Cat Ejector trucks

[JimBruce42]

By now I'm sure a lot of you have come across the 730 or 740 ejector ADT's by Cat. I'm just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on them.

We currently have a 730 on rent at the job I'm on... at the moment I'm the one running it. Personally, it is a good concept, but I'm not impressed. First off I'm not really a fan of Cat's ADT's, I think the Volvo's are much more comfortable and user friendly in the cab, but they don't have ejector's as a standard model. This truck only has about 750 hours on it and for a Cat runs well, but I dont know if it's just this particular truck has issues or if it's the same with all the Ejectors, but dump and spreading... not so much.

Even with the tranny locked in 1st gear, if I try to dump and spread the load the ejector doesn't keep up with the ground speed. You end up spreading a very thin lift over a very long distance. Now maybe if you had 3 or 4 of them working together to fill an area and make a lift it might work, but one ejector with 4 other standard dumps trying to make a one foot lift, not so much. What ends up happening is I either spread such a thin lift that the 815 or D6 operator has nothing to work with, I have to leave a big ol' pile or I have to hold the brakes and try to let the ejector keep up wtih the truck (which I don't like to do, cause it can't be good for the truck). It almost feels like the truck either needs a lower gear, or maybe a bigger (or just turned up) hydraulic system for the ejector piston.

So anyway, I was just wondering what everyone else's thoughts are on them? For those who've run them, have you noticed similar issues?

 

[catd10t]

cant say ive had anything to do with them but volvo is no1 hands down.
would imagine maintenance would be more expensive on an ejector.

 

[adam21584]

I prefer the c model volvos there simple and easy to work on if you can get the parts.

 

[johnsmithjunior]

Hello, can someone move this to adds:

Uh, well, no.

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[hvy 1ton]

The company Randy Krieg works for has quiet a few ejectors running around from what i've seen. He should be able to give some good input once he finds the thread.

On side note, what ever happened to the "Report Post" button?

 

[JimBruce42]

The company Randy Krieg works for has quiet a few ejectors running around from what i've seen. He should be able to give some good input once he finds the thread.

On side note, what ever happened to the "Report Post" button?

I know, and I remember Randy saying some good things about them, which is why I wondered if maybe this particular truck was a lemon or the typical characteristics.

Ironically, I only mentioned Volvo, because 99% of our fleet are Volvo ADT's, and we're sold most of our Cats, but yet most of the responses are on Volvos...:beatsme lol oh well:drinkup

 

[D5G]

hvy 1ton,

Its the triangle under your avitar, to report a post.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

Jim

I agree, the ejector trucks do not do a very good spread. I had a couple of D-400II's as rental trucks to mix with the A-35C, A-40, and Cat 740's. I gave up on spreading with them, and just dumped in piles like the normal trucks. The big advantage to me with them is dumping on slopes or unstable ground, and returning faster to the cut.
The faster return is due to a policy of fully lowering the box before travel. The ejector has no limitation, and can speed off as soon as the load clears, while the normal dumps have to wait for the box to come down.
The ejectors worked good in sticky material, because there is no carryback, but if you run them in rock, the rails, rollers, and tailgate will suffer from it.

 

[oversize]

??????

What is a "ejector truck" never heard of one is it an ADT that does not tip but push the stuff out or is it like a belly dumper, Any one got a picture please

 

[JimBruce42]

Jerry,

We're allowed to go before our beds are down as long as we don't turn hard and it is safe to do, but even so, the Volvo's won't shift out of 1st till the beds down, so I do agree returns are a bit faster in the ejector, cause the truck can be in whatever gear it feels like. I'm starting to find a happy meduim between one big pile and dusting half the fill with an inch of materila, but I'm pretty sure I can spread better with our A30d's, lol. Material we have down there is mostly clay and sand, so we don't have to worry about rock. I think it would become the advantage when or if we had to dump under powerlines, in addition to the situations you said.

oversize,

here's a quick link to Cat's website... they have a 30 and a 40 ton version.

http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=318595&x=7

 

[JDOFMEMI]

Jim

I am with you on moving out carefully as the bed goes down, but our primary customer says no, so we do it their way.

I agree with you on spreading, the straight dumps do it better. I run 35 and 40 tonners, and with good material, we can leave a 12 to 18" lift pretty consistent when we need to.

I did had the ejectors for about 4 or 5 months one year, and do not really miss them now. They do have their place though.

 

[oversize]

OK thanks for the link have never seen one over here

 

[hvy 1ton]

What keeps ejectors from laying down good lifts? Is it because they lack a metering gate or not enough ejection speed?

 

[JimBruce42]

hvy 1ton,

it's mostly the ejector speed. If you put the truck in first gear, put full power as you eject, the truck simply is moving too fast. It spreads the material very very thin, maybe if you're spreading gravel it will work, but not on a dirt job in my opinion. I think it's a very good concept, but it would be a good idea to find a way to increase the hydraulic flow to the ejector's hyd. cylinder, or make first gear a little slower.

 

[dozerdave]

Hi JimBruce42,

I was working on a rock job in 1959 and the company needed another rock trunk and brought in an ejector trailer made by Athey. It fit on a DW20 tractor the same as a scraper and used the Cat cable unit to crowd the rock out. It was difficult to back up because it was a lot shorter than a scraper so I finally told the teamster to just pull along the edge of the fill and dump it. His cab was the same as mine, a John Deere umbrella.

 

[Vantage_TeS]

You have to hold on the brake and the accelerator at the same time to get an even lift with the 740Es. I had it down to a science but I'm sure it's not the greatest on the machines. Komatsu makes an ejector too, ask Alex about them.

 

[fiat41b]

What's the most hours one can expect to get on a d400e ll ejector
component wise
1. are the engines long lasting how many hrs can you get
2. tranny
3. differential's
4. any other plus or minus

Have used one in the past on rent for like a month worked fine for what we were doing.

there is 2 im looking at.

 

[Chris91786]

All depends on how the machine was run and if the maintenance interval schedule was kept up.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

Fiat41B

The engines are 3406E, so they go a long time if cared for. 15,000 hrs is not uncommon

I have seen trans problems anywhere from 4,000 to 12,000 hrs. Care and operating conditions facor in that.

Cat D-400 and 740 are notorious for drive axle trouble. Rental houses always blame the customer, but there are too many with the same problem for that to always be the case.
Trouble centers around input and output shaft bearings and seals. If the seal leaks on one of these, down it and repair immediately. It is easy enough to miss for a day or 2, especially in muddy conditions. Bearing failure in this area runs $18,000 and up.

I have seen a lot of center driveline troubles. Especially in the carrier bearing through the articulation hitch. Out of 4 trucks on a 3 month job, 3 had the center driveline fall out.

At least the series II machines got rid of the 6 wheel hydraulic suspension. Nothing but trouble on the older models. Now only the front axle, so the problem is cut to 1/3.

The center hitch and turning ring needs looked at hard. Failure here leads to a truck in 2 pieces.

I have had Volvo's run years on a little slop in the hitch, but the Cat is not forgiving there.

Good luck with them.

 

[JimBruce42]

You have to hold on the brake and the accelerator at the same time to get an even lift with the 740Es. I had it down to a science but I'm sure it's not the greatest on the machines. Komatsu makes an ejector too, ask Alex about them.

yeah, that's pretty much what I've been doing to spread it out for the 815... cause that sucker is beat.:bash:Banghead If I'm taking a load to the dozer, i'll usually just dump it in a pile, give the 6 something to actually get behind and push. Always easier to grade with dirt in front of the blade:drinkup