Hitachi 180W

[2004F550]

We rented one for next week when the (Cat dealer couldn't get one with a hammer) to do some road widening as we didn't want to use a tracked machine on the road. Just messed around for a couple minutes tonight and going to do some hammering probably tommorow. The controls are nice, some can be confusing, like all of the switches for steering and stabliizers, etc. The only other wheeled machine I have run is an old JD 595D, which had hrs, but was well maintained. This one also has a Wain Roy swinger which should come in handy for grading, etc. Anway now for my question, this has a "variable gauge boom" and they seem popular on wheeled machines, what are there purpose? I was thinking maybe weight transfer or something? I don't know, seems like a cool feature.

 

[Dirt Dogg]

Deere 180W

I ran a Deere 180 this winter and I thought the machine was great but the boom was anything but. It was ok when you worked up close but lost lifting power when working at max. BE CAREFUL the bucket will hit the cab when it is folded up.

 

[2004F550]

thanks for the heads up

 

[TRACKHOE71]

i was wondering the same thing i was on a deere 160 last week with just the standard boom and then they brought in a cat 318 with the variable gauge boom, i played around with it a little bit , but we were in very tight areas , so i couldnt get to carried away. i really did like the deere that had awain roy swinger on it also, really easy to control and very resposive machine, the cat on the other hand, me being a big cat fan, personally i think the deere blew the cat rgiht out of the water, hydraulics were slow, cab was uncomfortable, seemed very unresponsive. deere deftinaly got my vote out of these two machines.:notworthy

 

[Gmads]

VG booms allow for areas that have low clearance like under an overpass. I've also seen them as very effective at reaching further underneath the machine - for instance sitting on a bridge cleaning debris out from under a bridge at a creek crossing.