Oldish Hopto Excavator

[245dlc]

Pretty neat setup do you have any more pictures of that rig? Were they able to move the machine from the operators cab like a Gradall?

 

[Deere500a]

She is remote drive from the upper. When I was a kid every chance I had I would go to work with my dad even though it was frowned upon by the company. I would sit in the lower, that thing was a rodeo the front end would come up five feet in the air when he would reach out. People on the sidewalk would look in amazement thinking that an 11year old kid was the one jocking that thing around. She was at the end of an era, the truck mounted hoes, there were fleets of W&S 500/550's doing petroleum work around here, there all gone I have only seen two in the last 25years. As far as we have been told she is the only truck mounted Badger 211 built.

 

[245dlc]

Yeah it's kinda funny how it's gone that way, Gradall and Badger are the only ones making excavators on truck chassis, I imagine it must of had a screaming jimmy on it too?

 

[Deere500a]

That is all that is out there fixed boom Gradalls but excavator boom dipper has gone to the 4 wheeled carriers.The truck is the weak point it is under built made for the small hoes of the time. The upper has a sweet 4-71 Detroit & the lower has a 555 cummins.

 

[245dlc]

Yeah the four-wheeled carriers are pretty nice being able to work off all sides, but they are pretty slow on the road.

 

[Taylortractornu]

I worked with an old man that had some old gravel pits. He had an old truck mounted Hopto that he used alot. He often got folks asking why not get a tracked unit. He would say can your tracked unit drive to a job at 45 mph. He had different grades of gravel in other pits and would drive from one to another loading out. He also had a boulder quarry he sold landcape boulders out of. It was handy running between them and later added a thumb.

 

[renaud]

Here's a nice video i found on youtube.......
That 311 looks as tight as a brand new machine and the Jimmy sounds just great!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uon23LF6-Gc
theire is another video of a 211.........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJyVSVki49c
Enjoy!!
Max.

 

[renaud]

http://s1288.beta.photobucket.com/u...t=3&o=0&_suid=1358003976937022514301315565466
This is a 550.I am standing on the track of it.Picture was taken back in September of 1983......does time ever fly!!!!!
http://s1288.beta.photobucket.com/u...rt=3&o=1&_suid=135800505465609642991150733298
I found this Hopto 700 in Dickinson, North Dakota.
By the look of it, either it does'nt have too many hours, either its owner took a hell of a good care odf it and stored it inside most of its life!!

This is a 1977 model 900.It is located south of Quebec city. It is powered by a Detroit 8V71.It weights approximately 100 000pounds(+- 45 tons)It has the same owner since new (wich happends to be a former Warner & Swasey dealer); he still use it every now and then to do work around his property..It has roughly 3000 hours.

http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b484/olygremlin/Hopto900St-Appo-8_zpsb6c8809c.jpg
Max.

 

[Dean A]

Insley, P & H ( poor and helpless ), John Deere 690, you got most of them.

 

[FirstEliminator]

Poor & Helpless? lol. I'm not professional, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night. But, I happen to like my 1973 P&H H312. Not sure how it compares to other excavators of the time. It has two foot pedals to control the tracks. Sounds excessive to have multiple pedals to control the bucket and stick. I guess if you're used to it, then it's no problem.

Mark
North Adams, Massachusetts