[Bill Schwab]

To answer a few questions...

I will have more info on the GPS system next week, I meet with the Cat guys for orientation. We chose GPS for reasons mentioned, and yes there are spots where GPS wil fail, buildings, and certain areas in some canyons. When we have thos eissues, we can go to old school, or, rent a slope lazer from our dealer, or maybe buy one...I'm doing sticker shock for a week or so these next days. We are going to have a rasio control from the mainstation, and I beleive the GPS has 16 channels, unless I confused that with all the other info I have absorbed. Our team has alot to learn, and I'm sure it will take some field time before we really have any answers as o the exact how's and what's, so, bear with me here.

We did not get A/C on the unit. The temps we run in ar from 40° to 85° farenhiet, and occasionally we see 90° or 100° for a day of two at a time. For those few days a year, I did not feel the extra coin on A/C and a cab enclosure was granted, and felt that money could best be spent on grading tools such as the GPS system, which. is going to bounce around the $10,000 figure by the time we add all the bells whistles and goodies, traning classes etc.. Time it will save? Well, how long would it take us to set up a lazer, then move the lazer, get new readings, move it again and again and again all through a day? Everyone there pretty much said to go GPS first, and add other types of grading tools as you see the need for them.

The part that really excits me is small. The hydraulic operated tool connectors, which is at the time of delivery, only an $800.00 option. Just imagine the time it takes to climb in, climb out, flip two levers, then climb back inside and repeat that process several times a day, expecially when you are doing a segmental wall, one load is gravel, the next is a pallet of block, then gravel then block. Lots of time spent a day just changing attachments.

We will be training 2 operators on this machine. The cost through CAT/Hawthorne equipment is $250.00 for the class, and we could send up to 5 people, so that is pretty minimal, and now that I have been trained, I could also put together a presentation for our guys, but this way, they will have a certificate from CAT and if any issues arrise, there is no denying they were trained.

1/2 tipping load is between 23 and 2400 lbs, according to the brochure, but you and I both know they usually rate well under what the machine can really lift for liabilities sake. All we need to lift is a pallet of Keystone at a time. The $1,000 cost is for all undercarraige parts. And they can go a long way before they need replacing. Typically, two sets of tracks for one set of rollers.