What is the farthest you like to run loaders between sites?

[PhilFromErie]

For guys that use loaders on multiple sites, whats the most distance you like to run them? Say a guy has sites about 1-1.5 acres about 2-3 miles apart, is it worth it to run it to a site 5 miles away? I'd have a folding pusher and they're night only plows.

[Mick76]

Mine are dedicated to the lots they sit on. Unless they are newer loaders with ride control I wouldnt want to road them too many miles... bumpy and too slow on the road... Id say max for me would be a mile but I wouldnt do it for a acre lot... Id do those with a truck... jmo....good luck!

[RLM]

Our route that we road the machine on is probably 8 miles round trip with them making 6 stops, smallest lot us probably an acre or so largest is about 3. Loader is a 2007 that will do about 22 mph, works out well. There are times when we do tge last lot which is the smallest with a truck but not often.

[csi.northcoast]

our bigger loaders we usually do not road, but our backhoes we have roaded them a couple of miles ... also depends on the size of the pusher.... ( on noe route we do use to take it off and trailer it to the next site....not any more pita

[Rc2505]

I trailer my pusher behind my loader with a set of running gear I made into a flatbed. I haven't really gone more than about 2 miles during a snow event, but I would go up to about 5 or so if the need called for it.

[PhilFromErie]

My route would be basically about what RLM said, may be a bit longer. I would think that the increase in speed clearing the snow would make up in reduced travel time with the loader

[buildinon]

The only time I have moved "loaders" around locally was during the blizzard of 2001 here in Chicago. I actully had to call my cousin (who owns the semi's and trailers that transports them for me) during the aftermath of the storm to move them around to other sites to help catch up. Other than that I do move around some skids on a regular route. They are moved behind a F-450 that also has a plow on it so they are both working on site. It is all done inside the City of Chicago so sometimes you have to be creative b/c you either can not leave equipment there due to lack of space or for security reasons. The skid that gets moved around has a HLA Snowwing on it that works great in the city.

[forestfireguy]

We have a Hyundai 740-3 2.5 yard loader that runs about 10 miles during an event, we have folding 14 pusher on it. Works great. The reality is that traffic is super light during snow, and by the time the snow lightens up and traffic builds the loader is to it's last site, which is lterally around the corner from our yard. We also road our backhoes as needed, for stacking and removal, only during snow events, if roads are dry and they're going more than a mile or so, they get trailered

[Neige]

The choice really comes down to how much money are you going to make with that machine. You have (X) time to preform your work, and (Y) amount of income in that time frame. Is your machine still profitable if you are losing 20% of (X) while you road your machine? Only you can answer that. Most of my loaders are on dedicated sites, so they do not lose any time traveling from site to site. I do have one loader that has to drive 8.5 miles to a site and back, so 1 hour of travel time. Since my (X) time is 6 hours, I build that 1 hour of travel time into that clients price, making that loader just as profitable as my dedicated site loaders. JMO

[buildinon]

Opps...I meant the blizzard of 2011 not 2001...my bad typo

But Niege that is very true. And the factor of being able to "road" or "drive" them on the streets where you live comes into play as well. Here in the Chicagoland area that is VERY VERY frowned upon. Atleast in the areas that I work in. The only time that I have seen them not say anything was during extreme times, like heavy heavy snows and blizzrd conditions. Not sure about others, but that is my experience.

Plus around here you have the theft factor. Especially the last few years, alot of equipment has been disappering. Even in broad daylight. I know of even a member on here that it happened to in the Chicagoland area that was on the news and in the papers. So some of us have become more hesitant about leaving eqiupment at lots. They are stealing bobcats and even full size loaders as well as trucks and salters.

But you had a great point about the cost factor and what you have to adjust for each and every person.

[JD Dave]

Originally Posted by buildinon

Opps...I meant the blizzard of 2011 not 2001...my bad typo

But Niege that is very true. And the factor of being able to "road" or "drive" them on the streets where you live comes into play as well. Here in the Chicagoland area that is VERY VERY frowned upon. Atleast in the areas that I work in. The only time that I have seen them not say anything was during extreme times, like heavy heavy snows and blizzrd conditions. Not sure about others, but that is my experience.

Plus around here you have the theft factor. Especially the last few years, alot of equipment has been disappering. Even in broad daylight. I know of even a member on here that it happened to in the Chicagoland area that was on the news and in the papers. So some of us have become more hesitant about leaving eqiupment at lots. They are stealing bobcats and even full size loaders as well as trucks and salters.

But you had a great point about the cost factor and what you have to adjust for each and every person.

You can make portable compounds and such to detere thieves. Also battery shut offs and fuel pump switches can help also. All of our equipment is left onsite but during a storm you see loaders and tractors driving all over, it's common practice. I know some tractors that do a 25 mile route. Neige said it best. I hate my equipment seeing salt so the least we can drive them in the salt the better.

[PhilFromErie]

See I look at it a bit difrentley, I have the loaders and tractors for our farms and construction work, I could bid these sites and use a loader that I already have or I could bid them and may be have to buy another truck or 2 and thats not the end of the world but why spend the money when I dont have to. I figured in all reality how much faster is a truck than a loader in town where the speed limit is 35 anyhow and the sites are 2 miles or so apart.

[SHAWZER]

I leave 3 loaders parked in town,2 under a large pole shed,( no snow to clean off them ) pluged in. The smallest one at another site ( open air ) pluged in.Everything within 2 miles, always travel on side steets, no problems yet. Keep my spare loader at home (4 miles from town) pluged in. Just in case my truck and v-blade get stuck in middle of road,trying to get to town! Lock everything i can with own padlocks.Keeps the honest thieves away!

[buildinon]

The thieves here in Chicago have gotten REALLY REALLY good. One guy I know had a GPS tracker on his unit, got to the site and all that was there was the tracker not the loader. That is just one example.

When the thefts were real deep last season and earlier this year they did a story on the news here, and according to the insurance company spokesman it is "real pro's" doing the work. They have been stealing the equipment and shipping it out of the country never to be seen agian. I know there is alot you can do to deter them, but I personally just chosen to go another route.

By using a skid with a HLA SB3200W611 ( 6 foot snowing that opens up to 11 foot wide) I can trailer it around inside the City of Chicago during a storm without ever having to remove the blade. With the blade closed it fits right on the trailer. With this setup I can bring it right back to the lot after the storm and not have to leave it on site.

[Rat_Power_78]

Originally Posted by Neige

The choice really comes down to how much money are you going to make with that machine. You have (X) time to preform your work, and (Y) amount of income in that time frame. Is your machine still profitable if you are losing 20% of (X) while you road your machine? Only you can answer that. Most of my loaders are on dedicated sites, so they do not lose any time traveling from site to site. I do have one loader that has to drive 8.5 miles to a site and back, so 1 hour of travel time. Since my (X) time is 6 hours, I build that 1 hour of travel time into that clients price, making that loader just as profitable as my dedicated site loaders. JMO

Originally Posted by buildinon

Opps...I meant the blizzard of 2011 not 2001...my bad typo

But Niege that is very true. And the factor of being able to "road" or "drive" them on the streets where you live comes into play as well. Here in the Chicagoland area that is VERY VERY frowned upon. Atleast in the areas that I work in. The only time that I have seen them not say anything was during extreme times, like heavy heavy snows and blizzrd conditions. Not sure about others, but that is my experience.

Plus around here you have the theft factor. Especially the last few years, alot of equipment has been disappering. Even in broad daylight. I know of even a member on here that it happened to in the Chicagoland area that was on the news and in the papers. So some of us have become more hesitant about leaving eqiupment at lots. They are stealing bobcats and even full size loaders as well as trucks and salters.

But you had a great point about the cost factor and what you have to adjust for each and every person.

Originally Posted by PhilFromErie

See I look at it a bit difrentley, I have the loaders and tractors for our farms and construction work, I could bid these sites and use a loader that I already have or I could bid them and may be have to buy another truck or 2 and thats not the end of the world but why spend the money when I dont have to. I figured in all reality how much faster is a truck than a loader in town where the speed limit is 35 anyhow and the sites are 2 miles or so apart.

I think it really depends on the community and how much iron you have. Around here, we are in a small community and nobody leaves things on-site except a pusher or two on larger sites. Most of us drive everything-start out at the shop and drive site to site no matter if you are using a pickup, skid loader, backhoe or wheel loader (sorry Niege, nobody has big tractors here). For our area, most contractors cant afford to own enough iron to dedicate machines to a site and with it being a relatively small town (compared to Chicago and such) it just works better to drive it. The only exception I see is a few guys who run smaller skid loaders and live outside of town. Ive only seen one guy trailer his site to site though. As a side benefit, if you dont keep it on site, you probably are able to keep it under a roof and therefore dont have to clean snow off it before you can start going.