• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Insley Excavator

insleyboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
191
Location
Monroe Michigan
Occupation
Operator 25 years, was laborer for 7 years
looks like a 1000 series with a screaming Detroit engine in her for sure. In 1978 these were the creme of the crop and thought to be the wave of the future. Thier inability to change the controls from arobics front to rear as opposed to hand controls were part of the demise of Insley!What a machine there would be today if only ,......they had moved with the 80's for cryin out loud!
 

Dominion 410

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
240
Location
Ontario,Canada
That's a fair size machine,just guessing around the 90-100,000lb range.Not familiar with the Insley's.Did see a more modern looking one with a wedge style cab,but not sure what model back about twenty years ago.Bet it sounds good under load:drinkup



Dominion
 

ghitch75

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
146
Location
hills of southwestern Indiana
good lookin' Insley...cotterpin......buddy of mine worked at Insley's in the 70's in Indianapolis he might have help build that machine....where you at in SW Indiana cotterpin?
 

Woodboatdave

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
22
Location
rhode island
Occupation
excavation/pipelaying
Insley 1500B

Here's my old Insley, it's a '78 with a 6-71 turbo, actually pretty quiet for a detroit. still runs A-1. You can't kill these things if you keep em greased and oiled. The 1500 weighs in at 80,000. When I bought this machine, it had sit for 6 years the old guy who owned it had parked it after a complete bottom was installed, (he retired after his knees gave out). the problem now is that the chains are binding ( from sitting ) and will not loosen up even after running it for a year clearing 10 acres. Looks like I will have to push all of the pins out, clean them up and reinstall. No easy task.
You actually get used to the controls after a while and it's no big deal to run.
By the way, W.C. Sales in Indy has all the parts still available for these.
 

Attachments

  • 00009_JFR.jpg
    00009_JFR.jpg
    73.2 KB · Views: 8,995
  • 00028_JFR.jpg
    00028_JFR.jpg
    76.2 KB · Views: 8,115

Dominion 410

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
240
Location
Ontario,Canada
That is the cab style I remember.Good pics as well.:drinkupWhat is the control set-up like?I think the one I saw was an H-2500,but not sure if I have the model number correct.It to had 8v71 Detroit power.


Dominion
 

mikef87

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
433
Location
waltham
Occupation
owner/operator/mechanic/laborer/truck driver
I'd love to get an old Insley for the Yard, I had a 875 for quite some time, I wish i had kept it hanging around the yard.
 

Woodboatdave

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
22
Location
rhode island
Occupation
excavation/pipelaying
Dominion, the controls are 2 sticks and 4 pedals. Left stick is the swing, right stick is the boom ( with a switch, 2 speed boom, nice when you have a light load) left pedal is the bucket, right pedal is the stick and the 2 in the middle are for travel. Burns calories pretty good, not like the new stuff with the pilot controls but you get used to it soon enough.
Insley had a 2500 and a monster 3500 which I have not seen one of yet. My old 1500 had factory ac which was something back in the 70's, they where rugged machines which is why they are still around, the old detroits are another reason why they are still here, pretty hard to kill them too.
 

Attachments

  • round hill road 042.jpg
    round hill road 042.jpg
    66.7 KB · Views: 8,002
  • round hill road 003.jpg
    round hill road 003.jpg
    69 KB · Views: 7,984

Dominion 410

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
240
Location
Ontario,Canada
Woodboatdave, I can relate to the controls,having started out on an old Poclain RC-200.Same basic set-up as your Insley but the travel was on two levers also.Was planning on converting it to pedal travel but never did.Wish I still had that machine.

Dominion:drinkup
 

insleyboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
191
Location
Monroe Michigan
Occupation
Operator 25 years, was laborer for 7 years
Hey woodboat Dave. Where I worked we had a 3500. Was the real deal in it's day. We usede it along shorelines in prep for seawalls. Later it was fixed with a long stick for dregging work and also used it to dig out coffer dams. Was a horse for sure, slow by todays equipment. Also we had a 516 Insley hoe that used 4 pedals on the floor. 2 were fore bucket in-and-out And 2 were for stick in-and-out. One more thing, the 3500 had 3 boom cylinders. There was a cut out switch that would devert all power to the boom for heavy lifts. Other than that it was there for looks!
 

insleyboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
191
Location
Monroe Michigan
Occupation
Operator 25 years, was laborer for 7 years
Wow, I'll have to look at the old pics I have. I'll post em if I have any!
 

Cotterpin

Active Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2007
Messages
40
Location
SW. Indiana
good lookin' Insley...cotterpin......buddy of mine worked at Insley's in the 70's in Indianapolis he might have help build that machine....where you at in SW Indiana cotterpin?

Maybe he did ! W.C. Sales is where we got most of our repair parts too . I'm down here in Vincennes . Work for an Ill Gravel co . , wrenching on their equipment . I imagine this Insley could be bought .
 

td25c

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
5,250
Location
indiana
Great thread Cotterpin.I allmost bought a 1500b like Woodboatdave's but it was a size to big for my need at the time.I ended up buying a hy-hoe excavator.It's controls are similar to the Insley.Am I to understand that the insley excavators were made in Indianapolis along with the cranes?I wonder what was the last year they made the excavator?
 

pipeliner66

Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
8
Location
Western Pa
Occupation
Pipeline Welder
Nice Machine cotterpin, I have an old dragline we use to load shale, 48 is as new as it can be from what we can figure, it a K-15, w/ straight 8 Chrysler, 1/2 yard machine w/ 5/8 yard bucket.
 

Dug Overburden

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
136
Location
california
Occupation
trucker
Last year Insleys were built

I'm surprised they lasted beyond the mid 1980's when all the imported machines starting appearing. The only ones to purchase these must have been the old school contractors. Badger Construction Equipment purchased Insley & moved the factory from Indianapolis to Winona Minnesota in 1986.

The last excavator the company produced was a H-3500D in 1996, when Badger decided to discontinue the Innsley product line.

These are the only photos I could find of the H-3500B (1978)

Dug
 

Attachments

  • 93680194_3thumb_550x410[1].jpg
    93680194_3thumb_550x410[1].jpg
    42.3 KB · Views: 4,615
  • 93680194_1thumb_550x410[1].jpg
    93680194_1thumb_550x410[1].jpg
    43.7 KB · Views: 4,483
  • 93680194_2thumb_550x410[1].jpg
    93680194_2thumb_550x410[1].jpg
    35.7 KB · Views: 4,681

Buckethead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2007
Messages
1,055
Location
Waterfront
Occupation
Operator
Great thread Cotterpin.I allmost bought a 1500b like Woodboatdave's but it was a size to big for my need at the time.I ended up buying a hy-hoe excavator.It's controls are similar to the Insley.Am I to understand that the insley excavators were made in Indianapolis along with the cranes?I wonder what was the last year they made the excavator?

I believe they made them up until about 1992 or 93.
 

Dominion 410

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
240
Location
Ontario,Canada
Insley

Near's an old Insley and a Unit cable hoe.Both were operable,and this guy had all sort's of toys in his yard.
 

Attachments

  • priolo_42.jpg
    priolo_42.jpg
    55.1 KB · Views: 4,938
Top