this just blew my mind

[hoeman600]

while sitting in my trailer one day in new mexico. I herd the rore of a mighty detroit diesel. When I opend my door this is what i found. The messed up part was this loader had sat for 5 months and did nothing. I thought it was dead A flowerpot at best. Than low and behold the MEXI-CAN"S had her running. holy crap its alive!!!! These are some picts and their is a video on my myspace page ejoy:beatsme:scool heres the link if it works just click on videos under the pict of me doin wheelie at top left
http://www.myspace.com/weasel70

 

[bear]

It looks liek one of those tractors with the loader on the wrong end. What is it, other than smoking 6 packs a day? :stirthepot But really what is it?

 

[hoeman600]

MICHIGAN not sure what size:beatsme

 

[bear]

Sure is an odd looking rig, least to me. always thought the bucket goes in the direction you steer from, and i don't see one there. Did those haev their roots in forklifts or something?

 

[Northart]

Old Michigan

Thats what you call a stiff frame loader, no articulation. Rear wheel steer. Long before articulated loaders came around.

Also called suicide loaders, if you look at the last picture, if an operator sticks any part of his body out, and the loader arms come down, good by arm,leg, or life .

 

[humboldt deere]

Thats what you call a stiff frame loader, no articulation. Rear wheel steer. Long before articulated loaders came around.

Also called suicide loaders, if you look at the last picture, if an operator sticks any part of his body out, and the loader arms come down, good by arm,leg, or life .

Those loader arms coming down around you looked kinda scary to me too. Look where the guys arm is in the last pic

 

[bear]

Thanks Northart those are way efore my time. I understand the suicide loader thing wonder why guards weren't put around the arms? Or kind of up the side of the cab rather. I haven't seen them don't know if it would be practical any way. Old bird still starts anyway.

 

[Northart]

Safety Issues ?

Hello Bear,

I have survived 38 years in construction and the VietNam War. I have followed my instincts, for survival.

I have quit a number of jobs , because of what I thought was unsafe equipment, or when I was put into a position, of what I thought, was too risky . Prone to accident, or death.

OSHA and MSHA did not exist back then. It was incumbent upon the individual to accept personal responsibility for their safety.

Now somehow we transferred that to the Gov't. ???

The smart ones quit and the dumb ones died. That is my perspective on life. Maybe that may offend some , but that is the way it occurs.

Just look at some of the Hoover Dam construction scenes , life was cheap them days.

 

[Rusted]

If I had to make a guess I'd say it's a 75A....from the stickers on the loader arms it looks like those boys got themselves a "bargain" at a Richie Bros. auction.

 

[euclid]

those open cab loaders were death traps if you didn't know it's limitations. I'm all for safety and ROLL cage frames to protect the operator against being crushed.

 

[bobcat ron]

They do have mighty balls though, one of my contractors drove one in his youth and he always loved their pushing power. There is on like that in my 'hood with a full cab and it still runs today.

 

[Tom Spivak]

I got a 75A and thats what it looks like to me, you can't take get your arms out the cab to chop them off cause it takes everything you got to operate it!
Very tough and powerfull machine, I love my DD.

 

[snowshoveler]

There is a similar loader close to home thats pretty much the same but its got a cab on it and the air cleaner is mounted above the hood area.
I would be a bit timid operating one of them with out some sort of protection.
I looked it over pretty good this evening and it seems like you would want to be fairley athletic to actually get in it and operate it.
Chris

 

[RonG]

That is why there is not much in the way of guarding or protection from the loader arms because it would interfere with getting in and out of the seat to run it.
Those old loaders have a lever for 4 wheel drive too which needs to be disengaged for roading.Ron G

 

[Serv]

2 stroke detroits "sit" for long periods of time very well. They fire right back up with minimal effort

 

[Burnout]

2 stroke detroits "sit" for long periods of time very well. They fire right back up with minimal effort

This is incredibly true...except when in a Champion D600 and you have a funnel stack that sits open all summer letting rain into the top of the engine. And then when you start it up in december to plow snow bend all the pushrods because of ice. Then they don't start up so well. On a good note though, the pushrods will wear a groove into the block and the engine will run fine afterwards, trust me I know....lol:Banghead

 

[Komatsu 150]

I've got one (a 75A) thats been parked in the shed for 10 years and still in working condition. After my uncle passed away, everyone else I've asked has refused to run it. Actually they just look at me and laugh. I ran it for years moving snow. It was easy machine to run although clumsy. Very light steering but the long stroke non-power brakes would wear you out after stomping on them all night.

 

[Tom Spivak]

The arms are a bit further away than you might think but there is a hazard if the the side covers are taken off and often they have been. The only good way to get in is on the factory installed step pads on the bucket, up on the tire, and do a turn and step into it. Getting in has nothing to do with whether it has a cab or not, they just did'nt usually come with them or they rotted off. It has a high and low range on the steering column and another on the the floor, also forward and reverse on column. Same drivetrain as in old Timberjacks, very tuff I am told by the old loggers. Michigan started making them in 1957 I think.
Now is owed by Volvo.

 

[Deere9670]

LMAO on that video!!!!!!! Hoeman, you are funny, and just wacthing that guy try to run a loader is even funnier! I would love to see one of them amigos try to run a hoe or a blade!

 

[CAT_966_C]

No ROPS = No thank you. I don't care how long you've been running machines. ANYTHING can happen!!