The Glory of Old Equipment

July 23, 2014

If you’re in the construction equipment business, summer brings surprises as you spend time wandering in the nice weather.

A few weeks ago, while vacationing in Maine, I caught a flash of faded yellow out of the corner of my eye.

My wife knows that when I pause during a summer walk or hike, it is often because I’ve seen a machine. Before I’m branded for not enjoying time with my wife, or hiking, or even being able to disconnect on vacation, admit that it’s happened to you, too. And if your family is like mine, they all know the difference between an excavator and a dozer, and they know Bobcat is a brand name.

Below are a couple of photos of what caught my eye along the harbor last month, a Dynahoe backhoe loader. That’s Boothbay Harbor in the background, and a lot of brush growing around the machine. Note the seat; plywood cut to fit.

By the looks of the hydraulic cylinders and the tires, the unit still operates. It’s not unlike countless other machines that live out the last hours of life doing odd jobs or seasonal work.

I'm sure you've seen similar old workhorses this summer, or even in summers past. If you want to post, tweet or simply email me a photo with a brief description, we’ll compile them and see what we can find across the country.

Post photos to Facebook, tweet them with the hashtag #IronWorks, or email them to me.

Happy hunting.

About the Author

Rod Sutton

I have served as the editorial lead of Construction Equipment magazine and ConstructionEquipment.com since 2001. 

Our mission is to help managers of heavy equipment and trucks to improve their performance in acquiring and managing their fleets. One way we do that is with our Executive Institute, where experts share information and ideas that will enable equipment managers to accurately manage equipment costs so that they can deliver the optimum financial benefits to their organizations.

We also have a laser focus on product development, performance, and technology; as well as equipment acquisition, disposal, and maintenance. Our exclusive Field Tests take earthmoving equipment and truck into the field for professional evaluations.

Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

You can find me on LinkedIn.