• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

working over idlers or motors

terex herder

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
1,804
Location
Kansas
I've been clearing trees with a Deere 200D LC. I've been careful to work over the idlers, as there is a lot of full stall hydraulic work, and dragging the machine with the boom because I'm setting on disturbed soil.

Other than the counterweight from the heavier drive motors, is there any reason to worry about lifting over the motors? It would save turning the body around sometime.
 

Ronsii

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
3,464
Location
Western Washington
Occupation
s/e Heavy equipment operator
I just saw a thread the other day like this ;) seem to remember also that there are many many reasons to never work with the motors in front of you....:eek: of course there are just as many reasons that it doesn't matter. :D
 

uffex

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Messages
4,464
Location
Lincoln UK
Occupation
Admin
Good day
A rule from the early days when operating a front shovel excavator it was preferred to excavate over the idlers avoiding compression of the recoil spring with the back hoe it was the reverse as you hit the forward motion you would drive away from the excavation.
It was just an observation from the past.
kind regards
Uffex
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,379
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
It is also a safety issue. If one of those trees somehow gets away from you and crashes through your window it most likely will push travel levers back. If you are working over the motors that will track you into the branches and risk skewering you!

Dave beat me to it.:D

It's just good practice during clearing to keep the drive motors to the rear.
 

Tones

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
3,085
Location
Ubique
Occupation
Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
It is also a safety issue. If one of those trees somehow gets away from you and crashes through your window it most likely will push travel levers back. If you are working over the motors that will track you into the branches and risk skewering you!
And that has happened. The old Hitachi manuals stated to dig over the sprockets, that way the chain remains loose from the sprocket to the idler so less wear and also takes out alot of the jerking as it's not pulling against the tensioner spring.
 
Top