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Non traditional excavator uses....

millercross3

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Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
132
Location
North Dakota
Occupation
Traditional Farm/Ranching...Trucking/Construction
Sure they are good for dirt, holes and rocks, but curious if anybody has some non traditional, more than likely not OSHA/EMSHA approved, uses with their trackhoes. Of course pictures would be great. I was thinking that they'd work good for putting rafters up on a shop.
Later
AM
 

bigshow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
467
Location
Somewhere.
I've seen a crane jib retro-fitted to a quick coupler on an excavator and used to swing trusses for houses. Where I work, we have swung miles of 20' jersey barrier with wheeled and tracked excavators.
 

Permafrost-ed

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Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
54
Location
Yukon/B.C. Canada
Ive seen a couple turned into giant conveyor belts. Boom and counterweight removed and a long conveyor added that can move around, turn and raise up and down easily. Really cool stuff. One was on a 450 sized machine with 2 60' belts (one feeding the other). Painted up really nice, looked factory done. Moved dirt like crazy and could keep up to three excavators throwing dirt at it. I must have a pic around here somewhere.....
 

lowbed driver

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Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
145
Location
Northwest B.C
Used a Cat 305 to install structural steel as well as Bobcat 430.
With the Cat 305 the two main beams were 20-30 ft long and a few feet off of the ground. We then place smaller cross members in every 6ft or so. Bolted everything up and placed some grating.
I have used them to install short/small columns as well. Those machines are good for a project that is no higher then 10ft or so.

Cheers Stew
 

bigshow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
467
Location
Somewhere.
We've got mill heads for a few different hoes, I've seen big saws, vibratory pile hammers, and drill attachments. Also seen a 325 power the dump cycle on a drum for a concrete batch plant, the fella i bought my 1085 from had a manbasket that fit the quick coupler. Sky's the limit nowadays, your imagination and shallow pockets are the only boundaries. Here's a link for a jib set-up- https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...05243.57215.244696302233559&type=1&permPage=1
 
Last edited:

willie59

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Dec 21, 2008
Messages
13,361
Location
Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Non traditional eh, probably the one that makes me shake my head is watching someone drive H pile with an excavator, with one whack of the bucket at a time. :badidea
 

millercross3

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
132
Location
North Dakota
Occupation
Traditional Farm/Ranching...Trucking/Construction
Non traditional eh, probably the one that makes me shake my head is watching someone drive H pile with an excavator, with one whack of the bucket at a time. :badidea
Either boss wasn't looking or boss had already figured some damages in on the bid. Some peoples kids:beatsme
 

millercross3

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
132
Location
North Dakota
Occupation
Traditional Farm/Ranching...Trucking/Construction
neighbors used theirs to load manure when nothing else could get at it
That would come in kinda handy. I've wondered about unloading bales off the semi when fall hay hauling. A person could stack 5 or 6 high in the hay yard:cool:
 

millercross3

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Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
132
Location
North Dakota
Occupation
Traditional Farm/Ranching...Trucking/Construction
When the loggers use the hydraulic chain saw attachments on the hoe, do they need to be sharpened as often as a hand held one or do they pretty much just force the chain until it just needs to be replaced? Do they operate on way more rpm's than a hand held also?
 

spitzair

Senior Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Messages
1,009
Location
Squamish BC (Home), Slave Lake, AB (Work)
I used a Hitachi 150 to set trusses. Chained a big long beam to the bucket to get extra reach. Worked really slick. Don't have any pictures of that operation... Then some years ago we needed to change the transmission in a helicopter out in the middle of nowhere and they had this 330 Cat there that worked exceptionally well for the job! That I do have some pictures of!:D
 

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Dozerboy

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Jan 18, 2006
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2,232
Location
TX
Occupation
Operator
Either boss wasn't looking or boss had already figured some damages in on the bid. Some peoples kids:beatsme

Or a rental. FYI a engineer thinks a 80k hoe will push a 18' 8" H beam in like butter.... I know after beating 10 of them in you will bend a HD demo bucket 1/2"
 

PhilDirt

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Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
133
Location
Lancaster PA
Non traditional eh, probably the one that makes me shake my head is watching someone drive H pile with an excavator, with one whack of the bucket at a time. :badidea

Just FYI... was trying to push 6" well casing in the ground for gate posts with my track loader. It would only go a few feet and stop, dropping the bucket on it didn't help much. I filled the bucket with dirt and it went in like butter.
 

willie59

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Dec 21, 2008
Messages
13,361
Location
Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Just FYI... was trying to push 6" well casing in the ground for gate posts with my track loader. It would only go a few feet and stop, dropping the bucket on it didn't help much. I filled the bucket with dirt and it went in like butter.

I was referring more to "bone head" pile driving PhilDirt, watching an operator lift the bucket ten feet from the H pile, then drop the bucket on it full tilt, bouncing the machine something fierce, just to lift the bucket and do it again. Just damn.
 

PhilDirt

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Jul 10, 2011
Messages
133
Location
Lancaster PA
I was referring more to "bone head" pile driving PhilDirt, watching an operator lift the bucket ten feet from the H pile, then drop the bucket on it full tilt, bouncing the machine something fierce, just to lift the bucket and do it again. Just damn.

Yeooow - How many can you do before the machine is scrap!
 
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