Well thanx for the praise Tyler, yes they are very "used"! And they'll be very dirty too with quarry dust. It might shock ya how much wobble I have already in my JD850 boom/stick/bucket!
My knowledge from a nowadays prospective is quite limited to the very few companies I have dealt with (one of which is no longer). You'll learn a lot more from Travis & Izzy who have broaden their horizons with greater experimentation in their many scratchbuilds. But I'll gladly share what I know.
I do still have the HK hoe, gonna do a rebuild of it this winter with better components.
I have stayed at a few La Quinta hotels in american cities before & have been quite comfortable. Thanx for the tip Travis.
What city/suburb do I google for a #?