My boss’s ethos is always get the largest machine that’s viable to do that job. If you think you need a mini excavator to get the job done think hard if there’s any possible way to get a 35 or a 50 in there to do it. It will go twice as fast, with less wear on the machines and the extra cost to rent or hire a large machine is offset by the time saved.

@Goalsplus

2 ай бұрын

Good to know.

During the building boom of the 1950s my uncles decided they needed To have their own machine so the wouldn’t be stuck waiting for someone else to did the foundation, they got an Oliver tractor with a bucket loader and converted it to a track machine. They also bought a small Ford dump truck and a tiltbed equipment trailer.all three were still on what had been my grandparent’s property until the nineties and that trailer which moved since 1970 was still sitting behind the barn in 2017

If you're into reading, I can recommend with two thumbs up the book; "Mover of men and mountains" by R.G. Letourneau. He was the one that invented the 200 ton scraper that he later sold the patent to CAT, and he was a driving force, and good friends with the guy that owned the company that morphed into CAT. It's an amazing read, and a must read for guys that love construction history.

The Tractor Wars video is a definite must watch for anyone who is interested in tractors or heavy equipment and the history of American industry.

I'm glad they chose to make the patio a traditional square on this project. It's worth it.

I watched the history of a bobcat awhile back myself... and its really good! MUST WATCH!

The “Dealer in your area” advice is the same advice I give when asked about chainsaws!

What I learned from KZread machinists is that once your equipment gets big enough, spare parts and company support doesn't matter. You just need a good mechanic and someone to make whatever you need, plus enough money to run a spare machine while the chips are being made.

@SuperAWaC

2 ай бұрын

I am a machinist and it's a waste of time and money to make something that you can just buy off the shelf in the vast majority of situations, even for the big stuff.

@wayneswonderarium

2 ай бұрын

​@@SuperAWaC $50,000 vs 10h shop time and a few grand in materials? 🤔 Of course, I'm not talking about building entirely from scratch.

@SuperAWaC

2 ай бұрын

@@wayneswonderarium it depends exactly on what it is. i really shouldn't have to say there are exceptions because that should be obvious but i guess it isn't

Fun fact, Cyril and Louis Keller are the inventors of the skid steer. There's a video about them that explains the history of the Bobcat skid steer.

@TheBurnsStuff

2 ай бұрын

I was a bit early on this comment lol.

Keep up the good work

Equipment has evolved just like our cars, my grandpa used horses to plow and cut hay in his early years and before he passed he was in an air conditioner in a cab on the tractor!

I discovered the power of heavy equipment for the first time when I bought a used mini excavator to demo a pool and build an ADU. I love my excavator!

You’re doing fine, Nate. It’s been fun seeing your progress. And I like you’re doing this one solo. Scott’s great but he’s got his own videos.

By us its Kubota and Bobcat in town and both are great dealers with good service. Ive run Cats, Kubotas, Bobcats, John Deeres, and probably a few more, and honestly, I dont have a preference. They all dig dirt, and as long as you take care of them, they are generally pretty reliable.

@ChunkyMonkaayyy

2 ай бұрын

That’s what my buddy says. You have to go with the best service and parts place you can find close to you and try buy whatever brand they sell/support.

@StubProductions

2 ай бұрын

Takeuchi makes good machines

@CorwinBos

2 ай бұрын

@@StubProductions Never ran a Tacohoochie so I can't speak to them. But everything I've heard, they are solid. Problem for us is no local support 🫤

@wayneswonderarium

2 ай бұрын

I would avoid a Deere like the plague unless you don't think we should have a right to repair machines we own. I guess maybe if you're renting it then you don't really care who's footing the bill for the maintenance.

@7.3powerstroke6

Ай бұрын

I hate bobcat no power etc., cat is number #1 for me, then john deere, then kubota.

You might want to watch "Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend", it's a relatively low budget movie. But it seems to be mostly accurate. Most Americans don't know it but Lamborghini started out in tractors.

I've watched both of those docs and agree that they're worth a watch.

I work for an underground utility and what our guys can do with a CAT mini excavator is amazing.

It used to be, and Ithink it still is, that Cat were the largest producer of Earth Movers, ten time bigger than the next player, Komatsu who in turn were ten time bigger than John Deere. JCB like to think that they're big but in 2016 (the last time I worked for JCB) Finning made more profit than JCB turned over. What drives Cat is the attention to process, doing it the same way over and over. I worked in Engine Development for Cat for eight years on a wide range of products but in each case the process was the same. It didn't matter if it was a four litre engine or a sixty four litre engine the steps were the same, Design, Test, Develop, Validate.

I myself overlooked the small machinery of the jobsite until I spent time working as a mobile hydraulics service tech. Suddenly I was a kid again, learning about cool giant toys! I get giddy at the chance to bring equipment onto my jobsites now.

Before ‘08, I was very successful in clearing, grading, pipe work, demolition, etc. grew up in it. Tried Cat several times absolute disaster! Deere or Komatsu for me.

For the story of the invention of the crawler tractor, see the Wikipedia article about Benjamin Holt.

So, I got some opinions. Got about 20 years of experience in operating equipment. Like vehicles, equipment from different manufacturers will depend on the year and how many innovations they tried to cram in to that generation of the model. Got a 2000 New Holland L190 that is absolutely bulletproof, couldn't ask for a better loader. Their 2017 c227 is a pile of hot garbage, avoid at all costs. Spent about 650 hours in a CAT 299D3 rental once, and Nate's dead on about their build quality and user friendliness. Wish I could've afforded to buy one, but the John Deere 325g, which I currently run, is comparable in those same terms. Again, the salient point is year and make fluctuate in build quality, but if you find a good one, keep it.

Cat is awesome but I still love a lot of my Kubota equipment.

I remember before the “mini-equipment” really took off, it was the backhoe/combination that filled that market niche. Even today a backhoe is still a very respectable and capable piece of equipment that should be considered but the skid steers and mini-excavators are fantastic at what they do. They’re also very user friendly and take practically no time to develop some feel for.

Thanks for this... I guess my biggest hang-up with all this equipment is that it seems like the engineers/designers go out of their way to make maintenance/repair next to impossible. They cram everything into the smallest amount of space and in so doing block access to stuff as simple as the oil drain plug or oil filter... making it necessary to remove a hydraulic pump or a fuel system or some monsterous skid plate before performing just basic maintenance. I guess they are getting better over time... but sometimes it just makes you scratch your head and wonder.

@kaboom4679

2 ай бұрын

Most are to one degree or another , although it can vary by type of machine and model . Now , if only the car and truck manufacturers could read ...

@sir.cannabis1173

2 ай бұрын

German engineering

So grateful to have machines for pretty much any job.

Thanks Nate, that was a great video!

2 foot radius on the corner and my 743 I bought new in 1990 still going strong.

I have CAT 302.7CR and 303.5CR mini-excavators. They both have problems straight from the factory, which the dealer mechanics are not given the tools or authority to fix. Their tracks are twitchy and so can not be counted on on steep/dangerous grades (unsafe) and their blades become very slow to respond or non-responsive when grading downhill or back-dragging downhill. ...very disappointing especially with local, dealer management deciding there is nothing that they can do. Translation: your problem, not ours. The Kubota, Komatsu, and Bobcat mini-ex's I have operated do NOT have these problems.

I went from CAT to Takeuchi and will never look back. Just my experience.

They never call in sick or come to work late and they can do the job of 4 good men on a bad day ... My experience tells me it is all about the tool and the knowledge with using that tool that makes the world of difference

@MackB12

2 ай бұрын

Oh they call in sick!

@Ichabod_Jericho

2 ай бұрын

Wait till you get the bill of health from your mechanic. Make sure you’re sitting down when you see the number😅

@psidvicious

2 ай бұрын

@@Ichabod_Jericho That’s why you shouldn’t dismiss the idea of rental equipment. The market is highly competitive which makes for a great price for the consumer. When it breaks, call them and they bring out another one and take the broken one away, no charge.

@MackB12

2 ай бұрын

@@Ichabod_Jericho yea exactly lol

The storage lot reference was a blast from the past!

A wonderful benefit is that they make them tiny too. Little backhoes that are smaller than a Smart Car. And now it's possible to rent the various machines yourself or hire an operator with machines.

All I can say is find out what you need and then buy the next size bigger

I have been around heavy equipment in my entire 47-year career. Cat definitely stands out worldwide, however, I am hearing from equipment operators that the large Komatsu track hoes are more durable and smoother to operate than the Cat models. Take it for what it's worth. It's just what I have gleaned from operators in my state. Thanks.

I like older Yanmar, Takeuchi, Hitachi and IHI that don't have all the electronics. Bobcats Ive seen were not the most reliable. Stay on top of the maintenance. Huge upside if you can do most of the wrenching.

Tractor Wars is a great video

Just rewatching this video, and KZread recommended me that Tractor Wars video a week or so ago as well. And the Bobcat video was phenomenal. I tried to find more, but they were all just fake, 10 min videos after those two

love it

Kubota seems to dominate the market for small equipment down here in Australia and in that segment Cat is for people with more money than brains. For full-size machines I've observed a lot more Hitachi excavators and Deere graders on jobs in recent years than Cat.

i grew up in a family construction service and me and the other grandsons were the construction equipment. ive dug so many ditches by hand

Tractor Wars added to my watch list

Keep it up Nate. I like what you do and that you are so honest and genuine.

Ha! That Tractor Wars video must have gotten on the good side of someone at KZread because I got it recommended out of the blue too.

Yo, salute to the real 1

They are all good these days, but it depends on what service you have locally. That's not to say they are all the same. Go try out machines from dealerships near you. If there is a CAT dealer nearby, but no Bobcat dealer in your part of the state, then go with CAT. Service is part of it and differs everywhere.

My buddy says the same thing as Dirt Monkey. You have to go with the best service and parts place you can find close to you and try buy whatever brand they sell/support. Unless you’re a DIYer.

JCB from the UK was started before Cat, 1945 in fact. It manufactures across the world and makes machinery for the US Army. I believe it is a world leader in electrical and Hydrogen powered diggers

@Hey_Its_That_Guy

2 ай бұрын

Caterpillar was founded in 1925 with the merger of Holt Manufacturing Company (founded in1883) and and the C. L. Best Tractor Company (founded in 1910).

@mattywho8485

2 ай бұрын

JCB is over-priced rubbish !

Lots of intangibles in the overall designs , that can set a piece of equipment apart for some operators and jobs , or , make them a royal PIA for others doing different work . Visibility and sight lines are important , and what isn't an issue for some jobs can be almost counterproductive for others . The same with the ergonomics of the controls and the particular features of each model . And lately it seems , a lot of manufacturers have finally gotten the memo , about not burying filters , dipsticks , and , tank and case drains , behind major complex mechanical assemblies . YMMV tho .

Case was founded in 1842 and made both agricultural and construction equipment, Cat was made from the merger of two companies in 1925, those companies being Holt ( formed in 1892 ) and Best ( formed in 1910 ). Case is the first company to make what is called the Backhoe Loader which is probably the most common piece of equipment used on construction sites to this day. Jerome Case also a Politician and Banker as well as investor and all around good citizen helping when times got difficult. You should really do a video about his history because He is an early craftsman in many ways.

All I know was the Deere skid steer I was on last week with .9 hours sucked! My older Kubota has way better sight lines and the bucket doesn't have to be totally down and flat to open the freaking door. The AC was nice but otherwise that Deere was terrible to use.

Nice homage to heavy equipment.

45 so the corner doesn’t crackkkkkkk

this might have been the least satisfying video I've ever watched from this channel

You mention Tractor Wars, but don't link it anywhere. Nor the bobcat doc. Not cool.

@overheardatthepub1238

2 ай бұрын

And I didn't either, for shame. kzread.info/dash/bejne/h5uoqrOOmZunprQ.html and kzread.info/dash/bejne/lJqbp9RmnrOppps.html

Tractor Wars: kzread.info/dash/bejne/h5uoqrOOmZunprQ.html . To me the most fascinating thing about that early industrialization is how there was zero evidence of modern safety standards. Things like huge, unguarded drive belts were everywhere.

❤😻 Cat - erpillar / has my name in it and on it 😹😸😺

Cat mini excavators are junk now. Skid steers are meh. The John Deere 333 skid steer is top notch and the 50G excavator is as well

I see you have cows for neighbors?!

Kumatsu worldwide

CAT may be good, still there are other companies making construction equipment, Volvo e.g. :-)

Who even is this guy?

@essentialcraftsman

2 ай бұрын

EC's son Nate. They started the channel together and built the spec house together

I dont think theyre the best, just have machines for every size. Spare parts, servicing, and people have experience using them. Just a continuous "self feeding" cycle

Yanmar??

The resale value of Caterpillar is where you see the return on investment.

This video was sponsored by Caterpillar 🤣 It just seems like one big advertisement for them.

@jamesengland7461

2 ай бұрын

Not if you had listened carefully

Can you add the word "[AD]" to the title of future videos that are just advertisements, so I'll know to skip them?

@jamesengland7461

2 ай бұрын

If only you had listened carefully...

CAT is not what it used to be.

Pity your Dad is not doing this video 😢

How much did Caterpillar pay for this video?

@chorgzent.3978

2 ай бұрын

Lol utubers make hella money. Schluter also got EC in they pocket

@jamesengland7461

2 ай бұрын

He's not claiming to be an expert or endorse the products; he said 'correct me if I'm wrong. ' That's on you

anybody got a cat, jesus how much did they get paid for that ad i give it one more video and i am out

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