Harbor Freight sells a towable backhoe for only $3499

[firebird]

What do you guys think? Can it be used to make digging up paydirt easier?



https://www.harborfreight.com/power...ckhoe/backhoe/9-hp-towable-backhoe-62365.html

 

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[Clay Diggins]

Another "tidbit" for you guys following this. For 5 claims, as stated by Clay, that would be 30, 250 12'x12'x 10 deep holes. If you never got your $2700 bond back, your cost would be less than 9c/hole. Pretty cheap. Those 30,250 holes would be 1.6 million cubic yards of material, packed. Or about 2 million loose yards of dirt and rocks. Better start young...LOL
Jim

Yeah that many holes on a miracle claim maybe. I guess you missed the part I put in bold about the surface disturbance being limited to 5 acres.

I only know of one actively mined desert placer that has a pay area bigger than 5 acres. Only an amateur would dig every foot of a placer claim. I don't think you're an amateur Jim.

These claims are on a desert mountain side with a lot of exposed bedrock. The mineable areas were limited but well worth digging!

I'm thinking Jim if you spent more time studying the law and how it's enforced in the real world of mining instead of spending your time trying to make me out to be a blowhard you and I could get along like brothers.

Back to the topic. I have used one of the Harbor Freight monkey pony show backhoes ... for about five minutes. They are very unstable, easy to high center in rough ground and have the digging force of a small child in rocky ground. I think it would work well if you were working on level ground with loose soil or moving small loads from piles of clean sand or gravel. Think big flat midwestern backyard tool. They are cool to scoot around on but any old man walking by will pass them in a race. They just don't have enough weight and they aren't maneuverable enough to dig the type of ground we encounter here in our mining areas. Maybe if it's different where you mine it could work out for you.

Heavy Pans

 

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[bc5391]

Thanks Clay.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I'm thinking Jim if you spent more time studying the law and how it's enforced in the real world of mining instead of spending your time trying to make me out to be a blowhard you and I could get along like brothers.
Clay, that was NOT intended to make you look bad. I thought the numbers were interesting and sort of humurous...That's all. I have deep respect for you, and DO consider you a brother...and always have. Maybe I just have an -off-the-wall way of looking at things. I am good at "thinking outside the box"...LOL
Jim

 

[ZombieKnot]

100 hours. If your job lasts less than 100 hours might be cheap tool for job. Pneumatics, hydraulics, etc. recommend NOT USING STOCK FLUIDS: Brand new tool - drain out oil, hydraulic fluid whatever that they come with and use it for home heating, or put on kids bike chain. Put your new AMERICAN fluids in there and will last twice as long, but only 100 hours!!! So many returns and broke down on job site. Log splitter lasted 90 hours then pump made different noises; does a bear poop in woods? so did splitter. Bought new generator for contract, running hammer drills in concrete, what a problem. Replaced it after 60 hours and changed oil first off-lasted 110 hours with oil changes at 24 hours. New ones have heard lasting longer but hydraulics get abused. Have stopped buying air compressors. Catch a sale at Home D. or Lowes. Look for PROJECT FARM dude on Youtube, or some tester like that. Happy Trails.

 

[boogeyman]

Seeing how the machine broke down in the video wrangling a little stump I doubt it will last long in a placer diggings.

Heard of one breaking just being pulled to where it was needed . Go to HFs web site & read the reviews. Then put your money back in your pocket.

 

[Assembler]

Jim the standard is not "significant disruption of the ground" the agency standard is "significant disturbance of surface resources". Words really do matter.

The ground, as you call it, is where the minerals the claimant owns are found. Locatable minerals are subsurface resources owned by the claimant, not the federal government. You have every right to dig, disturb and remove the minerals even if the subsurface disturbance is significant because minerals are not surface resources. The surface resources are not owned by the claimant, they are owned by the federal government (on claims located since 1955).

Surface resources are those things the federal government can sell or are required by law to protect. Things like timber, salable minerals, free flowing streams and endangered plants or animals. This is where the federal agencies have power over the specific methods of mining used in a specific location. They only have that power IF the mining could cause significant disturbance of surface resources. If your mining will not significantly disturb surface resources the BLM has no choice but to allow your mining without a Plan of Operation.

By law the federal surface management agencies have a duty to protect the surface resources from "unnecessary or undue degradation". If the mining causes significant surface disturbance but the disturbance is necessary and not undue by industry standards the mining can proceed despite the significant surface disturbance.

In mining unnecessary and undue degradation is caused by not following industry "Best Practices" or from poor planning. The unnecessary and undue degradation standard is only applied to the surface resources. The subsurface minerals and your methods of extracting them are only governed by federal and state mine worker safety standards - not the BLM or Forest Service.

I just looked and there are three operations using backhoes on their mining claims on BLM managed lands within an hour drive of me. Those miners are all digging under a notice to the BLM. With the notice system the miner notifies the BLM of their intent to dig their minerals and their plan to meet the Best Mining Practices standards. The BLM has 15 days to request more details, suggest changes, request a plan or allow the digging. If the BLM doesn't reply in 15 days the miner can proceed without further delay. In either case no permit is needed or issued. The Notice is a case action on your mining claim case file - sometimes a small reclamation bond is requested which will also be noted on your case file. This system has been in place since 1980. The law and regulations are the same for federal lands no matter which state you are mining in.

As far as someone using a diamond saw on a rock on public lands - that's illegal without a permit. Rocks are not locatable minerals. If you want to cut and remove part of a rock from the public lands that would require a permit or a lease the same as sand and gravel, acorns, mushrooms or taking or harvesting any other surface resource. Often these permits are given for free or very little money. While I have no personal objection to what they did I'm not surprised they got a ticket.

I hope that clears things up Jim. It was a good question. I think it's important for miners and prospectors to understand the distinctions between their rights and responsibilities and those of the surface management agencies.

Heavy Pans

Can you point out what happened in 1955 that changed things?

I'm thinking that you may be referring to code about subsurface and surface resources ("that part of earth or geologic section lying over the minerals in question").

Any link you can point out would be nice.

 

[Assembler]

100 hours. If your job lasts less than 100 hours might be cheap tool for job. Pneumatics, hydraulics, etc. recommend NOT USING STOCK FLUIDS: Brand new tool - drain out oil, hydraulic fluid whatever that they come with and use it for home heating, or put on kids bike chain. Put your new AMERICAN fluids in there and will last twice as long, but only 100 hours!!! So many returns and broke down on job site. Log splitter lasted 90 hours then pump made different noises; does a bear poop in woods? so did splitter. Bought new generator for contract, running hammer drills in concrete, what a problem. Replaced it after 60 hours and changed oil first off-lasted 110 hours with oil changes at 24 hours. New ones have heard lasting longer but hydraulics get abused. Have stopped buying air compressors. Catch a sale at Home D. or Lowes. Look for PROJECT FARM dude on Youtube, or some tester like that. Happy Trails.

It is also a good idea to replace the filter / filters with quality also add some cooling if you can for extra life and it may surprise you as far as life goes.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I don’t think American made fluids will fix that. Did you watch the video?

 

[Assembler]

I don’t think American made fluids will fix that. Did you watch the video?

I did not watch the video. Sounds like the pump is under sized to start with and the pistons are likely very small with low flow rate of fluid etc.

 

[Assembler]

So I must be missing the magic wand that was waved over every one in 1955 or just a "Class" of specific people that year.

 

[Assembler]

I have read the only definition within "The State of Oregon" code for the word "Geology" that makes reference to "form of rocks, ores and minerals, either under the ground or upon the surface, and their alteration by surface agencies,........"[1937, ch. 179, sec.6, p. 236].

 

[N-Lionberger]

In the video the machine broke down in a pretty fantastic way that no amount of fluids would fix. Not sure of this 1955 magic wand you speak of.

 

[Assembler]

In the video the machine broke down in a pretty fantastic way that no amount of fluids would fix. Not sure of this 1955 magic wand you speak of.

Was the break down pinpointed out?

At the end of the second paragraph is mentioned claims located after 1955. It would appear this could be an Act or agency ruling. The wording thereof may point some things out.

 

[Assembler]

Yes wording can make all of the difference in following the topic within the "Context" being made with the document or documents.

 

[Assembler]

Ok I looked at part of the video about 1 minute before the end where the piston rod of the cylinder I think for the bucket bent in a complete U shape under to much of a load for it.
Yep fresh hdy. fluid will not help for that.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I bought a Case 580B this summer for 6k and its at least 10x the machine.
Id shop around before buying that.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I do love Harbor Freight tho!

 

[mikep691]

I've found that with anything assembled in China from HFT, first thing out of the box, every nut and bolt on whatever it is needs to be tightened. We've had small gennys, and pumps that worked great. Only the wildfire destroyed them.

 

[Assembler]

I've found that with anything assembled in China from HFT, first thing out of the box, every nut and bolt on whatever it is needs to be tightened. We've had small gennys, and pumps that worked great. Only the wildfire destroyed them.

Good points you make. Some will even replace some bolts with a better grade and maybe reinforce the engineering.
Yep I had two resource piles that where cooked out by fire. Leaves you feeling burned out in a number of ways. Starting to think under ground far enough so as to not get cooked. Then you have slides going on etc.

 

[Assembler]

Well before this thread gets closed out. There appears to be two different thread topics here.
Anyone care to continue with a PM. talk?