Need to diversify company

[rbh]

Re: Need to diversify company

Hey RBH........
One thing we've got going for us, neither one "has" to find a different job. If we find something that floats our boat(lol) then great. If not, we can continue what we're doing.....

Some how I need to put together quantity of work over quallity of life, just for a little while anyways.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Need to diversify company

Hey, Musky, how about a complimentary business ... Lawn & garden center, maybe add some farming necessities, etc. kind of like a Tractor Supply with actual service ... Hard and soft landscaping, lawnscaping, etc. That convenience/gas store would be good for that at right price...

Hey 'speck. That's the thing, the price is waaay too high. I would assume too if you changed the business those tanks would have to come out of the ground, pumps removed etc... $$$ Farmng stuff, a L&M Fleet Supply just opened up in the town where everyone has to buy groceries. It's like a Tractor Supply, Farm Fleet, Fleet Farm etc.... The hard/soft scape is covered to by another new, rather large outfit. I think opening up a store, any store would be a little scary in this economy. Providing a home based service seems to be the way to go at the moment.

Some how I need to put together quantity of work over quallity of life, just for a little while anyways.

Hi rbh. That's where I was at last winter. I can probably count my fingers and one foot how many days I worked. So, I understand what you're going thru.

This spring has been good so far. Plenty of rain, grass is growing good. Picked up a few side jobs too. However, my Kubota zero turn(3rd season) is having intermittent electrical issues. At times the gauges bounce around and the engine will miss(diesel). Couple times it would shut off with the key! A wire must be grounding out somewhere, or, a loose connection. The shop where I bought it from couldn't find anything. They blew out all the wire harness connections. They had running fine for a couple hours, of course. Worked for a few minutes for me. The owner is willing to come to a jobsite when it starts acting up again. He's about 40mins away. They actually have great customer service. They have treated me very well throughout the years.

Problems right before the major summer holiday.:facepalm:

Has business picked up?

 

[rbh]

Re: Need to diversify company

Morning Wimusky-
Well lets see, HMMM, nope no work yet, I have one job pending as soon as they do the electrical work first, primary power is to close to the comunication zone on the pole (limit of approach)
Talking to another mill that needs its fiber cable re and re'd on the pole line, waiting to here back from them.
I am going to start doing cold calls around the area for my ditch witch, one farmer was very interested so they could put down tile/drain pipe to dry out a field.
And on a "HAPPY NOTE", I got the old yammy xt600 up and going with all the lights working and going to put a plate on it so I can legally go for a ride down the road.

(OH, when your lights and gauges go wonkey its either a bad ground or bad power lead and as you said the diesel solinoid was shutting the motor down (solinoid is grounded to the motor I believe), so I suspect you have a bad conection at the ignition switch or the battery cables loose.)

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Need to diversify company

Hope some of your leads come thru so you can get some cashflow!

I started it today and didn't move it. After it got up to op temp I started grabbing every wire I could find and wiggled it. Never skipped a beat. As soon as I started mowing, bam, gauges went crazy and it started missing. aLMOST TO THE POint of shutting down. It will do this when the mower is sitting still. It's running now and the gauges are dead and I can't shut it off at the ign. switch. Then the gauges will start bouncing again, almost kills, gauges go dead and idles fine. I don't believe it's the bat cables. I diconnected them yesterday to try and killl the motor. Kept running.

I guess they had 3 different guys ride it at the shop yesterday and it ran fine for everyone. When I get on it for 5 minutes it runs like crap. I must have a magic butt! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......................................

 

[rbh]

Re: Need to diversify company

Hope some of your leads come thru so you can get some cashflow!

I started it today and didn't move it. After it got up to op temp I started grabbing every wire I could find and wiggled it. Never skipped a beat. As soon as I started mowing, bam, gauges went crazy and it started missing. aLMOST TO THE POint of shutting down. It will do this when the mower is sitting still. It's running now and the gauges are dead and I can't shut it off at the ign. switch. Then the gauges will start bouncing again, almost kills, gauges go dead and idles fine. I don't believe it's the bat cables. I diconnected them yesterday to try and killl the motor. Kept running.

I guess they had 3 different guys ride it at the shop yesterday and it ran fine for everyone. When I get on it for 5 minutes it runs like crap. I must have a magic butt! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......................................

Kill switch in the seat shorting out?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Need to diversify company

Not sure. I've disconnected it at one point and it didn't make any difference.

I went out there now. Gauges still dead and wouldn't shut off. Also, all the safety devices not working(brake, blade control, control arms. That stuff should kill the motor too).Hit the kill switch. Died. Tried to start it right away, nothing. Let it sit for a minute, started, gauges working fine and idling fine. Could it be a heat issue with electricals someplace? Banging my head! I'm still wondering about the ign switch. I brought it to the impl. owner and mechanic's attention yesterday. The mechanic claimed he looked at it. I really have my doubts from just looking at the multiple panel screws that would need to come out to check it....

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Need to diversify company

Problem solved. As we thought, 1 of the 2 main culprits, bad ground. Not that it was loose or anything. From factory, the battery ground and a smaller gauge wire(not sure what for) was grounded to the motor mount. With 99% of engine mounts there's a peice of rubber for vibration, aS WE ALL KNOW. Well, apparently after 2 years, it wasn't getting a very good ground. The ground was moved to the frame and all is well. The owner was apologizing left and right that it wasn't discovered yesterday. Apparently, there was a bulletin about that issue at some point. I was able to get the mower to act out like it did when I was using it. Before I left, I think I about mowed their entire grounds....

Another mechanic is heading to Mn to fix the same problem on a guys mower which is just like mine. He left before mine was fixed. Wonder how long it will take him before he calls the shop, or, makes a change(maybe the wrong one) and has to head back with the proper fix??????

 

[rbh]

Re: Need to diversify company

Glad you found the issue and it was an easy fix.

So whats up now?
You said you were an IT guy at one time, what about mobile computer fixer for your area?

And who is doing irrigation lines around you or water pumps and systems?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Need to diversify company

There are computer fixer uppers. Irrigation? Ya know, I'm really not sure.... That has possibilities.

Any of your "feelers" get carved in stone today?

When all else fails, jump on that yammy and ride! Toys always makes the world just a little bit better even if it's only for a short time....

 

[rbh]

Re: Need to diversify company

It seems our primary work for the catv/telco is not coming about as much as I hoped it would so it is back cold calling for private work.
So with great gusto yesterday I made about 30 calls and as every one knows the work this year is slow all over, "BUT" this one person I talked with is very happy to hear from me when I mentioned I had an auger truck that could drill shallow wells as it seems just in the valley below us thats how they get thier water as the overburden to get a drilled well is very deep (120+feet till bedrock, thats alot of caseing.
So I now keep up the cold calls and hope this guy gets some contracts.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Need to diversify company

Ya know, I was just thinking about resurrecting this thread! Glad to hear you have a lead. Sounds like you may get a few jobs, at least, out of it....

I'm starting to spin my wheels. Lawns are about done. Next month I'll have a few "leaf" jobs, but that will be it until the snow flies. Pushing my winter stuff now. I've just started to advertise for plowing and home/cabin watch. Going to run the ad until the first of the year. Longer if it starts to pay off. Had a couple calls for plowing(word of mouth). Landed one and need to call the other. Need to send out my contracts for return customers this week too.

Mower acted up just like before. "I" went ahead and cranked on all the grounds, some weren't tight enough to my liking, and blew the connections out again. Worked fine for quite a while. Acted up recently. Blew everything out again and all is well. Now I made a jumper for the seat safety switch. "When" I have problems again I'll bypass the switch, which in turn bypasses all other safety switches, with this jumper. If it works, I'll leave the jumper in and call it good. This problem is getting irritating.