Cat 951C Lifting Capacity?

[Machinerye]

I am considering building a set of forks for a 951 to possibly move some stuff I have coming in that is out of what my forklift will pickup...but I don't know how much weight a 951 will lift. Does anyone have an idea? Also, is there a pressure relief in the system so I don't break anything if I exceed what it will handle? (Thinking counterweight )

Thanks so much!!!

 

[Machinerye]

I found online the specs from Ritchie Brothers and they're saying 18,867.2 static tipping load. I need to lift about 15K, so this might work. Any thoughts on doing this?

 

[Nige]

Are you planning on taking the bucket off or leaving it on..?

 

[Machinerye]

Taking bucket off...its been coverted to a quick attach system so wouldn't be a big deal to do...plus got a spare adapter plate I can possibly attach the forks to.

 

[Nige]

I'd suggest looking at a set of forks with a quick attach designed for a similar size wheel loader to your 951 and then come up with a way of installing forks on your spare adapter plate. I think you need to be very careful regarding the forks themselves (buy them as opposed to try to make them) because at the end of the day you are dealing with a lifting applicance despite the fact it's not installed on a forklift.

 

[Machinerye]

That is for sure on using good forks, the good part is typically used forks can be had pretty reasonable.

 

[Nige]

So long as they are not bent then used forks should be fine. Also a good way to tell if used forks have been over-stressed over a long period of time is to look at the holes in the forks for the carriage pin. Are they round or oval..? If they are oval you can guarantee the forks have been overloaded continually, even if the forks themselves don't look bent.

I guess what you have to figure out what's the best way of adapting the quick-attach carriage you already have so it will take a pair of forks without the need to touch the forks themselves - a major non-no.

 

[Machinerye]

Well, I have a 5K forklift here in the scrap, and it has the carriage on it already, which would be ideal to just cut off the old forklift frame and weld it on the quick attach plate, but I'm thinking I need something more stout to be playing with 15K.

 

[Nige]

Well, I have a 5K forklift here in the scrap, and it has the carriage on it already, which would be ideal to just cut off the old forklift frame and weld it on the quick attach plate, but I'm thinking I need something more stout to be playing with 15K.

You would be correct in that thinking. Don't try lifting 15k with a modified frame that was only designed to pick up 5k in the first place. If you're going with something home-made you need to built it stouter rather than flimsier than the original.

 

[Highdrive]

I doubt a 22,000lb 951 could even lift 15K

 

[Nige]

I doubt a 22,000lb 951 could even lift 15K

According to my Performance Handbook the 951C weighs around 27,000lb. According to Ritchie's it's 28,000lb. The static tipping load is listed as 18,867lb which is about 2/3 of the machine weight to that's in the ball park. I would say 15k pounds is do-able but right on the limit. Remember that the Static Tipping Load Rating will be with an original 4-in-1 bucket installed so if the OP is planning on removing the bucket that also has to be taken into account as it will increase the Lifting Capacity.

 

[lowbed driver]

I have been looking at a 644 loader. We need it with forks. According to the manufacturer the fork lifting capacity is well below the static tipping load for the machine with a bucket. I do not know why. It may be calculated at the bucket hinge pin and the forks will be industry standard 24"load center which puts the load ~2 1/2 ft further out. my guess is that 15,000lbs would be the upper limit but I would bet that on a 24"load center its capacity would be ~12,000 lbs.
Stew

 

[Highdrive]

I can just about pick an 8 ton nyc catch basin with a 977K with sling attached to bucket teeth. I can pick an 8ft drywell cover thats 1 ft thick and walk it with my 951, supplier says that cover weighs just over 6,000 lbs. The sling is attached via a hook that swings in a cutout just below spill plate inside the bucket. In my opinion, the machine could maybe carry another 1,000 lbs tops. If you account for the bucket weight which the performance hand book says is about 2,200lbs. w/ hydraulics it still looks like your going to fall very short of your desired goal. Static tipping load only means that if you were push down on the bucket with an outside force, the weight needed to tip the machine on level ground. Has nothing to do with the machines ability to pick anything.

 

[Machinerye]

Really interesting thoughts, thank you! Very interesting on what you can do with your 951 Highdrive, thanks for sharing!

The proposed 951 to use has a huge hyster winch on the back of it...plus I have a counterweight off the scrap forklift that I bet is around 3K. However I don't know about adding the counterweight, I'm thinking that would get me where I need for lift capacity, but does the 951 have a relief in the hydraulic system if its too much of a load?

 

[OzDozer]

The winch is a good enough counterweight, you shouldn't need any more. Traxcavators are already balanced rear-heavy for bucket work. You need to settle on about half the static tipping load as a SWL.
If you overload the 951 hydraulics, the pressure relief valve will let go if you try to lift anything it can't handle. The worst that can happen with an overload is that you'll bend a hydraulic cylinder rod.
These old girls are overbuilt, they will handle a lot of abuse, but trying to lift excessive weights that approach tipping load limits is putting you at risk.
As with all load limits, you need to keep well within the maximums to compensate for less than ideal conditions - such as poor footing, slopes, and movement when loaded, which can unbalance a machine.

 

[sstocker31]

Why not just rent a suitable forklift?

 

[Machinerye]

I might do that, is the sensible thing.

But the killer is my experience with truckers, when the say they may be here, at times turns out to be different! Not good if it goes past the rental period of the lift!

Plus I think it would make for a cool video to see it in action!

 

[Highdrive]

Using more counter weight won't increase lifting ability. The relief valve will trip if weight is excessive, which will happen before machine tips unless machine is on a downgrade in which case it can tip forward before relief valve opens. The 951 has it's hydraulic pump mounted directly to the engine unlike the larger crawler loaders that have their pump mounted to the converter where engine RPM's have less effect on the machines ability to lift under low RPM conditions.
Nick

 

[JDOFMEMI]

One thing to keep in mind is that the rated operating capacity of a trackloader is 50% of the static tipping load, and the rated capacity of a wheel loader is 75% of the full turn static tipping load.
With that in mind, the rated capacity for the 951, with the 18,867 tipping load, would be 9,433#. The rated capacity should be listed in the Cat performance handbook, but all of mine are packed up at the moment, or I would confirm this.

 

[Machinerye]

Thanks guys good info!

Ended up I hired someone to come in with a forklift to get 'er done...I think it was good move...still, I think for smaller loads within the 951's capacity, the pallet forks would be awfully handy!