- "I usually move the fork or shovel on the machine myself," says Sister Terezka, who operates the equipment during the construction of the convent in Draste -

In Draste in the Czech Republic, the transformation of a former farm into a convent is becoming a dream come true - the nuns of the Barefoot Carmelite Sisters and many supporters have done a tremendous amount of work on the project. And this year, the consecration ceremony of the new convent church of St Teresa of Avila could even take place.

The campus, which the sisters chose to replace their previous headquarters in a building on Hradčanské náměstí in Prague in 2018, has changed beyond recognition. In addition to the work of individuals, construction machinery has also played a role in this. Out of necessity, the nuns at the convent began to operate machines such as a legendary Bobcat 773 skid-steer loader, which has now been joined by a new state-of-the-art Bobcat L85 compact wheel loader.

We talked to Sister Terezka (Markéta Paterová) at the convent about how the nuns learned to use construction machines and other topics related to the construction of the new convent.

During the renovation works, you learned to drive a number of construction machines. Which type was easiest for you and what do you appreciate about the machines as a user and what are the important aspects for you?

Easiest, it's hard to say, each of the machines I've used had advantages and disadvantages. It was nice working with the Bobcat L85 compact wheel loader. It is a powerful machine and has a modern design - the L85 worked reliably and was a good choice for the job we wanted it to do - stacking pallets of paving from trucks.

User-wise, I like the reversing camera on the machines when it's well positioned in the field of view. And then good access to the fuel tank is also important to me. We buy diesel in cans, and not all machines are easy to fill from a can, so then I gratefully use willing and strong helpers.

In the past, you have worked with a Bobcat skid-steer loader and now the larger L85 compact wheel loader. What are your observations and comparisons between the two machines, which one did you find was better?

They are very different machines, each with a different purpose. A skid-steer loader has the big advantage of being small, so it can work in places where there is not much space, it can get into harder to reach places, narrow passages and it can even turn on the spot. It's also short, so I can, for example, handle pallets in places where there's not much room behind me. 

There's a flip side to this coin: by being skid-steerable, it does a lot of rutting on unpaved surfaces, so even a slight turn leaves ruts. Gradually, once we had some parts of the property (the park and the garden) finished, this proved to be a problem and I couldn't operate it there anymore.

In the course of the renovation of the whole area, we did a lot of landscaping, levelling the land or delivering gravel on our own. This would have been unthinkable without the skid-steer loader. It was a great help for transporting dirt, sand, gravel, also stone, sorting rubble or even handling in the garden, we also used it for transporting wood and tools.

We needed a bigger wheel loader when the load capacity of the small skid-steer was no longer sufficient. In our case it was mainly for paving. The L85 machine we had rented was an excellent powerful machine for which the pallet of paving was no problem at all, both when stacking the truck and when handling it in the area, even on uneven ground and lifting it up. I also appreciated the wider wheels and articulated turning, which again made it no problem to drive over flattened ground, established grass if necessary and not do too much damage.

What made you decide to get a compact wheel loader? Is it worth it? Will you take care of the machine or is it provided by the dealer?

We bought the new wheel loader thanks to our benefactors, just for the paving. We have to pave the whole area, which is a very large area. Already the loader has certainly put down more than 70 truck loads of paving and other materials, and we still have to handle all of it within the site during the construction work and the paving of the yard.

With this amount, I cannot imagine how we would have managed this organisationally if we had to get an external person with a loader for every truck arrival. The fact that the machine is here and available at any time is a huge advantage. That's where the loader definitely pays off for us.

We bought the machine new, so it's still under warranty. We can handle basic routine maintenance with our technician and the dealer is handling the service for now. We bought it with the idea that one day when we don't need it here, we can resell it again and get some of our money back. But that's not on the agenda yet. There's still plenty of work to do here for a few years.

Construction machines are often referred to as attachment carriers. This is because their basic function depends on the attachments. Whether it is pallet forks, a bucket or a hammer, it is the attachment that gives them their specific capability. What attachments have you had the opportunity to try out and do you manage to switch between them yourself?

I have worked with several, including pallet forks and buckets. I usually switch them myself. I'm sure it depends on the machine here, too. If it has a quick release, it's a matter of moments, you don't even have to get off the machine. With a skid-steer loader, where the attachments are secured by hand with levers, it was sometimes, shall we say, more physically challenging - the levers are not always easy to manipulate, but I've learned to be independent about it.

I also briefly used a clamshell bucket - it took longer there as the hydraulics have to be connected and disconnected as well. We didn't make much use of the flapper function here, so after trying it we stuck with just a regular bucket, which is much easier to just switch with.

Work with construction machines is usually done by men, less by women and even less by nuns. Operating the ‘Bobcat’ and other loaders yourself was a choice of necessity, or were you drawn in that direction and discovered a hidden talent?

I have to say that I never thought I would ever work with construction machinery like this. It was more of a challenge the first time when it was a borrowed machine, but the person who was supposed to drive it got sick. And following encouragement from a friend of mine that it's easy, let me learn with it, I can do it. And I soon found out he was right, it just takes a little practice. And the more practice the better.

There are more than enough opportunities here. Of course, it probably also has to be a person who has a positive attitude towards operating machines and who isn't afraid of it. It's a job that I enjoy and that makes me happy and that has helped us a lot. We do what we can here on our own, and the machines have already saved us a lot of money.

Finally, I will ask you how you manage the demanding work and if you have anyone helping you?

I would like to add that it is not only about the machines, but also about the people who move around them. That is also a very important part. Some of the machines we have here or have had on loan from our supporters. Without them, it couldn't work the way it does here now. With a bought machine, on the other hand, it helps a lot to have good service, a helpful person who understands their job and is able to give basic advice even over the phone. And for me here, as I am changing between different machines and learning how to use them, our technician, a close associate, is also very important, showing me around, guiding me so that the work with the machines is safe and efficient.

If you would like to contribute to this good cause, please visit: https://donio.cz/dlazbaprodrasty

For more information about Bobcat products, attachments and services, visit www.bobcat.com