First generation hydraulic excavators?

[245dlc]

I've looked through the various excavator threads and have seen all the threads pertaining to Koehring excavators, a number of years ago I worked on a site with an 866 and found them kinda fascinating. So I thought I'd start a thread for people to post their pictures of the old first and maybe second generation hydraulic excavators. I also know a guy back home who has a rare International excavator that he still uses from time to time and he use to give me rides in as a kid. So if anybody has pictures of old hydraulic excavators like Hein Werner, Warner & Swasey, Lima etc. Please post them.

 

[Tony]

I am so with you on this...the more, the better. I love this vintage (the first and second generation stuff, as 245d calls it). Let's see what you got! I'd love to see the old Koehring, Insley and B-E machines, and the International Harvester excavator as well.

Best,
Tony

 

[CRAFT]

This one could and will get really interesting ...... Lets see if anyne out there knows why there are 2 main styles of control patterns---JD and Cat control---or as they are supposed to be called ISO and SAE--- and most of all WHY ? ...... But PLEASE this is not intended to start another Pissing match which one is better or worse or who is the worst... ect...ect... this is more of a history question ..... I was first suprised when I found out.... then it sunk in and it made sence when I found out why, years ago I had always thought it had to do with Jd that they had the first 2 stick control, like in the old backhoe attachments you would add to an old 2010 bucket dozer that I first learned on in '74....???? ..wrong ... so lets see what the thread will flush out ..... a good clue is the old 690B ....hope to see some good pics of those too

 

[Contract Logger]

Big Koehring 1266. Took these pics 2 weeks ago, Ketchikan Alaska.

 

[CRAFT]

WOW ! ... awesome .... when I look at the bottom pic showing the side view of the bucket and see all of the stiching welds all over it ..... can you imagine the hours it took to do that .... and the smooth pads ...guess it won't be leaving the flat land ...LOL

 

[245dlc]

Hey contract logger thanks for the pictures I have a few pictures of Koehring excavators though they're smaller machines being 866's. Do you know the story behind this 1266? And Craft if you wanna get into the control pattern thing please do it in a different thread I just wanted to see pictures and read a few stories about the old machines.
The oldest machines I ran (I'm thirty next week by the way) was in 2003 in Edmonton, Alberta I ran one of the first generation Cat 245's. I personally liked the old dinosaur a lot of the other operator's there wanted to run the newer iron but I really didn't mind the old girl. Plus I found that the "rowboat" long joysticks forced me to keep my back straighter so I didn't slouch so much. lol

 

[BSAA65LB]

You don't get any earlier generation hydraulic excavator than these 2. The first 2 Gradall's which were the FIRST hydraulic excavators ever made. The 2 amchines date from 1943 & 1944

 

[roadrunner81]

Cool thread, I'd love to see some more pics. Some may disagree but I think the early Hitachi's fit this topic as the case with this machine, it has the long levers no pilot like the Bucyrus or Koehring machines of the same vintage but to me looks alot closer to todays machines.

 

[245dlc]

Interesting I love the Gradall machines I knew they went way back, but I had never seen pictures of them in action like that. They're probably one of the only full size American full size hydraulic excavator manufacturers left on the North American continent. I like the Hitachi excavator too, sure looks like its in good shape.

 

[danhoe]

Northwest, American, Insley, Bantam. The tall sticks came from the cable machines including the left hand swing control, you pushed foward to go left and pulled back to swing right or stop you from swinging, remember they were clutch swing, the other hand was boom up and down and the feet controled the bucket and stick. I remember it was a big event when my dad got the American 797 with a hyd. bucket. Dan

 

[CRAFT]

Here's the answer to WHY they have the boom controls switched ...... Hand closest to the boom controls the boom .... Like this '73 JD 690 B ... Cab on the right side of machine .... recently seen an old JCB that was the same

245DLC ... NOT the beginning to a control pattern Argument !

BTW..... Happy Birthday !

 

[roadrunner81]

what year do you suppose that deere is? It's got tripple grousers and looks like a planetary reduction.

 

[lancef]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33654046@N03/3434734329/

Early International Digger.Click on all sizes to make the pic bigger.

 

[roadrunner81]

Here's the answer to WHY they have the boom controls switched ...... Hand closest to the boom controls the boom .... Like this '73 JD 690 B ... Cab on the right side of machine .... recently seen an old JCB that was the same

245DLC ... NOT the beginning to a control pattern Argument !

BTW..... Happy Birthday !

I feel dumb now! To many beers last night.

 

[245dlc]

Weirdo but whatever, but go figure its the internet. I have an old brochure for the original John Deere 890 they also ran on a low pressure hydraulic system with gear pumps, instead of variable displacement piston pumps. I've also got one for the Koehring 1066E.

 

[Turbo21835]

Big Koehring 1266. Took these pics 2 weeks ago, Ketchikan Alaska.

Where abouts in Ketchikan, Im going to take a shot in the dark and say somewhere around Ketchikan ready mix. If memory serves me right, the folks there call that Koehring B.O.B

 

[245dlc]

Those early early International's were actually Yumbo machines designed and built in France. If you ever see a Yumbo machine of the same vintage it looks exactly the same as that one.

 

[Buckethead]

what year do you suppose that deere is? It's got tripple grousers and looks like a planetary reduction.

Mid to late 1970s or early 80s.

 

[CRAFT]

roadrunner ...... If you're talking about the...'73 ... 690 B, I posted the pics of its a 1973, was the first year the "B" was made ..... history says they were made from '73 to '89

 

[roadrunner81]

Yes I was, then I read your post this morning and noticed you had already stated the year hence the "I feel dumb" post.

I was thinking that It looked like a later machine with the tripple grousers. Makes me think about how long they were in production as I think I've seen them with crane pads and chain drives? Maybe they were just a 690