Homeowners buying old giant excavators?

[Truck Shop]

Wonder what the world will be like when everyone is a construction equipment operator, HVAC repairman,
computer repairman, hardwood floor installer, brain surgeon, dentist, landscaper, politician-oops
forgot everyone already is that, chef, well driller, college professor, lawyer, pilot, commercial
fisherman, welder/fabricator, house framer, engine rebuilder, transmission rebuilder, farmer,
hair stylist, movie actor/director, cop, professional race driver, machinist, electrician, mortician,
Hostess Pie Magician Fruit Pie Technician.
*
Won't be long and he will either wind the bucket up in power lines or everyone in X amount
of distance won't be able to order from Amazon because the fiber optic hanging from a
tooth.

 

[kaffine]

I got a Cat 308 for 1.6 acre property. Have only had it a few months but have gotten a few projects done. I can no longer drive my truck around my backyard though, still learning on how to grade with it.

If I had more land I would have considered larger. Ok I was considering larger anyways but came across this in my price range first. It wont move from my property. I was actually looking for one too large for me to move with my truck. This way no one can ask to borrow it.

I am finding out how much extra larger excavators cost though. The price of a thumb, amount of hydraulic fluid, etc. goes up quickly and I got a fairly small excavator.

 

[Welder Dave]

A stand on excavator could be considered a giant if the alternative was a shovel to dig a 6ft. deep hole in hard clay.

 

[joe--h]

I'm digging that hole right now Dave. In caliche.

It ain't fun.

Joe H

 

[CM1995]

I got a Cat 308 for 1.6 acre property. Have only had it a few months but have gotten a few projects done. I can no longer drive my truck around my backyard though, still learning on how to grade with it.

If I had more land I would have considered larger. Ok I was considering larger anyways but came across this in my price range first. It wont move from my property. I was actually looking for one too large for me to move with my truck. This way no one can ask to borrow it.

I am finding out how much extra larger excavators cost though. The price of a thumb, amount of hydraulic fluid, etc. goes up quickly and I got a fairly small excavator.

Cat lists a 308 as a mini.

For reference I was just quoted $7,550 for a manual thumb for a 325 NeXt Gen which is a 55K lb machine. That does include installation..

$10,500 for a QC.

Yeah the larger the poundage of the machine the higher the parts, service and add ons are.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

Large machinery is great and dandy on the cheap just move once and you are done. One thing people don’t consider is when something breaks how are you going to lift that part out, you aren’t fixing it in your 2 car garage, and how expensive the part will be. Where it breaks is where it sits and you better have a way to take tracks off, pull a torque converter etc etc etc… Better hope it only breaks in the spring or winter so you can get it fixed before next winter, not based on how fast you are, but on how long you have to wait for parts.

 

[cfherrman]

If it breaks hopefully you got your money out of it and call the salvage company.

Buy another on the cheap to lift things lol

 

[Truck Shop]

Where it breaks is where it sits

About the time something starts self destruction in the hydraulic system and sends metal
through the system. Becomes yard art where it died. Wife-{Fred just had to have that to
install the yard system, that's where it stopped moving and the yard work stopped also,
his buddy who repairs vacuum cleaners is going to help him fix it. He said found this real
cool website called HEF or something like that and figures he will find all the info and help
to get it fixed, it's one of those guy things Marg}.

 

[Welder Dave]

Or just wait until an ambitious 16 year old comes across it and wants to resurrect it to start his own business.

 

[cfherrman]

I wonder if that would happen to Douglas's big ass shovel

 

[chidog]

Large machinery is great and dandy on the cheap just move once and you are done. One thing people don’t consider is when something breaks how are you going to lift that part out, you aren’t fixing it in your 2 car garage, and how expensive the part will be. Where it breaks is where it sits and you better have a way to take tracks off, pull a torque converter etc etc etc… Better hope it only breaks in the spring or winter so you can get it fixed before next winter, not based on how fast you are, but on how long you have to wait for parts.

I guess you never got to enjoy working for a cheap outfit that had no shop heat for years, no crane of any sort, and many times no other machine to help with, so all heavy lifting was engineered using, come alongs, steel bars, pry bars, jacks and wood. How expensive a part would be? That is what welding is for.
My old boss then would only buy expensive parts if the job was done at a dealer, well even then a used part was king if they could get it, we got to work with junk.

 

[Nige]

Look at what @tctractors can do using only what can be carried in the back of a 110”-wheelbase Land Rover. It doesn’t need a 50,000-pound service truck with a crane to fix big kit, only a bit of grey matter…….

Caterpillar Sproket Removal (also Komatsu)

Just thought I would start a new thread on stuff I get up to, this will include sproket removal etc from D9G/H down through to D3, and Komatsus' from D30 to 155 as I dig out the pics. (May contain traces of nuts).

www.heavyequipmentforums.com

 

[boaterri]

I know a guy who bought a 400 series backhoe mostly to p/o the local code enforcement people. Apparently, you can have a machine on your property if it is privately owned but not commercially owned. Code enforcement assumed a hoe that size CAN'T POSSIBLY be privately owned. It was.
8^)

 

[Nige]

I know a guy who bought a 400 series backhoe mostly to p/o the local code enforcement people. Apparently, you can have a machine on your property if it is privately owned but not commercially owned. Code enforcement assumed a hoe that size CAN'T POSSIBLY be privately owned. It was.
8^)

good on 'im..........

 

[Welder Dave]

I got told I couldn't keep my skid steer parked on the side of the driveway in the winter. RV's are also not be parked in driveways but there's at least 8 of them parked almost all year. Have a good feeling a feeble old woman across the street who creepily drives around slowly didn't like it and made complaints. It's better now but they used to use just a truck with snowplow and always left a foot and a half high snow bank at the end of everybody's driveway that would freeze. Now they come by with a skid steer to clear it.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

I guess you never got to enjoy working for a cheap outfit that had no shop heat for years, no crane of any sort, and many times no other machine to help with, so all heavy lifting was engineered using, come alongs, steel bars, pry bars, jacks and wood. How expensive a part would be? That is what welding is for.
My old boss then would only buy expensive parts if the job was done at a dealer, well even then a used part was king if they could get it, we got to work with junk.

I worked for Uncle Sam at one point and being overseas it was just as that actually worse working on whatever as we try to complete a mission or get ready for the next one. To add insult to injury it wasn't even our own equipment, ever diagnose a Kamaz in a 3rd world country while getting shot at trying to not get overran with comms down. Gets pretty warm over there in some places and got pretty cold in other places.

There is some things you just don't do twice in life.

As for in the civilian world, yeah I have done such stuff.
Adventures of the Spud Monkey

 

[DMiller]

Know a great deal that became Yard Ornamentation as a pump or coupler or drive failed, unable to fix "Cheap" or to find buyers usually went to scrappers. Pennies on dollars. Wasted efforts on so many parallels.

 

[CM1995]

Well guess I did "inherit" a 977 with a shot torque converter...

 

[skyking1]

I posted a really sweet monster Insley with a thumb in "old iron" forum. Bet somebody could get that going. All you need is a coal shoveler for the detroit screamin' 8.

 

[wlhequipment]

Some day when I get bored and want to part with some money, I'm going to buy one those tiny lawnmower engine Chinese excavators. I'm going to let my kid dig up the back yard with it. Assuming it digs at all