Excavator slope work

[Vantage_TeS]

Someone was asking how steep of a slope could an excavator take, and I can't find the thread for the life of me so I'll make a new one.

Would be nice to upgrade to a 5 pin harness if you're going to be doing this kinda stuff all day!

Me in a Cat 385C L having some fun with Komatsu 605-7 trucks on a one wide bench. The right side doesn't look it but it's another 100 or so feet almost straight down before you get to the D11's grade.

The hoe stuck fine but it was hard to stay in the seat even with the seatbelt, and you had to be careful where you threw your weight around and how you dug.

 

[golfy]

hey bud.. looks like fun!!! bet the counter weight was close to striking the ground.. wonder how all the components like oil sumps etc faired after working on that angle though!!!

 

[Dozerboy]

I hate sitting on a slope like that hurts the neck. You know its steep when you can't swing more then 1/2 a bucket up hill.

What are you doing? The only thing I can tell is your making a mess.

 

[RDG]

One way would be to pull the material to the bottom of the slope first then pick it up from there where you would be working on the level.

 

[ddigger]

Yeb they`ll work steeper than a guy might think, or just bench up or down.

 

[Aliate]

I freakin love your videos on youtube

 

[Vantage_TeS]

What are you doing? The only thing I can tell is your making a mess.

The scrapers didn't cut the slope steep enough so I had to go back and pull a bit from the top, and then dig the toe out again.

One way would be to pull the material to the bottom of the slope first then pick it up from there where you would be working on the level.

That's pretty much what I was doing, I'd pull a bit from the top while the truck was going by, then track back down and load on the level.

I freakin love your videos on youtube

Thanks mang.

 

[Aliate]

you look about my age, im 24, how did you get into a 385? I see that you are a really good operator, and you take care of the machine.

 

[Vantage_TeS]

Well I started on a 330 for a couple weeks, then a 375 showed up. A guy came and ran it for two days then said he'd quit if they didn't put him back on a 385, so I said I'd run it.

I toughed it out in the penalty box for a season (slowwww, no fans/very little heat, ate a lot of dust etc) and got good at cutting grade and picking up time anywhere I could (375s are slow so you get really good at minimizing movement). Next season I got an 385C LME and two years later I got the shiny new powerstripe.

Good guess on the age, I turn 25 in June.

Now I'm a foreman

 

[Aliate]

Well I started on a 330 for a couple weeks, then a 375 showed up. A guy came and ran it for two days then said he'd quit if they didn't put him back on a 385, so I said I'd run it.

I toughed it out in the penalty box for a season (slowwww, no fans/very little heat, ate a lot of dust etc) and got good at cutting grade and picking up time anywhere I could (375s are slow so you get really good at minimizing movement). Next season I got an 385C LME and two years later I got the shiny new powerstripe.

Good guess on the age, I turn 25 in June.

Now I'm a foreman

Yeah I can see why they made you a foreman, I would have too. People like you are few and far between. I really watch your videos a lot and I cant wait to buy an excavator, when I get anxious about getting in one (which I never have gotten the opportunity to) I watch your videos heh. I like watching the artic trucks getting stuck.

 

[Vantage_TeS]

I like watching the artic trucks getting stuck.

I like watching rigid frames "tripod" (try to go loaded up a slope on an angle which results in them picking up a front wheel)