What wears out first

[osborneconst]

I want to get an excavator, probably a deere 200. I would be using it to dig basements, dig stumps, and to load trucks. I dont have any experience on an excavator, but I think they would be cheaper to run and maintain than a track loader, and with a thumb I could do pretty much the same thing as a track loader. What wears out first on a track hoe? How many hours can you generally run one until you start having to replace things, I dont mean small things like teeth or such, but undercarriage or drive motors. I would think it depends a lot on what type of ground you work on and what you do with the machine, but I would like some kind of information if anyone can help.

Thanks
Mark

[rino1494]

It all depends on the type of material that you work in and how you use the machine. Where I work there are alot of surface rock and boulders and you have to be careful walking over them. Rocks are very hard on the chains and the pins and bushings. Doing housework, we tend to do alot of walking. Tracking in shale and the dirt to get the cement trucks in and etc...

Typically, you will have to install new pins and bushings in the chains and new sprockets around 5,000 hrs. Rollers and idlers should last longer and the pads should last a real long time. Finals should last more than 7 or 8,000 hrs.

[Dozerboy]

A thumb is so much better than a 1in4 on a track loader. We demoed ~43 acres of greenhouses with hoes with thumbs. They where stick framed with plastic visqune (sp?) covering them with lath nailed to the framing to hold it on. We had to recycle (wood chips) IIRC 90% of the lumber. I would move down a row of houses separating the wood and the plastic (trash), and the lumber have to be clean. The only thing we had to have labors do was strip the end of the houses do to the way they there built. We had a 977 on the job the first few days, but it splinters the wood and tore up the ground so bad our labor spent there time picking the wood out of the dirt.

[Wulf]

Hi Mark... Like any vehicle or truck you can end up with a lemon but most hoes like Deere, Komatsu, Hitachi are pretty strong with major components good for 10,000 hrs or more (depending on maintenance) I listed a few points that I would check:

Undercarriage is the first thing to look at although the machine price will probably reflect UC wear %. If you can't measure it or don't have the specs checking the sprockets for tip wear is pretty easy, look at the bushings to see what type of wear is present. See if the track is snakey, the shoes are loose/wobbly or the idler is hanging out of the end of the frame to estimate internal pin and bushing wear. Look at the rollers with the track off the ground to see if they turn freely and that the bushings are not worn out.

Hydraulics are probably the most expensive area. Look for neglected leaking cylinders as if oil can leak out then dirt can get in. Listen to the hydraulic pump during operation and with the boom cylinders at full extension. The machine should travel in a straight line when walking. Pick each track of the ground with the stick and bucket and run the track at high speed. Each track should turn at approximately the same speed and listen to the motors.

When lifting the machine up look at the circle bearing (rotek) for wear which shouldn't be more than a couple of millimeters - these are expensive to replace so look closely. When the machine is swinging listen for noise and wear from the swing motor, gearbox, pinion and ring gear (rotek again!)

Listen to the engine and watch for smoke on acceleration and see how much it lugs when working the boom and arm. If it comes close to stall then the hydraulics may be overadjusted or the engine may be weak. Look for leaks and crankcase blowby from the breather

Listen to the final drives when the track is lifted up and rotating and it would be wise to look at the oil for cleanliness and gear wear. If the oil is low then the duo-cone seal may be leaking. If the oil is silvery then the final drive planetaries may be on their way out... some metal is normal though.

Check the boom, stick and boom foot/frame for cracks and welded repairs, look at the movement in the pins, bushes and more importantly the bosses and frame which are expensive to repair.

With the machine hydraulics good and hot put the boom and stick and bucket in the fully extended position and see how much the cylinders drift. Shouldn't be more than a couple of inches in 5 minutes or so.

Good luck!