When I was a truck and tractor tyre fitter, I used to get to drive all sorts of machinery, Bobcats were my fav.
One day I go to a timber and garden supplies store just north of Sydney to replace the tyres on a Bobcat. The guy who worked there saw me having problems with a faulty traction lock button; I couldn't get the bloody thing to turn, it just gave a horrible graunching noise. He decided to help by coming up from behind with a large fork lift (without me knowing) and drove the tynes straight under the arse of the bobcat and up I go...
...In a panic I push the drive leavers forward thinking I've somehow done a wheel-stand and need to slow it down some. The right-side wheels catches the tyne of the forklift and over I go slamming the cat onto it's left side from an approx 2-3 foot drop smacking my head into the roll bar.
Half a dozen employees and a boss come straight over and helped me out. I had cuts on my leg and concussion from a padded roll bar and in a complete daze wondering how the hell the Bobcat launched itself in the air. A witness filled me in on what happened and ol' mate on the fork was given the ominous 'come see me in my office' adage and I never saw him again.
I was there a year later to see a new Bobcat and a guy who could REALLY drive it. Apart from the regular wheelies and doughnuts, he demonstrated to my utter amazement; a pirouette on one wheel!
They should train people to do this in the endless closed-but-still-intact lane leading up to the actual construction zone. It would give people sitting in traffic something to do besides watch their blood pressure rise and yammer on their phones.
12/11/08
Needs more beep, beep, beep when it backs up, though.
12/11/08
One day I go to a timber and garden supplies store just north of Sydney to replace the tyres on a Bobcat. The guy who worked there saw me having problems with a faulty traction lock button; I couldn't get the bloody thing to turn, it just gave a horrible graunching noise. He decided to help by coming up from behind with a large fork lift (without me knowing) and drove the tynes straight under the arse of the bobcat and up I go...
...In a panic I push the drive leavers forward thinking I've somehow done a wheel-stand and need to slow it down some. The right-side wheels catches the tyne of the forklift and over I go slamming the cat onto it's left side from an approx 2-3 foot drop smacking my head into the roll bar.
Half a dozen employees and a boss come straight over and helped me out. I had cuts on my leg and concussion from a padded roll bar and in a complete daze wondering how the hell the Bobcat launched itself in the air. A witness filled me in on what happened and ol' mate on the fork was given the ominous 'come see me in my office' adage and I never saw him again.
I was there a year later to see a new Bobcat and a guy who could REALLY drive it. Apart from the regular wheelies and doughnuts, he demonstrated to my utter amazement; a pirouette on one wheel!
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Torque is a mutha! 15 tons adjusted for weight balancing with the appearance of lifting the ends of a level... NO PROBLEM!
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12/11/08
It's a Ligerpillar. What's a Ligerpiller? Just the most awesome animal ever.