The most entertaining "school me"thread... My 1st piece of H.E. Two 80ton Hoes

[douglasco]

Thanks guys. Yep worst case I think i can put a new swing bearing on it for about $5000. It would be nice to figure out how to put on some compact travel motors anyways. And i'm not to fond of the whole swing motor setup, but it going bad does probably scare me the most.

Those damn wires. The ex700 wouldn't even fit under them with the boom all the way down. The bottom is phone, i hit it all the time. The middle one is neutral, i've bumped it. The top one, well that wouldn't be pretty. But I figure i might have to replace a couple pins in the arm and maybe they will raise it or bury it when they come out to see what happened. Preferably the latter. I'll post some pics of the view and you'll see why.

So, if a guy wanted to make a few bucks for the fun of it. And these were the only machines he had. What would you suggest? I know, insurance, mob costs- but i got that covered. I was thinking about picking up a hoe stick and bucket for one of them. I actually thought it would be cool to get into big boulder landscaping. I've talked to the quarries around here and they don't sell many of the big ones. But when i'm done here I'll have a pretty nice show piece-I think it would be an easy sell to the big money guys.

 

[mitch504]

used swing bearing for a 210 kobelco is over $10,000

 

[Turbo21835]

used swing bearing for a 210 kobelco is over $10,000

Used swing for a 150 kobelco is just shy of 10,000

 

[stumpjumper83]

Things to do with a 650 shovel... Because of move costs and such, my suggestion is to buy a tract of land with perfect location and alot of nasty rocky features, then develop it.

For instance say that right beside a major commercial zone is this steep, boulder strewn lot. Buy it, level it, make some boulder walls if you want, then sell it, or lease it to cabellas or something. But be careful with this economy that you don't overextend yourself.

Basically you have to look at whats going on in your area and find something that your well suited for. Seeings that you have really big tools, your going to need really big projects or really tough ones.

If they were mine. I'd open a shale pit up in the northern pa, and be selling it to the drillers for makin pads, and I'd lease on to the local gravel pit.

 

[Buckethead]

The top one, well that wouldn't be pretty. But I figure i might have to replace a couple pins in the arm and maybe they will raise it or bury it when they come out to see what happened.

PLEASE be careful! If you hit a power line, anybody standing on the ground near the machine could be electrocuted. And whatever wire you hit, the electric or phone company will probably make you pay for repairs and possibly for the interruption of service. If there is a "call before you dig" number in your area, it wouldn't hurt to call, just in case.

 

[ziggy]

You dont even have to contact power lines to get electrocuted,if it's very high voltage it will arc right to your boom.When we walked the big P and H shovels under power lines we used to dig out the road to get them low enough to not arc,just temporarily.
Replacing poles with higher ones is also an option but it will be on your dime.

 

[Buckethead]

You dont even have to contact power lines to get electrocuted,if it's very high voltage it will arc right to your boom.

I agree, electric lines are no joke. Douglasco, your machine should have a window or door in top of the cab, like a sunroof, I can't tell if it's open or not because your machine has a rops or fops over the cab, anywhere near the wires I would keep that open for visibility overhead. Hope this helps.

 

[ziggy]

I agree, electric lines are no joke. Douglasco, your machine should have a window or door in top of the cab, like a sunroof, I can't tell if it's open or not because your machine has a rops or fops over the cab, anywhere near the wires I would keep that open for visibility overhead. Hope this helps.

And if you have a strike or arc whatever you do....dont get out of the machine,your safe as long as you stay in the cab.You will become the ground if you try getting off or jumping.Seen 2 grader guys electrocuted this way,once your foot hits the ground you become the shortest route for the power and the electricity will lock your muscles so you wont even be able to let go.

 

[powerjoke]

A used Kobelco isnt worth $10,000 lol.....jk


Really tho, this thread has everything in it, from a young buck that dont own a hoe (but has pics) to a 4 story house and a 100+ ton rock....even an elecrtic safety lecture.

Douglasco, I am on your side. what the heck is wrong with getting a bargain on a couple of awesome machines and getting to play with them....hell for $10k I would like to have the Komatsu to set at my dirt pile instead of a $50k wheel loader....but then again im only 29yo too and would be full of xxxx if I said i owned one lol..

Keep up the pic posting this is an interesting thread

Pj

Cmon, Pj. You've been around here long enough to lnow the rules.

 

[hvy 1ton]

Well, I wasn't going to post any followup because I was a little disappointed by the naysayers. But my other recent thread(in skidsteers>bobcat/how to overide safetybar) has helped me realize that people around here need to be a little less scared.

Recap, I bought two 80 ton excavators(actually shovels) as my first pieces of equipment. I have very very little equipment experience, but alot of common sense.

Like i said, I am happy to be proven wrong. The shovel bit makes a lot of sense. There isn't very large market for sub-1000 class face shovels. As for a commercial use for your shovels how about digging big and/or deep basements.

 

[stumpjumper83]

basements... unless he was in solid rock with a no dynamite ordinance I don't think he could be cost competitive.

Basically someone with a 30 ton hoe could come in with a lowboy, unload, dig it out, load up and do at least one basement a day. Our friend with the face shovel will spend a day moving in, 30 minutes digging, and a day moving out. also thats alot of hired heavy haul time compared to work time, but he may catch that in his 30 minute dig time.

 

[powerjoke]

lol, I jsut wanted to see if you was paying attention Digger

Pj

 

[douglasco]

Thanks for the warnings guys. I'm guessing these are the typical 1700volts found in residential? Doesn't it take a 1000 volts to arc an inch? And I can't imagine that jumping is a bad idea. The cab floor is about 9 ft off the ground, and i could probably jump 15 feet out. The rops actually completely covers the sunroof. I was thinking about cutting a hole in it w/out compromising it.

I've got the heavy haul taken care of now. I can do it at cost in one trip. Like i said was thinking about getting a hoe stick.

I've gotten very good at sourcing parts. I already sourced the bearings for that price, yes new. No they don't have any other models.

and p.s. jack@ss, now my house is about to be 5 stories, i'm adding a glass 5th story room. But i'm not a house guy, its not the american dream its a nightmare. Be happy with what you got, and don't let your wife enslave you anymore. I bought it for different reasons.

Next time i've got the camera out i'll take a pic with ur name on it.
http://www.ironplanet.com/jsp/s/item/246006

 

[JDOFMEMI]

Douglasco

I am on your side too, but am still concerned about the electric lines.
Most electric like you show is at least 4160. I would not want to be within 10 feet of them. In fact, it is federal law to keep minimum of 10 ft of clearance.

Just dont' want to see you get hurt.

As far as the machines go, you did good.

When you get a chance, I would like to see some more pics of your work around the house. Its fun moving rock with a big hoe.

 

[douglasco]

Thanks. I thought it was about 1700 volts. I'll go down and look at the xformers. Anybody have any luck/experience with getting the power company to pick up the tab for moving lines for construction? I wouldn't mind but they won't even let me dig the trench to put them in the ground. I don't always have someone handy to take pics, so i miss alot of good photo ops. But heres a few old ones.

 

[DirtHauler]

I get scared to death seeing that without the counterweight.

 

[douglasco]

The skidder isn't mine, but i saw it by where i got the machine. Think its pretty awesome. Had to rig the counterweight that way on the ex700 cuz i hauled the fall off in a box truck. Did you guys know Autocrane and nationals too(iirc) don't have steel bearings in them? They turn on plastic. Even their big 20ton models. Also thought it was neat to find out that you can get a clamshell digging attachment for many of the autocrane-equivalents in other parts of the world.

 

[douglasco]

I get scared to death seeing that without the counterweight.

Well next time i'm gonna throw it back on i will take a picture of it holding it in the bucket almost all the way out. Now the EX700, thats another story, a stiff breeze could blow it over. Anybody made their own CW removal system? The ex700 i looked at the other day was a little newer but had it and the counterweight was a different shape then mine. Had a huge cutout to accommodate the system. But geez, i wish i had that ex1100 instead.

 

[DirtHauler]

Have any before and after photos of what you have done? i am curious to see what those big machines can do other than just load haul trucks.

 

[buckfever]

i work on a development were the buried about a 1000 ft of hi-tention powerline and it cost the developer 250,000.