#305

[@crosshairstare]

Why would anyone thumbs down a guy doing a video teaching people things like this? You could have gotten a lot of work done in the time you spent showing people how to do this Mike, but you showed some of us something we didn't know before... and I appreciate the time and effort you put into each video you put out there.

[@tigg567]

Well they probably thumbs downed it because as seems to be the norm on KZbin these days he only giving you enough info to make you dangerous.its like a cco license for crane .just because you know how to pull the levers doesn’t make you an operator. It’s all good till you rip out your well and electric to your house

[@russellbowman8051]

Thats a handy piece of Equipment!! Although I would be frustrated with it because I'm used to a 45 thousand pound Excavator!! 👍👊

[@yellowjeepcj]

Just bought a Kubota KXO-33 weighs about 8500 pounds 28 hp with a thumb on open station. What a great machine to have on the farm. I only have 25 hours n it so far but have done a huge amount of work.

[@tommyordoyne7461]

Very informative. Once again, thanks for the education. I hope I get to use it some day. Have a productive day.

[@caseih-pz9vp]

Thank you for the video. 3Years ago my son in law and I used 2 skid steers with a tree puller, grapple, tooth bucket and standard bucket to clear some dead trees. weed, trees, wild rose, buck brush and other junk. We were under a time crunch needing do get it all done over the winter and needing proper weather to work in. My son in law tried to talk me in to renting a machine like that but I did not want to take the time to get one and learn how to run it. I thought I would loose more time than I would save. Now that I have watched your videos next time I will rent on for sure. Thanks again.

[@stevemartinez6757]

Love the video. I originally found your channel looking for "how to"s for a tractor. Putting out educational videos like this is a good thing.

[@josephwyse265]

Thanks Mike for taking the time to do this video. As others have said, I am also about to rent one for trail maintenance and putting in some new culverts on my farm.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

Enjoyed the tutorial buddy! Thanks....we're gonna be renting a big cat soon to do some stump work on the farm

[@Jeo3-4142]

Great video! Thanks.

[@seanworkman431]

I have been operating excavators for years, possibly my favourite machine, but I still found that to be very informative and interesting. Thanks Mike

[@1972jwalk]

Your videos are awesome , explaining all equipment can't stop watching .

[@theJackaldeal]

Just started a job working for a contractor doing electrical . But he has me working on a frame to start . Doing all kinds of things . But , he said jump on the Bobcat and dig out some wires out of the ground . Thanks for the help

[@waynecoley4876]

Your video helped me tremendously. I recently rented a Bobcat E35i and tried the different controls. I preferred the excavator mode (as it was set when delivered). I used the mini-ex to dig up stumps; 6”-20” diameter. Very much worth the money! Thanks for this video Mike.

[@pipe887]

Excellent education, thanks!

[@joshuapreusser2265]

Rented a Kubota compact excavator earlier this fall, and your prior videos on control of excavators and renting them was of help. There were enough differences in the controls (other than the track, arm, and house) that having the driver that dropped the equipment off give a quick walk-through was smart, but thanks for making videos like these. One thing I did learn is that it was actually easier to drive with the foot pedals because any jostling around would cause my upper body to sway and result in unintended control inputs to to the tracks.

[@jameshalliday412]

Great video, as usual. I rented one of these this past summer because of your trail videos from the spring. Put in about 3.5 kilometres (just over 2 miles) of trails through bush (tough, slow going) and hardwood forest (easy and quick). Wouldn’t have thought of a mini excavator for that job, but what could have taken me years with the tractor, chainsaw and trailer, took me a week with “the right tool”. It didn’t come cheap, but we’ve gotten a lot better use of our property with the increased access. Now we hunt, firewood, ATV and walk the dogs all over the property. It was a great idea! Thanks! And keep up the great work!

[@briansullivan1469]

James Halliday just curious as to how long it took you to get the hang of the controls? I'm looking to rent one to put in a septic system and then clear some trees on my property. Thanks

[@bobvanarkel7583]

Brian Sullivan Might want check on ordinances as you might have to be certified &/or bonded to put in a septic tank. I was fortunate when we built but the rules changed yrs later. Have fun

[@briansullivan1469]

Bob Van Arkel as long as I get it checked before I fill it in it is legal for me to do it myself

[@jameshalliday412]

@@briansullivan1469 It was a pretty quick learning curve. Start slow out in the open, then work to the harder stuff if you can. I was cutting through some pretty dense forest at the start so I just took it slow. But, after an hour or two you're pretty much good to go. Most of the time you're repeating the same action (i.e. extend and open the bucket, or retract and curl the bucket). It's designed to be fairly intuitive. And you'll have a tendency to do things the same way regardless of what's "best" (If you watch Mike making his parking pad larger, you'll see him constantly swing the house around through the trees he's trimmed instead of swinging the other direction where there were no trees in the way. Less "wrong" than "habit".) I know I used SAE settings for about 20 minutes and then tried the ISO settings after that. The ISO settings were more comfortable for me.

[@briansullivan1469]

James Halliday thanks for your input!

[@waynecoley4876]

Mike, this video was right on time! I’m about to rent a mini-ex the week between Christmas and New Years. I’ve got several stumps to dig up and was wondering about the ISO vs STD. As always, keep up the good work.

[@Thesaltybow]

Great video Mike, Thanks! I am looking to advance from hand tools and riding mowers this upcoming year and you are my source of information!

[@iota328]

Awesome video as usual Mike! Thank you for the information. There’s some digging that needs to be done out on my property and I could ask my friend who is a heavy machine operator but he’s always busy. So thank you for the video!

[@dmacwv]

Great video, as usual Mike. Still being "green in the seat", the only other tips I can give is take the time, at least an hour or so, to get used to the controls for anyone new to these machines, before beginning any real work. Learn your reach, your swing, balance point, and absolutely your overhead clearance. And be light and smooth with the sticks! It doesn't take much pressure to get the machine to move. I rented a Komatsu PC88 this past spring to dig out stumps on my new property. Absolutely money and time well spent. Close to 100 stumps removed and driveway cut-in in less than a week (38 hours on the clock).

[@terrywoychowski8681]

Terrific Mike. I need to dig out on one side of one of my barns that is half underground due to the grade. With time it has bowed inward. Thanks for taking some of the mystery out of renting an excavator for the job.

[@glenturner5356]

Great video mike I run a komatsu backhoe at work and I learned the cat controls too fortunately for me it has a switch in the cab you can press from iso to cat.Makes it a lot easer to operate on my natural hand.

[@bigbigby4657]

Never have operated one, but if ever do, I now know A Lot more about them. Usually I just get in and play around with controls til I figure it all out, praying I don't screw nothing up...lol. Good vid Mike👍

[@michaelknulle6924]

A very good video like a teatcher in his classroom well done mike

[@paulrice1918]

Having never run a backhoe or excavator I envision my self busier than a one armed paper hanger till I would learn all the controls. Great video especially for people that have never run one.

[@edwardkenny2356]

Great tutorial, Mike. Thanks

[@mikehornsby599]

Good stuff enjoyed that,

[@terrygreene3847]

This is just what I needed . I am looking to rent one of these.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Good deal

[@williamgraham8809]

Same here , rather than a backhoe! Building trails in the woods.

[@Livepilot512]

Thanks Mike, as always good info, well thought out and nice video to watch.

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Hey Mike. I think the blade in back vs. blade in front on the mini's is brand specific recommendations. The Case CX17C I had specifically stated "blade in front" all the time. ...and I tried "blade in back" because of so many comments similar to yours here in this video. It didn't work well at all with the CX17C.

[@articcattrv]

I agree, mine is a 28 HP IHI machine and it a lot more stable putting the blade down in the front.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

What is that about 4,000 lbs? I agree with you I never liked having the blade in the back of the machine but don't have a lot of experience with one under 10,000 lbs. Cat and Bobcat both say blade in back when digging with the small ones and Im not sure why they think thats better??

[@articcattrv]

It is a 6,000 lb. machine . with a mechanical thumb. I would be lost without it for cutting firewood. They are logging just up the road from me so I have bought 4 log truck loads this year. One more to cut up and split , I enjoy watching your videos.

[@JohnSmith-tv5ep]

MIKE !, I watched your vidio, glued to the screen, the title and the information is spot on. Then I read thru the 37 comments posted. " well done" "very useful information" "excellent tutorial " "great video" "good video " ! STILL can't believe yinz got 5 thumbs down on this ! Helped me out tremendously. I definatly learned alot.THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT FROM GETTING YOUR STUFF DONE.

[@bogillespie4774]

Thanks Mike I learned a lot

[@communistlizards8247]

I like ducks

[@lukehurley3721]

Communist Lizards reeeeeee am I right.

[@theJackaldeal]

I like football , n I like school . N I'm gonna keep doing them both ! N I like Vicki , n she likes me back . N Vicki showed me her boobies and I like them too !!! 🤣

[@brucebello2049]

Great tutorial, thanks Mike, it’s been a long time since I ran anything that size

[@thechronicgeneralist]

Excellent tutorial! I would love a more advanced tutorial on using an excavator on steep terrain if you ever get around to it.

[@PP-gy8gg]

Im thinking of renting one here in Bendigo Australia.. ive come home to watch videos and thought ill watch this one with Bruce Willis. 😊

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Good video Mike, it will make a guy or gal stop and think a little about the job at hand. I enjoy doing work for me myself but I need work done close to the neighbors fence and property lines, it could be cheaper in the long run to hire the work done. BUT get me in the middle of my property and turn me loose ;-) I could have a ball with one of those toy's. Thanks for sharing.

[@jeffmosher433]

Fantastic, informative video!

[@dougspaulding3240]

Very good information Mike, as I looking at renting one for the first time this spring to put in a new clover. Thanks

[@robertfakler8564]

That was one of your most interesting videos. Thanks.

[@kerrybowden9097]

That was some good information there...

[@garybenedict3673]

Well done. Very useful unit for your needs.

[@GrampiesWorkshop]

Good and interesting info!!!

[@blesco11]

Mike do you think you would ever invest in a mini excavator once the RK’s are gone in the future? I know they’re expensive but I was curious if it was a thought you guys ever have at the camp. Thanks!

[@derekcomingo2197]

Stick can also be called the dipper. Depends where ur from. I prefer cat controls. Blade helps u stabilize in addition to leveling off

[@MyBsquared]

Outstanding!!

[@codylay4341]

I need one about that size to pull stumps around our trails and house site!

[@felicepassaseo9954]

Very good video👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@davekimbler2308]

The biggest thing for me is the backhoe is limited from side to side and the reach is shorter but the price is a big difference

[@rickm3217]

I'm about 6 minutes from the Bobcat dealer in Waterford.

[@codylay4341]

I learned to run with ISO controls, but after running Cat Controls I haven't looked back.

[@gadsdenman597]

Hey Mike... great video (as always). Buuuuuuut... I think you switched the ISO and SAE terminology. ISO (Deere) has stick controls on right, and boom controls on left. SAE (Cat) has boom controls on right, and stick controls on left. I learned ISO on a Kubota BH90 backhoe... and got pretty darn good at it. Then I bought an old Cat 311 excavator with SAE controls... UUUGGHHH! Couldn't operate it to save my life!!

[@thomasdesmond2248]

All good advice Mike. You can also get in trouble if your boss sees you pushing down on the boom tilting the machine back to find the tipping point. I wouldn't know nothing about that though. Lol God bless

[@michaelbradley8508]

Great video - very helpful. I realize this is a rental and when renting you get what the company has on the lot, but if you where buying one, what make would you get and why. Mike from Canada

[@funwithguns89]

Don't 360° spin to the left too many times, you'll unscrew the cab from the tracks and fall over. LOL.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

lol

[@Bear_toe]

“Just take it easy”

[@dpower02]

The only problem I have with an excavator is you can't move material or very little in its digging bucket, but they are an effective tool for some jobs.

[@wardd413]

Hey, Mike. As always, thanks for posting. This was a fantastic intro video and just what I needed! We recently purchased 15 acres and I'll be putting in a 1/4 mile long driveway through woods, to start developing our little 'heaven on earth' as you put it. Given the estimates for stump removal, I've determined it would be much cheaper to use a week vacation and rent a compact excavator to pull the stumps myself(plus I think it would be fun!). While I have quite a bit of time on tractors and skid steers, I've never used a backhoe or excavator. In trying to size what I would need to rent for my needs, I'm wondering if you have a suggestion for pulling stumps? I noticed in a prior video you had rented an E45 (around 10,000 lbs I think), but this E63 is a bit bigger at 14,000 lbs. I was considering a machine around the 10,000 lb range.Thank again - I really enjoy your videos!

[@louielopez1638]

Nice video Mike. I guess this rental company doesn't clean the cabs after every rental. The floor and under the seat was full of dirt...🤔

[@stephenvandyke8014]

can you show digging with the machine controls

[@dougmoore7116]

Thumbs up

[@fricknjeep]

hi there don't forget to let Malissa have her turn or fun .

[@darcywalls1465]

fricknjeep haha Mike didn’t show us , but as soon as he went in to edit this video, Melissa jumped in and dug the hole for her swimming pool 😎

[@dav1099]

Great video, as always. A dumb question, I have ran case back-hoe's with out a thumb in the past but never a mini like that, the question is on the thumb do you adjust the clamping pressure by keeping pressure on the red switch forward? thanks for posting.

[@richardbenkwitt5923]

Mike I have 50 acres in the lower Catskills Mountains and a nice modular cabin on top of the mountain. I have about 40 acres in woods mostly hardwoods and remaining open fields. I have a 1984 Ford 1710 4wd tractor I bought as second owner back in 1990 with a woods 6.5’ backhoe and picked up a 6’ bush hog used. I added a IHI ISUZU 39NX-2 excavator used in 2008 and added a mechanical thumb last year. One thing is show how to tighten the tracks using grease.. I found green grease the best as it holds up longer in the tracks adjustment cylinders. I used my tractor backhoe to install my electrical and other spare conduits to property line and all are buried. I had 41 years in gas and electric utility including running heavy equipment so I am fortunate to have a lot of experience. I hold bs in construction mgmt and energy tech and a ms in organizational leadership but learned most everything through experience. I also acquired a F550 dump truck with 9’ fisher minute plow 2 (that’s a joke calling it a minute plow). Also have old and new stihl equipment love them all! Just purchased pro caps and helmet kit after watching your video.. always wanted them but showing the chaps getting cut convinced me to part with my money now! I’m cutting trails and the excavator and front blade combo are the ticket especially since I have very steep terrain right behind my cabin. Planning a hobby storage work building soon and only have a Polaris quad right now planning on a side by side soon as well as some tracks for side by side or a snowmobile.. lots of snow at 2000’ elevation. Also building my pond 1/2 to 1 acre seasonal spring fed... going to rent a larger excavator and off road dump to relocate earth. Thanks for info. I hunt as well and was the reason I bought the this property. I border thousands of acres state lands and hoping to buy more adjacent land if ever comes up for sale. Retired in 2011 and this is a weekend home so progress up there is slow as I’m in a NYC suburb 90 miles from my cabin and won’t leave cause of family... thanks again and show how to tighten tracks (I had to learn and never shown which caused a thrown track) hard lesson

[@patrickdunne1150]

How much does it cost to rent a Bobcat E63 for the weekend in your area?

[@Living-The-Dream]

👍

[@mikejanecek3738]

where abouts in western PA do you live?

[@NHHalKnowsHow]

This video makes me want to rent an excavator and rip something up! I do have a few stumps that are annoying to mow around.

[@michaelmcneal654]

Okay, you have convinced me to NOT to rent one of these machines! I am 72 plus, just had a hip replace and I have a drainage ditch about 100 feet long that needs to be cleaned out and I was not looking forward to hand digging it BUT I have no experience with these so ' ain't gonna do it!' BTW... really enjoy the channel and watching you projects! Mac

[@dougcoleman9126]

Roughly how much is it to rent

[@thundernmojo9952]

I rented a little smaller E35i for a week, with delivery and pick up it was roughly $900 in NE Indiana

[@jlhipps]

Thanks Mike! That was very helpful. We have a lot of older equipment on our property including a backhoe. That was another great video! I have a question, I plan to purchase a new compact tractor ( probably something like your RK 37) next year with a bucket and grapple. Which do you like better for cleaning up a lot of brush and tree limbs? The tractor with a grapple attachment or an excavator with a thumb? Either way I still plan to get a new tractor and a grapple attachment. Do you think it would be faster to clean up a 3 to 4 acre area with one or the other. All the big timber was cut out of this area a couple of years ago. We have cut all the usable firewood from the tops and bigger limbs in the area; there is just a lot of brush that needs to be piled up and burned. Thanks if you have time to give your opinion. Jeff

[@bullrun1]

Great video Mike - looking and considering a Kubota KX-040 next spring for my hunting property - or KX-033 -- not sure which way to go...it will never produce revenue just personal use for mostly drainage ditches, stumps, trails - etc. - any advice or opinions would be appreciated. (was thinking "mini" excavator so can get in spaces better than dealing with the length of a backhoe attachment on a tractor) - also thinking KX with traditional tail swing versus the U series on zero tail swing...with articulating arm on a KX - seems can get in tight enough (total min ex newbie though)

[@garybartek]

very nice. would you consider doing a video how to on a bobcat?

[@robertbryson1017]

Most equipment like that for me is hard to rent they say I need to have a business and I live in PA

[@memyselfandifarmer]

sold my 580 backhoe, to big, excavators are simple, knew a person with one and his 12 year old girl ran it, if you can not, get out of public school and learn something. do not ask what you do not deserve.

[@Hiker63]

First 😀

[@adagre]

I think I was the first viewer haha

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

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