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Quick Couplers/Quickhitches

WV earth mover

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
110
Location
WV
Our sk160 has a jrb hydro coupler and far as i know could have as much 8000hrs on it machine had 5000 when bought although the slide plate is wore half way through now it works great the only problem i ever was employees keeping the bucket over the fire to long when feeding stumps and brush on the fire and burning out the seals in the swivel hoses . dont worry about the typos i often type words backwards like tac for cat probably a medical term for it nowadays could just be that 90% of my typing exp has been on HEF.
 

DGODGR

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2009
Messages
1,062
Location
S/W CO
It's 18,000!!! I re-read the matris report.

I was typing a quotation for $1.6m and at the same time reading this forum!!

Proof reading was never my strong point!
.

Maybe I am just playing with peanuts. IMO that quote deserved your undivided attention
 

Jbullfrog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
98
Location
Avoca, Iowa
I have a cx50b Case with a WB coupler. It has a spring loaded jaw and a pin to lock it. I have switched buckets and dug without installing the pin, but dumping is a bit risky, as the bucket can fall off on the pile. It is the same width as the ears on my buckets, so clearance is not an issue.
 

Batkom

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Messages
202
Location
Idaho
I have only used manual quick couplers, the John Deere/ Hitachi wedge style on my first two midis.
I put an Amulet manual one on my Komatsu pc75uu2
It uses the factory bucket pin spacing. Hook the bucket and then hope out and shove a single pin in.
No tools!
The wedge style I always kept a wrench and a pry bar in the excavator.
Amulets system has a little bit of play compared to the wedge, but I much prefer it for speed and ease of use n no tools.
Amulet Calls it there minihitch coupler.
 

heymccall

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
5,352
Location
Western Pennsylvania
Oooh, now we are in my wheel house.

..JBHendrix...no longer in the states due to lawsuits. Grabbed one family only. Operated on pilot pressure (600-700 psi). Closed without curl stalling. Quite frequently had stuck check valve in cylinder. Replacement cylinders were only $400.

..Caterpillar pin grabber (Miller Bug)...Grabs multiple families. Operates on bucket curl relief. Gravity and spring assisted safety lock. Bolts continually lost on safety spring. Safety bar wedges on certain families preventing disconnect. When used opposite (beating with bucket heel, or shovel digging), cylinder would football ($2200-$3700, depending on size). Prone to cylinder packing disintegrating, resulting in jamming of control valve solenoid. Early solenoids had screens on spool, and screens would jam spool.

..Caterpillar Center-lock...Operates on bucket curl relief. Grabs multiple families. Visible safety latch over stick pin. Cylinder mounted in two two bolt saddles. Saddle bolts shear ($400 aside). Cylinder lines and check assembly external, resulting in cylinder damage when saddles break. Saddle arm pivots easily changed, but occasionally on 2 month backorder. Snap rings on safety jaw links prone to loss.

..New Caterpillar "wedge style"...only have one. Bucket curl relief actuated. Hoses loose from factory, and impossible to access without unpinning from machine.

..JRB Slide lock...Bucket relief curl actuated. One family only. No safety lock. Check and relief remote mounted.

Outta time. Geith and, my favorite on 9 ton under, Strickland, to follow, as will Yanmar.
 

245dlc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
1,228
Location
Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
I've used the WBM wedge style for years both hydraulic and the two bolt mechanical ones. I always hated the mechanical ones bolts always loosen up and when you do get them tight you have to pound out the wedge with a hammer mushrooming the ends of the wedge. We have AMI wedge couplers on both machines where I work currently but they essentially use the same design as WBM just better steel than the last WBM coupler I used a few years ago where it seems like they've gone too a lower quality mild steel than what AMI offers. The boss got a quote for an AMI power wedge for the Kobelco SK210 we have and they wanted $15,000! So still got the mechanical one. We use tilt buckets on both our Hitachi 160 and the Kobelco 210 so build height is an issue otherwise I wouldn't mind a hydraulic pin grabber. I used a pin-grabber on a brand new Case CX210B a few years ago and liked it for the most part especially since you could reverse the bucket for getting in to tricky spots but the build height using a tilt bucket was an issue for me. And in recent years I've managed to try an Indexator Rototilt on a 5 tonne New Holland/Kobelco which I really liked since you could do everything a regular tilt bucket could do and reverse the bucket or put it sideways and use different buckets or attachments with it. And the pins are welded in place so they don't get worn and sloppy like regular pin-grabber set ups and now you can get them with the auxiliary hydraulics and even grease and electricity all built in to the coupler eliminating connecting hoses and in some cases preventing damage. We are currently looking at getting a new machine in the 16-18 tonne class and I think I've got the boss convince in to an Eng-Con or Indexator set up as the costs for acquiring a hydraulic coupler, tilt-bucket, 42" tooth bucket, and a frost ripper come out to almost the same with a lot less flexibility.
 

JPSouth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
125
Location
SW Montana
I'm kinda in the market for a mechanical pin-grabbing style. I don't mind swapping buckets, but when I'm cleaning irrigation ditches and clearing brush on access roads to do so, I'm swapping between a bucket and 36" brush rake several times a day. The brush rake has some weight to it, a quick coupler would save quite a bit of time and fiddling to get hooked up.

Is there much loss of digging power (mechanical advantage) between a quick coupler and straight-up pin mounting? Looks like there'd have to be some, but I'm unsure how much difference it would actually make. I have a pretty broad spectrum of soil/rock types where I work, can go from pretty easy digging to pretty tough fast. With pin mounting, my KX161 with 24" severe duty toothed does a good job, but the 36" toothed has it's limits. I'm choosy about where I use the 36", as that is the outer limit of what that machine will comfortably handle on an average day.
 

Tags

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
1,610
Location
Connecticut
I had a 161-3 with the Kubota style coupler and really liked it, put 5500 hours on that coupler with zero issues, it was a little wiggly when I sold it but not too bad. On the Takehuchi I have now, I opted for a Geith hydraulic pin grabber and LOVE IT! It may steal a little power from the bucket but the ability to pick the bucket up backwards and dig or place material is priceless to me. Also, it may sound lazy, but being able to flip a switch and swap buckets (which I do a lot) without getting out of the machine really makes me feel more efficient, even though you're only saving a minute or two. I have to say I would never go back to any other style coupler.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,319
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I'm kinda in the market for a mechanical pin-grabbing style. I don't mind swapping buckets, but when I'm cleaning irrigation ditches and clearing brush on access roads to do so, I'm swapping between a bucket and 36" brush rake several times a day. The brush rake has some weight to it, a quick coupler would save quite a bit of time and fiddling to get hooked up.

Is there much loss of digging power (mechanical advantage) between a quick coupler and straight-up pin mounting? Looks like there'd have to be some, but I'm unsure how much difference it would actually make. I have a pretty broad spectrum of soil/rock types where I work, can go from pretty easy digging to pretty tough fast. With pin mounting, my KX161 with 24" severe duty toothed does a good job, but the 36" toothed has it's limits. I'm choosy about where I use the 36", as that is the outer limit of what that machine will comfortably handle on an average day.

There is some loss of breakout, I don't think that it is significant but obviously the more breakout to start with the better. Some couplers advertise zero lose of breakout, I believe Klack is one of them but I could wrong on the OEM. The other thing to remember is it may cause you to hit the boom cylinder with the bucket due to the increase length of the dipper stick. A major spec for me is bucket breakout force, for this reason specifically. The reduction in breakout is worth the convenience. I change from a hoe pac, breaker, cleanout bucket, and three different bucket sizes often. Pounding pins is just a waste of time.
 

Tags

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
1,610
Location
Connecticut
To follow up on what KSSS said, a pin grabber coupler will DEFINITELY allow the bucket to hit the boom cylinder, you need to be very careful about that....
 

farmboy555

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
191
Location
KY
Occupation
Owner Operator
I have 2 yanmar excavators with quick couplers that came with them from the factory. They are great
 

Tags

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
1,610
Location
Connecticut
Being able to flip the bucket around makes short work of installing the stone for footing drains, really don’t need to shovel much, I really like that part of it.


38B5D72A-B766-43DC-BE49-6DD5EF8BA168.jpeg 81FDC0BE-008F-4351-AA5F-63B1D6603CAB.jpeg
 

Graham1

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
300
Location
Hampshire, UK
Being able to flip the bucket around makes short work of installing the stone for footing drains, really don’t need to shovel much, I really like that part of it.

Before you know it you will be going for a tiltrotator and doing it sideways as well!
Graham
 

Tags

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
1,610
Location
Connecticut
I really wanted one. I was at the last ConExpo in Vegas when I was getting ready to purchase the Tak, I priced one one out but it was just too much to justify what I do with the machine....
 

Graham1

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
300
Location
Hampshire, UK
I really wanted one. I was at the last ConExpo in Vegas when I was getting ready to purchase the Tak, I priced one one out but it was just too much to justify what I do with the machine....
They are great, but so expensive, you need plenty of the type work that it will save you time on or do away with a labourer to pay for it. It is amazing how much more efficient you make your machine with one, especially if you invest in a few attachments.
Graham
 

245dlc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
1,228
Location
Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
They are great, but so expensive, you need plenty of the type work that it will save you time on or do away with a labourer to pay for it. It is amazing how much more efficient you make your machine with one, especially if you invest in a few attachments.
Graham
They seem to be more affordable for larger machines I've done some pricing out over the last year or so and because we do use a couple different buckets and attachments its become a little more important for us to acquire a hydraulic quick coupler for what we do have. However AMI wants $15,000 CAD for a hydraulic wedge coupler and a new tilt bucket or a tilt attachment costs around $12,000-$15,000 for a 16-21 tonne machine. A thumb is around $8,000CAD, trenching or tooth buckets probably around $5,000 and probably the same for a ripper. It just makes more sense to just switch over to a tilt rotator system and not have to fight coupling hoses or tightening up wedge bolts and constantly carry spares and hand tools, replacement hoses and couplers. And if your on priced work it saves a lot more time and can eliminate some hand labour and even an extra machine.
 

Jbullfrog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
98
Location
Avoca, Iowa
I have a Werk Brau on my CX50B Case. I have a local welding shop that has cut side plates for adpaters and attachments on their plasma table. I use 1-3/4" hydraulic rod for pins that I get as cut off lengths from a cylinder shop. 2 chromed pins usually cost me $30. It's a difference on 1.5mm between the metric pins and 1-3/4". I use a 3rd pin adapter to hook Case loader backhoe attachments. I do a lot of concrete removal, so I change between a Stanley breaker, bucket, and plate compactor regularly. Attachments for Case loader backhoes are still quite common and can be found for reasonable prices around me on Craigslist or auctions. The WB coupler has a spring latch with a safety pin that goes thru it also. My WB buckets are all built to curl with the coupler, so breakout isn't a problem, and it has a second in hole, so you can move the dog bone pin, if you really want to.Lifting plate side.jpg Track Hoe.JPG
 
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