WLDWUN
in the woods
be careful doing it. the vise grip can come off or break.
I would fix it right.
reamer is cheap.
if there is a stop pin in the tailstock, it must be removed before cleaning it up.
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The mini excavator thread
- Thread starter Tmackcj5
- Start date
I would fix it right.
reamer is cheap.
if there is a stop pin in the tailstock, it must be removed before cleaning it up.
LooneyTech
Member
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- 6
^^^ this
It can also swing around and ding/dent the ways, causing problems down the road
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The grease nipple on this pin would not take grease. It would pump grease through it if I removed it, but it would just go around the ball when installed. I worked on this pin for hours and never got it to budge. Even had a small area cherry red. I ended up changing the nipple and it took grease. Not sure what to think, but I’m leaving it for now.
Zerks arent worth fucking with. Just toss them when they start getting pissy. Also the threads on a grease gun are generally the same thread as most zerks. I have pulled the zerk and just screwed the grease gun into it before.
WaterH
Well-known member
I sure don’t. My 30” bucket was $1500.
In other news, I welded on a chain hook.
Mounted there, I can drop the bucket to gain more lift. (The bucket weighs about 300 lbs.)
Here you can see my other problem. The pin should be locked to the ears of the Tag mount. But I can’t do it like the other pin because the thumb is on the outside. If I lock the pin to the thumb, it would be turning every time I use the thumb. Also, I’m not sure if the thumb cylinder would have enough power to turn it if there was a heavy load in the bucket.
My plan is to remove the thumb and slice a 3/4” section off the inside collar. Then I can weld it to the Tag mount. I’ll drill a hole through it for a bolt. If I can’t drill the hardened pin, I can grind a flat and just have a set screw against it. Then the large bearing surface wil be turning on the pin and the thumb will pivot on the outside . The thumb will have less to ride on the one side, but I don’t think that will matter much. I’m waiting for the ware bushings to come in now before I tear it apart.
1oddtech
Unknown member
That's not a production machine putting 1000's of hours on a year. Add some grease fittings to the coupler pin flags and then have it so the pin rotates with the thumb if you are worried.
V30crewcab
Well-known member
you're talking to someone who trailered their machine home to grease it! probably won't get much grease in the rest of its life!
WaterH
Well-known member
So I tour into it. This pin that I thourlly greased a few months ago was bone dry today.
I know I said I was going to slice off some of this collar, but I couldn’t figure out how I would do it straight. So chewed it off with the mill. There was already about 1/2” of play in this. So I only needed to trim a 1/4” off this.
Here you can see the space I have.
New collar welded on with bolt dropped in. I was able to drill the pin easy. Somebody told me they were really hard. This one came with the thumb and I don’t think it was hard.
That was all fun work. Now I got to paint this stuff. Nothing fun about that.
I know I said I was going to slice off some of this collar, but I couldn’t figure out how I would do it straight. So chewed it off with the mill. There was already about 1/2” of play in this. So I only needed to trim a 1/4” off this.
Here you can see the space I have.
New collar welded on with bolt dropped in. I was able to drill the pin easy. Somebody told me they were really hard. This one came with the thumb and I don’t think it was hard.
That was all fun work. Now I got to paint this stuff. Nothing fun about that.
V30crewcab
Well-known member
You greased it a couple months ago?! you're supposed to grease it every morning you use it!
WaterH
Well-known member
That’s what my friend was saying. Maybe not all of them, but At least the nipples at the bucket. (Those are the ones that get the most dirt/sand.
1oddtech
Unknown member
See if you can machine the joints between the arm coupler and thumb for some large o-rings to help keep debris out of the joints and grease in them. A simple 45 degree taper is all that should be needed to keep one in place.
AlxJ64
Rust is Paint
If he can't machine the grooves, the X-Groove type O-rings do a decent job at sealing if they are spec'd right.
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I go by the hour meter. Every 10 hours is a full greaseA few months ago? No shit it was dry
Grease that thing when you fuel it up.
2big bronco
Og irate
Sellining my mini excavator backhoe thing this morning. My kid is pissed
Dethmachinefab
Red Skull Member
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Best get him a china mini of his own to play with.Sellining my mini excavator backhoe thing this morning. My kid is pissed
WaterH
Well-known member
In fairness to me, we probably only put 20 hours on it in those few months. My friend wanted to grease it, but I didn’t have a gun with me. I’m going to buy one to keep under the seat. This thing has so many nipples, I almost want to get one of those powered grease guns.
Sellining my mini excavator backhoe thing this morning. My kid is pissed
That’s kind of cool. What does it sell for?
2big bronco
Og irate
If they guy shows up, $5700. It actually works really well. It has hydrolic motors on the front wheels and a fold down hitch so its towable.
WaterH
Well-known member
I would have bought that thing a 6 months ago. I have never seen one. Do the little wheels go up for towing? How heavy is it? How fast will it go under its power?
Edit, what are the two wheels pointed up?
2big bronco
Og irate
Yes, rear hitch folds down and lifts the tires up.
Maybe as fast as your mini ex
Maybe 3500 lbs
The front wheels can come off and those casters pointed up go on the front making the tractor 34" wide to fit through gates and stuff.
WaterH
Well-known member
Very cool. Definitely fast than a miniX. I wonder how many times he backed up to his truck before the hitch went on for the video? What do they cost new?
2big bronco
Og irate
Im not sure they have even made them in 20 years but not posative. Id say they are 10x better then a backhoe attachment on a small tractor but 10x worse then a mini ex as far as efficiency. Still a neat little oddball piece of equipment
WaterH
Well-known member
It depends on what you’re doing. If you are digging/moving dirt with in the reach of the machine, nothing is faster than an excavator. If you want to move dirt further than its reach, they are terrible. My mini has two speeds, slow and slower. I wish they had a “turbo boost” button. I realize you aren’t going to move 20 tons of dirt 200 feet with an excavator, but it would be nice if I could move a couple buckets full 200 feet with out spending all day. 6-8 mph is all it would take. Top speed on mine is like 3 mph. I can walk faster holding my coffee.
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Yea, It'll be a while till you find every zerk on that thing.
cordless grease guns are handy.
Even a big hoe sucks for moving dirt very far.
V30crewcab
Well-known member
you need a blade buddy. best way to do it other than a bobcat to go with your machine.
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I've seen some lil carts that a guy could drag around and dump with an excavator. Would work well for the guy with one piece of iron.
I could also see building a couple removeable side plates for the blade, wouldnt take much to make a difference spreading material. Though it does seem like the better you get, the less you use that blade for moving stuff.
WaterH
Well-known member
That’s pretty cool, but it still doesn’t make the mini go any faster. I guess you can carry three buckets full in one trip. I guess it could be made pretty easy from a small loader bucket. I’ll have to keep my eye open for one on Craig’s.
WaterH
Well-known member
So does anybody have “hack personal carrier” for a Mini X? I had a pallet that I could mount in my front end loader on my tractor so I could trim trees and work on gutters and such. My tractor only goes to 8 feet. The mini probubly goes another couple feet and has more “reach out” ability. I’m not talking about anything fancy to pass OSHA Regs. Just something flat that quickly attaches to stand on.
Love to see any pics
Love to see any pics
2big bronco
Og irate
What about some sort of quick attach pallet forks