The mini excavator thread

[Benny]

That black strap on the side of the seat is called a seat belt. I would use it.

 

[srf]

That sounds useful. Got any pics?

Pretty simple. Originally bolted through the bucket and clipped to the spill guard. But fits the fork mounts as well

 

[bgaidan]

Thats gotta be hard on things

Man, if I had a monetized youtube channel I'd totally buy one of the cheapest ones and let it go to full self destruction.

 

[bgaidan]

That black strap on the side of the seat is called a seat belt. I would use it.

The general rule is seatbelt with ROPS and no seatbelt with no rops. Since this thing only has "rops" that will likely fuck right off in a roll over, I intend to bail the fuck out if it tries to roll. That and the lap belt isn't going to stop me from slamming my head in to the front rops bar.

 

[Benny]

My Hitachi 17 has 3 legged ROPS. It seems fairly secure. I will put my seatbelt on if I am doing and slope work. I have almost been ejected just from driving over a bump in a slope. It gets pretty squirrelly.

 

[WaterH]

Pretty simple. Originally bolted through the bucket and clipped to the spill guard. But fits the fork mounts as well

I don’t like those spinning blades at the bottom of the ladder.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I don’t like those spinning blades at the bottom of the ladder.

thats what motivates you to not fall

 

[[486]]

that's prolly why my boob**** has shock absorbers on the sticky things

 

[WaterH]

So the guys on the heavy equipment site said I needed new sprocket. This came yesterday. It is really pretty. I could display it on my coffee table. I think it’s powder coated. No sharp edges anywhere.

I can’t say the teeth look that much wider.

Do you think I need to rush to get this on? Is it hard to remove the tracks? I’m kind of courious as to how much a track weighs. (They look heavy)

 

[Steve300xcw]

Do you think I need to rush to get this on? Is it hard to remove the tracks? I’m kind of courious as to how much a track weighs. (They look heavy)

FWIW That mini has a cool arm like thing that is capable of picking up and pulling on things like tracks

 

[AlxJ64]

So the guys on the heavy equipment site said I needed new sprocket. This came yesterday. It is really pretty. I could display it on my coffee table. I think it’s powder coated. No sharp edges anywhere.



I can’t say the teeth look that much wider.



Do you think I need to rush to get this on? Is it hard to remove the tracks? I’m kind of courious as to how much a track weighs. (They look heavy)

So long as the tensioner cylinder isn't stuck or galled, its rather easy with some sections of pipe and pry bars. Just plan on a way to catch all of the grease that comes out of the tensioner port. I usually cut the top off of a Gatorade bottle and then a few wraps of safety wire around that big shoulder on the bottle and then tie the tails to the ram. Then use the boom to shove the idler wheel in to compress the tensioner (after just fully removing the zerk).

FWIW That mini has a cool arm like thing that is capable of picking up and pulling on things like tracks

Last time I had to fight a track I was out in the middle of BFE of the woods and kicked the track off on a stump. I didn't have anything decent to support the machine other than the bucket, had zero hand tools to break the zerk free and I didn't have a chainsaw, or anything to cut logs and wanted the damn track back on before the snow started. It was a fucking muddy mess. BUT I did have a lifting cable, a few pieces of solid bar that had been given to me and were in the truck bed, and my SxS was there on the property to run between the truck and the machine.

I was able to use the SXS winch to apply some tension on the track to pull it back on while using the machine and the bars to get it back on the sprocket. The track was still on the nose wheel so I fought the sprocket end... so WaterH... don't do this. Lol.

Screenshot of the short video I took.

It snowed its ass off and when I went back to get the machine I brought the grease gun and properly tensioned things before tracking the machine the mile plus back out to the trailer.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Tracks never fall off in a good spot

 

[2big bronco]

So the guys on the heavy equipment site said I needed new sprocket. This came yesterday. It is really pretty. I could display it on my coffee table. I think it’s powder coated. No sharp edges anywhere.

I can’t say the teeth look that much wider.

Do you think I need to rush to get this on? Is it hard to remove the tracks? I’m kind of courious as to how much a track weighs. (They look heavy)

Again. If its not skipping or causing problems just replace both sprockets when you do tracks

 

[tracyb]

Got a quote for a 48” bucket with twist, it might be as much as some of you are paying for these little machines.

how much was it? machine size etc?

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Pretty simple. Originally bolted through the bucket and clipped to the spill guard. But fits the fork mounts as well

That's awesome!

Now I want to weld ladder rungs on my skid steer crane.

 

[CarterKraft]

sounds like a terrible idea to me, but apparently it exists:

Man Lift Basket

» Man Lift Basket |

michaeldrafuse.com

I'd pass on that...
No lock valves on cylinders mean your one hydraulic hose failure away from punting your son, dad, buddy into the dirt...

 

[CarterKraft]

So the guys on the heavy equipment site said I needed new sprocket. This came yesterday. It is really pretty. I could display it on my coffee table. I think it’s powder coated. No sharp edges anywhere.

I can’t say the teeth look that much wider.

Do you think I need to rush to get this on? Is it hard to remove the tracks? I’m kind of courious as to how much a track weighs. (They look heavy)

I wouldn't change it until I changed the track...

 

[arse_sidewards]

I'd pass on that...
No lock valves on cylinders mean your one hydraulic hose failure away from punting your son, dad, buddy into the dirt...

Are your relatives really so fat that they’re gonna be what breaks the hose?

 

[CarterKraft]

Are your relatives really so fat that they’re gonna be what breaks the hose?

You have to think about what the machine was doing the weeks/months/years prior.
Look at the above disco duck videos for example.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

That's awesome!

Now I want to weld ladder rungs on my skid steer crane.

Apparently you can buy those (sort of).

Forklift doesn't go high enough to kill you? No problem, we can fix that.

 

[1oddtech]

That is not what it is designed to do

 

[grumpy356]

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

That is not what it is designed to do

What is it designed to do?

This is copy/paste of the description of that thing:

Custom Forklift Platform​

Do you have the forklift, but you need more height to get the work done? Here is your answer. Customized to the height you need.
These forklift platforms can be made to any height you would like up to 10'.

Then it goes on to list them up to 20 feet tall.

Custom Forklift Platform | Platforms and Ladders

Do you have the forklift, but you need more height to get the work done? Here is your answer. Customized to the height you need. These forklift platforms can be made to any height you would like up to 10'.

www.platformsandladders.com

I couldn't find operating instructions, but nowhere did it say "not to be used while elevated"

Wouldn't be much use if you have to use it while it's on the ground, most forklifts can go way more than 10 feet.

 

[arse_sidewards]

You have to think about what the machine was doing the weeks/months/years prior.

Exactly. If your buddies aren't fatter than the rock the machine was moving the day prior you're good to go.

 

[CarterKraft]

What is it designed to do?

This is copy/paste of the description of that thing:

Custom Forklift Platform​

Do you have the forklift, but you need more height to get the work done? Here is your answer. Customized to the height you need.
These forklift platforms can be made to any height you would like up to 10'.

Then it goes on to list them up to 20 feet tall.

Custom Forklift Platform | Platforms and Ladders

Do you have the forklift, but you need more height to get the work done? Here is your answer. Customized to the height you need. These forklift platforms can be made to any height you would like up to 10'.

www.platformsandladders.com

I couldn't find operating instructions, but nowhere did it say "not to be used while elevated"

Wouldn't be much use if you have to use it while it's on the ground, most forklifts can go way more than 10 feet.

But if you had a forklift you wouldn't need that scaffold...

 

[1oddtech]

What is it designed to do?

This is copy/paste of the description of that thing:

Custom Forklift Platform​

Do you have the forklift, but you need more height to get the work done? Here is your answer. Customized to the height you need.
These forklift platforms can be made to any height you would like up to 10'.

Then it goes on to list them up to 20 feet tall.

Custom Forklift Platform | Platforms and Ladders

Do you have the forklift, but you need more height to get the work done? Here is your answer. Customized to the height you need. These forklift platforms can be made to any height you would like up to 10'.

www.platformsandladders.com

I couldn't find operating instructions, but nowhere did it say "not to be used while elevated"

Wouldn't be much use if you have to use it while it's on the ground, most forklifts can go way more than 10 feet.

You got me there

 

[Pocahontas]

But if you had a forklift you wouldn't need that scaffold...

My understanding of what that platform is “for”, Shake hands with danger plays in the background.

 

[V30crewcab]

I just use a tote basket without the tote. works great. we hung a sign in my buddys shop a couple days ago with it.

 

[WaterH]

I had some spare time today, so I figured I would pull mini out. That track with the bad sprocket was making a clumppty sound. It might have just not been adjusted right, but I figured I’m going to change the sprocket.

First, lift the side and pulled the grease nipple. Alxj64 told me to be ready to catch the grease. Of course I was not ready. Next time I do this I will have a clean butter tub. All that grease was perfectly clean and could be used somewhere else.

I put a Jack with a 2 by 4 under the sagging track so I could push the slack to the sprocket end.

The sprocket came off pretty easy.

Got it back on and bolted up quick. Then I threaded the grease nipple back in. I got it a little cross threaded. I didn’t force it, but every time I tried to thread it in right it would cross again. Shit. I got so pissed, I quit and jumped in the pool.

Came back later and knew it was going to be some weirdo metric thread that I didn’t have a tap for. Well, I didn’t have a metric tap for it because it was 1/2”-20. Started the tap a little and the grease nipple went right in. It took almost a whole tube of grease to fill it back up. Drove it around and it corners like a Vette now.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

I had some spare time today, so I figured I would pull mini out. That track with the bad sprocket was making a clumppty sound. It might have just not been adjusted right, but I figured I’m going to change the sprocket.

First, lift the side and pulled the grease nipple. Alxj64 told me to be ready to catch the grease. Of course I was not ready. Next time I do this I will have a clean butter tub. All that grease was perfectly clean and could be used somewhere else.

I put a Jack with a 2 by 4 under the sagging track so I could push the slack to the sprocket end.

The sprocket came off pretty easy.

Got it back on and bolted up quick. Then I threaded the grease nipple back in. I got it a little cross threaded. I didn’t force it, but every time I tried to thread it in right it would cross again. Shit. I got so pissed, I quit and jumped in the pool.

Came back later and knew it was going to be some weirdo metric thread that I didn’t have a tap for. Well, I didn’t have a metric tap for it because it was 1/2”-20. Started the tap a little and the grease nipple went right in. It took almost a whole tube of grease to fill it back up. Drove it around and it corners like a Vette now.

Good job taking a break instead of making things worse. That only gets learned by making lots of things worse, like for example, by reusing excavator grease in a helicopter.