Loader Completes Jobs Three Times Faster
Travis Clark, Wasatch Electric general foreman (left), discusses a cellular tower site preparation project with J. Lee Bertoch.
J Lee Bertoch still uses his 14-ft. loader backhoe at times. More often, however, he relies on Bobcat® equipment—his 773 turbocharged skidsteer loader and a rented compact excavator.
“That’s because, for getting work done fast and efficiently, you can’t beat Bobcat products,” says the owner of Old West Excavating Company, Bluffdale,
Utah. “The 773 allows me to complete some jobs three times faster than with the loader backhoe.”
Bertoch does site preparation for AT&T cellular phone towers throughout Utah. He contracts this work through Wasatch Electric, his former employer. He worked for the company for 25 years, the last 10 as an electrician, until a back injury forced him to retire. Five years ago he began a new career.
“At first I did underground service work, using a backhoe to install power and phone lines,” he says. “The opportunity to help build cellular tower sites caused me to reassess my equipment needs because many of the locations have very limited access.”
After evaluating several makes of skid-steer loaders, Bertoch purchased a Bobcat 773 from Intermountain Bobcat, Salt Lake City.
“I knew the Bobcat brand had been around a lot longer than the competition and that Bobcat Company was responsible for the evolution of the skid-steer loader,” he says. “At the time I bought my 773, the 500,000th Bobcat loader had just been built. I figured they knew how to make them better than anyone else.”
Bertoch’s 773, with enclosed cab, heat, air conditioning and advanced hand controls, has proven to be ideal for his cellular tower site work.
On a typical job he will spend two days digging the foundation and pouring 27 yards of concrete to construct the pad. Another two days are needed to install the grounding rods. He uses pallet forks and, at times, a Bobcat excavator, to place equipment and materials on the site. Maneuvering materials into place is often challenging as four or five different cellular phone companies may have buildings on the same site as AT&T.
“I don’t know how I could do some of these projects without my Bobcat loader and rented excavator,” he says. “They have saved me an enormous amount of work and time.”
Bertoch completes each job by grading the site with his Bobcat landplane attachment.
“That is one great tool,” he says. “It’s light and quick, ideal for cutting and grading. When I’m done there is no need to rake. The ground is ready for sod.”
And Bertoch is ready to move on to the next job where, once again, he will use his Bobcat equipment to do what other machines can’t.