1988 Cat 953 - Caterpillar. My First Track Loader

[DMiller]

You will hate this, is why most get to sale yards
The joint from Fiberglass sections to Steel is Epoxy Glued. Last one I found in 96 we had a Altec tech come in to verify, he did as to that epoxy joint was failed. Four High Dollar Lincoln hand pump grease guns and a box full of Altec special recipe epoxy with sixteen grease zerks, that at every coupled connection(3 times), we hand refilled the joint until the guns locked up as epoxy set up. And yes they got really warm holding them. Truck went on for three more years then went to sale yard.
I did ask, tech was not sure store bought epoxy would be qualified by the company.

If is popping pretty loud and consistent, stop use. This IS a safety concern.

 

[Georgia Iron]

Ok. I got what you are saying. I have not noticed any sounds coming from the boom nor have I seen any rust or paint cracked on the boom. Only issue I have had is sometimes the boom hydraulics are slow to respond to the hand control inputs.


I have used the truck a fair amount so far. I did cut down a very sketch tall leaning 100' plus pine tree. Which almost got me in trouble.

It had a semi bad base and was leaning hard towards that weak area, which was full of lighter knot. One if my neighbors asked me to get it off the property line, since it was headed towards his building.

Tree was on a slope above where the truck could be placed so that gave it another 5' of height. At 60' up the tree was still too big to get with the hydraulic pole saw.
I take the big stihl saw up in the bucket and make sure I am not in the path of the trunk when it swings back. At 60 ' the tree seemed to have a 35' lean in the top at about 45*s

As I cut threw the trunk, only about half way the top starts to falls on over but did not break away as the top leaned more towards the ground the tree was straighting itself and moving back. Which pulled the top with all the limbs towards the bucket and it felt like it was now going to be coming down on the back of the truck and me in the bucket.

About that time the top snaps off and it did a 180* flip and trunk went down opposite of where the limbs were. Other than putting a line on the top and having some ground men to anchor it, I don't really see any safe way of dealing with a tall leaner. Not sure that I will mess with one like that again.

 

[DMiller]

I actually have several Dead Trees, may end up calling a Tree Service to drop as are just TOO beyond a Safe Consideration for my capabilities. Really need a Large size Excavator with a decent reach, perhaps either roll out or break them off.