My first time trying to move dirt with the mini excavator

We bought an AGT LH12R one ton mini excavator, "as-is" and sight unseen, through an online auction. After spending several days going over the machine, checking fluids, tightening nuts and bolts, adding missing parts, and greasing it up, I finally got to put it to work on the homestead. This is my first time ever trying to move dirt with an excavator. The only other times I have ever driven any tracked machinery was putting this same unit on, the off, the trailer when bringing it home from the auction yard. So, I am a complete newbie at the controls. We already saw that it can be pretty dangerous just getting it down the ramp on the trailer.

How hard could it be to move some dirt; just move the levers and keep it upright, right? Was it as easy as I hoped? Watch as I share this moment of vulnerability with you. Maybe it will embarrass me, but maybe it will help you to decide if a mini excavator is a tool for you.

Thanks to @RiverForged on IG for help with the thumbnails!

00:00 - Time to move some dirt!
00:22 - Job description
01:13 - Top soil is stockpiled
01:42 - Clearing saw in action
03:12 - I've been waiting for this moment ever since winning the auction!
03:58 - Why so jerky?
04:31 - 10X speed
05:51 - Dumping it the hard way
06:18 - "dumping" at 10X speed
07:12 - Second load -10X Speed
07:34 - dumping the 2nd load (10X)
07:50 - Visions of a dump trailer build
09:00 - Load number three (at actual speed)
16:18 - Enough of that! Back to 10X speed
18:27 - Grading it out with the blade (10X)