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Why do excavator operators usually have their doors open?

ethanu1

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
11
Location
newy
For some reason I notice this kind of stuff and have no idea why it is so common? I can only think of negatives from doing this like air con not being effective and noise levels being much greater
 

Junkyard

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
3,621
Location
Claremore, OK
Occupation
Field Mechanic
I usually see it when working around people so they can hear commands, because the A/C doesn't work lol or they're doing something risky and they want a good shot at bailing out! It's a preference thing mostly. Good way to eat dirt if it's dusty out.
 

pp13bnos

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2011
Messages
354
Location
Oregon
Depending on the job, I like having the extra clarity and visibility. I always have hearing protection in, so the noise really doesn't bother me.
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
I would say from a drive-by perspective it looks like the operator is just digging away all day but in reality what he does is dig at something for 2 minutes, then somebody comes up to the door and they have to discuss what is happening next, change of direction, going around some buried utilities, rocks, grade, etc.

If it was a mine scenario doing the same thing all day then the door is more likely to be closed.
 

Bls repair

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
1,612
Location
S E Pa
Occupation
Equipment operator,mechanic
There are a lot of reasons
1)fresh air
2)keep cool
3) communications
4)clear view
 

CatKC

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
230
Location
North MO
There are a lot of reasons
1)fresh air
2)keep cool
3) communications
4)clear view
---
Exactly. . . .
Unless you are a wuss and REQUIRE a 50% +or- 5% humidity, a 75 Deg F + or - 5 Deg temperature, it's called 'work' in the environment that you are in.
Besides. . . . . it is more 'enjoyable' to 'experience' the smells, noise, environment of your work location.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,257
Location
Canada
Not too hot, not to cold leave the door open. That's why they have latch to hold them open. Could also feel less like being in a small room with the door open.
 

CatKC

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
230
Location
North MO
It's easier to hear that "crunch" when the tail-swing bashes into something.:)
You are correct -
Somewhat like being in a house with the A/C running on a 75 Deg day. You 'cannot hear' the Coyotes around your house chasing your cats, in distress.
When you can't hear, smell, sense, or feel something, it eludes you and you just continue . . . .
I 'smelled' some 'heat' that was a 'problem' with a pump. If I had not 'smelled it' while working I would have DESTROYED the pump before it quit. Instead, I was able to stop before hand and rebuild it.
 

Graham1

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
300
Location
Hampshire, UK
Old school operators had to have the door open to be able to push the lever far enough over to slew anti clockwise! Also if you chains smoke as a lot of operators seem to you soon can't see out if door shut.
Graham
 

John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
I can understand operators leaving the doors and windows open while working the machine. My gripe about it is that they leave the machine open all the time and then do the whining when the rain gets in the monitor panels and shorts them out or wonders why someone would get into the cab over a weekend and mess things up. You know the rats smelling the half eaten sandwich which fell under the seat and decided that maybe they might sharpen their teeth on some wiring while in there.
 

digger242j

Administrator
Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
6,628
Location
Southwestern PA
Occupation
Self employed excavator
Old school operators had to have the door open to be able to push the lever far enough over to slew anti clockwise!

Old school operators probably spent more time than not on all kinds of equipment that didn't have windows to begin with.

Personally, I almost always have the front window up out of the way. I hate working through glass, even if it's clean. The weather has to be pretty extreme for me to have it down. And if there are laborers working with me, it's always open. The door, I'll have open unless it's cold enough to want a little heat, or warm enough for some AC (if it even works.)
 

Desertwheeler

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
404
Location
Ca
Occupation
Miner
When the machines didn't have AC yeah everything was open. Now when I was on the breaker or shear I tried to keep the glass down. Now where I am they stay closed because of dust/ flying mud. I am in a mine so they have to keep it all closed and AC working. If I am doing a lifting job or something tricky with ground guides the door is open. The front windows on our hoes can't open because of where we have CAES screens mounted.
 

stars&bars44

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Messages
142
Location
Trinity NC
Occupation
Earthmoving
I leave the door open sometimes if I'm jumping in and out, checking my own grade, sawing trees while clamped in the thumb, loading and driving your own truck,pan, etc. It's just one less hassle to keep opening the door and closing it. If you have no AC and its hot its gonna stay open. AC machines it really is better to keep them bundled up and all that dust from getting in the cab and sticking to the damp AC stuff in the cab. I leave the front glass up if im working around people so I can hear them yell.
 

alskdjfhg

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2015
Messages
405
Location
Houston TX
I worked with one guy who always had them closed, and he'd had his windows custom tinted to be super dark. Totally impossible to see inside the cab from more than 5' away.

Always felt a little iffy walking up to that machine, always made sure I had away out in case he wasn't paying attention.

I thought it was pretty nice when I ran that machine, but pretty bad when we were doing anything besides rough dirt work filling trucks without a ground guy .
 

thepumpguysc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
7,445
Location
Sunny South Carolina
Occupation
Master Inj.Pump rebuilder
Its been my experience that most/a lot of them smell so bad, they cant stand themselves.. LOL..!!!!
Just couldn't leave this thread alone.. Lol.. Kiddin fellas.. just kiddin.. :)
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,247
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
Pipe laying or other work where you have ground men around the door and front window needs to be open for communication.

Clearing, demo, dirt hogging - close the door and windows, the dust kills the HVAC system. When clearing it's a must to keep the doors closed, one yellow jackets nest disturbed will cure you of leaving a door open.:cool:

All of my equipment has a cab with A/C except for the 533 compactor and the Gradall tele handler.

Back in the day when we had many machines working and many operators, some operators wanted to run with the door open, A/C on in dusty conditions. I pulled all of them together and asked whether they wanted cab'd A/C machines or open ROPS. All agreed they wanted cabs. Ok then either keep the doors closed in dusty dirt moving operations or we'll take the glass out and doors off. They all got it.:D
 

Jakebreak

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2016
Messages
273
Location
Bakersfield Ca
Occupation
operator/pipelayer/mechanic
same thing goes for me on what everybody has said since we do a lot of site work you always have ground guys around you and for some reason looking through glass throws my depth perception off but I don't know if its because I have always ran with a window up when digging
 
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