Maintenance staff focuses on giving citizens the biggest bang for their tax dollars by performing a wide variety of services
Just west of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex lies Palo Pinto County, Texas — a less hectic option that’s still close to the action.
“We’re growing,” stated Mike Reed, County Commissioner for Palo Pinto County Precinct 2. “There are a lot of new subdivisions. It could grow faster, but we are pretty limited right now because of water. There’s a reservoir that’s been on the books for about 20 years that’s been sped up. Once we get more water, we’ll see quite a bit of growth.”
A fair portion of the current expansion is happening in Precinct 2, which encompasses about 400 square miles in the northern half of Palo Pinto County. It includes nearly 130 miles of roadway that five maintenance employees preserve and repair.
“Our road program goes all the way from potholing to tearing them up and rebuilding; it depends on the quality of road, how old it is and other factors,” explained Reed. “The advantage of having us do it is giving citizens the best bang for their tax dollars as it’s generally less expensive than hiring outside contractors. We also can respond to needs faster without having to wait for a contractor to get it into their schedule.”
Versatility, savings with Gradall
In addition to road maintenance, the staff trims trees, cleans ditches and installs culverts for the citizens of Palo Pinto County Precinct 2. Much of that work is done with a Gradall XL 3100 IV excavator that was purchased from Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) in 2017 with the help of Governmental Territory Manager James McDonnell. Palo Pinto County Precinct 2 had KSM equip the machine with an external hydraulic system and a Promac mulcher attachment. KSM also provides service when needed.
“KSM has been really quick and right on point,” said Reed. “I really wanted a Gradall after I saw the state grinding some trees with one, and James found this one for us. I thought it was a highly efficient way to get the job done, and that’s proven to be true. It’s one of the best investments we have ever made.”
Reed continued, “It saves us time and manpower while giving us versatility because we can use it for multiple jobs. It’s also safer. For example, when we trimmed trees prior to getting the Gradall, we had five or six people on a site with saws, a loader, a chipper and more. It was very labor intensive. With the machine, one operator can do it all from the guarded cab in hours compared to days. That keeps several people out of harm’s way, as well as frees them up to go work on another project.”
Operator Jeff Roberts added that he can take trees from 6 inches to 18 inches in diameter to the ground, depending on their condition. For the most part, however, he uses the XL 3100 IV to trim branches back to the trunk.
“The great thing is that I can do it all from the road with the Gradall,” said Roberts. “The boom extends straight out about 40 feet, and it allows me to reach up to about 35 feet, so I can sit in one spot and get quite a lot done without moving. The boom will actually rotate and pivot about 360 degrees, which allows me to get both sides of the tree from one position, and if I’m close enough, get around the tree. The controls are sensitive, which I like because I can manipulate the machine with precision. It absolutely increased efficiency compared to how we did this type of work before.”
According to Roberts, roadability is another excellent feature of the XL 3100 IV, noting that he can drive directly to the job site and back to the precinct’s maintenance building.
“It has a top speed of 60 miles per hour, which is a pretty good pace,” said Roberts. “It can be a one-man operation, and that’s definitely a lot easier and more efficient for us.”
