Thread: Any full-time Bobcat or Excavator operators on AULRO?

Depends on where in WA you are.

I have a couple of mates who do this for a living. One in Kalgoorlie has a Bobcat, a mini excavator and a truck - he is usually kept pretty busy.

Another mate in Albany has a Bobcat - he is not so busy, but also has not been trying to work full time with his machine (he has another job as well).

Couldn't tell you what it's like in Perth - it's probably like a lot of other things - depends on where you are and who you know.

Don't have a ticket or certificate, (didn't need one in the states) but they are pretty easy to operate once you get the hang of it. Almost 2nd nature after awhile...


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If you are going to try to get work on any major work sites, such as construction sites / minesites or even roadworks etc - you will need to get tickets for each machine.

The OHS nanny state mentality has taken over on all of the larger projects.

If you just want to get a bit of work doing backyard clean-up or maybe levelling house pads for builders, you can get away without the tickets.

Some people find these machines very easy to operate and pick it up easily, but others never get it. With the Bobcat - I find that the different types of controls makes a lot of difference. For me, the older style with the bucket lift and crowd controls on the pedals and twin stick steering is best - I can operate these with no problems - but put me in a Caterpillar or similar with bucket controls on a joystick and I'm bloody hopeless. Many other people I know are the opposite - they're great in a Caterpillar but put them in a twin stick machine with pedal operated bucket controls, and they are out of their depth.

Do the licensing tickets last forever, or do they require regular yearly fees, regular updates, etc?

I used to drive 10-tonne forklifts and container loaders back in the day when heavy plant licenses lasted forever... but that was a few moons ago now.

I'm pretty sure that the tickets last for these last indefinitely, provided that you get the right tickets from an approved RTO in the first place.

Beware - there are plenty of dodgy training outfits out there whose tickets aren't worth the paper they're printed on.


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My Skid steer ticket says OHS Australia on the front but has the Queensland part of the map grey so I would say state specific and is a one time issue I would get a ticket as any accident without would be a nightmare and insurance issue. I would think

AM

Years ago I used to fix the things (Bobcats), so had a lot of dealings with different types of operators. Those who done the best out of it seemed to be tho ones who serviced their regular builders/plumbers, 24/7 if needed, as their bread and butter. The 'other' jobs make up the cream.


The builders seem to want someone reliable and available on short notice. If one can't accommodate, they soon find one who will.


Most of the better operators leased the machines, but owned the truck/trailer/attachments. They treated the Bobcats as consumable items and drove them as such. 2/3000hrs and roll them over to a new one.


The good operators didn't seem to have any problem finding work.