Dude, if you're trying to release the clay from your bucket, don't go way up and down with the right joist stick. Just start going up and in your mind before it starts going up already be going down with the boom. Literally throw a punch as it's going up. That's how to get momentum to release it. Also rpms have to be almost all the way up. I have been doing this for 30 years. It's how I break up concrete before pulling it out as well. The machine can handle it. Plus I don't care what anyone says, you can run the machine with the blade behind you. It will give you more room to excavate to your machine so you don't have to move as much plus it makes it way easier to see, especially if you're deeper.
Hey Brian, thanks for the tips especially that last one. I hadn’t really thought it through but you really would be able to dig farther and sit down in the hole better. Awesome.
Dear Sir, i am a heavy equipment operator with some experiance...all I have seen so far is that you are on the beginning of a steep learning curve. Sorry to say that. Advice: Rev your rig up, if you dig per distance. And separate grass, topsoil and dirt! Always!! Greetings from Germany and keep going!!🤘
Hi Zarkum100 from Germany. It’s amazing that these little videos reach my friends on the other side of the world. Yes, lots to learn. I’ve only been behind an excavator for one year. I will learn from your advice. Thank you for commenting.
Thanks J Send me a list of what ideas, information or methods you would like others to understand better and I’ll see what I can to include that information in future videos
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
Could be a dumb idea, but it looks like that machine can swing the boom. Wouldn't that allow you to get alongside the pole at the end (or alongside the ditch) and finish up the trench instead of straddling and having to climb over the ditch? Interesting video, I'll check out your others.
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
@@Mr.Digger driveway maintenance/install/repair. Yard grading. Drainage. If health insurance wasn’t an issue I would be able to quit my job and focus full time, I am hoping I can get going well enough to cover health insurance and I can stop punching a time clock. I am a Tool & Die Maker/Machinist by trade.
@@poffandsons Awesome! That really would be a change. You do have to have a little bit of a bankroll saved up to supplement the first six months. It takes a little bit to get going.
Thank you sir! I have started doing part time, small contract work. Your content is exactly the help I need! I am certainly subscribed Thank you so much! 👍🏿
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
I’ve been doing e10 drain pipe work, I’m 23 and eager to ever learn. I work e10-e20s great, better than the older guys most the time. Been really wanting to get my own but the right setup is 20 grand plus in Illinois.
Hey Playback You’re going to need a truck and trailer and an excavator. I have a 2011 three-quarter ton GMC diesel with 230k mile. I paid 21,000 two year ago. I also bought a tilt ramp 13k lbs trailer, used for $7500, and the Excavator ran 64K. I have a good credit so I was able to borrow money for all of it with very little down. The excavator is a bobcat New 2021 E 42. I wouldn’t go with anything smaller if you want to do demo jobs and knock over big trees any other questions, be sure to let me know.
@Mr.Digger If you don't mind me asking, did you finance through Bobcat, and if so was it on personal credit or business. I have a 331G bobcat now but thinking of going to a new machine, just wondering how they are to finance with.
Sorry, this took so long getting back to you. I financed my EXCAVATOR and Skidsteer both through Bobcat,. But they don’t really finance it. They sell it to other companies. When as Wells Fargo bank and the other, I don’t remember. They’re just the middleman doing the paperwork, but they were great to work with.
Digginok and Dirt Boss both YT channels are the best at teaching that I can find. Digginok uses a backhoe though. The digging principles translate to an excavator. He mainly does footings. He is a bit of a savant for digging footings. Dirt Boss has multiple equipement. Neither one teaches the business side (money). One who does is Clevinger Forest Services, LLC on YT. He hasn't posted in two years but his vids are still up. He does skid steer work mainly, but he teaches the (money) part. He even shows how he lays out microsoft excel spreadsheets for the business. His teaching is great because he shares the numbers and shows how to break down the expenses to bid properly and to pay taxes. Even though it is skid steer oriented it ALL translates to what you are doing. He is the best for laying out the business plan. Cheers.
Hey Light, thank you for sharing that information. I don’t mind borrowing other peoples best methods on RUclips. Just want to make my channel better and better. I will definitely look them up. How about yourself, do you do dirt work?
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
I would of started right at the fence. And as you go clean the top of your trench it saves time.And up where I live we charge by the hour if you have a big Machine the rate is higher. Cheers (:)
Im n the tulsa area and i will b getting my E42 delivered feom white star bobcat this week. Do you ever need help or do jobs on fridays or staurdays? If so id like to help/watch and learn how your figuring your pricing on certain things. Ive ran a lot of equipment but was always just a employee. I have lots to learn to b able to earn money but yet b honest and price jobs properly where i do well and the customer will b happy.
Hey Mike. You’re the first one that I know of that’s been local on my channel. I don’t really need help with the EXCAVATOR but every once in a while I need some Skidsteer help let me know how it goes for you.
Hi L2 Its a bit hard to explain but… 1-I decide we’re I will stop digging and set up there. 2- then position your excavator facing where you will start digging 3- Now slowly travel toward your start position 4- As your traveling, scratch the surface about 3 inches deep every 25-30 feet. Make sure your still facing you starting point. These are your waypoints. 5-Once you get to your start point rotate the excavator 180 degrees and you’ll see that you have marked a straight path to your ending point with the small scratches you made 6-Start digging 7-Now every other time you reposition your excavator swing around and stretch out your bucket and line up you with the closest mark 8-Follow them back to your end point and you’ll end up with a pretty straight trench Good digging . . .
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
Hey Dutch great question. You’re going to need a truck and trailer and an excavator. I have a 2011 three-quarter ton GMC diesel with 230k mile. I paid 21,000 two year ago. I also bought a tilt ramp 13k lbs trailer, used for $7500, and the Excavator ran 64K. I have a good credit so I was able to borrow money for all of it with very little down. The excavator is a bobcat New 2021 E 42. I wouldn’t go with anything smaller if you want to do demo jobs and knock over big trees any other questions, be sure to let me know.
@@Mr.Digger Your costs were around the same as mine, in 2022, I bought a 2014 3/4 Ram Diesel, 200K for 21K, Tilt ramp 14k trailer new for 10K, Used 2020 E42 with 2 yr warranty $63k before taxes. I could have got a better deal on the E42 if I would have waited for prices to come down after the pandemic, but whatever lol.
How are you finding your work? I am wanting to buy a new cat 308 excavator I currently do landscaping and hardscaping wanting to branch into digging basements, driveways, culverts, ponds ect Already have all the supporting equipment track steers dump trucks ect
High Low, My Bobcat e42 excavator is right at 9800 lbs. Here is how I find most of my work. 1. I know a couple small excavating companies that use me when they gets a job the needs to be done faster. I make about 25% of my income helping other small contractors when they get a big job and need some extra help. 2. Networx is a lead company that send me a few good leads every month. 3. Angie Leads - same reason as above. 4. ThumbTack - Marginal leads for the trouble 5. Dashboard - Marginal 6. Hometown Demolition - Looks promising Set up a separate excavation company in Google Maps 7. Word of mouth - I am a new company -11 months - so I do not get many word of mouth yet Regarding your Cat308. That"s an awesome excavator but it would be too big for a lot of our projects. 12000 lbs is all we can legally haul in Oklahoma with out a semi truck and cdl licence. Not many basement here but it would be great on ponds. My e42 is just about right for what I am currently doing but if I was to upgrade I would go with the Bobcat e60 -12000 lbs and no cdl licence required. It handles a fully loaded 36 in bucket better that my e42 because it has a heavier counterweight in the back. Hope this will help you
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
Hi Garion, This one was 4 feet deep, no backfill. Just dig the trench an go. $4 per linear foot. I can usually get $5 but Bill sends me some work so he gets a discount and I get an easy way to make my tractor payment each month. :) Thank for the comment.
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
What is one going to charge for the linear foot..... In 1989 I read an article in the local news of South Florida of a local company that charged for a job that it never did... It was a scandal and the newspaper article read the company charged $13.00 a linear foot for 2000 ft long 5 ft deep, the article read..... How do I remember cuz I was pissed I was making $9 an hour 9.... Fucking dollars an hour it was a government county job..... Bottom line the company had to give the money back, you calculate that in today's dollar I would say 25 a linear foot, I hope this is helpful to those who read it
Shouldn't you dig a ditch atleast 30 inches wide so the person installing the electric service can easily WALK or STAND in the ditch and make adjustments as necessary to their electricial service ???
Hi Joe This was just a single electrical cable. No lateral connections. If we were doing piping, we would most definitely have to allow room for additional working space. Thanks for taking the time to come out
You don't dig a trench to accommodate the installer. You dig the ditch to accommodate the utility you are installing. If you're digging a joint trench - meaning it will have several utilities in it - then you will typically make it wider and deeper. Reason being is space considerations. Power, for example needs to be a certain distance away from gas. Cable has to be a certain distance away from electrical. In my area a joint trench is 24 - 36 inches wide and 4 feet deep. Water is buried at 4 feet as is sewer. Electrical is 3 feet. Telecommunications are 12-18 inches. Most single utility trenches are 12 - 16 inches wide.
Hey Winston, thanks for commenting. I have two cameras, my iPhone, 13 and a GoPro nine a GoPro I typically mount on a tripod for white and gold shots the iPhone 13 I am out on a bar that reinforces the slide up window. It’s high up at the ceiling, near the ceiling window in a bobcat, mini excavator, I don’t know what other brands have in that location we happy to share any other camera ideas with you if you have them
I'm not following the gentleman.. if I'm charging by the linear foot what do I care how long it takes me... There's a lot of variable when it comes to excavating beach towns tend to be more time-consuming because those lot tends to be smaller and everything tends to be packed in... Obvious is going to take you longer in Beach town.... When you're digging in hard Rock same thing.... And the best way to dig is by linear foot you know what is going to make (money-wise) the contractor knows what is going to cost him.... Because if a utility line breaks and you're by the hour you still got to cough up the money because you broke it, might as well charge by the linear foot
You’d save a lot of time and money putting your dirt pile close to the one side of the ditch. You have increased your work time by spreading the dirt so far from the ditch. 😢
Dude, if you're trying to release the clay from your bucket, don't go way up and down with the right joist stick. Just start going up and in your mind before it starts going up already be going down with the boom. Literally throw a punch as it's going up. That's how to get momentum to release it. Also rpms have to be almost all the way up. I have been doing this for 30 years. It's how I break up concrete before pulling it out as well. The machine can handle it. Plus I don't care what anyone says, you can run the machine with the blade behind you. It will give you more room to excavate to your machine so you don't have to move as much plus it makes it way easier to see, especially if you're deeper.
Hey Brian, thanks for the tips especially that last one. I hadn’t really thought it through but you really would be able to dig farther and sit down in the hole better. Awesome.
Dear Sir,
i am a heavy equipment operator with some experiance...all I have seen so far is that you are on the beginning of a steep learning curve. Sorry to say that.
Advice: Rev your rig up, if you dig per distance.
And separate grass, topsoil and dirt! Always!!
Greetings from Germany and keep going!!🤘
Hi Zarkum100 from Germany. It’s amazing that these little videos reach my friends on the other side of the world.
Yes, lots to learn. I’ve only been behind an excavator for one year. I will learn from your advice. Thank you for commenting.
Thanks J
Send me a list of what ideas, information or methods you would like others to understand better and I’ll see what I can to include that information in future videos
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
There are parts in the world, where nobody cares at all about soil separation 😉
I know right. Crazy.
You’re doing beautiful work here
Thanks Scotty,
Always encouraging to know people are enjoying the videos
Could be a dumb idea, but it looks like that machine can swing the boom. Wouldn't that allow you to get alongside the pole at the end (or alongside the ditch) and finish up the trench instead of straddling and having to climb over the ditch?
Interesting video, I'll check out your others.
Very nice and neat, I had to dig a gas line in a lot of loose sand and big big rocks. Yours looks a lot neater than mine.
Hi C
Yeah, that was an easy one. But I’ve had some real stinkers.
Def keep posting videos please. I am starting my own excavation business, so I will be watching for sure. I have a 05' John Deere Skid.
Will do Nate!
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
@@Mr.Digger driveway maintenance/install/repair. Yard grading. Drainage. If health insurance wasn’t an issue I would be able to quit my job and focus full time, I am hoping I can get going well enough to cover health insurance and I can stop punching a time clock. I am a Tool & Die Maker/Machinist by trade.
@@poffandsons
Awesome! That really would be a change. You do have to have a little bit of a bankroll saved up to supplement the first six months. It takes a little bit to get going.
Thank you sir! I have started doing part time, small contract work. Your content is exactly the help I need!
I am certainly subscribed
Thank you so much! 👍🏿
That’s great! Send me ideas of what you are lacking and I’ll see what I can to include that information in the future video the best I can.
@@Mr.Digger
Will do, thanks
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
I’ve been doing e10 drain pipe work, I’m 23 and eager to ever learn. I work e10-e20s great, better than the older guys most the time. Been really wanting to get my own but the right setup is 20 grand plus in Illinois.
Hey Playback
You’re going to need a truck and trailer and an excavator. I have a 2011 three-quarter ton GMC diesel with 230k mile. I paid 21,000 two year ago. I also bought a tilt ramp 13k lbs trailer, used for $7500, and the Excavator ran 64K. I have a good credit so I was able to borrow money for all of it with very little down. The excavator is a bobcat New 2021 E 42. I wouldn’t go with anything smaller if you want to do demo jobs and knock over big trees
any other questions, be sure to let me know.
@Mr.Digger If you don't mind me asking, did you finance through Bobcat, and if so was it on personal credit or business. I have a 331G bobcat now but thinking of going to a new machine, just wondering how they are to finance with.
Sorry, this took so long getting back to you.
I financed my EXCAVATOR and Skidsteer both through Bobcat,. But they don’t really finance it. They sell it to other companies. When as Wells Fargo bank and the other, I don’t remember. They’re just the middleman doing the paperwork, but they were great to work with.
Digginok and Dirt Boss both YT channels are the best at teaching that I can find. Digginok uses a backhoe though. The digging principles translate to an excavator. He mainly does footings. He is a bit of a savant for digging footings. Dirt Boss has multiple equipement. Neither one teaches the business side (money).
One who does is Clevinger Forest Services, LLC on YT. He hasn't posted in two years but his vids are still up. He does skid steer work mainly, but he teaches the (money) part. He even shows how he lays out microsoft excel spreadsheets for the business. His teaching is great because he shares the numbers and shows how to break down the expenses to bid properly and to pay taxes. Even though it is skid steer oriented it ALL translates to what you are doing. He is the best for laying out the business plan. Cheers.
Hey Light,
thank you for sharing that information. I don’t mind borrowing other peoples best methods on RUclips. Just want to make my channel better and better. I will definitely look them up.
How about yourself, do you do dirt work?
@@Mr.Digger No. In the future I'd like to do what you are though. Appreciate you and your willingness to put it on YT.
My pleasure . . .
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
I would of started right at the fence. And as you go clean the top of your trench it saves time.And up where I live we charge by the hour if you have a big Machine the rate is higher. Cheers (:)
Hey Brad, thanks so much for your comment. Yeah that was a bit tricky working from both ends. Much better to have started right at the Fence.
My luck the pole would fall into the trench where I dug it out up to it.
Hey James,
I know, right! Things can always go wrong
Im n the tulsa area and i will b getting my E42 delivered feom white star bobcat this week. Do you ever need help or do jobs on fridays or staurdays? If so id like to help/watch and learn how your figuring your pricing on certain things. Ive ran a lot of equipment but was always just a employee. I have lots to learn to b able to earn money but yet b honest and price jobs properly where i do well and the customer will b happy.
Hey Mike. You’re the first one that I know of that’s been local on my channel. I don’t really need help with the EXCAVATOR but every once in a while I need some Skidsteer help let me know how it goes for you.
Great work ! How are you keeping the trench straight with no line paint ?
Hi L2
Its a bit hard to explain but…
1-I decide we’re I will stop digging and set up there.
2- then position your excavator facing where you will start digging
3- Now slowly travel toward your start position
4- As your traveling, scratch the surface about 3 inches deep every 25-30 feet. Make sure your still facing you starting point. These are your waypoints.
5-Once you get to your start point rotate the excavator 180 degrees and you’ll see that you have marked a straight path to your ending point with the small scratches you made
6-Start digging
7-Now every other time you reposition your excavator swing around and stretch out your bucket and line up you with the closest mark
8-Follow them back to your end point and you’ll end up with a pretty straight trench
Good digging . . .
nice video!
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
Starting a side mini excavator hustle on my mind m what's the first thing I should do?
Hey Dutch great question.
You’re going to need a truck and trailer and an excavator. I have a 2011 three-quarter ton GMC diesel with 230k mile. I paid 21,000 two year ago. I also bought a tilt ramp 13k lbs trailer, used for $7500, and the Excavator ran 64K. I have a good credit so I was able to borrow money for all of it with very little down. The excavator is a bobcat New 2021 E 42. I wouldn’t go with anything smaller if you want to do demo jobs and knock over big trees
any other questions, be sure to let me know.
@@Mr.Digger Your costs were around the same as mine, in 2022, I bought a 2014 3/4 Ram Diesel, 200K for 21K, Tilt ramp 14k trailer new for 10K, Used 2020 E42 with 2 yr warranty $63k before taxes. I could have got a better deal on the E42 if I would have waited for prices to come down after the pandemic, but whatever lol.
That’s awesome premium
Happy digging!
How are you finding your work? I am wanting to buy a new cat 308 excavator
I currently do landscaping and hardscaping wanting to branch into digging basements, driveways, culverts, ponds ect
Already have all the supporting equipment track steers dump trucks ect
High Low,
My Bobcat e42 excavator is right at 9800 lbs. Here is how I find most of my work.
1. I know a couple small excavating companies that use me when they gets a job the needs to be done faster. I make about 25% of my income helping other small contractors when they get a big job and need some extra help.
2. Networx is a lead company that send me a few good leads every month.
3. Angie Leads - same reason as above.
4. ThumbTack - Marginal leads for the trouble
5. Dashboard - Marginal
6. Hometown Demolition - Looks promising
Set up a separate excavation company in Google Maps
7. Word of mouth - I am a new company -11 months - so I do not get many word of mouth yet
Regarding your Cat308. That"s an awesome excavator but it would be too big for a lot of our projects. 12000 lbs is all we can legally haul in Oklahoma with out a semi truck and cdl licence. Not many basement here but it would be great on ponds. My e42 is just about right for what I am currently doing but if I was to upgrade I would go with the Bobcat e60 -12000 lbs and no cdl licence required. It handles a fully loaded 36 in bucket better that my e42 because it has a heavier counterweight in the back.
Hope this will help you
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
What’d you end up charging for this job if you don’t mind me asking ?
Hi Garion,
This one was 4 feet deep, no backfill. Just dig the trench an go. $4 per linear foot. I can usually get $5 but Bill sends me some work so he gets a discount and I get an easy way to make my tractor payment each month. :) Thank for the comment.
Helou from Finland, and Thanks that video. 👍
Send me a list of any ideas, information or methods you would like to understand better and I’ll see what I can do to include that information in future videos
What is one going to charge for the linear foot..... In 1989 I read an article in the local news of South Florida of a local company that charged for a job that it never did... It was a scandal and the newspaper article read the company charged $13.00 a linear foot for 2000 ft long 5 ft deep, the article read..... How do I remember cuz I was pissed I was making $9 an hour 9.... Fucking dollars an hour it was a government county job..... Bottom line the company had to give the money back, you calculate that in today's dollar I would say 25 a linear foot, I hope this is helpful to those who read it
Thank Guido for your input
What type of company do you contact to do these type of jobs
Hey Kevin,
This actually was from a friend of mine, but once in a while, a general contractor will contact us for utilities on new houses
Is it easy to get works for that price? (4$/linear foot) How do you get the clients? Thanks in advance!
This job happened to be a friend of mine. But most of my work comes through Angie Leads or direct phone calls from my Google business listing.
Shouldn't you dig a ditch atleast 30 inches wide so the person installing the electric service can easily WALK or STAND in the ditch and make adjustments as necessary to their electricial service ???
Hi Joe
This was just a single electrical cable. No lateral connections. If we were doing piping, we would most definitely have to allow room for additional working space.
Thanks for taking the time to come out
You don't dig a trench to accommodate the installer. You dig the ditch to accommodate the utility you are installing. If you're digging a joint trench - meaning it will have several utilities in it - then you will typically make it wider and deeper. Reason being is space considerations. Power, for example needs to be a certain distance away from gas. Cable has to be a certain distance away from electrical. In my area a joint trench is 24 - 36 inches wide and 4 feet deep. Water is buried at 4 feet as is sewer. Electrical is 3 feet. Telecommunications are 12-18 inches. Most single utility trenches are 12 - 16 inches wide.
Hi Mike L
That is really great information and really makes sense. I will share that in a future video
Where do you have your camera mounted and how
Hey Winston, thanks for commenting. I have two cameras, my iPhone, 13 and a GoPro nine a GoPro I typically mount on a tripod for white and gold shots the iPhone 13 I am out on a bar that reinforces the slide up window. It’s high up at the ceiling, near the ceiling window in a bobcat, mini excavator, I don’t know what other brands have in that location we happy to share any other camera ideas with you if you have them
I'm not following the gentleman.. if I'm charging by the linear foot what do I care how long it takes me... There's a lot of variable when it comes to excavating beach towns tend to be more time-consuming because those lot tends to be smaller and everything tends to be packed in... Obvious is going to take you longer in Beach town.... When you're digging in hard Rock same thing.... And the best way to dig is by linear foot you know what is going to make (money-wise) the contractor knows what is going to cost him.... Because if a utility line breaks and you're by the hour you still got to cough up the money because you broke it, might as well charge by the linear foot
Thanks
You’d save a lot of time and money putting your dirt pile close to the one side of the ditch. You have increased your work time by spreading the dirt so far from the ditch. 😢
Hey Frank. That’s a good point. I will take note and change that for future trenching.
He’s also not the one back filling. I would leave the dirt back a little too so it’s a little easier to work around.
I usually give workers one clean edge. It’s a lot easier to walk the edge while they’re trying to install a cable or conduit.