So you think you are having a bad day......

boaterri · May 5, 2014

These photos were taken at Wood Dale park, Woodcliff Lake, NJ. The county is doing improvements on the park including dredging the pond. The excavator operator got a little carried away tracking into the middle of the pond with the results you see. The crane is what it took to get the machine out. Sorry no pix of the actual extraction. I bet the operator is now seeking employment in the fast food industry.

Rick

CDNDIESELMONKEY · May 5, 2014

CAT's can't swim!

Mike L · May 5, 2014

that's proof that cat's don't like water

RZucker · May 5, 2014

Wow. Any bet the crane bill was more than the excavator was worth?

td25c · May 5, 2014

Thinking the same thing RZucker . Its a shame the two cranes aren't set up for drag line operation and just finish the job while they are set up .

boaterri · May 6, 2014

Had a short chat with the operator of the smaller crane (the one assembling the bigger crane) and asked him to take a swag at what this whole operation cost per day. He thought for a minute and said "with no overtime about $35,000 per day. Two day job. Excavator was a rental, taken back, he said it was totaled.

Rick

ben46a · May 7, 2014

Looks a bit overkill. Winch on a d8 with a couple trucks to anchor wouldve been cheaper me thinks. Not to struck on the cranes use in general without being sure of what's under the stabilizers on the grass and the suction of the mud on the hoe.

Scrub Puller · May 7, 2014

Yair . . . ben46a. I scratched my head too . . . that is complete and utter B/S.

As you say, anchors could be a problem but a winch, on even a D4 sucking on jury rigged three to two's would skid that out I reckon . . . beats me who makes decisions.

Cheers.

Buckethead · May 7, 2014

td25c said:
Thinking the same thing RZucker . Its a shame the two cranes aren't set up for drag line operation and just finish the job while they are set up .

I'm thinking maybe they should have had a dragline in the first place.

JDOFMEMI · May 7, 2014

Sounds like someone getting one over on a soon to be broke contractors insurance company.

Spending $70K on a recovery effort for that machine when it could have been recovered for a fraction of that by someone with some experience at such things is a waste of someones hard earned money.

I have recovered 70 ton machines from conditions as bad and worse, and never spent even 10% of what that effort cost.

1466IH · May 7, 2014

A good wreaker op could have pulled it out a heck of a lot cheaper too

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

JDOFMEMI · May 7, 2014

I agree. Though it might have taken 2 since the hoe is pretty obviously dead at this point.
2 wreckers for a day might fetch several grand, but a far cry from 70

Acivil · May 7, 2014

I would be interested to know whether the hoe was rented by the municipality, or a contractor... that little detail could explain a whole lot. Even if it was a contractor, it's a classic example of why it's most critical to keep your wits alive on your worst days.

Dualie · May 7, 2014

Two heavy wreckers would have done it for way less than that

simonsrplant · May 8, 2014

Seen a 60ton liebherr pulled from a silt lagoon dead, till the air intake in the rear doors was above water, took two heavy wreckers all afternoon. That's it! Had some pictures but lost them now.

That cat is only small too?! Certainly overkill

frenchgordon · May 8, 2014

seems like an amphibious exc would have been more appropriated...

ben46a · May 8, 2014

Scrub Puller said:
Yair . . . ben46a. I scratched my head too . . . that is complete and utter B/S.

As you say, anchors could be a problem but a winch, on even a D4 sucking on jury rigged three to two's would skid that out I reckon . . . beats me who makes decisions.

Cheers.

Scrub, I allow that if you can get a stuck D9 out with a rope winch, this 320 should come out with a fishing reel and 3lb line . :grins:

Scrub Puller · May 8, 2014

Yair . . . ben46a. You had me there for a minute! (grinning) . . . then I realised you were alluding to the old "G" that wouldn't come on top.

I have always remembered that episode and how unbalanced those tractors were . . . a classic case of why a dozer needs rippers, winch or counter weight.

I think though, that many folks don't realise what can be achieved with a winch sucking on some decent tackle.

A mate and I once unstuck a badly bogged truck with ten thousand pound winch on an old Nissan Patrol pulling on the tag end of some hastily reeved blade lift pulley blocks temporally borrowed from a broken down D8 . . . I seem to remember that top block seemed a lot heavier when we were putting it back on.

Cheers.

Buckethead · May 8, 2014

I really think that a standard (non long reach) hydraulic excavator was not the optimum machine for that job. Especially without mats to work on. (Hindsight it 20/20, I know) A lot of people in charge these days have never seen a dragline or clamshell in operation. Which is a shame because this is where they excel. Here's a Sauerman bucket, aka slackline excavator. You don't need the big yarder to run it, you can use a regular dragline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kExM4eVJg2w

mitch504 · May 8, 2014

That slackline is cool, buckethead, but for that little pond my b-i-l could take one of his 22Bs and throw his bucket to anywhere in it. He can throw his bucket about twice his boom length. I once saw him throw his bucket into a 24' dump trailer that was just past his boom tip and catch a truck and trailer before it rolled off the end of the boat ramp into 40' of water.

Draglines are great for what they are good for. The main disadvantage of them when it's a dragline job, is there are almost no operators left. My b-i-l is 77, he's almost retired.

So you think you are having a bad day......

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Well-Known Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Well-Known Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member