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Building a custom excavator

Graham1

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
300
Location
Hampshire, UK
It's been running like that for 4 years or so and has literally done hundreds of kms of skidding. Tracks are getting worn, but they weren't new to begin with.
There is a Menzi track machine set up just the same in UK. Pick the logs up as you go rather than sending a forwarder for small loads. Luckily Menzi’s have auxiliary hydraulic circuit on the undercarriage as standard so didn’t even have to put extra plumbing in.
Graham
 

Coastal

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2006
Messages
323
Location
BC, Canada
Built a forwarding trailer, mainly for fence posts. Picked up around 2000 acres to fence for bison.... Gonna be busy!

Side note... I hate my tilt rotator.. Its way too heavy. Going to chop it up and just build a tilt adapter. And use the rotator for something else.

nLBKZPc.jpg


OrmPAx9.jpg
 

lumberjack

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2011
Messages
1,044
Location
Columbus, MS
Looks awesome! Can you grab/set/hammer the posts from the cab or is it a two man operation? I figure judging plumb from the seat is tough.

What’s going on with the wheel hub? Looks not there in the first picture.
 

Coastal

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2006
Messages
323
Location
BC, Canada
Looks awesome! Can you grab/set/hammer the posts from the cab or is it a two man operation? I figure judging plumb from the seat is tough.

What’s going on with the wheel hub? Looks not there in the first picture.

Still a 2 man show, and the wheel is the wrong bolt pattern in the first pic... Just a mock up to hide the hideous wheels that were on it. Lol
 

gruntscoreboard

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
52
Location
PH
Tired of front mounted offset boom machines and their limitations, and a niche market for dh mountain bike trails, as well as sensitive forestry operations, we decided to build the ultimate mini excavator.


The undercarriage is from a cat 307ssr, the drivetrain and cab is from a John Deere 50d, final drives and 115l fuel tank are komatsu Pc78, the boom is custom built as well as the rest of it.

;)


I'll skip the boring deconstruction cleaning up burned machines phases

Here is the main upper chassis hanging for welding

fyAxvTh.jpg


Undercarriage mostly fabricated

eTHSQEr.jpg


Oh and it's going to tilt for steep slopes

7zR1H46.jpg
Cool and great job! You have a good idea!
 

Graham1

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
300
Location
Hampshire, UK
Vibrating posts in seems the way to go. Much less damage to top of post than using a post puncher.
Shame about the tilt rotator, but that is joy of custom build, you can't try it before hand to see if it is right for you. My yard it littered with great ideas that didn't work out as I thought they would.
Graham
 
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