360 Excavator.

[Greb147 6,808]

Been offered the chance to go for my 360 ticket at a very decent price. 

I'm not going to lie I'm far from good on one but always had a play in them given the chance. I can load dumpers and do a decent attempt at a dig but that's about it. 

The easy part is working the levers, the hard part is knowing where to place yourself and working out the best method for each task. 

I don't know if I would ever be good enough to do it full time but I don't want to work on the railways forever, had enough of working Saturday night  after Saturday night. 

The good thing about having the 360 is you will get work anyway in the world, who knows what the future brings and I should imagine it would come in very handy indeed. 

Has anyone on here got the ticket, what's your thoughts on it and the options it gives you? 

[Greb147 6,808]

2 minutes ago, baker boy said:

Go for it, my mate did it, hated the railway working nearly every weekend, he's on civils work now midweek and still doing weekends on RRVs..

Hahahaha that's exactly what I don't want to be doing, the money might be decent but there's no point in being the richest fella in the graveyard. 

I'd be happy enough doing the odd Sat or Sun day should I feel like it. 

Did he go for the course later in life? 

[Arry 18,626]

Go for it mate. If you don't you will aways wished you had. I'm retired now and got tickets on Granddad rights. Had a Ground Works business so I used to hire small machines and sort of taught myself then moved up to bigger and bigger stuff. Most is common sense you know how it should be done. Go for it and good luck.

Cheers Arry

[Greb147 6,808]

11 minutes ago, Arry said:

Go for it mate. If you don't you will aways wished you had. I'm retired now and got tickets on Granddad rights. Had a Ground Works business so I used to hire small machines and sort of taught myself then moved up to bigger and bigger stuff. Most is common sense you know how it should be done. Go for it and good luck.

Cheers Arry

Think I'm going to pal. The good thing is my company accepts NPORS so if I pass I can help them out and jump on the stock pile when needed, just try to get as much experience as possible. 

I've found though when played I've  in them, what looks so easy and obvious to you from the outside watching somebody else, doesn't look quite so simple when sat in the cab. 

Edited June 17, 2020 by Greb147

[Greb147 6,808]

4 minutes ago, baker boy said:

In his early 30s mate, what you doing on railway now, theres plenty of roles that dont entail working weekends

Safety critical and the odd bit of handback engineering, civils work. Both require plenty of weekend work. 

I don't think I could see myself in the office though mate, grafted since I started in 2003 on doing P-Way. 

[Arry 18,626]

1 minute ago, Greb147 said:

Think I'm going to pal. The good thing is my company accepts NPORS so if I pass I can help them out and jump on the stock pile when needed, just try to get as much experience as possible. 

I've found though when played I've  in them, what looks so easy and obvious to you from the outside watching somebody else doesn't look quite so simple when sat in the cab. 

I you can practice grading. After a while its sort of becomes like riding a bike or apart of you sort of thing. Always try and better yourself.

Cheers Arry

[Greb147 6,808]

5 minutes ago, Arry said:

I you can practice grading. After a while its sort of becomes like riding a bike or apart of you sort of thing. Always try and better yourself.

Cheers Arry

I've found I'm better at doing a grade when I use the back of the bucket but I've been told you're not meant to do that, you're meant to use the blade of the bucket and take off little layers at a time? 

I've noticed when I try to use the blade of the bucket as I pull the bucket closer to me I always end up raising it off the ground so ineed to keep dropping my arm to stay in contact with the earth. 

Edited June 17, 2020 by Greb147

[Arry 18,626]

1 minute ago, Greb147 said:

I've found I'm betting doing a grade when I use the back of the bucket but I've been told you're not meant to do that, you're meant to use the blade of the bucket and take off little layers at a time? 

I've noticed when I try to use the blade of the bucket as I pull the bucket closer to me I always end up raising it so need to keep dropping my arm to stay in contact with the earth. 

It all comes with the more you use it, back of bucket good if the ground is wet. It's all about safety these days christ we would hung now for what we used to do Lol.

Cheers Arry

[Greb147 6,808]

6 minutes ago, Arry said:

It all comes with the more you use it, back of bucket good if the ground is wet. It's all about safety these days christ we would hung now for what we used to do Lol.

Cheers Arry

Yeah and I suppose you can't really use the blade when you are levelling big sized stone or else you would rip it up, the back of the bucket gives it a little compaction. 

Like you said it's all practice, at least by getting the ticket I can actually sit one and learn properly instead of jumping in now and again when nobody is about. 

Edited June 17, 2020 by Greb147

[forest of dean redneck 11,191]

Not Done It Myself Apart From Loaded dumpers for one day years ago.

Dad did it from the 70s jcbs,slews and even hgv but not artics, 

Only thing is the machines are lot better than they were back then and it's better than being on a spade or humping kerbs around,

[Qbgrey 3,987]

Yup its the way of doing certain tasks,footing you have to think about which leg do do first so you dont checkmate yourselve.also going up,down piles.not dragging stone into tracks all the time.i just bought a new machine,but i get bored on them if too long.u always tell new lads,lower the revs,make it smooth.not full bore ripping you out the seat.

[fireman 10,774]

1 hour ago, forest of dean redneck said:

Not Done It Myself Apart From Loaded dumpers for one day years ago.

Dad did it from the 70s jcbs,slews and even hgv but not artics, 

Only thing is the machines are lot better than they were back then and it's better than being on a spade or humping kerbs around,

When your sat in a machine all day every day it drives you mad mate,same old shite on the radio,no banter with the lads and ok it's warm when it's wet but the piles sure ain't worth it..I spend a lot of time in a teleporter rather than a digger but feck doing it 8 hours every day even though i am a bloody good driver of one....

[Odin 183]

Done a fair bit in machines as well mate, fxxk  that ,drives you crackers

[Daniel cain 42,893]

Any clown can load a wagon/dumper... Seen lads that been in the quarry 30 yrs.....come on site, Can't drive for shit when digging footings, around live services, tarmac etc. All the best machine drivers started off on the ground.... Go for it mate, Practice makes perfect, just remember your only as good as your banksmanif they on the phone all the time, not paying attention, then f**k them off sharpish

[fireman 10,774]

Just now, Daniel cain said:

Any clown can load a wagon/dumper... Seen lads that been in the quarry 30 yrs.....come on site, Can't drive for shit when digging footings, around live services, tarmac etc. All the best machine drivers started off on the ground.... Go for it mate, Practice makes perfect, just remember your only as good as your banksmanif they on the phone all the time, not paying attention, then f**k them off sharpish

Got to learn to drive a spade before driving any machine,