New tools you've bought recently?

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I didn't know that such a thing even existed. The big wheels on my off road jack has been a game changer for working in the gravel driveway but it's movement is relatively static compared to a creeper.

I can see moving around, even with the bigger wheels being a problem. I'm looking forward to if the new wheels make a difference or not before I take the leap.

I put 6” casters like what came on that creeper on my engine hoist. Makes it easier to move around but it still doesn’t work well on gravel.

 

[sgtsandman]

I put 6” casters like what came on that creeper on my engine hoist. Makes it easier to move around but it still doesn’t work well on gravel.

Speaking of which, I'm considering a wheel change on my engine puller but I was thinking pneumatic or flat free tires. I'll need to take some measurements before I commit in order to make sure the base would clear the axles. The metal wheels it has just auger right into the dirt and gravel without a load on the puller, never mind it carrying a load.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Speaking of which, I'm considering a wheel change on my engine puller but I was thinking pneumatic or flat free tires. I'll need to take some measurements before I commit in order to make sure the base would clear the axles. The metal wheels it has just auger right into the dirt and gravel without a load on the puller, never mind it carrying a load.

I considered pneumatic tires, but flat free seem like a better choice for something like that. I think a much wider tire is needed than what I have to have any chance on gravel. I knew what I bought may or may not be great but it was what I could find that wasn’t excessively expensive at the time. I made brackets to mount them on my hoist where it only sat a little taller than it did with the original steel casters.

 

[gaz]

When I need to work on gravel (that I am permitted to level) I drop down a working pad/field of 2" thick pavers.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

When I need to work on gravel (that I am permitted to level) I drop down a working pad/field of 2" thick pavers.

I’ve been considering doing this now that I have a workshop. Also been considering trying to get my hands on a metal carport to put over it so I have something more useful than fighting the weather all the time. Eventually I’ll have a real garage up, but realistically that’s about 2-3 years out the way things have been going and I’m fed up with having nothing.

 

[gaz]

Though I am a proclaimed enemy of The A.I., it continues to alert me to the items I want, whether I need them or not. In this case I could not hold back, my favorite knife company, favorite model and in the FOREVER sold out design;
• S.O.G. Terminus XR, flipper lock blade in Blackout with walnut scales...holiday slashed price!!

It is now my new church knife

 

[sgtsandman]

When I need to work on gravel (that I am permitted to level) I drop down a working pad/field of 2" thick pavers.

I would love to have a space like that. I need to have the driveway dug out and new gravel laid first. The driveway is currently significantly elevated compared to the surrounding ground due to just dumping more gravel on the driveway by the previous owners over the years. A paved driveway would be even better but the cost would be too prohibitive.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The shop I work at is plywood floor. We work on class 8 trucks, mainly Volvo. The plywood is laid over asphalt tailings and enclosed by 40' seacans 2 sides and insulated tarps for the roof and walls. Natural gas indirect heat. (Can't think of the correct term...)

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I would love to have a space like that. I need to have the driveway dug out and new gravel laid first. The driveway is currently significantly elevated compared to the surrounding ground due to just dumping more gravel on the driveway by the previous owners over the years. A paved driveway would be even better but the cost would be too prohibitive.

If I can ever get back to fixing the dump truck and skid steer, we can talk about your driveway. It would also be possible to pour 20-30’ of it in front of the garage in concrete, would give you a solid work area and be less expensive than doing the whole driveway.

I don’t have the option of pouring concrete here, anything I do at my parents property has to be temporary. Thus the pavers my temporary shop is on. When I can get to leveling things out on my property, I want to pour some concrete and set up my garage and my temporary shop may get moved over there unless dad wants to use it for something.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I think it was @holyford86 did an "off road" upgrade to his cherry picker. I liked it enough I saved the image. But... I lost it when my laptop went all blue screen of death.

Maybe he can post it again?

 

[JoshT]

I didn't know that such a thing even existed. The big wheels on my off road jack has been a game changer for working in the gravel driveway but it's movement is relatively static compared to a creeper.

I can see moving around, even with the bigger wheels being a problem. I'm looking forward to if the new wheels make a difference or not before I take the leap.

Offroad creepers don't really exist, just big wheel creepers. I think they are really meant more for rough surfaces like asphalt or maybe compacted gravel, and if you're lucky maybe they'll work ok on a hard packed dirt surface. Actually they'd probably work better on the hard packed dirt than on compacted gravel.

I won't really be able to comment on how it would perform with stock 1-1.5" wide caster wheels because I never even installed them. I'm taking a chance and hoping that that this thing will work for what I want with the wide wheels. If it won;t, it wouldn;t have worked with the narrow wheels either.

If all goes well, and I get my azz moving in the morning, it'll be going under the house tomorrow. We'll see how well it works, but I don't know if a demonstration will be possible. Even if I liked being on camers I don;t have a way to set up and record a video of it.

I put 6” casters like what came on that creeper on my engine hoist. Makes it easier to move around but it still doesn’t work well on gravel.

Even with the wider wheels, I wouldn't want to think about trying this or an engine hoist over loose gravel. Aside from dirt and grass, the roughest thing I'd probably try it out on is some crush and run that has been in place and packed down for near 20 years now.

The shop I work at is plywood floor. We work on class 8 trucks, mainly Volvo. The plywood is laid over asphalt tailings and enclosed by 40' seacans 2 sides and insulated tarps for the roof and walls. Natural gas indirect heat. (Can't think of the correct term...)

I'm assuming that asphalt tailings is the same thing I usually see referred to as millings here. Basically ground up old asphalt. How does the plywood work out when you need to use a jack and/or jack stands?

I'd consider a structure like that if not for 2 issues. First I want a lift, so I'd still need/want to dig a foundation and pour concrete for that. Second, asphalt sucks during the heat of summer. Being under the shelter and covered by plywood would probably negate the heat issue, but the ambient air temperatures would still bring out the smell.

Here recently I was thinking about doing a structure of that nature for a shop at the new property I'm looking at. Place two 40' containers with trusses and a roof between them. Initially I'd use them for locking storage, and maybe turn half of one into a makeshift hunting cabin (basic lights, bed, heat and air) until I get a house built and move. I'd want 30-40 foot beetween the containers and eventually I'd want to frame it in. I've got a while to think on that. I don't even know that I'm getting the property yet.

Eventually I’ll have a real garage up, but realistically that’s about 2-3 years out the way things have been going and I’m fed up with having nothing.

Hopefully that goes better for you than it did for me. I've been saying the same thing for a decade or more. Closest I got was a carport and a storage shed, neither of which ever really got set up for working in. Now I guess I'm grateful that it never happened, if it had I'd have more money into this place that I'd never get back. At least I can get the 8x16 storage building moved to the new place when the time comes. The 24x26 carport will probably stay here. Going to be kind of awakard getting the inoperable vehicles moved, especially since one of them should really be in a scrap yard. It's got parts I want to keep and I don't have a better place to keep them than on it.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

" Here recently I was thinking about doing a structure of that nature for a shop at the new property I'm looking at. Place two 40' containers with trusses and a roof between them. Initially I'd use them for locking storage, and maybe turn half of one into a makeshift hunting cabin (basic lights, bed, heat and air) until I get a house built and move. I'd want 30-40 foot beetween the containers and eventually I'd want to frame it in. "

This is what I'm working in. Yes, asphalt millings. Plywood looks like its been treated, but may be just lots of spilled oil and paint dust. The building is used for painting the trucks and beds as well as general repairs. No major mechanical but lots of jack and jackstand use. I haven't noticed a smell, and we have another tarp structure with no plywood on the floor. No smell may be because its so old?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Even with the wider wheels, I wouldn't want to think about trying this or an engine hoist over loose gravel. Aside from dirt and grass, the roughest thing I'd probably try it out on is some crush and run that has been in place and packed down for near 20 years now.

I’m calling it gravel, but it’s crushed limestone I’m on here. Half of it is 2b and half is still #3 base. It’s packed down half decent but it’s still rough.

I'm assuming that asphalt tailings is the same thing I usually see referred to as millings here. Basically ground up old asphalt. How does the plywood work out when you need to use a jack and/or jack stands?

I’ve used jacks and jackstands on plywood over the limestone. If you have the base packed down well enough, it works good as long as the plywood doesn’t warp. Get some void spaces and and you start breaking the plywood though.

Hopefully that goes better for you than it did for me. I've been saying the same thing for a decade or more. Closest I got was a carport and a storage shed, neither of which ever really got set up for working in. Now I guess I'm grateful that it never happened, if it had I'd have more money into this place that I'd never get back. At least I can get the 8x16 storage building moved to the new place when the time comes. The 24x26 carport will probably stay here. Going to be kind of awakard getting the inoperable vehicles moved, especially since one of them should really be in a scrap yard. It's got parts I want to keep and I don't have a better place to keep them than on it.

I have a temporary garage building. Complete. I don’t have a flat spot on my property big enough to put it up though. That’s the rub. Ideally I need to trench and get the power and internet as underground, finish cleaning up the property, build a retaining wall, and fill in to level up after I strip the topsoil. I need my dump truck and skid steer operational. Instead I’m still trying to get the green Ranger and Choptop to stop costing me time and money for a bit.

 

[JoshT]

No smell may be because its so old?

Possibly that but I'd also imagine climate is a factor. Summers down here in the southern part of the US can get hot enough to soften asphalt. Back when I still road a motorcycle, I had to carry a piece of board with me to put under the kickstand during the hotter parts of summer. If I didn't the bike was likely to be on it's side when I came back out.

Actually had it happen one time in Panama City Beach, FL. Trailered the bike down for either a work trip or family vacation. It wasn't the heat of the summer yet so I though it would be safe and I left my board at home. That afternoon I found a local bikeshop and bought a kickstand pad.

That said, if it was just heat and climate, I should be able to smell the road every summer, but I don't. Maybe it's something about the different chemicals used.