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Excavators I have operated over the years

812harleys

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Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
44
Location
Dolores Colorado
Occupation
Equipment operator, mechanic, some office work on
Thank you, I wish it was mine:D Boy, I sure need to learn how to spell.:eek:
 

Nick Drew

Resigned
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
161
Location
Devon, England
Occupation
Plant operator
Hey Deeredude, do you know what slope is safe for an excavator? I might have a little job fixing a pipe that got washed out but it is either way down or way up a steep and long revine. The rain washed it out after we cleaned the ditch leading into a culvert and a toad-strangler just hammered the hillside and uncovered a farmers pipe and we may have to fix it. I will be able to make my road but wass wondering just how steep I can safely go?? It is steep enough that I will have to make a place and more than likely push myself but I haven't really had alot of expierience with this steep of slope and would rather latch on and pull myself up like normal buit tipping over backwards would take all the fun out of it.:beatsme

Hi 812,

Great pics of the JD, just loks the same inside as the Hitachis I have been operating recently...Fantastic machines!!

About your slope question, I cannot give a definitive answer to the question without seeing the slope but I think you will be amazed how steep a slope you can climb with a tracked excavator so long as it is dry on the ground.

But you as the operator must be happy with it and as such only you can make the decision on this one:confused: All I would say is Keep that dipper arm stretched out uphill and the boom as low as possible...Let us know how it goes??
 

CascadeScaper

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Feb 27, 2005
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1,162
Location
Lynnwood, WA
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2nd year Operating Engineer Apprentice
Good advice from Nick, keep the bucket uphill or downhill, do not work with the the boom pointed across the slope. It's easy to go straight up or down a slope, if you're pointed down and the machine tips the bucket is there to catch you and if you're going up just extend the stick as far as you need to keep the boom low to the ground. Like I said, you're all good until you decide to swing across the slope, then it gets a little scary. You'll feel it though, it will feel like the machine will tip but trust me when I say that you'll jump out of the machine from the nasty feeling far before she actually goes over. I made a bit of a reputation for myself as a guy who will take an excavator just about anywhere. I was working on one site once that was fairly close to a road and the slope was highly visible. Had some folks stop by after the day was over to let me know that they thought I was absolutely nuts. I simply replied "thanks!" and went on with servicing the machine. Slope work isn't all that bad, I love it because it is such a challenge and the room for error is very little. But with some practice and some common sense you can go just about anywhere. Safety is #1 though, if you're not feeling safe get out of the spot you're in. I pushed the envelope many a time and walked away from a couple close calls, just have to remember that things happen really fast and there's no going back.
 
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812harleys

Active Member
Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
44
Location
Dolores Colorado
Occupation
Equipment operator, mechanic, some office work on
Thank you for this info!! I have a good 38" of reach so I am thinking of maybe making pads less steep then pushing or pulling into them, I just don't want to have to make something when I am 45 degrees and have to swing to the side to make me something half way there. I too welcome challenging work and believe me I go SLOW!!:eek: It was different out in SO-CAL. Up here there is rocks. Big rocks, flat rocks, small rocks(imagine that, rocks in the Rockie Mountains!!) I worry about getting a rock under the track and she slips. I've been off some good slopes with a paddlewheel and it was a blast, but it is a different story and you have to be straight as well, and you have a can to set on the ground. So you are saying it is pretty safe to pull myself as long as I don't get the boom too high as opposed to pushing all the time? I like to see where I am going and I wish I could say that I have enough expierience to know what is safe but that would be stupid even if I did. Things can change especially with ROCKS. How safe is a 45degree, 1/1 slope to work on?? This may be a dumb question but I really don't know. I will try to get a picture today( hey, another excuse to ride my Harley!!) Thanks guys and rest assured, if I don't feel safe I will get out and make less steep.
 

deeredude

Active Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
27
Location
indiana
not too sure on the exact limit of slope that hoe can handle, its really up to the operator and what he feels comfortable with. like Cascade said, keeping the bucket pointed towards the bottom of the hill would be the best so you dont have to worry about tipping.
 

Nick Drew

Resigned
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
161
Location
Devon, England
Occupation
Plant operator
not too sure on the exact limit of slope that hoe can handle, its really up to the operator and what he feels comfortable with. like Cascade said, keeping the bucket pointed towards the bottom of the hill would be the best so you dont have to worry about tipping.


I'm not going to go on about this:beatsme but I still maintain that you are safer travelling up a slope forwards with an outstretched arm as low as possible, at least that way you are able to see exactly where you are going!!!

So long as you keep the arm low the machine is not going to tip backwards, I have done this thousands of times and in many cases had to use the arm to pull myself up when the tracks have started to spin.

To be honest if I saw a guy backing up a slope my instant reaction would be he's a Rookie!!:Banghead
 

812harleys

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Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
44
Location
Dolores Colorado
Occupation
Equipment operator, mechanic, some office work on
Here's one that we only get out a couple of times a year, it's a blast ot operate!
 

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deeredude

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Feb 22, 2007
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Location
indiana
I'm not going to go on about this:beatsme but I still maintain that you are safer travelling up a slope forwards with an outstretched arm as low as possible, at least that way you are able to see exactly where you are going!!!

So long as you keep the arm low the machine is not going to tip backwards, I have done this thousands of times and in many cases had to use the arm to pull myself up when the tracks have started to spin.

To be honest if I saw a guy backing up a slope my instant reaction would be he's a Rookie!!:Banghead

lol, i was talkin about just getting down the ravine he was working it. not going back up, even though it might have sounded like that :drinkup
 

812harleys

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Dolores Colorado
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Equipment operator, mechanic, some office work on
Hi guys and thanks for the advice on the tipping part, just concerned because I really don't have alot experience on loooong slopes. Sorry for getting off topic:eek: :eek: Anyway, anyone ever run one of these "little Giants"? It is alot of fun but we probrobaly won't ever get it out now:( It has 2 sticks, one for the turit and a toggle for the bucket angle and the other is an eight way with the curl/dump on your foot. It's fun to run for a change but is real slow. Does a good job though with the bucket being able to twirl around to fit the canal sides but after 10 hours on it you'll get pretty tired.
 

Nick Drew

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Feb 11, 2007
Messages
161
Location
Devon, England
Occupation
Plant operator
not too sure on the exact limit of slope that hoe can handle, its really up to the operator and what he feels comfortable with. like Cascade said, keeping the bucket pointed towards the bottom of the hill would be the best so you dont have to worry about tipping.

Here is a prime example of what we have been saying....This guy was putting on a bit of a show at the recent SED 2007 show here in England...Note his position as he climbs up the slope, boom low & facing in the direction you are travelling.
 

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tylermckee

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768
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washington
Here is a prime example of what we have been saying....This guy was putting on a bit of a show at the recent SED 2007 show here in England...Note his position as he climbs up the slope, boom low & facing in the direction you are travelling.

Thats the only way i go up slopes, and the slope he is going up isnt even all that steep. i bet you could walk across that slope sideways and still not tip, unless you got real crazy.
 

wrenchbender

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Jan 17, 2007
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489
Location
Belton SC
Here is a prime example of what we have been saying....This guy was putting on a bit of a show at the recent SED 2007 show here in England...Note his position as he climbs up the slope, boom low & facing in the direction you are travelling.

Either got a lot of nerve or you're nuts maybe both.:beatsme :waving :crazy :lmao Because of the angel of the incline I'll just stand back and watch.
 

Deas Plant

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Jan 21, 2006
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Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Nerve.

Hi, Wrenchbender.
Nerve? Or just knowing your machine? I'd happily take an excavator or a dozer or a track or 4wd loader up that slope. I've run Volvo 6x6 dumpers up slopes like that and graders too. It IS a matter of knowing your machine and knowing what you can achieve in the prevailing ground conditions.

As I've mentioned on here before, I once took an angle blade, bobtail D9G up an 8 foot vertical bank one night at an iron ore mine in Western Australia. Won a jug of very tasty beer on it too. (Back in those days, I drank alcohol but booze wasn't why I did it.)

Most operators will 'press the chicken switch' before a machine will roll or tip. Most of the rollovers and tips that you see have occurred because somebody wasn't smart enough to recognise the potential for disaster before they went into it. IT almost always involves either somebody trying to do something that is beyond the capabilities of the machine, failure to exercise caution, ignoring safety rules, or any or all of the above.
 

812harleys

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Equipment operator, mechanic, some office work on
Thank you Nick!! That picture and advice was what I was looking for. I would much rather pull myself in the direction I am going than push myself backwards and not see a rock or something that would slip on me. I am no expert on excavator but I am no novice either. I have been operating for 30 years or so and everything from Blawnox and gallion rollers to 12C blades to 140H and now I get the opportunity to operate a pretty nice hoe. So far I have been lucky enough not to flip anything over but have seen it done by others. I don't ever want to be one. Asking a dumb:beatsme question or two have kept me from being one just as much as common sense and the "chicken" factor.
Mr Deas Plant said this
Nerve? Or just knowing your machine? I'd happily take an excavator or a dozer or a track or 4wd loader up that slope. I've run Volvo 6x6 dumpers up slopes like that and graders too. It IS a matter of knowing your machine and knowing what you can achieve in the prevailing ground conditions.
This is an important statement:notworthy Knowing what a machine(and you) are capable of is where it's at, guts only get you in trouble. I am proud to be a part of a forum like this and and have followed it for along time before getting the nerve to join and I can truthfully say that you guys really know this profession and love these machines just like I do.
Nick, I am sorry for asking this question in a thread like this, it had nothing to do with pictures and text written about "Excavators operated over the years". I do appologize for my ignorance on forum protocol and will try not to do something like that again.
Thanks again to you all, Charles
 

Deas Plant

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Knowing your machine - and yourself.

Hi, 812Harleys.
Welcome to the forum and don't be wasting too much time apologising about where you post your questions. The main thing is that you post 'em.

Here is a little story to illustrate 'knowing your machine'. I am the 'villain' of the piece and it happened at Mt Goldsworthy iron ore mine in Western Australia in February, 1968. This is the same mine that was the scene of the previously mentioned episode where I took this same D9G up an 8-foot vertical wall.

Story begins:
I became notorious on my second day there. The first day, I was given a straight-forward job using a ‘dozer to cut out a new bench for a face shovel to start working on the next lower level in the mine. The second day, I was taken up to the top level of the mine to a section of rock wall where no further excavation was to be done and told to clean all the loose rock off the wall so that there was nothing left to fall on anybody who might happen to be working (or walking) at the bottom of the wall. The wall itself was around thirty feet (9 metres) high on a 1-in-6 batter which meant that, to be able to reach the top of the wall with the ‘dozer, I would have to pile up some loose material (rocks, dirt etc.) to make a ramp to drive the ‘dozer up. In the beginning, loose material to make a ramp was rather scarce and so the ramp had to be rather steep and the operation probably looked more dangerous than it really was, especially to the untrained (or inexperienced) eye. To make matters more interesting, this was an angle-blade dozer with no tilt cylinder and no ripper.

I had been working at this task for about an hour and had just started getting right to the top of the wall when Harry pulled up in his Land Rover with a new operator. He introduced me to the ‘new’ guy (Remember, it was only my second day.) whom we’ll call ‘Barry’ (because the next one is going be ‘Paddy’ --- when you figure the logic of that one, please let me know) and said that we could share the ‘dozer for the day until Harry could make other arrangements --- like getting another ‘dozer out of the workshop.

I got back on the ‘dozer and worked for another half-hour or so, by which time the ramp was becoming a little more substantial and the operation didn’t look quite so dangerous. I then asked Barry if he would like to have a play for a while. Barry replied, “Yeah, I’ll have a go, (slight pause) but I’m not hanging that *&*#*@* off-side track out in space like you’ve been doing.â€

That night in the canteen, I overheard some of the ‘troops’ talking about ‘that mad b*****d of a new ‘dozer driver who nearly rolled the ‘dozer today’. I guess Barry must have been talking to some of them.

End story.

The point here is that while Barry was a not-bad dozer operator, he didn't have the understanding of them that I did and the thought of attempting to do what I was doing 'worried' him a little. (He didn't see me take the D9 up the vertical wall.) For that reason alone, he would be well advised not to attempt it - - - 'cos he wasn't confident of his ability to handle it.

There are two main things that go towards building confidence in an operator:
1. Experience.
2. Understanding your machine.
At the time of that story, I was about 4 years younger than Barry and had less experience too. But I had a far better undestanding of the machine and its capabilities and also my own capabilities.

One guideline that is probably worth carrying with you is, "If you have doubts about whether you can achieve it, you may be better off leaving it alone."

This applies far more to feats of 'derring-do' on slopes, etc., than it does to jobs on flat ground. For the jobs on flat ground, so long as the risk is minimal, you'll never, never know if you never have a go.

Hope this helps.
 

digger242j

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Either got a lot of nerve or you're nuts maybe both. Because of the angel of the incline I'll just stand back and watch.

I've taken 2wd rubber tired hoes up and down slopes like that one. :rolleyes:
 

wrenchbender

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Jan 17, 2007
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Location
Belton SC
I've taken 2wd rubber tired hoes up and down slopes like that one. :rolleyes:

You are the guys that keep me in Buisness. I'll take my old Diamond T in & out of those places but it's used to doing this stuff. I'll even take lil red ( my F-250) but not equipment I don't know how it'll act. This is why I operate on equipment and ya'll operate equipment.
 

Deas Plant

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Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Doing Watchya Know.

Hi, Wrenchbender.
You do what you know with your Diamond T and your F250 and that's fair enough. We'll keep doing what we know with out machines. And you kin keep on pickin' up ther pieces. Just don't look ter me ter provide many pieces for you ter pick up.
 

wrenchbender

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Jan 17, 2007
Messages
489
Location
Belton SC
Hi, Wrenchbender.
You do what you know with your Diamond T and your F250 and that's fair enough. We'll keep doing what we know with out machines. And you kin keep on pickin' up ther pieces. Just don't look ter me ter provide many pieces for you ter pick up.

I can't reach that far anyway I have short arms. Now don't misunderstand I'm not saying that ya'll are tearing these machines apart doing this but I am saying I would be. Or at the very least it would need a new seat and I would need some Exlax to remove the old one.
 
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