Pin - be the judge

[Firemanharry]

I was recently running an excavator and one of the pins in the bucket linkage broke. What’s everyone’s thoughts after looking at the picture of said pin that I took immediately after the damage was done.

 

[Firemanharry]

 

[Nige]

Can you post a photo of the surface in your first photo but taken from straight on instead of at an angle..?
The 2nd photo shows very little because of the grease covering most of the fracture surface.

 

[Theweldor]

From the picture you posted it appears it has been cracked for sometime. But Nige is right. A picture straight on would be more helpful.

 

[Firemanharry]

Yeah, the pin has long since been taken from me. Machine has under 300 hours

 

[Firemanharry]

The thing I’m wondering about is the dark line just to the left of the rust on the right side of the pin. After that you can see the coloring in the stages that the pin broke in.

 

[DIYDAVE]

Looks like it has been cracked long enough for rust to form on the 3/4 that was cracked...

 

[Firemanharry]

They’re putting the blame on me instead of going back to the manufacturer with it. Everyone that knows equipment says there had to be a flaw. That dark line looks to me like a flaw that caused the rest of the pin to fail in stages

 

[Firemanharry]

Here’s what I’m asking then. Operator error or a manufacturing defect?

 

[Theweldor]

I would say DEFECT

 

[Firemanharry]

They wanted to write me up saying I broke it intentionally

 

[Junkyard]

X2 defect.

 

[Firemanharry]

I wouldn’t even have an idea on how to break that intentionally. Management can be idiots

 

[Junkyard]

I have seen machines abused beyond belief. I don’t see how you could break that pin in that spot. Who knows. I’d tell them to stuff that pin if they want to blame you.

 

[Firemanharry]

I have seen machines abused beyond belief. I don’t see how you could break that pin in that spot. Who knows. I’d tell them to stuff that pin if they want to blame you.

I did

 

[td25c]

Pin busted & failed .

Makes me question if it was to " Hard " to begin with .

There's a place for hard tempered steel only it will be more brittle & not handle the stress & shock load that a softer mix will .

We use " Cold rolled " shaft for pins on the excavator .

https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/metals/cold-rolled-steel/cold-rolled-steel-c1018-shafting/

You need a good "Blacksmith " to put the hoe back in action .

 

[RZucker]

They wanted to write me up saying I broke it intentionally

Really? how the hell do you break a pin intentionally? I would be breaking somebodies nose for that accusation.

 

[Junkyard]

Really? how the hell do you break a pin intentionally? I would be breaking somebodies nose for that accusation.

That or they’d be walking around like Rob Lowe after his body cavity search in Wayne’s World!

 

[RZucker]

I Wored for an outfit running TS-24's, the lead mechanic constantly blamed operators for breakdowns. I blew a rear engine when the trans harness shorted and the rear trans went to 2nd gear at full tilt boogie on the haul road... My fault and nearly got fired 'til the guy that found the problem spoke up.
We had a guy named Zack on one machine that came into the shop one afternoon with a broken cutting edge, loading with 2 D9G's and an occasional 8K that would jump on and help. Lead mechanic started his blame game and got immediately flattened... Zach was 6'4" and 24" across the shoulders, he had enough of Mr. small mind and went to the office to turn in notice. Rest of us just watched, without offering any help.
Next day was biz as usual, but the lead mechanic had his wings clipped and left shortly after when we started getting right back in his face.

 

[Junkyard]

I Wored for an outfit running TS-24's, the lead mechanic constantly blamed operators for breakdowns. I blew a rear engine when the trans harness shorted and the rear trans went to 2nd gear at full tilt boogie on the haul road... My fault and nearly got fired 'til the guy that found the problem spoke up.
We had a guy named Zack on one machine that came into the shop one afternoon with a broken cutting edge, loading with 2 D9G's and an occasional 8K that would jump on and help. Lead mechanic started his blame game and got immediately flattened... Zach was 6'4" and 24" across the shoulders, he had enough of Mr. small mind and went to the office to turn in notice. Rest of us just watched, without offering any help.
Next day was biz as usual, but the lead mechanic had his wings clipped and left shortly after when we started getting right back in his face.

If I break something or even have an inkling I did it I’ll take the heat. Try to throw me under the bus and it’s not gonna end well. Maybe not for me, him or both of us but everybody will know how the bear $hit in the woods! Haha