Got my grader ticket

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Originally Posted by crump

I think that even in Local government you would have a few questions to answer if you averaged four hours today.Rule of thumb for a grader in a 8.5 hour day is 5kms, thats across and back.You also have to factor in that in a lot of places its an hour and half drive from start up to starting the actual machine.

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Machine hours and what the operator puts on his time sheet are two totally different things. I hold by my 16hrs/week statement. Most shire equipment seems to be traded in or sold around the 10-12 years and 10,000 hours. Some hold on to the gear for 20-30 years until it is completely worn out & r**ted but still except top trade-in price for obsolete and knackered equipment. One learns early in the job as an equipment rep to talk productivity to private sector buyers and not to Govt. Govt. and Shire people are commonly pushed to find something to put on the time sheet, and machine productivity is of little import.

Good on ya well done:twobeers::beer:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Hi Dave
Im on a CAT 12H,we also have a new Volvo G900 grader,only done a couple of days on that,auto and cruise control,I KID YOU NOT!!!!
Had fun today!!!!!,spent the day up the pit with 2 other workmates,playing with our BRAND NEW Volvo 21 tonne excavator(just delivered tuesday).Wow what a machine to wreak havoc with,I didnt have a go with the tree mulcher attachement,it just destroys anything close by!!!! We swaped to the 1.5 cubic metre bucket and played digging holes and filling the side tipper.
Looking forward to more plays on that beast!!!!
Andrew

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Originally Posted by Frenchie

http://members.iinet.net.au/~lisajs6...der_really.jpg

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I've always loved these signs - I think it's to tell people what a grader looks like -= although they are a little like the "Police - Radar" warning signs that appear AFTER the event!

Ron

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Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Machine hours and what the operator puts on his time sheet are two totally different things. I hold by my 16hrs/week statement. Most shire equipment seems to be traded in or sold around the 10-12 years and 10,000 hours. Some hold on to the gear for 20-30 years until it is completely worn out & r**ted but still except top trade-in price for obsolete and knackered equipment. One learns early in the job as an equipment rep to talk productivity to private sector buyers and not to Govt. Govt. and Shire people are commonly pushed to find something to put on the time sheet, and machine productivity is of little import.

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so we must be the only shire that upgrades graders, loaders, excavators, backhoes and trucks every 3 years and we do that based on time sheets not machine hours?:eek:

Hi Crump
We were on the "replace it when the waranty expires" system.We were doing Main Roads work and returning a killing to the shire in profits.
They wouldnt pay any bonus on big jobs,the Works Supervisor was awsome,he wanted a little more,they said no.THE PLACE HAS GONE TO POO SINCE HE WENT TOO MUCH GREENER PASTURES.My mate,FAT BAZ,works for him,and he keeps on at me to come and join them.Closest you will get to mining $$$ without the strict way a mine is run,but it involves heaps of time away that Im not too keen on.
No more $600000 Main Roads contracts returning 50% profits(2 contracts audited).
Trucks now are being pushed to 5 years with little maintence,after 3 years they go down hill real quick,they dont handle the hard work once the waranty finishes!!!!
All our gear is above average for Shires,thanks to Marks efforts(former boss) but I wonder about the future!!!!
Andrew

Congrats

I wonder about Brians comments,,

its only the bigger shires that can afford to turn heavy stuff over, and then its purely finance. Most smaller shires simply cant afford to buy a new 12/14G every 4-5 years. and dont forget there are only 2920 working hours in a (non mine) year.

All Shires now have there total road maintenance program mapped out 12 months in advance,, dirt, bitumen, whatever. maybe in the smaller shires a road or two may get squeezed in,, but unless its repairing an act of god----
every minute of every plant day is accounted for 12 months in advance.




at least in the two I worked for.

Pedro and Crump
You are both correct,no Shire in there right mind would hold equipment for much more than 5000 hours,the secondhand value of earthmoving equipment is HUGE at the moment.
Brian,why run equipment that is prone to breakdown/higher maintence costs than run new????
Dont know where you get your shire work hours from,machines dont normally lean on shovels:D:D:D:D:D
ALL OUR EQUIPMENT GETS ITS HOURS UP PRETTY QUICKLY!!!!!
Andrew