Any one have experience with Rippers on a wheel loader?

Hey guys

Want to hear from the people who have fitted or used rippers on the back of a wheel loader before in australia CAT used to offer this seems they are not offering it any more , what do you guys think about it?

or dose anyone have pics of there machine with rippers on it?

thanks as always guys

JGS

Only thing wheel loader-related on which I've ever seen a ripper installed were wheel dozers which of course have the same rear end as the wheel loader model on which they are based. This was started IIRC by Tiger before Cat bought them out. I'm fairly sure the ballast on the front end of the machine had to be significantly increased over standard to compensate for the weight of the ripper hanging off the rear. Trying to get my brains cells to function I think they were 854/Tiger 790 Wheel Dozers and the ripper was a multi-shank maybe from a D6, but don't quote me on that.

I can imagine where there might be some specific machine applications where it would be worthwhile putting a ripper on a wheel dozer, but why in the world would anyone want to put one on a wheel loader..? It would seriously mess up the manoeuvrability of the loader for a start.

mate i have had heaps of guys asking me to build them on to there wheel loaders for them and yo are right it basically makes them a wheeled dozer as you cant drive up a heap with them on the back or anything , from what i am hearing is they want them for clearing put the rippers on the back and a stick rake on the front of the machine.

Can wheel loaders mount a parallelogram ripper like rear-engine track loaders? Some of them tuck up out of the way pretty good and only add a foot or two to the back of the machine and maintain the machines departure angle.

I have seen a few contractors with rippers mounted on the rear of 950 to 966 sized wheel loaders. These contractors do a variety of work, so having a versatile machine is a plus. You give up some clearance to gain versatility. On a small job the loader may be the only earthmoving machine there. It can rip, push up piles while making grade, scarify and compact, and load out the spoils. It becomes a real one machine site with the addition of the rippers. It is not for everyone, but it works for some.

JGS,

Have an old 544 JD with parallel linkage rippers, handy to pre rip gravel or topsoil when excavating a site making cut and load more efficient and easier on the machine , helps break up lumps etc making spreading easier when running out from a tipper body but excavators these days make cutting and loading out a more efficient operation. While a loader will pull reasonably well, for hard ripping the tyres tend to get cut up making a tracked machine a better alternative.

We have a local guy with a Volvo Loader,armed with 4in1 & ripper.A very handy machine.
He digs farm dams & does a very efficient job.Our clay is tight here,but he had no issues doing my neighbour's dam.He made good time with the speed of the loader & wheel rolling ability too.
After seeing that,I was very impressed.As long as the rippers are not too large,I can't see a problem.
Another local guy dug a dam with an RB Dragline.That was an excellent thing to see...very efficient.I bet there aren't too many guys being taught those skills now...

I remember a Cat 966C brochure in the late 70's or early 80's and it showed a row of 966's being serviced and they all had rippers on them. If I remember the ripper was shown in the options/attachments sections. Contact Cat and they would let you know. LB

I have a Hough 65C which apparently used to be carrying them around. The mounting frame is still on the machine but sadly, no rippers. They could have been handy thats for sure. Sadly, the ripper mounts have covered over the chassis number which no makes it impossible to read or find out the exact age of the machine. I to would be interested in how they were all rigged up and to see a photo also.
Best wishes

yeah guys it seems the older loader it was offered by all the major players , we have founded out we can fit rippers from graders on the wheel loaders so then they will fold up and out of the way not restricting the loader when going up hills or mounds. but they are not cheap at all when a few of the blokes found out the price of them they soon changed there minds.

Have you thought about these on the back of the bucket?

Lots of contractors in Colorado use these on basement digging wheel loaders in hard material. They actually work pretty well.

farm_boy said:

Have you thought about these on the back of the bucket?

Lots of contractors in Colorado use these on basement digging wheel loaders in hard material. They actually work pretty well.

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U think they would work just as good pushing them as pulling them? i was thinking if u made up a quick hitch plate with them welded to it rather then putting them on a bucket and facing them forwards. what u gets think?

lowbed driver said:

I remember a Cat 966C brochure in the late 70's or early 80's and it showed a row of 966's being serviced and they all had rippers on them. If I remember the ripper was shown in the options/attachments sections. Contact Cat and they would let you know. LB

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Well done that man ...!!

The ripper arrangement for a 966C is a 6K-5516 Ripper Group. If you want to PM me I can send you details of the Parts Manual for that Group that will show you what it looks like and how it mounts to the machine chassis. From a very brief look it appears to have a mounting frame between the ripper and the loader chassis that's made out of some major iron. Not a job for the faint-hearted.

They used to be fairly common back in the 70's when I was working for Hastings Deering, there used to be a lot of Shire Coucils in Western QLD with rippers fitted to thier Loaders, I think a lot of it was when they were miles from anywhere and they wanted fill for road repairs, rather than having to truck a dozer out to rip the "Borrow Pit", they would just loosen it up with the rippers on the loader, then load it into the truck. I had a customer who had an old 922 with rippers fitted to it, which was an ex Shire Council machine.