Come along as I teach you how you too can make money with your mini excavator and compact loader.
My name is Paul Parker and I live in Coweta, a small town southeast of Tulsa Oklahoma. I am a retired building contractor and for the last 50 years have worked in the field of new construction and insurance restoration. I have always loved the process of land clearing, moving dirt, building roads and pads. My only actual experience on machinery however, was limited to landscape grading tractors and a brief period operating a T57 Bobcat skidsteer when I built my current home. My so-called retirement was short lived. So, with much research and a significant decrease in income I bought myself a new toy - a new 2021 e42 Bobcat excavator. That's what this channel is all about - Making Money with My Mini Excavator - learning new skills, looking for work and having fun moving dirt.
Mr. Digger Excavating " we do dirt, demolition and more".
Paul E Parker
[email protected]
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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
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
I've have never heard of anyone else say a pond is too deep. It's a water storage area. Seems like the deeper the better... you can still make it wider, but I'd say leave the depth as it is unless it is leaking. Seems like a waste of water and work. What am I missing that the owner wanted it more shallow? 🤔
Hey chili Yeah, the guy raises bass. And he’s going to use it for a if you do nesting/bedding area. Usually 24 to 48 inches.
Hey Chilli The owner wants to make a nesting bed for his bass. Recommended depth is 24 to 48 inches deep.
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.
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
The excavator seems way too small for the job? Or is it yours and it is all you have and use it? We had a 20ton excavator on our property many times and it is mind blowing what they can do. I do construction and have a 6 ton mini excavator. It is a great machine for garage pads,etc. but I would have no chance against a 20 ton digging a pond.
Hey Fabian Bigger is always better right! It kind of comes down to what you can afford.
@@Mr.Digger Yes, a 30 ton would be even better :-) Yes it is a tough call. Putting hours on your own machine or getting a bigger one that cost a lot more upfront to rent but is much faster and more efficient. Time/money,.. Best of luck.
Ty
Your lucky the side did not cave in and your machine tipped into the pool. There is NO support under a pool deck in most cases. Lucky this one did.
I know, right! Hey, Dean Thanks for leaving a comment. Hope you subscribed. They tend to backfill those pools with sand. When it settles it can be a little sketchy.
you are terrible on that machine ...
I know, right! I haven’t been doing this a really long time. And that’s the purpose of my channel. I hope you subscribe. It certainly is a learning curve.
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.
1 sweat shirt gone
I know, right, I shook it out and put it through the wash. Good as new, almost.
What ever that red tag is on your windshield you need to remove sir... very distracted with it.. not mean spirited
Hey TT I know, right, very annoying. It was a pink ribbon. I tied to my microphone in case I ever got out of the cabin dropped it into the dirt. 200 bucks. I didn’t realize it until after I shot the video. And I didn’t want to delete the video so , I’m stuck with it.
Nice job sir
Thanks
You waste alot of time and fuel and energy !!! Man 1 board at a time into the dumpster!! ? Wt heck
Try not to. But sometimes it just happens.
Great vid!!!! Im just north of Tulsa and am thinkin about doin what your doing part time and hope to b able to do it full time. Was it hard to get jobs? How ya go about pricing the jobs while staying on the plus side without customer's thinking the price was to much?
Hey Mike, Thanks for the comment Most of my work I get through Angi Leads and Networx. I spend about $600 a month. Crazy right. But I make 6000. No don’t let that go to your head lots of expenses. Probably about 4000 a month with my truck lease And both pieces of equipment. Plus fuel. And I tend to break things once in a while and have to have them repaired. About pricing. Once you start doing it you just get a feel for how long something should take. I break my day and half. Can I get it done in the morning -$500. Will it take all day -$1000. I try not to work by the hour, because if you have a half-day Job ends up only taking two hours. You only get paid for two hours work even though the rest of the morning you’re spending driving or repairing or bidding that you don’t get paid for. Let me know if you have other questions I can help answer
@@Mr.Digger thank you so much for responding back!!!! Soon as my truck is out of the shop I'm gonna buy a 8000# mini, wrong time of year to start a biz but I'm gonna try it. I'm hoping to get mostly demo jobs and haul it away with my 14' dump trailer. But I know roll offs would make getting the job done a lot faster. I just wish I was already started and at least b able to pay for the mini x with what it makes from a job or two a month. Spring is on the way and jobs are bound to get more plentiful.
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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.
My E42 left me (arm extended) over a burn pile. The Bobcat field tech who did a post mortem said it was a problem with the main controls harness. After that I bought a Takeuchi and never looked back. I had to learn the hard way that quality control and reliability are by far the best on Japanese cars and its the same for construction equipment.
Hi Cy We all have our stories. I’ve had a really good luck with my Bobcat, so far. Made right up in South Dakota but I’ve heard that those Takeuchi’s are pretty great too.
My Toyota got a flat tire once. So I bought an American car and never looked back.
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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
6 ps proper preparation prevents piss poor performance 😂
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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.
You're burying money sir! And not an environmental solution to bury every thing. Nice work btw 👍
Hey GOK I know right. But we can bury noncombustible’s and it saves the owners money. They make the final call. Thank you so much for your comment. Always love hearing from you guys.
Man, i suggest you take an operator's class. You are needlessly beating yourself up.
Hey, big fish. I know, right! There’s quite a learning curve to Excavating. Never realized it was so easy to bang things up and it has cost me a few thousand dollars in repairs. But I am getting better.
I know this is an older video but may I make a suggestion? I also run an E42 (extenda-hoe) for a plumbing company, I dig water and sewer lines for repair and I’ve found a breaker attachment really speeds up the process and cuts down wear and tear on the pins and bushings. You can rent them from your local Bobcat dealer and figure it into your bid.
Hey Tim, thanks so much for the comment. Since that video I have been using a breaker much easier and definitely the way to go. Thanks again always glad to hear from you guys.
Hi there nice work I like in side the cabe best 👍
Hey Mr. snakes Thanks so much for the comment. I always love to hear that you’re enjoying my hard work.
What size excavator is that
Hey Kevin, It is a 2021 bobcat E42-9800 pounds
What kind of excavator
Hi Kevin, It is a Bobcat e42 I am glad I didn't go with anything smaller
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 . . .
I think a ripper attachment would be better choice for this fiberglass demolition. Did you get the E42 because of the CDL weight limitations? Overall very nice job.
Hi highlighted, That ripper sounds like a possibility. But they’re very hard to attach because they’re laying on their side so you have to have someone to hold them up and I work by myself. Thanks for the really nice comment and yes 842 doesn’t require a CDL. I think you can go all the way up to 12,000 pounds. The E 42 ways 9900.
Grease that thing.
Hi dirty, I know, right! Greasing is one of my favorite things to do tomorrow. My bad.
pleae wear a dust mask or full face respirator when working with fiberglass !!!!
Hi Living Thanks for your concern Since I’m basically tearing this pool apart, it creates little or no dust, which is the source for concern. Also, most the time I have the door closed with filtered air conditioning.
@@Mr.Digger OK my buddy. Good videos, love that Bobcat, just eats it.
Dido
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Looks like you're basically operating the equipment at idle. You won't struggle with the power so much if you give it throttle.
Hi Seij I do that often because the engine noise will override the microphone
@@Mr.Digger oh of course, that makes sense.
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Not a very good operator..
I know right. That’s what you get for retiring and taking on something new
Did you just bury all that debris in the hole? Wouldn't it be required to bring to a landfill?
I have found that every city is a little different with swimming pools. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, they do not require that you remove the contents of a swimming pool. You can bury them. They consist of concrete, vinyl pool liners, treated lumber frame, metal lumber frame, and fiberglass lumber frame. Maybe it’s because they don’t decompose and affect the ground water. We also put 2 feet minimum of cover over them so that they don’t effect any plants or trees planted on top.
@Mr. Digger Excavating interesting, just creating mini landfills all over the place
Yeah, most of these people are quite elderly , the pools have outlived their usefulness, and the grandkids don’t seem to visit anymore. Kind of sad . I think about what if a young couple buys the house and decided to put in a pool. What a disappointment to have this mess underneath.
That Bill is a smart guy.
I know. Right!
This is like dealing with a nosey neighbor while you’re working. Lol😂 Asking all the obvious questions
I know, right!
Thumbs down too many comercials
So sorry. I don’t get to choose KZread does that on their own
I pay for premium, no commercials. Also, did you dig up any bass?
Lol, no bass
How do you find get these jobs?
Hey Dutch, four ways 1- I have a couple friends that need help sometimes on projects 5% 2-list your company google.com 25% 3-List on Networx - expensive but pays for itself. 30% Choose Demolish and Remove Structures and Install and Spread Gravel And Angi Leads_ Expensive, but pays for itself 40% Choose Demolition and Paving/ gravel or loose fill Best money making jobs are demoing structures and demoing/filling in in ground pools and gravel driveways and parking areas
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.
This looks like a pretty good job for somone to get started with. I'm looking at getting into some smaller excavation work and always curious what type of jobs would be great to start with
Hey Jon I make my best money at Demolishing buildings and below ground swimming pools. Also putting in gravel driveways and Parking Area’s. Everything else is done pretty much by the hour. I charge 125 per hour. 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 Excavating awesome thanks for sharing some tips. I'm excited f9r the future and see what happens
Thanks so much for the nice comment
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!
I work for a company but one time I made almost 6000 bucks in one day, I dug and buried 670 ft fiber optics all by myself with a 35. But I regularly bring in over 2k a day, that’s probably the average for me. Driveways can be easy money. They ain’t even charging that much so it’s easy if you know what you are doing. But I’ll get myself some more experience before going solo. The problem is lining up so many jobs!
Best thing that has worked for me Angi’s Leads. Demolition and spreading gravel. It can be expensive, but really helps in slow times.
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
Im thinking to start excavate business, but i dont know is it hard to get jobs,can i make good money with it?
You have to be able to sell the job that means talking to the people and showing them you can be trusted and that your estimate must be competitive by the way I’ve had pretty good luck using Angi list, but I only market demolition and large lanclearing.
hi,did u realy made 5000 dollars just for demolition and filling?
Hi CCC Yes I did but you have to deduct the filter which was about $500. Other than that it was all labor or tractor time. Once you get the hang of it, swimming pools are great way to make money with a mini excavator.
I meant fill dirt not filter
Did you try to take any of that metal to the scrap yard?
We sure did. But we’re not sure it’s worth it in the end. $400 is what we got for about a half a bin full. If you account for the time that it took to separate all the metal and then the time that it took to take it to the recycle it’s a breakeven. Better than filling up the landfill.
What rpm are you running? Your machine seems to be labouring.
I usually run it on 3/4 speed when I’m doing a video. The Mike picks up too much tractor noise. I also have to make sure the heat and air conditioner blower is on low or the sound will overwhelm the microphone. Three-quarter speed when I’m in a confined space. The boom swings right and left much slower and smoother and I don’t hit as many things with it. Lol. Everything else is full speed
Is it easy to get works for that price? (4$/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.
A little snow fence goes a long way
Hey Ral Good to hear from you .
@@Mr.Digger we demolished 20 trailers last year. They were in a park so things were tight we would take a piece of snow fence from trailer to trailer as we did them and when the wind kicked up it helped a lot.
That’s a great idea - never thought of that. I have heard of watering it down. I’ve also heard of opening up the roof and spraying down the blown in insulation to weight it down first. What is your definition of a snow fence,? Do you mean chain-link fence?
@@Mr.Digger I think he’s referring to a Tenax 4 ft. x 100 ft. Snow Guard Fence and Warning Barrier, that Home Depot sales
Gotcha
"I BOUGHT AN EXCAVATOR!" . . . So SUBSCRIBE ! ! ! LOL love it🤣
Whoohoo! Have a blast. Let me know how it goes.
@@Mr.Digger Oh sorry I was laughing at your Description!!!! It made me laugh.. I just bought a Bobcat MT100 Mini skid steer in aug. I"m It will be a couple years before i can make another big investment like that.
Good Luck!
You’re doing beautiful work here
Thanks Scotty, Always encouraging to know people are enjoying the videos
I hope the home owner wanted his pool removed 😆
Hey Frank I thought about that when we do a demo house. What if you just had an angry spouse or neighbor. What a mess that would be