Mini Excavator
- Thread starter yoderjac
- Start date
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
You might be right!
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Steel is also becoming impossible to source--we used to be 2 weeks out on a truck load of steel and now it's 10-12 weeks out! Way to go BidenYou might be right!
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I was planning on adding a lean-to, to my garage this spring, but with the price of lumber, and steel, I am thinking it may have to wait until Biden is out of office.
What shapes/alloys are giving you fits? Our structure and plate avaliblity has been pretty good exectp a few shapes in certain lengths.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I just went to order steel for a lean-to, prices have went from $2.18, to almost $4.00 since last summer.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Our issues is getting enough flat sheet steel is several different widths and thicknesses. We get sheet steel and do the fabricating from there with shears, turret punch plasmas and a couple 4k watt C02 lasers. Looks like it's gonna be a long year. again.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Unrelated to the cost of steel tangent, I got a chance to use the 35G for some habitat stuff today. We have a section along a clear cut that I'd like to keep mowed. The problem is that it has old hardwood stumps and we already bent the tail wheel on a bushhog that got hung up on one. So, today, I was digging out stumps. I was impress with how well the excavator handled this task. I've done this before with a backhoe. It was much easier with this excavator. I put the 12" bucket on it which made it quite easy to cut through roots. Some were so large that I could hardly live them. I'd just pick them up and drop them to remove the dirt and then push them off into the clear-cut. I must have pulled 20 stumps today.
So far, I'm pretty happy with it!
Thanks,
Jack
So far, I'm pretty happy with it!
Thanks,
Jack
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Had my first issue with the 35G today. Suddenly the thumb stopped working. I figured a broke a hydraulic line. I got out and looked and the quick connect was just disconnected. I must have rubbed against a branch or something. I went to hook it up but couldn't. It seemed like the sleeve was stuck in the back position. I could not free it. I ended up using channel locks and unscrewing it from the unit. I took it back to the barn and found a socket with the right OD and used it and a hammer to free it. I could then see there was some corrosion in it. I cleaned it up good, lubricated it and worked it back and forth. I then reinstalled it and it worked! I'm a bit surprised. The quick connects on my tractor slide over 1/2". These only slide about 1/4".
Thanks,
Jack
Thanks,
Jack
So far we've been good on A36 1/4", 3/8, 1/2 in 8ft by 20fts. 304/304L has been about 2-3 weeks out though on each of our orders. Man power is whats killing me, I've have 4 slide gates to put in at a coal prep plant in WV, was due in at Feb and I haven't had enough ironworkers free to get one installed yet
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Sounds very similar to our situation. We do our cutting mostly on 60" x 120" laser tables so we need to find smaller sheets to use. We had the option of cutting down 8' x 20' sheets of 3/8" here too but i told them my one shear operator would most likely quit if i asked him to try and manually move those sheets around! I requested they find a way to have the mills cut the larger sheets down so we can make them work. Stainless steel is something we don't use very often and i'm fine with that---lot's of hassle from osha when doing anything with S.S. here in minnesota. Man power is also our biggest issue that won't be resolved until they stop paying people to stay home and NOT work.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Had that same thing happen to me a few times now. Waiting awhile for the pressure to go down in the hydraulic line is the best thing to do(on my 50g anyway). Wrestling with the hydraulic system under pressure gets frustrating soooo quickly. You get a good grip and give it all you got and get oh so close but not quite. After trying that 25 times and getting physically weaker after each attempt makes you start wondering if you can still use the bucket without the thumb. It is a simple thing to fix after the pressure drops the damn thing almost puts itself on! Live and learn
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I think it was the return line. It was not under pressure. When I use the channel locks to unscrew the connection, there was no pressure released. My problem was the collar was stuck. Even off the machine I had to get a hammer to free it. Before I did that, when I was messing with it, I screwed the connector back on only a couple turns. I then tried to reconnect. I was able to push the connector in and hydraulic fluid ran out and it was not under pressure. The problem was that I could get the connector to lock in place because of the stuck collar. Once I cleaned up the connector good and reinstalled it, it worked fine.
Funny how it takes a while to get the subtilties of a machine. At first, I didn't know if something was wrong with it or if I just wasn't using it properly. I have had the issue working against pressure with my tractors hydraulic toplink. I've learned to keep it in the retracted position when removing and reinstalling it. The cylinder on the excavator thumb was fully retracted.
Thanks,
Jack
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I've now done the first couple habitat projects that were basically digging out stumps and clearing a bit. It worked great. The 1' bucket seems to be the best for digging stumps and taking down small trees. I've now started the road repair project. I'm doing a bit of bucket swapping for this. The 1" bucket does best for cleaning outflows that have grown up and trenching where needed. The 3' grading bucket works best for shaping the roads for water flow. I'm getting pretty good at swapping buckets. I use one of the truckers chains that I use to tie it down for transport for carrying the extra buckets when I move between work locations at the farm. I have put almost 100 hours on it at this point. So far, I'm really liking it.
Thanks,
Jack
Thanks,
Jack
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
My first real damage...
Well, I've been working on some of our steep logging roads. In some places the water bars were still working and just needed the drains cleaned out and a little maintenance. Others had failed causing ruts below them. For these, I ended up widening the road filling the ruts and building up one side so there is some pitch laterally. I put in drains and new water bars.
While widening a section of road last week, I must have engaged a tree or something with the thumb hydraulics. Once again the quick connect popped out. It was on the other side from last time one popped out. The problem was that I did not see it quickly enough. I pushed the button to open the thumb while curling the bucket. Of course, the thumb stayed deployed and the bucket curl caused the thumb cylinder rod to bend.
I can't believe how expensive these things are. They wanted over $1,300 for a new cylinder. So, it looks like I'm going to try my hand at fixing the cylinder. A new rod set me back $370. I picked it up today. My new neighbor at the retirement property has a backhoe and is in construction. He said he will help with the repair. There were no signs of leaks so I'm hoping I don't need to order packing kits as well.
Any advice on the cylinder repair before we get started would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jack
Well, I've been working on some of our steep logging roads. In some places the water bars were still working and just needed the drains cleaned out and a little maintenance. Others had failed causing ruts below them. For these, I ended up widening the road filling the ruts and building up one side so there is some pitch laterally. I put in drains and new water bars.
While widening a section of road last week, I must have engaged a tree or something with the thumb hydraulics. Once again the quick connect popped out. It was on the other side from last time one popped out. The problem was that I did not see it quickly enough. I pushed the button to open the thumb while curling the bucket. Of course, the thumb stayed deployed and the bucket curl caused the thumb cylinder rod to bend.
I can't believe how expensive these things are. They wanted over $1,300 for a new cylinder. So, it looks like I'm going to try my hand at fixing the cylinder. A new rod set me back $370. I picked it up today. My new neighbor at the retirement property has a backhoe and is in construction. He said he will help with the repair. There were no signs of leaks so I'm hoping I don't need to order packing kits as well.
Any advice on the cylinder repair before we get started would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jack
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Get the new packing kits---Well worth it just in case and usually cylinder work will require at least some if not all of the internal parts and seals. jmho
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I considered that, but they are not cheap and I'm not in a rush. I was thinking my neighbor and I could tear it apart and then decide if we need a packing kit. I just bought the excavator and it did not have a thumb on it when I first saw it. I negotiated it into the purchase price. It looked brand new. So, unless I damaged the seals when I bent the rod, they should not need replaced. If they are damaged, I'll order the kit(s).
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
The ram came in quickly. I picked it up on Friday. Today I took it and headed to the farm. I pulled the cylinder from the Excavator and tied up the thumb. I also put ziplok bags over the connectors and zip tied them up so I can use the excavator. I plan to disconnect the quick connect before using it.
I took the cylinder over to my new neighbor's and we chatted. We won't know for sure until we open it, but he thinks we probably don't need to buy new packing kits. We plan to work on it next weekend.
Thanks,
Jack
I took the cylinder over to my new neighbor's and we chatted. We won't know for sure until we open it, but he thinks we probably don't need to buy new packing kits. We plan to work on it next weekend.
Thanks,
Jack
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Maybe find out if new seals not needed and take the $$ and buy different quick connects with longer throw to disengage or screw it and use some normal fittings if thumb is gonna be left in place 99% of the time.
My tractor loader has quick connects that allow easy 5 min supposedly removal of loader. Have never had loader off in over 20 yrs. Had one hose pop off when quick connect hooked brush during this whole time so will call that a freak occurence. If happened a couple times in first 100 hrs of use would replumb the damn things or work up and bolt on a metal guard covering fittings
My tractor loader has quick connects that allow easy 5 min supposedly removal of loader. Have never had loader off in over 20 yrs. Had one hose pop off when quick connect hooked brush during this whole time so will call that a freak occurence. If happened a couple times in first 100 hrs of use would replumb the damn things or work up and bolt on a metal guard covering fittings
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I think that is worth considering. I could probably fashion some kind of shield to cover the quick-connects or possibly re-plumb. They do have a very short throw.
