# New Skid Steer and New Shop



## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Well, big day today. I picked up our new skid steer, well used, but new to me bought it from another landscaper I know well. He is shutting down so I've been buying a lot of his stuff. Its a case 85xt w/ cab and heat. Came with tooth bucket, forks, 9 foot snow bucket, and 9 foot plow. Getting used to the H pattern, I really prefer the ISO pattern, but the price was right and it just worked out, so I can get used to it. Has 2500 hours or so on it. We got a larger account (around 6 acres) this year so I plan on leaving it on site there. It kind of needs a paint job in my opinion. Its not bad, but everything else I have is new and shiny, so I really do need to paint it. Where are guys getting the correct color Case paint? The dealer?

The new shop is right across the alley from my existing one. Its a 20X40 with a second floor loft style thing built into it. The other one is a 20X80. This will be set up more as a "shop" with all the tools, welders, parts, and the other one is pretty much truck, trailer and plow storage.


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## Mike S (Feb 11, 2007)

Nice! Looks Good!


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## wannabeplowing (Feb 9, 2008)

Congrats on the new skid and shop hope the skid serves you well this winter! Need someone to come run it for ya this winterxysport


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

wannabeplowing;850764 said:


> Congrats on the new skid and shop hope the skid serves you well this winter! Need someone to come run it for ya this winterxysport


Thanks, Ya actually I do! haha


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Nice setup there.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Nice looking place, your sure not scared of the monthiles. Good Luck.


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

You can get it from case sunbelt in woburn will have what you looking for . there was another place out of NY magna paints or something like that they sell all kinds of color and good paint.


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## highlander316 (Oct 18, 2006)

looks good! So you are keeping two shops? What is rent like in your area? I'd love to have something that size, but around here it's ridiculous $$$.


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## SuperdutyShane (Mar 6, 2009)

Looks good. Can you post a picture of the 9ft snow bucket? Good luck with the skidsteer this winter.


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## nicksplowing (Oct 5, 2005)

looks like a nice skidder good luck with everything this year


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## snocrete (Feb 28, 2009)

Congrats, and good luck with your new stuff.....where's the pusher/plow for the kubota?


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## Black01Z (Dec 27, 2008)

That Kubota = Awesome


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

JD Dave;850859 said:


> your sure not scared of the monthiles. Good Luck.


Actually, I am haha. I buy my stuff out right, paid cash for the skidder. Got a little left to go on my 3500 dump, but thats it. I don't like the commitment of financing, probably similar to how I cannot begin to think of the commitment of marriage haha.


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

highlander316;851258 said:


> looks good! So you are keeping two shops? What is rent like in your area? I'd love to have something that size, but around here it's ridiculous $$$.


Yes I am, in total they're 2,400 square feet and I am paying $900 a month total including electricity in both. Can park my stuff out front of the bays too.


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## cold_and_tired (Dec 18, 2008)

Man I am so full of jealous rage right now.


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

merrimacmill;851795 said:


> Yes I am, in total they're 2,400 square feet and I am paying $900 a month total including electricity in both. Can park my stuff out front of the bays too.


Cheap rents up there no way i could rent anything like that inculding heat and electric for that much a month never mind it not being NNN


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

cat320;852003 said:


> Cheap rents up there no way i could rent anything like that inculding heat and electric for that much a month never mind it not being NNN


I don't have heat, but most everything is extremely expensive around here which is why this place is sort of a hidden gem. I'm not sure why it is so cheap, but it would explain why there is almost 20 landscapers in the same complex haha.


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## Montosi82 (Dec 4, 2008)

nice set-up... good luck this winter


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## 2brothersyc (Oct 17, 2009)

looks good when it go 2 the lowes?


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## sjosephlawncare (Jan 17, 2008)

more pics of kubota.........please


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

sjosephlawncare;852568 said:


> more pics of kubota.........please


Look in my album, I think there is more there.


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## SuperdutyShane (Mar 6, 2009)

Do you have more pics of the skidsteer with blade and bucket? It looks like a good machine.


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## Snowplow71 (Feb 12, 2008)

The paint looks the same as my loader did. I used "power tan." See my topic "Prepping for Winter." Looks just like my loader did, faded. Wait till you get the price of the decals for that baby. Cost me $700 for mine!


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Snowplow71;852744 said:


> The paint looks the same as my loader did. I used "power tan." See my topic "Prepping for Winter." Looks just like my loader did, faded. Wait till you get the price of the decals for that baby. Cost me $700 for mine!


I'll check out your thread, any tips for the prep of painting the loader? What should I do around the loader pins? I was thinking of having one of my guys sand it down lightly, smoothing out all the scratches, and then bring it to a body shop and have them spray it.

Ya, I was thinking of not putting any Case stickers back on it, and having my sign guy put my logo huge on the two backsides, and then my website very big down the loader arms.

Its going to be sitting on a very high visibility retail site all winter, so I would like some ads on it haha.


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

SuperdutyShane;852699 said:


> Do you have more pics of the skidsteer with blade and bucket? It looks like a good machine.


Heres another picture I have of it. I will grab some of the blade and bucket later.

And a few pictures of the office I'm framing in upstairs in the shop. I have a real office a couple towns over, but thought this would be good for the guys in organizing route sheets, time sheets, route logs, keys, radios, cell phones, all that kind of stuff. Its 12x12x8 feet and will be fully insulated. The wall on the floor with the window is going on the edge of the second floor to overlook the garage.


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## Snowplow71 (Feb 12, 2008)

merrimacmill;852754 said:


> I'll check out your thread, any tips for the prep of painting the loader? What should I do around the loader pins? I was thinking of having one of my guys sand it down lightly, smoothing out all the scratches, and then bring it to a body shop and have them spray it.
> 
> Ya, I was thinking of not putting any Case stickers back on it, and having my sign guy put my logo huge on the two backsides, and then my website very big down the loader arms.
> 
> Its going to be sitting on a very high visibility retail site all winter, so I would like some ads on it haha.


 Well I've got the XT so theres a sh!ltoad of pins up front (14 greasable pins just behind the bucket!) Clean the grease off, and take carb cleaner to it. Best way to find out if you got all the grease off, is to spray a fizz-bomb of primer. It looks to be in great shape, so no sandblasting needed.

Blasting is nice, but I'm still vacuuming sand out of my loader, and my phone! If your not going to re-sticker it, either sand the decals off or try with a razor blade. I like the razor method, then just get the goo off with carb cleaner, seems to take way less time.

Any questions, just send a PM:bluebounc


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## KrisR (Sep 12, 2009)

nice idea with the office, its always good to have a place to crash if someone needs to. plus keep a pot of coffee going at all times


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## SuperdutyShane (Mar 6, 2009)

That thing looks like a pretty good unit. That skidsteer and tractor are awesome. I like the Kubota more though ! I like the idea of the office too. Keep us updated :waving:


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## Snowplow71 (Feb 12, 2008)

BTW, Nice website to! Like it alot. Just getting mine up and going...


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## KL&M Snow Div. (Jan 2, 2009)

Looks good, I would love a place like that.


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

get an eraser wheel at nappa to remove the stickers


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## fisher guy (Nov 11, 2008)

wow collin looking good man moving on up i see. you can just pm me the address of the new shop and the combo for the lock i'll take a tour of it next time im up there in the middle of the night lol naw jokes aside looks real good hit me up sometime


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## fisher guy (Nov 11, 2008)

by the way who is ur sign guy?


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## Craaaig (Dec 10, 2008)

looks good, post pics of the office as it progresses


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Here is the update. Got the walls all up, insulated, all sheathed, window is in, door is framed out. Just got to wrap up the interior and the door install.

I also just bought a new (to me) trailer. Its a 21 foot deckover, 7 ton, Ridgeline. 16 foot flat, 5 foot tail. Got some more updates coming our way, but we're almost ready for winter!


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## deere615 (Jun 1, 2007)

Looking good, you sure are growing fast!


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Snowplow71;852902 said:


> BTW, Nice website to! Like it alot. Just getting mine up and going...


Thanks, I did them myself. The Terra Lawns one is pretty crappy and so was the merrimac mill one. But I JUST updated the merrimac mill one to a website I had a tenant do for me. He will be re-doing my landscaping companies website soon too. Its done in flash, and I think it highlights our building and office space accommodations pretty well.

Here is the link to the new one www.merrimacmill.com Cost wasn't to much for a pro website. I mean its not one of these "build any website for $500!" things, but it wasn't over $3,000.


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## MileHigh (Nov 6, 2007)

Very Nice...


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## fisher guy (Nov 11, 2008)

wow site looks awesome man keep up the good work


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## Craaaig (Dec 10, 2008)

nice site, what is your connection with that building?


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Craaaig;858040 said:


> nice site, what is your connection with that building?


Thanks, the building was bought in 60' and has been passed through the generations. Started out as my grandfathers plastics factory, then my mother converted it into office space. I started working basic maintenance there way back at age 14, and worked my way up into a managerial position. Its now owned and managed by my mother and I.

Why do you ask? Were in NH are you from?


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## Craaaig (Dec 10, 2008)

very nice, l really like the idea of preserving and reusing the mill buildings whether it be commercial or residential, I'm from Londonderry but I live in the Portsmouth area right now


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Craaaig;858082 said:


> very nice, l really like the idea of preserving and reusing the mill buildings whether it be commercial or residential, I'm from Londonderry but I live in the Portsmouth area right now


Thanks, they really are built like no other buildings. 18 inch thick solid brick walls, solid 3.5 inch thick blue stone window sills, 30" by 14" beams and columns, they sure don't built them like that anymore ussmileyflag Everything now a days is 2x4's, and vinyl.

The entire interior was actually painted white. Brick, wood, everything. So we had the entire interior of the building, all 4 floors, sand blasted.


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## Fatality (Jul 14, 2009)

more pictures of the shop!


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## wannabeplowing (Feb 9, 2008)

Well it's a long way for me to come to run that skid loader but I could use a change of scenery, ND can get pretty old LOL!


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Just picked up the new pusher for the skid. Its the protech rubber edge model 10 footer.

Does anyone have any input for me on where I should be adjusting the edge? How far, if any, below the wear shoes?

Thanks


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## Craaaig (Dec 10, 2008)

opinions may differ but i would say 1/2 to 3/4" set the shoes up on some wood or steel around that thickness, on a consistently smooth surface,loosen the bolts and move the edge down to where you want it then tighten the bolts up


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## fisher guy (Nov 11, 2008)

what the hell man i talk to u on the phone and u neglect to tell me about this thing now when i get up there i wanna run that lol looks awesome man


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Craaaig;873068 said:


> opinions may differ but i would say 1/2 to 3/4" set the shoes up on some wood or steel around that thickness, on a consistently smooth surface,loosen the bolts and move the edge down to where you want it then tighten the bolts up


Really that far down? It is around 1/4 inch down and i decided it would be a good idea to doing a little leaf plowing in the yard. I drove like 2 feet and the cutting edge started curling under the pusher, this hardly seemed right. Was that because it was down to far, or because its dry pavement?


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## mklawnman (Jan 29, 2001)

Hey nice shop setup Collin, that shop a 1,000sq foot shop? I have a 50 x 20 unit, its deep like your shop, I've always had people say well build a loft and just live in it, I've always said yeah right, well you just put the idea in my head after you built yours. You bolt that to the floor and wall so it doesnt move? 
Very nice website too by the way.


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

mklawnman;873294 said:


> Hey nice shop setup Collin, that shop a 1,000sq foot shop? I have a 50 x 20 unit, its deep like your shop, I've always had people say well build a loft and just live in it, I've always said yeah right, well you just put the idea in my head after you built yours. You bolt that to the floor and wall so it doesnt move?
> Very nice website too by the way.


I have two bays. One is 40X20 and that one has the loft and the other is 80X20 and that one has the pallet racks for all the plows and such.

thanks for the compliments


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## jomama45 (Dec 25, 2008)

Craaaig;873068 said:


> opinions may differ but i would say 1/2 to 3/4" set the shoes up on some wood or steel around that thickness, on a consistently smooth surface,loosen the bolts and move the edge down to where you want it then tighten the bolts up


We set our's the same way, usually at 1/2". We put a strip of plywood under each side & adjust rubber until it contacts the floor. If you have the box tipped on the back of the shoes as in the picture, the cutting edge IS going to flex back more. Good luck with the box & skid this winter.


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## cleansweep007 (Oct 21, 2008)

Thats a nice setup there !


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## Dissociative (Feb 28, 2007)

umm...put a rail on that stair case.......sorry i had to...


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