Truck mounted excavator

[Graham1]

Hi, can anyone help? Last week I saw a long reach excavator mounted on a Man 4x4 truck on the A96 heading out of Inverness towards Elgin. It looked like the slew ring had been bolted directly to the body. Both excavator and truck looked brand new. This sort of set up would be ideal for me, although probably slightly smaller and older.
Does anyone know anything about this sort of thing, have pictures or know anyone who has done it? I’ve seen Gradall telescopic ones, but these a not common in the UK, so was looking for something more conventional.
Many thanks

 

[Deere470D LC]

gradall is the only one i can think of

 

[Deere500a]

Sounds like it was custom built for the job,maybe try calling the dealer see if it a option. In the past it was common in the US for truck mounted excavator like Drott,Badger/WS Hopto,Koehring etc .Gradall fixed boom is all that is left.Check out the old iron form here & you see some TM Hopto's.

 

[icestationzebra]

There was a post on this last year sometime. I mentioned that I have seen a truck mounted excavator running around the Milwaukee area, for the local utility company I think. May have been a Deere unit. ISZ

 

[wnydirtguy]

I don't know who makes it but I have seen one sitting in a field near me. does not look like it was been running in a while. looks like it be a nice unit for small little jobs. next time I get by it I will see if I can get some pics.

 

[Deere500a]

Recall seeing 2axle Ford f800 with a Deere 70 mounted on it in Illinois

 

[D11RCD]

Hello Graham1,
Welcome to the HEF!
There are a lot of old trucks with excavators on them rusting in fields out here, shame they don't still work. I believe some power companies use those to lift power poles into place and to make the holes for them so there should be some of them somewhere, sorry I can't be more specific.

 

[Graham1]

Hi, thanks for the replies so far.
I was hoping someone in the UK may have info.It seemed to me to be a great way to cover long distances to do small jobs. At the moment I hire a lot of excavators locally to where I'm working as the haulage from home is often more than the total job is worth.
I'm guessing the concept didn't work very well otherwise there would be more about, which is why I was hoping for some firsthand experience before spending out lots of money only to prove what other people have already discovered that there is some problem I'm not seeing.

 

[joispoi]

What kind of work are you doing and how far do you have to travel?

Whether you're paying someone to haul for you, or hauling using your own truck, you still need to bill the customer for your transport costs. I can't see that having an excavator permanently mounted to a truck is going to cost less money to drive down the road than a 19 ton hook lift with a 5 ton excavator in the bed.

 

[Graham1]

Joispoi, I would have to pay someone with a lowloader to haul me, anything from a couple of hundred miles up to about 600 miles. The advantage of having my own machine rather than hired, you have it on site when you want it and it's set up for the work, rather than making do. Normally use a Cat 312, but sometimes Cat 320.

 

[Accudraulics]

Deere 80

you would most likely have to have it custom built. there is a few companies in the US that do it. see attached pic.

 

[Graham1]

Accudraulics, thanks for the picture. That is just the sort of thing I'm on about. I must be using the wrong words in Google as I didn't turn up anything like this. Please let me know the link so I can look further.
Many thanks

 

[Accudraulics]

Graham1,

www.carsforsale.com/used_cars_for_sale/2002_GMC_Top+Kick+Single+Axle_136874081#

not sure who did the conversion, but u could buy this one. i cannot find any of conversion companies either.

 

[D11RCD]

I just have to ask, what happens when you need to move forward a little bit when you are digging? Do you have to get out of the excavator and drive the truck forward?

 

[Axle]

Ukrainian import possible? =-)
http://www.atek.ua/ru/19 (theres an english button at the top, but its not playing friendly with my browser, may work for you)

Nominal capacity of buckets, 0.75 m3
Digging depth, 4.80 m
Digging radius, 8.50 m
Duration of working cycle, from 19.0
Dumping height, 6.30 m
Digging force, ton 12.3
Specific fuel consumption of 83 g/m3
Speed, 75 km/h
Diesel Power excavation equipment SMD-17N, kW (hp) 73.6 (100)
The pressure in the hydraulic system, MPa (gks/sm2) 25 (250)
Weight 20.6 tonnes

ATTACHMENTS
• The tooth-ripper
• Bucket narrow
• Hydraulic 300 GPM

[added Russian military Kraz 255B - EOV4421 truck excavator]

 

[JDOFMEMI]

I just have to ask, what happens when you need to move forward a little bit when you are digging? Do you have to get out of the excavator and drive the truck forward?

Just like in a backhoe, push yourself with the boom.

 

[Graham1]

Axle, thanks for the pictures and link. That is basically what I'm looking for, although maybe a little more Westernised - I get stopped enough with my Landrover and trailer, I dread to think how often I would get stopped with one of those on the road. The good thing is I don't expect the excavators are loaded with computers so would basically go for ever.
Anyway, I guess if I want one it's going to have to be a homemade job. Buy a wheeled excavator, preferably with stabilisers both end and a 4x4 truck big enough to handle the weight, then bolt the slew ring to the chassis and mount the stabilisers either side of the machine. The one I saw was facing forward for transport, but had the boom folded back onto the bed which seems neater.

 

[245dlc]

The truck mounted machines use to be pretty popular until the early eighties I know of a few that have been put out to pasture literally just sitting and letting mother nature look after them. Most of them are Hein Warner uppers.

 

[Graham1]

245dlc, thanks for the tip, googled Hein Werner and got some pictures. They look 1970's ish I would guess.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imrickndakota/4147311974/in/photostream/

 

[245dlc]

Yeah that one certainly looks it, it's not a bad idea you've got and I've thought about getting a Gradall myself a number of times but I wonder what the stresses are like on the truck frame? The Gradall's are built from the ground up to do excavating work unlike conventional trucks, plus the Gradall can be moved from the cab of the excavator, it would be interesting to see what you come up with.