World's Toughest Excavator?

Thought it would be fun to have a little contest and I’ll start it with my own entry. Most of you on here know I’m a Caterpillar Fan, but I have to say this particular machine is the “The World’s Toughest Excavator”. I’ve used this machine for 4 years now on numerous projects and for numerous applications. It’s been used for loading trucks, hoisting, assembly work, pipe work, extinguishing underground coal fires, rip rap/river stabilization, capping oil wells and even wrecking cars. It has fallen in the Yukon River twice, once hydraulicing the engine and bending a rod. It nearly got swallowed by a swamp in interior Alaska and had to be rescued. It rolled over on Mt Alyeska last year destroying the cab and several other panels. Even with all this it just keeps running! There had been talk of getting rid of it since we got a new 345, but instead last week it was given a new lease on life. They put new tracks on it this spring; rebuilt some other components and now it got a new paint job. It looks beautiful again and has earned its keep. I would really like to see if someone can beat this because this is one tough unit.
Lets see some picture!!!! Let the fun begin.
Randy

World's Toughest Excavator? PartII

How could one machine live such an exciting life?

World's Toughest Excavator? PartIII

Ready for another 4 years?

How did the 450 end up out the swamp? Looks ready for another 4 years. How do you like the 450 vs the 345?

Wow for a really abused girl she cleaned up good! haha i bet hitachi would love to hear these stories so they could pass them along to thier sales personnel. good stuff!

All that excitement in only 4 years.
You do get the most interesting jobs Randy.

I don't have any to compare to that, though the old 350L has had its moments. No pictures, but we nearly pulled the boom off of the frame. The mounting holes opened up like a sardine can, and rolled the boom pin right on out. Our welder put it back together good as new, and it has dug another half million yards since then.

I don't have any pictures of it, But a company that I worked for had a Samsung, I wanna say a 280(?) that was hit by a Amtrak. It broke the counter weight in two.Also broke all the motor mounts, and the list goes on. Operator literally pooped in his pants, but walked away without a scratch. They rebuilt it and was still running it when I left. It was a real POS though. I timed the bucket one time,it took 7 seconds to make it from full dump, to fully rolled up!

Knucklehead said:

I don't have any pictures of it, But a company that I worked for had a Samsung, I wanna say a 280(?) that was hit by a Amtrak. It broke the counter weight in two.Also broke all the motor mounts, and the list goes on. Operator literally pooped in his pants, but walked away without a scratch. They rebuilt it and was still running it when I left. It was a real POS though. I timed the bucket one time,it took 7 seconds to make it from full dump, to fully rolled up!

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Seven seconds!!!! how does someone have the patience to operate something like that!?

Tuff to beat those stories. I'll ask my logging buddies about their experiences. Their machines always look like they have been through several wars.

BigIron25 said:

Seven seconds!!!! how does someone have the patience to operate something like that!?

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I was running it on a job across the river from St. Louis,and the president of the company showed up. After I unloaded on him about how big of a POS that thing was, I asked him if it would be wrong to use it to dig its own grave!!!

Knucklehead said:

I was running it on a job across the river from St. Louis,and the president of the company showed up. After I unloaded on him about how big of a POS that thing was, I asked him if it would be wrong to use it to dig its own grave!!!

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Good Stuff!!!
:lmao :roll

If it has anything to do with MUD my machines have seen it and experienced it first hand!

Don't have any flips, nor do I want too!

Haven't swamped mine yet but I'm sure its gonna happen.. Its just a matter of time i'm sure.

the cab of one of my Linkbelts saved my life once!!

well lets see we dropped our link belt long reach into a 25ft deep lake on January 2, 2002 need a new motor when it came out and some new hydraulic oil, then we snapped the arm in half in 2005 and had to have it completely rebuilt. but it's still runnin like a champ works everyday.