cleaner who will charge you a petty sum to clean the machine and you get back washed earth moving equipment with no filth on its body. Firstly, if you want to clean the machine on your own, you can buy a power washer and can begin with cleaning the machine right from the word GO. However, you may want to read the manual first before you start handling it. You may have used a power washer previously but if you have a new one now, you may want to try it out steadily.

Put the power washer on high pressure so that the water is sprayed with high pressure and it reaches the interior of the equipment. The interior of the machine is known to accommodate most of the dirt and grease. In order to degrease, the water should be sprayed at high pressure and should hit right at the target. This will help to clean the most critical portion of the machine. However, it is also important to add some detergent which creates foam and helps to degrease easily.

Using cold water will take more time and water to clean the machine. Therefore, it will be advisable to use warm water for this purpose. The water should not be boiling hot though. Just mild warm and it will do its work. Please note that cleaning heavy equipment on a monthly basis will not allow the grease to harden and can be easily removed.

Reach out to more people with the help of Social Media

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Social media is an amazing platform where people get to know each other. Friends with whom we have not met since ages can be found there and then can stay in touch throughout. It has made things really simple for people who live far away from their loved ones and still manage to see them, speak to them almost daily. Similarly, this platform also plays a very important role when it comes to augmenting your business plans. It will help you reach out to a good number of population at a given time and spread your message to them. For instance, if you want to talk about your business plans to your investors and to the general public at large, you can make use of this platform as well and convey your message to them. It has also been a great site for people who are looking for different business opportunities. They can get to meet people having various ideas which they can implement in their businesses and make it a success.

People who are in the business of selling and servicing of heavy equipment have a lot to gain from such social networking websites. They can advertise their plans and products on their websites but in order for others to know what they dealing with; they need a platform using which they can reach to a sizable amount of people. Social networking sites give them exactly what they need. All they have to do here is create an account with one of the site and invite all the people you know. The request of your invitation will go out on their email address and they might also latch on to the same website. Once they are also a registered member of the social networking website they can accept your invitation and become your friends on the website.

From there, they will be able to track all your activities that you make public. In case, if you want to post something that you do not want everybody to see, you mark those people whom you want should see the stuff. In this way, you can pervade your message to anyone and everyone who are there as your friend on the website. At the same time, you can ask your friends to always share the stuff you are putting up on the site so that people who are latched on to your friend’s account can also get to see your work. In this way, you can put across your message to people whom you do not know. This actually gives them the chance to add you in your network.

It has been widely observed that people who are in the business of sales and service of heavy equipment have friends who are also into the same profession or in the profession that corresponds or is co-related to your work. Therefore if you make any additional friends, it is very likely that they will also be from the same or a profession that is co-related to your line of business. This will be benefitting you as you may sell your machines to them or make some money by servicing their equipment.

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Be careful while purchasing second hand construction equipment

While venturing out for new projects, you may be often asked about the kinds of construction machines that you possess and probably on the basis of that you are judged. There are other also many others factors involved but this may be one of a factor that plays a crucial role to bag a construction project. Also when have multiple projects going on at different locations, it is a must to have a good fleet of heavy equipment so that you can bring any of it to use whenever required. Now the real challenge here is heavy equipment are quite expensive and not many can afford to buy new machines whenever they feel the need for it. There is ideally a lot of planning and projection that happens before one decides to buy construction machines. This only suggests that though it is an integral part of the business it is not so easy to get or let’s put it this way, you have to keep a lot of stake to buy heavy equipment.

There is one way which will cost you less and will also help you fulfill your requirement and that is to buy second hand equipment rather than a brand new one. Used heavy equipment cost lesser as compared to the new machines and therefore this ought to be the next best option. The other option is to take heavy equipment on rent but that may not be a viable option if you need the machine for seasonal work. Now the challenge in buying second hand heavy equipment is that there are more chances of it breaking down if you have not checked the machine before buying it. There are some sellers who list their item knowing that it is faulty and they try everything possible to hide that fact from the buyer.

In situations like these, you got to be smarter than the seller and should ask for a demo before you finally buy it from him. Now if you are a guy who has worked with construction equipment all your life and know the in and out of it, then you may be able to judge the quality of the machine but in case you know less about machines and more about running the construction business then it is recommended that you go along with someone who have dealt with machines all throughout his career and can guide you well if you should go with it or no.

A mechanic in this case should be apt to do the work for you. He can do the required checking on the heavy equipment for you and tell you if it is worth buying the metal. Moreover, you will also know if the seller is honest enough to tell you everything before you let him know that you will inspect the machine prior to buying it. Also check with the mechanic the life of the machine and negotiate the price accordingly. Just because you need a construction equipment does not mean that you will end up spending your money in a third grade machine. So be careful before you strike the deal.

 

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Welding Heavy Equipment

In a heavy equipment company, people from all departments have a specific role to play. For instance, the engineers and designers role is limited to giving a new shape to the heavy equipments and to install new features that makes things comfortable for the end user. Similarly, the role of a welder is also significant in a heavy equipment company. He is the one who gives the ultimate shape to the designs made by the designers and engineers and therefore welders are in huge demand all across the heavy equipment industry. They are not only employed with fat packages by the heavy equipment companies but also by some construction companies that have variety of machines under their fleet and which needs repairs and maintenance on regular basis. The role of a welder can’t be ignored as he is an equally important person as any other person in the overall sector.

Welding is ideally done when you need to join 2 sheets of metal into one. You weld them and stick them together without using any sort of glue. Now heavy equipment are manufactured by welding different pieces of metal and combining it into one complete machine. So if anything goes wrong, the entire product becomes a waste. The welders have to carefully join pieces so that they can give it a proper shape. Welders are also quite useful in a construction or demolition site. When it is about demolishing a solid structure, there are high chances that the heavy equipment may crack and if it does then you will not be able to use the machine any further for the same work as long as it is not repaired.

For moments like these, construction companies always keep a welder handy. They know that any break down in the jobsite can cost them good deal of money and in order to avoid such breakdowns they either learn how to weld metals or keep a guy who knows to weld things always with them. Other than heavy equipment, a welder is always needed in a construction site to weld iron beams and stuff. But you may or may not be able to use them to weld a machine as they may or may not know to weld an attachment on heavy equipment. It is quite normal for a welder to not know to weld heavy equipment if he is not trained for it. He is perhaps trained to weld things other than heavy equipment and for construction machines you need highly skilled welders. So getting the job done from any welder is not a viable option.

Normally construction companies have their repairman who ideally takes care of the entire fleet of heavy equipment. These guys are also trained welders and if there is a need to add a loader or a bucket or for that matter any other attachment, they are completely compatible for the job. They are trained in renowned institutes and can be completely relied on for these kinds of job.

New Caterpillar Scrapers

Scrapers are one of the most important heavy equipment in the construction business and it plays a significant role a far as the business is concerned. Many construction companies who are indulging in big projects want to use new scrapers that are technologically advanced and have the potential of doing the work at a lesser duration than the conventional ones. It is one of the finest machinery when it comes to earth moving equipment as it can carry huge volume of dirt at a time and move it from one place to other. Articulated trucks can also be used to carry dirt but they are not accessible in every terrain and therefore the need of scrapers arises. They can carry the dirt from one point and load it on the truck that is located in another point from where it can be transported to the dumping ground.

Scrapers are of different variety and it is important to understand which variety of scraper is used for what work. Heavy equipment manufacturing companies do understand the different needs and want of the end user and they accordingly manufacture products keeping into consideration these needs. They first do a thorough study of the market and try to read the pulse of it. Once they are done with the study and an elaborated report they work that out with their engineers and bring out something that is meeting the consumer’s expectation. One such company that supersedes consumer’s expectation is Caterpillar. They are into the tradition of surpassing consumer’s expectation and come up with machines that has distinct features from the rest of the products available in the market.

When we talk about surpassing consumer’s expectation, it is not about the consumers of US but they do it consumers throughout the globe and this is why they are considered to be the market leader when it comes to manufacturing A-class machines. It has recently introduced 631G scraper and we will be speaking a bit about its specifications.

Starting straight away with the power of this machine, the gross power of 631G scraper is 515 hp and net power is 490 hp with a displacement of 1099 cu in. Looking into the operational side of the machine, the total fuel capacity of the machine is 215 gallons. The cooling system fluid capacity, engine oil fluid capacity, transmission fluid capacity, differential fluid capacity and hydraulic system fluid capacity is 32 gallons, 11.7 gallons, 33 gallons, 36 gallons and 50.2 gallons respectively. The operating voltage of the machine is same like all other scraper which is 24 V and the alternator supplied amperage is 75 amps.

It is installed with 8 speed automatic Power shift with electronic control device. The total number of forward and reverse gears is 8 and 1 respectively and the maximum forward and reverse speed is 33.2 mph and 6.2 mph respectively. The total operating weight of the machine while being empty is 46475 kg and when it is loaded, it is around 80495 kg.

The 631G scraper falls slightly into the expensive side but certainly within the reach of most construction companies. One can also get loan on this machine. So it should be within the budget.

Caterpillar D8 Dozer

It has been witnessed that construction companies have found Dozers as a very good alternative of excavators to do low grade excavating. By grade excavating, it suggests digging not too deep inside the ground. It can’t just fully replace an excavator which has the potential to go deep inside the ground and pull all the dirt out. However, when one has his excavator occupied on some other project and is left with just a dozer, he can make full use of it. Other than that, a dozer is widely used for flattening the surface of the land which is its primary function.

A flat surface is very important before you take your work any further. You can’t ask your men to begin their work on rugged uneven piece of land. You first have to ensure that the land is flattened and brought to a level where others can find it convenient to walk with their tools or else there will be an alarming rate of accidents happening which will lead to working not read to work any further. In a situation like this, it is pretty imperative that you first make use of a dozer and roll it all over the ground to make it ready to walk. This also reminds of the fact about how intensively dozers are used to construct roads. You perhaps do not make use of any other heavy equipment other than dozers. Its heavy roll has the capability to flatten the hardest rock lying on the ground. CAT D8 is one such dozer that has made its reputation as the most incredible piece of machine made by Caterpillar.

It has been fitted with an unbelievable strong engine and has a net power of 120 hp with a displacement of 644.8 cu in. The total number of gears installed in this machine is 3 and the maximum forward and reverse speed that it can take is 8.4 mph and 9.6 mph respectively. The operating weight of the machine including the driver and the fuel tank is around 26,256 lbs. The total fuel capacity of the D8 dozer is 72 gallons. This is many times better than the several dozers made by CAT’s competitors. Moreover, the engineers while making this model have taken immense care to make the cabin as comfortable as it can be. They understand how important it is to make the operator feel comfortable and therefore have ensured that all the levers are set in a zone from where he can easily reach out to them.

CAT claims that it consumes less fuel and is highly productive. People who use CAT machines have also agreed to this claim and they say that they have been able to save good deal of money on fuel. They also expect CAT to manufacture more machines that work on these lines. The D8 dozer is easily available and can be bought directly from the manufacturer or by contact the dealer of your state. Other option is to buy them online. All seems to be quite convenient options.

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Applying solid techniques can make selling of heavy equipment an easier job

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Many people have found selling to be the most difficult work and they usually give it up in just few days from taking a job that involves them to sell the products. They somehow do not find it convenient and remain unhappy with their job. It is only during the time when they are able to make a sale that they get a bit charged up but most of the time they are haunted with the thought of quitting the job and taking something else in its place. Truly, selling is not everybody’s cup of tea. Though it is a requirement that all should be comfortable doing with but the fact is that only a handful of men and women are good in sales and the rest takes up some other job.

Well, life becomes more difficult when one is linked to selling heavy equipment. Selling heavy equipment not only requires good skill but one should adopt some solid techniques to ensure that he converts the possibility of a sale into a definite one. So just mastering the skill to sell might not be enough when it comes to selling heavy equipment but one has to move an extra mile and also learn the “solid techniques”.

Let’s talk in brief about the techniques one can use while selling heavy equipment.

Keep your presentations simple and use more pictures and diagrams:-

If you feel that you have a great job by preparing a presentation that includes jargons which is understood by people from the construction industry then you will be surprised to know that your work has higher chances of backfiring. Please understand everybody likes to understand things in a simpler way. If you make it look complex you have simply lost it. Try and show your work with the help of diagrams and pictures which will relate easily with what you want to explain. Speak only to the point. You need not explain every detail as they may not be interested to know every small thing. So focus on what the users want and it will be transformed into a closed deal.

Make use of social media to reach out to a good chunk of people:-

This is an important technique and a must use when you are into selling of heavy equipment. People should know about you. You can’t knock the door of every construction company checking if they are in need of any heavy equipment. What best you can do is create a business profile in a popular social networking website and add people who are connected to this industry. This will work big time for you and you will see people talking you whenever they see a need to buy a machine.

Keep posting pictures of any new arrivals on your company’s website:-

People are usually attracted to know if there are any new arrivals in the market. You can update pictures of machines that have been just launched by the company and also state on your website the offers/discounts that you can offer. This will let others come to you to buy the machines.

 

 

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