Nice to see ol excavator

[Deere500a]

Out gate 211 had a hydraulic winch installed on the back of the boom couple sleeves down around up along center of bottom side of boom to end for pulling out the smaller steel tanks & a crane was used setting new tanks.

 

[dayexco]

late 80s and early 90s, i made a small fortune pulling old tanks, installing new tanks...soil remediation. bought 1/4 of land 4 miles from town that met all the state requirements for stockpiling/cleaning that soil. hired an old guy....like me now, to knock the piles down with an old champion grader, and he pulled a disc daily over the material with an old 4020 deere until the PPM met the state requirements. lot of that material as accepted by the state inspectors, was hauled back to town and used for fill.

 

[Deere500a]

In Ca end dumps had to be environmental LIC to do off haul & some stations the dirt was sent to Mt Home Idaho hazmat dump. As a kid I would spend time on the piles with backhoe turning 'em as pops took his naps

 

[Truck Shop]

Just farmed here in Washington till clean enough.

 

[Deere500a]

Made trip out to Cali had to stop & say hi. She's toast hydraulic's cylinders are pitted but tires all have air been sitting 6yrs. Closed up her windows

 

[Deere500a]

 

[Deere500a]

1 for Truckshop truck cab washer bag with foot pump she was high class

 

[Deere500a]

Old frame crack repair. OEM 4 point Upper & lower turnbuckle tie downs if the truck cradle was to be used

 

[Deere500a]

Bumper top hooks are for the wreaking ball to hang. Dad would haul the ball in the bucket going down road & on job he would uncurl bucket like a mid evil mace hanging from dipper start kissing the concrete tank slab. Down side truck would crack from digging & bouncing add ball for extra counterweight & storage it worked but cracked different stress on frame

 

[Deere500a]

 

[Deere500a]

 

[Deere500a]

Steel hard lines going up to pilots said before they would burn your leg

 

[Deere500a]

Offset the heat in the cab,the company did install ac unit behind the seat with vents blowing 3" from shoulders/neck still roast from armpits down but a least your neck would be cramping form the cold air.

 

[Deere500a]

4' extension built heavy. Trailer was expensive to build for the bridge law & original draft had the cradle over the trailer axle & would lift against the hitch overloading the steers plus engineer didn't design it to turn with dipper pinned so far back it had no swing travel ol'man was sent to pick her up from the fab shop he called the boss with the problems & was told to shut up he's a operator not a engineer with that he fired up the truck in the fab shop yard cut wheel & let the clutch out it slide the trailer sideways til it got in bind ripped the cradle from trailer after boss left him alone to figure out neutral point of the dipper to the house & hitch swing in a turn 3 points had to work together

 

[Deere500a]

I was maybe 11 got to tall to fit anymore but ol'man would slide the rig seat forward & make a sideways jump seat behind his going down the road for me. Surprise truckers passing excavator,kid waving from cab back window & driver,truckers switch on the Jake take another look at me thumbs up/horn & motor on

 

[Deere500a]

Couple doors down sits Hopto's OEM bucket & hoepak, Komatsu Tramac shoring hammer,JD 310a front bucket,Dynapac roller,Case 1816 & 43 Cat 3j dozer. Surprise to see all it still around

 

[Welder Dave]

A shame the Hopto 211 couldn't have found a new home when it was idled. Looks like it was in very good shape at the time.

 

[Deere500a]

Early 2000's she was job ready to roll out handful of short jobs but keeping overweight permit valid/registration/Dot was a pit,boss open to sale & couple tries at auction no bites. 7yrs sitting at my dad's boss was going to send his guy to cut her up no no scrap was low & diesel laws basically handshake & box of history/manuals she was ours(he passed books/history was trashed house was cleared not me). 20+yrs we used her at home here & there she was loyal.

 

[DDoug]

Popped up on U-Toob today:

 

[Deere500a]

Komatsu pc300 picking up the ol JD 500 hoe trans ring gear failed moving it out the way. Showing off to the Hopto. Power of modern vs the 211 the black pond liner rolls under hoe the Hopto only lift'em under the boom with the winch & bucket on the ground it was oem Lack of american hydraulic power.