crawlers for hire?

[Lavoy]

The problem with loaning or renting these old girls out is the operator. Take a guy that can part your hair with a newer crawler with 6 way, hydro and all the goodies. It may take him inside of 10 minutes to destroy the gear type reverser on a 420 because he thinks it is on tracks so it should operate just like his new $100,000 machine and he doesn't care what anybody says.
I like to go out West snowmobiling in the mountains. There is always myself or someone else that has a rental sled. If someone else breaks down, EVERYONE always says pull it back with the rental! In fact, one of the places we frequent in West Yellowstone had a shirt one time that said "Life is short, ride it like a rental sled!"
To me, it is not worth the risk, it may still be running when you get it back, but die shortly thereafter. If you get a couple hundred dollars rent, then spend 4 days and $1000 fixing a trashed reverser, or worse, you are not making much money. How about a smashed grille or hood, twisted up and ruined fender, real easy to do, maybe real spendy to fix, or maybe can't find one at all.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem working these old girls, but the only guy that sits in the seat is me if it is working hard and not playing around.
Lavoy

[digitup2]

As a contractor I know if you have to repo you will get respect from the right cliantell .The ones that tell you any different ignore them .I drained a farm for a large operation 7years ago installation and tile on 106 acres of swamp hole and changed it to top dollar farm land I never got paid for four years[a 100 thousand investment ]and his 20 year old kid tells me you won't do nothing about it It was the hardest thing I ever did to get a sherrifs siezure and sale on that farm .But I got MY MONEY and still work for all the neighbours .Even did a barn foundation on that farm for the new owner last year I know that the law is different up here than the States depending what one you live in but sometimes the contractor never gets paid and it boils my blood In Ontario starting Jan 1st,08 the rental company is responsible for insurance and to get insurance you need operator experiance on that equipment .This should cut out the [any idiot can rent an excavator for that small job]and let experiance prevale . I find that if you want to be a contractor then contract your jobs .I haven't done work by the hour for years you will make better money if you got a sharp pencil and go to work . I started with a backhoe and I know you take one step at a time but too often you have to step backward as a excavating contractor it seams this can happen to often .Digitup.

[townlineterry]

Yeah, don't you just love it when you get some smartass kid telling you how it is. In spite of every thing I've said and other's comments I still believe "most" people are basically honest. It's just that the jerks are such major jerks they seem to overshadow everbody else. Working as a contractor I've met alot of decent people. You get the occasional expert who has never run a hoe or dozer but know exactly how to do it, but they are a minority. In 14 years of doing this I've only been ripped off 4 times, once was the story above.
I know what you mean about having to step back though. 06 was shaping up to been a great year for us. Then my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer in June, he passed away in October, needless to say we turned down alot of work that season. Then in 07 at the start of the digging season one of our dumptrucks blew the motor, had to do an inframe major, that hurt.



Terry