Most dealers will allow you to demo a machine. My Cat dealer will let you demo out of their rental fleet at no charge for a day when it's available for no charge. Other dealers have had me agree that I'd pay rental if I didn't buy a machine from them. In that case, the salesman still didn't charge me the rental rate because I gave them an honest reason why I wasn't buying the machine from them.
Just got a look at a Link-Belt 145 on a site... didn’t get a chance to run it or anything, but walked around and took a look at it.
I’m kinda impressed. 30,000 pound machine, looked up online, and in the 80-100 range, doesn’t look like it would be too hard to find a 2014-2018 machine.
Hmmmm.....
https://www.machinerytrader.com/list...45-x4-spin-ace
https://www.machinerytrader.com/list...45-x3-spin-ace
https://www.machinerytrader.com/list...nk-belt-130-x4
Last edited by Dan_S; 09-21-2019 at 03:26 PM.
Did you get a chance to talk to the operator? They are usually a pretty good barometer for a machine. I always expect a little bitching, but if they give an overall thumbs up, then that's a pretty good sign.
"And for a regular dude I’m maybe okay...but what I learned is if there’s a door, I’m going out it not in it"-Duke
"Just because a girl sleeps with her brother doesn't mean she's easy..."-Blues
No, no one on the site. Just getting a look in person at it, made me a whole lot more interested. I like the set up and appearance of the machine...plus, the 130 and 145 machines are pretty much ideal size wise, and I gotta admit I like the reduced radius tail swing design!Originally Posted by wvincent
@Dan_S, hopefully you can get a dealer to let you demo one. Just running one sold me on them.
Sounds like you and I are in the same line of work, so maybe you can solve this mystery for me? What is it about a hole in the ground that attracts people so badly? It's like triple the attraction if there is a machine there actively digging it. Just drives me f*cking nuts! They just have to sneak right up to the edge and peer over while your working, never thinking that bucket is coming out of the hole as soon as its full.
"And for a regular dude I’m maybe okay...but what I learned is if there’s a door, I’m going out it not in it"-Duke
"Just because a girl sleeps with her brother doesn't mean she's easy..."-Blues
I always thought a proximity sensor on machinery that detected humans and animals would be possible and a great addition to machinery.
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Big machines fascinate me. I lack ability or common sense needed to run such. Hence I am a riding lawn mower guy, or was. My relevant question is do people vandalize or steal batteries of other stuff from this equipment when parked and not in use like at night? I would hesitate to leave one unattended.
It’s a contest to see if you can get smashed, squished, or otherwise turned into red goo...@Dan_S, hopefully you can get a dealer to let you demo one. Just running one sold me on them.
Sounds like you and I are in the same line of work, so maybe you can solve this mystery for me? What is it about a hole in the ground that attracts people so badly? It's like triple the attraction if there is a machine there actively digging it. Just drives me f*cking nuts! They just have to sneak right up to the edge and peer over while your working, never thinking that bucket is coming out of the hole as soon as its full.
Like everything else, it's all regional. I travel with a key ring that contains a Cat, Deere, Hitachi, Komatsu, Kubota, Case and Bobcat keys. Unless you special order your own key, the machines share a common key across their lines. I haven't met a machine they didn't fit when I needed it to. I can't be the only one that has those key rings. I need them to move stuff out of my way on job sites, or to load a machine I've been hired to move and the operator took his key with him. Machines disappear fairly rarely, and I've never had anything stolen off my rental machines... but that is in my area of the world. All of my machines have tracking systems on them, and most new machines come with those trackers right from the dealer.
Never had a machine vandalized, yet. Fuel is not an issue right now due to time of year and low fuel prices. As it gets closer to cold weather I start doing a lot more risk management. My policy is everything gets fueled and greased at the end of the day, to prevent condensation issues, and pins and bushings take grease easier when warm. Also gives the ability to plan for maintenance or repairs. If needed, we just fuel in the morning, and on Monday's. No sense leaving a full fuel tank over the weekend in a sketchy area.
We just make sure we grab all the easily portable, high dollar items like lasers, radios, and locating equipment.
Hotel parking lots are actually a lot riskier. I mean sketchy as f**k.
"And for a regular dude I’m maybe okay...but what I learned is if there’s a door, I’m going out it not in it"-Duke
"Just because a girl sleeps with her brother doesn't mean she's easy..."-Blues
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