I've been wanting one of these for years. Finally found a used one nearby that I could afford. Looks a little different than the similar sized Bobcat.
On the job
One of the engine cover frame flanges was broken when I got it, so I fixed it yesterday.
It's cool how tight the boom folds up on this thing
I can’t recall what you had said when you were looking at these, did you keep the bobcat too?
Still have the Bobcat for now. I want to get all the issues taken care of with the Mecalac and get it setup with all the attachments I need before I think about selling the Bobcat.
Congrats on the machine! I really like them. In a perfect world I'd have one of the wheeled versions.
Very nice @materthegreater What is that third tool in the bucket lineup? Can't make it out behind the ripper.
Looks like a SSL quick attach.
???
CM is correct, it's an adapter for standard skid steer attachments
Thanks, I don't speak acronese on everything.
Fixed the broken bracket & hole in the cab skirt, and straightened the bent bottom panel. Looks like the previous owner got a branch or something jammed up under the cab. Whenever the site allows me to upload pictures again I will add them...
Very interested to hear your thoughts on the machine once you've put some hours on it and put it to real working conditions
Neat machine! Looking forward to seeing more of it.
I'm able to keep a nice tidy job site with this machine. Scooped crushed stone right out of the dump truck so I didn't have to dump it anywhere on site. Then I could travel to the work area and dump perpendicular to travel direction which virtually eliminated damage to the grass. In this situation it truly is better than a normal excavator and normal skid steer. Finished the job in less than half the time I otherwise would have, and no cleanup time. After he builds the porch I'll return to plant a flat stone for the stairs to land on.
Well I guess I'm working it too hard. Radiator cap started leaking and the idler bearings seem to be getting a little loose. Time to order up some parts.
I forget if we discussed it in your previous thread but do you have a dealer close by? It will be interesting to see the availability of parts and support over your ownership of this beast.
They are a little under 3 hours away. Not the most convenient but not too bad.
I think I scared the trolls away
This machine just hit 2000 hours last week so I'm servicing it. The dealer said it just takes any 46 weight hydraulic oil. Any recommendations for a good quality oil? The manual calls for oil that meets these standards: AFNOR: NF E48690 / 48691 DIN 51524: HLP/2-HVLP/3 ISO 6743 / 4: HV DIN 51524 / T2-T3: HVLP I haven't a clue what any of that means.
Neat picture. No clue on those oil specs so not a lot of help. I run a generic AW46 oil in my machine.
I would think that those specs would be on the can if applicable. Sales personnel should be able to find them if you call around. Yeah, I know.......sales personnel may not be able to read either.
The European standards don't seem to cross reference as easily as I'd hoped. I'll just find some high quality oil and I'm sure it'll be fine. Possibly Amsoil since I use their oil in the engine.
I'm still impressed by how much easier jobs are with this machine compared to a traditional mini, or a mini and CTL combo. This job had very tight quarters but I was able to place 24 yards of stone without spilling more than a pailful on the ground and didn't have to make more of a mess of the job by continually turning around with a CTL. Being able to scoop 2/3 yard at this distance all while keeping the tracks in the same position is so convenient.
The water pump is starting to weep a little. Does anyone know of a good source for Deutz parts? The dealer is looking it up for me but I may want to try to source this myself depending on their price. It's a TD 2.9 L4.
TD2.9 water pump we have it
Did some not-so-Amish barn moving today
New front and rear bottom rolls. The old ones had some wiggle, in a stiff sort of way. Funny thing is, the new ones do too, just a bit less.
Today I filled in around this concrete patio. The customer hired an inexperienced contractor to pour the concrete. The first slab had some low areas that made significant puddles, so they poured a few more inches on top. This resulted in an finished elevation of nearly a foot higher than the existing lawn. So I brought in a few loads of fill and topsoil. I put down grass seed, but it won't likely survive at this time of the year. I tried mulching also but it was so windy today that the hay kept blowing away. Try again tomorrow.
Good job on the grade. In your climate that top layer of concrete will probably spall and pop off with the freeze/thaw. Since they'll be resurfacing the patio sooner rather than later at least they hired a professional to adjust the grade.
It probably won't spall much if at all, as long as they don't salt it in the winter. Though it didn't look like it had been sealed so who knows. Are you accusing me of being professional?
Look what showed up yesterday.
Nice! How much was it? I'd like to have one for our 305
Materthegreater, I'm a bit jealous! I'm in Vermont as well, getting along okay with an old FL70 and JCB 212s. That Mecalac seems a treat for a lot of things! Nice that you were able to get your hands on one. That tilt rotator is going to take that machine above and beyond!
Retail price is $7500 for the 50/60 class tilt/rotate unit, and then you choose which bucket you want. This is 48" which was $3125. Then there are add ons like hoses, diverter valve, etc. Plus shipping. And I'll need to get ears for the Mecalac and have them welded to the top plate. So I'm not sure what exactly my final cost will be, but that gives you an idea.
Hobs, the Mecalac is nice, but I'm still working out some kinks with it and I will admit that the learning curve is pretty steep compared to a regular excavator. Before I bought this one I looked at a 2023 6MCR at Woods CRW in Williston, but it was just for rent, not for sale. Now I have to get the hydraulics figured out on mine to run this new bucket. I have 4 aux hoses but it turns out that it's a 2 way circuit, a 1 way circuit and a case drain. So I'll need to get a kit from the dealer for the second 2 way.
If it works as well as my Rototilt and offers the same, or more, functions, you are about to enter a whole new world of possibilities and efficiency. A lot less manuevering and set-up, to straight out productive work. You can get really creative and become a true artist in the medium of work. In this pic, I built a connector plate with an old tire on it for manuevering the machine around the shop without chipping the concrete or having to lay down boards. Worked well.
That's a good idea! What attachment do you use most with your Rototilt?
Mine has the quick coupler so anything that I attach to it. The RT allows: Mulcher - make otherwise impossible cuts and control chip discharge direction or infeed Trapezoid bucket - cut ditch, dump spoils and then 45 bucket to wipe spoil pile flat General buckets - carve complex holes/cuts with different angles, reach around obstacles, side load/dump, front or rear load/dump, control loading/dumping with precision Tree shear/cutter - position head to approach tree perpendicularly so cut is easier, place logs easier Other - get into, above, behind and around obstacles that would be impossible without the RT, extremely precise angles to pick or dump, whatever is physically possible with it Watch some of the YouTube videos for more ideas. Monkey see, monkey do!
What machine is it on? From what I understand you do more mulching than dirt work so your usage is probably different than most of us dirt guys. I'm guessing most guys that have a tilt rotator use it most with a cleanup bucket. That's what I'll be limited to with this setup (though it is technically modular so the bucket can be unbolted and swapped with a different type or size. Just not as convenient as a real tilt rotator). This will get me one step closer to fully replacing my other machine. I use the tilt bucket on that for many things on various jobs, and with only the rigid buckets on the Mecalac up till now, I've still been using the other machine a fair amount.
It's on the Menzi Muck. Buckets are handy around the farm and for specialty work. Here I was ditching a couple of drains on a customer's property in order to get it to dry out after rutting up the ditch while cleaning up tornado damages. When the trapezoid bucket is tilted, I have a lot straight cutting edge to wipe the spoils out flat. It cuts a slick, neat ditch very quickly.
Very cool. That is an impressive machine. How far does that Rototilt tilt?
Rotation is 360 degrees continuous. Tilt is about 45 degrees right or left. One set of hydraulic lines on the rotation table - for clam operation. This is when NOT to tilt or rotate. The wife is helping change batteries in the weather station and telling me that I am her #1!
You are very trusting! My wife refuses to use any of my machines, even if it means improving or expanding her gardens! She just wants me to do it for her...
I went to start the Mecalac the other day and it cranked halfway over and then the display went black and it stopped cranking like I had turned off the key (this happens while I'm still holding the key in the start position). It was in the single digits (°F) so I assumed the battery was just weak. I recharged it and it did the same thing. So I put in a different known good battery and same thing again. In doing some research about this problem, I came across this video: Mine is the same year as his, and seems to be exhibiting the same behavior except it doesn't have the burnt pin in the connector under the seat. I called the dealer and asked the parts guy if there were any wiring upgrade kits for my machine that would address this problem and he said none that he knew of but he would have the service guy call me on Monday and help me try to figure out the problem.
First thing that I would try would be to jump across the starter solenoid and see if it starts that way. I have a Kubota M120 with starter relay issues. Shorting the relay fires it up because the key switch won't. Shorting the relay should tell you if it is the starter itself or a more general issue within the electronics.
Good idea. Hopefully I can find the starter! I parked the machine backed up to a snowbank so there's not much room to work under it. It may start on its own if it warms up like they're saying it's supposed to on Sunday and Monday.
I did some investigating the other day and there's no way to safely jump the starter solenoid. But, today it's 40F and it cranked and started normally. I'm convinced that the starter is drawing more power when it's cold (and the glow plugs are running also), and the undersized wire to the control board can't maintain a proper voltage to keep the electronics on (and keep the starter solenoid energized). The dealer is supposed to call me today, we'll see what they have to say about it.
My Case backhoe (580 Super N) started instantly on the coldest day, then quit. Wouldn't turn over after. An hour on the charger at 30 amp, it again started instantly, then quit. Batteries are at least 3 years old, but have been working fine until now. My son found mention of a safety system turns off if hydraulic oil is too thick to pump, or was it plugged filter? Used it Saturday & Sunday, seemed fine. We do have occasional issues with generators. Running during a wind driven snow storm, very fine flakes, they pick up snow in the air cleaner. Some of it ends up in the crankcase vent. All is well while warm, but next start at sub freezing temperatures ice crystals have formed in the oil. Plugs the oil filter & you get a shut down for low oil pressure. I wondered if some variation of this on your diesel?
Interesting concept. But this wasn't even cranking enough to get any sort of pressure reading, if there is such a system on it. Not surprisingly, Lorusso Heavy Equipment never did call me. So today I decided to try a little more troubleshooting. I planned to measure the voltage at the ignition during cranking, to see if the power to the ignition cut out when it stopped cranking with the key still turned. When I pulled the panel that the ignition is mounted to, one of the three wires wasn't connected to the terminal on the ignition. I'm not sure if I jostled it loose while wrangling the panel to get access to the ignition, or if it had rattled itself almost off over the years. It was a loose fit on the spade terminal so I tightened it up a bit and reconnected, and tightened the other small connector that seemed a bit loose, and after that it cranked and fired up normally (it was about 17°F). Will try again in the morning when it's colder (supposed to get down to 8F tonight).
Well it didn't get as cold the next day like they promised it would. But we had single digits earlier this week so I tried it again, and this time it at least cranked over a few times before stopping. I did finally get a hold of Lorusso and they said they would look into the wiring upgrade kit mentioned in the video above. They also suggested cleaning all the cable connections from the battery to starter and frame grounds, and suggested upsizing the battery cable sizes. Cleaning connections will be my next step. In other news, I had sent out the arm cylinder to be repaired because it had some big dents in the rod and was leaking when I bought it. It wasn't a bad leak so I waited to have it fixed until the off season. They replaced the rod and all the seals.
Can you test voltage at the starter while cranking? You need a helper to crank the engine. lower volt systems are vulnerable to voltage loss. Each step in the path is a resistor, & especially, every point where one conductor passes to another. Negative ground systems use frame & engine parts to conduct the first half of the path. Steel & Iron are adequate conductors because of their mass, but they have to conduct to each other. Likely, electrons pass through 10 items before they continue on copper wires with endless fittings. Each crimped on terminal is a resistor, everywhere it bolts up is a potential resistor. Battery negative, to battery positive is a full circuit. You hope for nearly battery voltage across the starter winding. A DC voltmeter will give you a resistor if you check each point where an iten conducts to another under full load.
The starter in this machine exists by faith, not by sight, so I don't have a good way to get test leads to it. There is a battery shutoff switch so that will be the next closest connection to check (I've already replaced the battery to frame ground cable with a larger one). Then I'll check the frame to engine ground connections. It's a good thing this doesn't have a block heater because I'd probably just use that to help it start and never fix the underlying problem.
There was a large gap on either side of the rod eye so I made some cheap spacers.
Think I can return it with the receipt?
Now I need to make a guard for the rod so it doesn't get dented again. I figure I can attach the bottom end of it where the spacers are, and maybe use some sort of clamp around the cylinder barrel for the guide. Has anyone made a cylinder guard and want to share some ideas?
Great material for spacers! I'm going to copy you when I start doing the work on my backhoe bucket for my old 410B! By the way, this Mecalec looks like a fantastic machine to operate, probably a load of fun. Can you run it like a normal excavator - is that a pin grabber on it - so you can have the bucket face either direction? or is that a special Mecalec connector?
That plastic is easy to work with and it will last a fairly long time. If you made it fit tight enough it will keep the grease in and most dirt out. If your line is straight, I have used rectangular tubing as a guard. Just cut one of the narrow sides off and lay that open end onto the hydraulic cylinder. You can use heavy duty hose clamps for light duty but exhaust clamps are much better. If you weld the clamp base to the guard and wrap the threaded rod portion around the cylinder, it will be easy-on easy-off for repairs. Or lightly weld guard to cylinder with minimized heat. Like this factory built one that is a welded on unit:
Yes it can be run like a normal excavator. It has a special Mecalac bucket coupler, but it can use attachments either direction like a pin grabber.
Thanks for the input, but in this case I'm actually looking for a guard for the cylinder rod, not the hydraulic line. Many minis have guards for the boom cylinder because they are most susceptible to damage, but this machine has a very exposed arm cylinder. I don't think it'll be too difficult to make one, but I need to figure out a good rugged way to make a guide for it to slide in. I like your idea of an exhaust clamp to anchor to the cylinder barrel.
I also use a Band-It tool for fastening some of my custom guards. I have a bulk spool of stainless banding material and hammer-shut clamps that are very versatile. Tool here: https://www.band-it-idex.com/products/tools/hand-tools/standard-banding-tool/ I have made this particular guard from 4" or 5" ID fertilizer solution hose from Rural King. It is very durable. It might also be sold as Canaflex. It is far tougher than corrugated gutter drain tubing. Cut lengthwise with a sabre saw or skill saw, notch for any fittings and snap over the outer tube. It will allow for some flex when needed and keeps my rod out of the discharge zone.
I went outside and took pics of the very simple setup on my 50ZTS. this is an easy design to work with and straighten with a hammer - as I've had to do a couple times already. Upper Mount, Lower Mount, example damage that my boom cylinder has been saved from. So, yeah, this is a useful shield. I'm used to pinning stuff against the boom - my original equipment is a 410B backhoe where the cylinder is enclosed in the boom. so this is a bit more exposed. I may have to come up with a better shield.
I cleaned all the main power cable connections (including grounds), except for at the starter itself because it's not accessible without removing the exhaust. At -3°F this morning it did the same thing: turned over once slowly and then nothing. The dealer still has not responded to my request for the wiring upgrade kit for the relay board. I think I need to call a different dealer.
Nice snow bucket!
You got it running again! did you fix it with a kit or just by increasing the cable diameters from battery to frame and solenoid?
It only has the starting issue when it's in the single digits, so usually if I wait until afternoon, or if it's a warm day, it will start. This morning was 5°F so I did spend a little time troubleshooting. I measured the voltage drop at the control board during cranking and it was 1.2 volts. That seems like a large voltage drop to me, so I'm planning to make my own wiring upgrade to feed the control board and see if it eliminates that problem.
huh. I suppose the oil is that much thicker that the starter uses about 50% more power maybe? their solution is a bigger wire... why not a block heater? since the voltage drop is a symptom, the problem is higher viscosity fluids creating a higher drag on motor internals. I get it that bigger wire is a good call, but.. perhaps fixing the symptom still doesn't alleviate the load on the starter? On the other hand, you can get those clamp style ammeters fairly inexpensively and you can test your starter current draw on cold days vs the machine being warm. it'd at least help with the basics - high current, low voltage, low crank speed = bad starter. Low current, high voltage, low crank speed = high resistance in wiring. So, if you are only testing voltage, you need to change that to get your answer as to what the problem really is. If it's the second choice, then bigger wiring is the right solution as they under-specced the wiring system for this rig in cold environments. Cold rigs obviously take way more current to start than warms ones do.
by the way, this may have come off wrong. I was trying to look at both sides of the problem - is it an under-powered starter for the cold oil days, or is it small diameter wire not supplying current to the starter. I know very little about any equipment - just apply the same knowledge to different rigs because they are often very similar. Oh, and i recall you saying you can't get to the starter in an earlier part of the thread - you can use those clamp on meters at the battery - current flow is the same no matter where it is. voltage measurement at the battery won't help though. too bad the starter is hard to get to.
It's always good to have more perspectives on the problem. Helps me think through everything and question things that I may have made assumptions about. And much of what I've posted is just my speculation, not necessarily confirmed diagnosis. While the oil is a little thicker at colder temps, I don't think it's the problem. Lots of machines start just fine in much colder temps than this (my other excavator, for example). I also don't think the starter is the problem, and I'm doubtful that the wiring to the starter is either. Most times I've experienced issues with those, either the starter won't turn at all, or it will continue to turn slowly, but not fast enough to start the engine. The problem here (in my current understanding) is that the control circuit that energizes the starter solenoid is getting cut off due to low voltage, therefore stopping the starter from turning as if I had let go of the key. When the key is turned to the start position, it activates a relay which supplies power to the solenoid, which connects the starter to battery power. Relays require a certain voltage to function. And if the voltage drops 1.2v below battery voltage during cranking, the relay can no longer function.
if they put a relay in that won't operate below 10.8vdc, that's a screwup. Most cars/trucks battery voltages will drop to 10.5 and as low as 10.0 in extreme cases of sustained cranking. Relays can be designed to operate at any voltage - and I'd like to point out that contrary to everything else, resistance drops when it's colder (not by a lot, but it's notable) and resistance rises when heat rises. Relays in particular are sensitive to this. I'd like to point to a reasonably well documented page on relays - What is the minimum voltage required to run a 12v relay ? This guy tests generic relays, but the principals are the same. roughly 60-80% of nominal voltage is what it takes to activate a relay. I'm not sure who told you it takes a bit more than 85% of nominal voltage to run a relay, but they are wrong. Now, the control board... that's a different animal. Could well be that Mecalec actually uses a computer to control a relay. That computer will be a lot more sensitive to voltage variation. However, were that the case, I'd expect the gauges and everything to flicker or reset if the computer itself is rebooting. anyway, it's impossible for me to do much to help. so, I'm just offering generic knowledge. hope it's useful.
The problem is that the voltage to the control board drops 1.2v below the battery voltage during cracking, not the nominal voltage. So if the battery drops to 10.5 or 10.0 as you suggest, the control board is only getting 8-9v. Which, depending on the relay, may not be enough to activate. I didn't say it took more than 85% of nominal voltage, I said it takes a certain voltage (which can obviously vary based on the specific relay). There is a computer also, which as you mention is likely more sensitive to voltage drop, but even under normal conditions when it cranks and starts normally, the screen goes black during cranking and boots up after the engine starts. So I don't believe the computer controls the starter circuit. As mentioned, much of what I'm presenting here is based on what I've learned of this system during my troubleshooting, and speculating based on that. As I do more testing and research, hopefully I will gain a better understanding of how this system is designed and what the actual problem is.
Do you have a solenoid relay? Is it accessible? It is mounted somewhere along the heavy cable to the starter. Some machines, it is mounted on the starter. Typical layout is battery negative connects to the frame. Iron serves as a conductor to starter & most everything else. Power flows from this through the frame of the starter motor. It flows through the starter frame, the starter windings, & out to the solenoid. Solenoid is a relay, if open, no current flows through it. If closed, current flows through it, back to the battery positive terminal. A solenoid may have two smaller terminals, or one. If one, the other end of the magnet winding makes connection through its mounting bracket. Positive connection passes through any number of controls connecting battery positive to this terminal. You may be able to follow this circuit to find the point of resistance. No doubt there are points of the circuit you can't get to. A schematic can be very helpful.
There is a solenoid on the starter. I haven't been able to find if there is a smaller relay that controls the solenoid, or if it's simply the key switch that activates it. The schematic in the manual is in French, which is Greek to me.
Will not be easy without speaking the language, but wires are multilingual. Get a clean sheet of paper, draw your own schematic of only the parts of the diagram you need. It won't be simple if you have no access to the solenoid. I'd sure be curious if your problem is in the high current circuit, or the low current control circuit. With safety devices in series there are a lot of links in your chain, any one could stop current flow. If you had access to the solenoid, you could narrow it down.
High current circuit seems very simple. Coup batterie I presume to be a master disconnect. Demarreur I believe is the starter & solenoid Rectangle with a slash is electromagnet. Relais Demarrage (relay starter) J2-30 Receives battery positive from unclear source to J2-87 when magnet is powered. I can't read terminal numbers on relais demarrage.
The old Krupp crane books were always in german. Using a translater app is much easier than it used to be. I heard from a mechanic that took a liebherr crane class, they had someone ask in the class "why isn't this formatted in english". The liebherr engineer response was "you should all know german".... That said, at least the german built stuff is top notch. It may be three times more complicated than it needs to be, but sometimes I'm like "that's really cool" about what they build. I don't think I've ever touched French built equipment.
English built: It leaks. Electrical components smoke, burn, then fail German built: If it is old, it doesn't run, nobody knows how to fix it. American built: is incredible until the last mechanic factory trained retires. Then you are screwed.
I have a nearly rust free utility truck, 1996 Chevy 1 ton, 4 wheel drive, by diesel standards low mileage, 90,000. I've trailered it to several truck service garages. One advertizes himself as a GM diesel engine specialist. Several thousands of dollars into it, it won't run. Rebuilt the injector pump, it ran 50 miles. New shop, new pump, it made it home, It failed to run more than a year. Someone suggested Mark. I've known Mark in passing 40 years, didn't know what he did. Turns out he is a mobile mechanic. He is well informed in the freakish features of the GM 6.5 litre diesel. It seems you have to choose a resistor to add to a new injector pump, but nobody knows about it. It isn't something you can take to the selling dealer. They have no mechanics from then. Takes a great researcher to find these obscure bits of information. Truck was out of service 2 years, undependable 2 years before, now fixed with a $15. part.
The problem with translator apps is they don't do very well with technical terminology. Even human translators don't do very well with technical terms. I will study the diagram more; it's very small print and I just snapped one picture of it this morning.
The terminal numbers to the "relay starter" are U17-2 and U17-3 which match up to the Deutz motor diagram here: The problem is that I don't know where on the machine this "relay starter" is located. It's not on the relay board.
Any way to follow the wire from J1-50 on the starter solenoid? I have a circuit tracer puts a frequency signal on the wire. I can't say it'll do it. You mention no access to the starter, could you locate any of the other conductors running to it?
My theory is proved! It was about 5°F this morning so a perfect opportunity to test my theory of the starter control circuit voltage dropping low enough that the relay can't stay closed.
Will it start at those colder temps, with the jumper cables/charger on just the battery?
Nope. To clarify, there was no jumper pack or charger on the battery in the video. I was simply adding a larger wire directly from the machine battery to the relay/control board.
Check your battery shut off, it looks like in the wiring diagram, they have it on the hot (+) side of the battery. It could have a bad connection there, which would give you a voltage loss. I've always put the shut off's on the ground side of the battery. I find that with it on the + side, it will have all the draw there, leading to arcing and eventually a bad connection. I could be all wrong.
You are not wrong. I did have a small amount of voltage loss there, and at some of the other connections (grounds, etc). I cleaned all of them that I could get to which definitely helped, but still ended up with the 1.2v drop through the circuit that feeds the relay control board. I'm debating whether to try to track that circuit through all cab passages it goes through and clean any connections I find, or simply install a new, fused, larger wire from the battery shutoff to the control board. Mecalac seems to admit that the wiring is undersized because they have a wiring upgrade kit for this as seen in the YouTube video I posted by V-Belt and Son earlier in this thread. Unfortunately, I've called two dealers and they don't seem to be able (or want) to find the same Technical Information Notice and/or parts that are shown in that video.
Have you checked voltage drop on each side of the disconnect as you are cranking? If you think the upgrade kit is the solution, I would contact the factory direct and keep pushing until you get what you need.
I did check the voltage drop across the disconnect when I was checking the voltage drop at the control board. There was some loss, but much less significant than the drop at the control board. I like Willie's idea of using a circuit tracer. But even if I can find and clean all connections in the circuit, I still will have to deal with the undersized wire. So I think the upgrade is going to be the best way to fix this. And since it's quite unlikely that the upgrade kit from Mecalac would be provided free of charge, I'm probably better off building my own now that I know where it needs to be connected. But I suppose it's worth another call to the dealer now that I have proof of the exact problem on my machine.
Sounds like you are onto your issue. I had a week start with my f450 for the first time in single digit temps. I could hear the fuel pump, much louder than normal. Truck almost the killed batteries and left me stranded on a mountain side. My issue was diesel fuel gelling up...
This is a good read. keep us posted.
The direct importer of those machines is base out of Texas. I used to have their software on my old laptop. I will do some checking around tomorrow to see if i can find any of my old notes from when we used to do the field service for local dealer. If not I can get you their number and they should help.
I know they're on the other side of the country from you, but it couldn't hurt to call Global Machinery and ask their parts department about the wiring upgrade. I'm willing bet that's where the parts in the video were sourced from. I watched the beginning of the video again and I think the relevant Tech Info Notice for your issue is E.07.60.2019.
I do have an update that I just hadn't gotten posted yet. Thanks to a recommendation by @StumpyWally a few weeks ago I called Anderson Equipment near Albany, NY and with the help of a very nice parts guy, was able to track down the technical information notice mentioned in that video and the parts listed in it. I ordered them and two days later they were at my house. I haven't had a chance to install them yet, and at this point in the year it probably won't get cold enough again to know if it fixed the problem.
Perfect example of how to do a voltage drop test from battery positive to the Panel start control positive. Seen the drop on the meter, then nothing while cranking with booster cable in between the two. So that starts it, but do you have any idea where the poor connection is hiding underneath. Simon C
Undersized factory wiring.
That's awesome and were my assessments correct? The only deterrent is the locality of your authorized dealers near by and that it's hard to put an employee in the seat of it for too long because they get over confident but they're great machine
Yes it's a very useful machine. I don't have any employees so so thankfully don't have to worry about that.
Finally some progress on the CMP bucket. The welding shop finished the mounting ears/plate after 2 months, and Tuesday was warm enough to sneak in a quick paint job. Dang thing is heavy! With the mounting plate, the bucket weighs 882lbs.
That thing is awesome. I’m going look for one. Are parts difficult? I’m ok if they are, all of my stuff is like that.
Parts aren't bad if you can find an agreeable parts guy at the dealer.
Unfortunately there is a slight issue with the mounting plate: I would just cut a notch out of the plate so it wouldn't interfere with the arm, but I don't think I'm quite happy with the curl and dump angles compared to the stock bucket:
More angles
I think I can reduce the distance marked in red by about an inch and it should give me a little more of a dump angle and hopefully eliminate the interference with the arm. Unfortunately it means cutting apart the freshly painted mount...
That sucks! Better to sort it out now at least when you’re not working a paying job
Welds all looked good, but the engineering just needs a tweek. Did you send them pictures? What did they say? Simon C
Yes, they said just cut or grind enough off the mounting plate so it doesn't contact the arm. He said he didn't see any design flaw.
Well there is obviously a bit of a design flaw as you are losing about 15 degrees of operation, fore and aft.
Today I fixed the cracked exhaust pipe that someone had attempted to fix before I got the machine. My repair isn't pretty but hopefully it holds together for a while There wasn't much left to weld to...
Next project is modifying the mount for the CMP bucket. Think an inch out of one end will be enough change in angle?
Make a cardboard copy of the outline of the coupler and the bucket. Hold/tape the cardboard "templates" in place and see if it gives you the angle you want. Its pretty easy to play around with the cardboard, before you weld the plate.
First saw these machines at CONEXPO a couple shows ago, dang near passed out right there I was so impressed! Damn shame their distribution/dealer network was so crappy, would have liked to been a dealer. But then I always would have liked to be rich and good looking too, see how that worked out. Keep those pictures coming, love it!
Forgot to post, I also installed the wiring harness upgrade kit yesterday. Won't know if it completely solved the problem until it gets cold again. But at least I know there's no voltage loss from the power block on the engine to the relay board in the cab. Also this foolish battery temp sensor has been driving me nuts (more than I already am) over the last few months. The terminals have gotten loose where they are riveted to it and when traveling fast or going over bumps it will set off the battery overheat warning alarm. So I just replaced it with a 100 ohm resistor. Problem solved.
Modern technology... these days the sensors, monitors, watchdogs and safety software causes more problems than it's worth sometimes. Good job on the workaround. Could just borrow an overheat switch from your dryer maybe, lol.
That's a good idea CO, that I would normally use, but in this case I wanted to be able to put the bucket on to see exactly how far it improved the angles. This afternoon's progress: Original CMP design: 3" subtracted from the back end of the ears: I can't decide if I want to take out another 1" or so.
hey... I see your battery posts are oxidized a bit. I would totally recommend putting lithium grease all over them. I do it for every rig I've got. I don't bother with the die-electric crap, it's just annoying stuff that you can't get off your fingers and seems to get all over everything. the idea behind the grease is to act as a barrier to oxygen and battery-expelled corrosive gasses. If you get a good coating on your freshly polished posts, you won't have oxidized posts anymore. Looking again, it might be the posts and the clamp have some kind of orange grease on them... I just use the same stuff I'm putting in the zircs as battery post coating. it will not impact your electrical system in any way shape or form - other than corrosion reduction.
That's not oxidation, it's copper anti-seize.
Ah, my mistake. of course you know what you are doing!
Not always! Thanks for the sharp eye. It's easy to overlook things on my own machines sometimes, and getting and giving input and ideas to each other is what this forum is all about.
I use noalox from Ideal. No oxidation ever. I believe it to be grease & zinc. Made for aluminum cables & aluminum conduit threads. works equally well on lead, copper & steel.
Think I’d take out another inch, that should put you pretty flat on the ground.
Even after taking 4" worth of wedges out of the back edge, the base plate was still contacting the arm when fully curled in. So I had to take 1" out of the base plate. Paint job deja Vu:
Comparison Original: After modification: Original: After modification:
Original: After modification: I think I'll be happy with it like this. I couldn't take any more out even if I wanted to because it would interfere with the bolt heads: Anyone need any 1-1/2" wide doorstops?
Nice job! I see you’re getting the spring snow too!
Poor man's fertilizer
On a job this week, I used all the attachments I have for this machine except for the ripper. It was a simple 150' power service trench from pole to garage, with the only obstacle being a section of concrete sidewalk in the way (or so I thought). The surprise ended up being an unmarked water line feeding the garage. I had no idea the garage even had water, and after I broke it (I was off so I assumed it was an old service that had been abandoned), the customer said he didn't mention it because he thought I'd only be going a couple feet deep and wouldn't interfere with it. Similar to your defense attorney, it's always best to tell the excavator operator about EVERYTHING underground even if you think it's not relevant! We got it fixed and he was happy so that's what counts. Cost me some extra time but a happy customer who may give me more work in the future is worth a few lost hours.
No pics with the new CMP bucket on, but it's working out well so far, even though I'm just using tilt and not rotate yet. Still waiting on a Rexroth dealer to tell me if I can add a section to the valve block, or if I need to use a diverter for the second auxiliary circuit.
dang, you do nice work. that pic with the bucket in the trench... it looks like you have an extra bend in that boom, like it's turning the dipper at the second knuckle. Does it do that, or is it 'just' a 3 part boom that only rotates at the bottom pivot?
Instead of a "swing boom" like most mini excavators have, it has "boom offset" which allows digging a straight line parallel to the machine. This picture shows the offset joint: From the Mecalac website:
oh, here I thought that was kind of unique on the midi kobelcos!
Fun job this week First go LEGO shopping: These things are heavy!
A little seed and mulch:
You might need to add a thousand pounds of extra counterweight on the back to offset the extra weight of the tilt/rotate setup? Depending on how the factory c-weight is hung on there you may be able to sandwich steel plates with longer bolts...
The machine already had the additional 400kg counterweight before I bought it.
Oh, aye. Well done then
That's 880 pounds, I must have rounded up lol
Nice job on the radius! Do you measure as you go or just set the steps by eye?
Yes, I measured as I went. The first and second steps have no angle but each after that has approximately 9 degrees of rotation.
Great work! That machine is perfect for jobs like that.
Now the stupid questions begin: If working alone, how do you guide a block as you lower it into place? I once had an old backhoe would settle an inch a minute. Worked nice for swivelling a stone hung from a chain. These days I use a come along.
I used the boom offset to rotate to the approximate angle needed, and I hung them a little off center from the lifting hook so that either the front or back of the block touched the ground first. Then with only part of the weight of it on the ground I could easily rotate and maneuver to the correct position by hand. I haven't worked with these before this job but they sure are quicker than natural stone that I'm used to working with.
These are light enough, you probably could fine tune position using hand tools.
300 kg according to Redi-Rock
What did those blocks cost? Cheaper than natural stone?
$139.50 ea. I didn't price out natural stone. Even if it was less, the extra time spent placing them would use up any savings. The customer wanted to match the existing retaining wall also. I've never purchased natural stone, always used what was available on site or could be scavenged.
$140 each is very reasonable. Natural ledge stone for building retainer walls is around $10-12 a face foot delivered here. The quality of stone for building walls and such varies here so most of it comes from small quarries.
I never did hear back from the Rexroth dealer so I ended up buying a diverter kit from Mecalac. When I ordered it they said there is no support for this vintage machine anywhere so this kit is "buy at your own risk". They won't be able to help with installation or troubleshooting. It didn't come with installation instructions either. I think it's just the tape that makes their parts so expensive: It diverts the offset circuit so I certainly won't be getting high flow but shouldn't need it for attachment rotation anyway.
The wiring harness came with circuits for a lot of options that weren't included with the machine, so the kit just came with a short jumper harness to connect to the solenoid valve, and a switch for the left console to select between offset or auxiliary. The problem is, nothing happens when I turn the switch to the clamshell (auxiliary) position. So I tested the voltage at the solenoid connector: 12 volts when disconnected, next to nothing when a load (the solenoid) is connected. Interesting. I noticed that the wires in the harness have numbers printed on them. The white wire in the connector at the solenoid is a different number than the white wire at the selector switch. According to information in the service manual, the white wire at the selector switch goes to the boom cylinder pressure switch (I verified that it does), which makes no sense to me. So then I tried to trace the white wire at the solenoid and the service manual information shows it at a multi pin connector under the cab, but doesn't seem to give any indication of where it goes after that. The other wire at the solenoid (orange) appears to be ground (or possibly power, if the switch circuit is ground) because it connects to multiple other orange wires at another point in the harness. Needless to say, I'm thoroughly confused.
***. how is that a 'vintage machine'. That thing is brand new and incredibly complex. wow, I'm glad they have parts for it, but that's a weird response I think.
I've been wanting a vibrating roller of some sort for a while, so that I don't need to rent one when doing driveways or pad prep. I decided to get a skid steer style and use it with the Mecalac. I got prices from several local equipment dealers and new name brand rollers are about $14k. I found a used one for $10k but even that is more than I wanted to spend for an attachment that I'll possibly only use a dozen times a year. So I ended up getting a new "Handy" 76" vibrating roller for $5k. Strapped down for the ride home: A little lighter than some, but heavy enough (1753 lbs) I knew that it would need a few changes to work with the Mecalac because the hoses need to be longer to reach the hydraulic couplers on the arm. But I wasn't expecting to have issues picking it up with the skid steer adapter. The center pivot is held together with a flat plate and two M16 bolts. The problem is that they stick out past the mounting plate. That may not be a problem for some skid steers but the Mecalac skid steer adapter does not have an open space in the center. So I bought some flat head bolts to keep them flush with the plate.
As with most cheap attachments, it required a bit of doing to get the roller useable. Most of the hydraulic fittings were loose, but I had to extend the hoses anyway so no big deal. But it still had a massive leak from the female hydraulic coupler. I took it apart and found the reason. Guess which pieces don't belong? After removing the extra parts from the seal groove, it works fine. I used it to compact bank run sand in an old barn foundation. I dug this down about 3 feet to remove old debris that was in there, and then filled and compacted in lifts. I know it's not a ten wheeler, but my loaded truck didn't sink in much so it seems to have done a good job:
Hope you have good luck with it. Thought the same thing as you so I bought a paladin 78” model years ago. Be gentle with it. They tend to ruin the seals that hold the gear oil in the exciter tube, the problem is, when the seals go, the oil leaks on the inside of the roller drum so you have no idea it’s got a problem until the bearings burn out. I believe you want to run the unit in float so you don’t put too much weight on it.
With this one, the drum gets filled with at least 20 gallons of oil for lubrication and to add extra weight. The manual says to use down pressure to slightly lift the front tires of the skid steer. Obviously this isn't a wheeled skid steer but that tells me it's designed to be used with some down pressure. We will see.
It’s not like you’re doing a compaction test, you should be able to tell if it’s working well or not. Compacting sand is troublesome, to say the least. Water, is the key.
Congrats. That's pretty neat configuring it to run on your Mecalac. As far as a loaded single axle dump goes it'll find each and every soft spot on a job. Sometimes better than a tandem. Same here on the Bobcat version we had - couldn't keep bearings in it. Swapped to trench rollers which have their own issues. Need 2 trench rollers so at least one will run.
Holiday project - forklift.
Putting solar on the barn roof?
Yep
I installed my new GPS receiver today. Now I can just sit back and let the machine work on it's own hahaha
Gotta scratch that itchy belly pan sometimes
Now that you’ve been running this machine for a year, what’s your opinion on it?
The functionality and versatility is great. Plain digging isn't any faster than a regular mini excavator, but it excels in tight quarters and for loading trucks. The loader function saves time either by not needing a skid steer on site, or by being able to move much more material at a time than a regular mini excavator. For a one man operation, it's a big time saver. That being said, I've had a fair amount of repairs to do to it, as you've seen in this thread. Many were/are minor things that are just annoying but others are a bit more significant. Hopefully I'll be past the initial curve of fixing used machine issues soon... I'd like to have a new one so that I could see how they hold up with my level of use and maintenance. This one was owned by a company previously so there's no saying how it was treated or maintained. However, some of the issues I've had were inherent design flaws so those can't be blamed on the previous users.
Looks like a boy dog laying in the yard making himself happy!
Look what showed up today
The backstory on this new bucket is coming soon... In the meantime here is an update on the 2nd auxiliary circuit (offset diverter) in the next post:
After a bit more investigation into the wiring diagrams of this machine, I discovered that I had misread the number on the wire at the selector switch so it doesn't actually go to the boom cylinder pressure switch as I originally thought. It turns out that it goes to the Rexroth computer, as does the white wire from the diverter solenoid. I also found something in the service manual that suggests that the solenoid will only be energized when the selector switch is in the "clamshell" position, and the offset switch on the joystick is pressed in either direction. I tested the wiring from the switch to the computer and from the computer to the solenoid and it all tests good, so it seems the computer is simply not sending a signal to the solenoid. My guess is that it needs to be programmed somehow to activate this function (though the dealer assured me that it wouldn't need to be). Anyway, I got fed up with trying to figure it out and designed and built my own simple circuit to control it. Don't laugh too hard at my pathetic diagram...
Now I can actually use the rotation as well as the tilt with this CMP bucket. The only problem is that the flow is quite low so it is very slow to rotate. Also, there seems to be no way to relieve the pressure in the circuit so I've been having to loosen a fitting every time I connect the rotation hoses.
As promised, except a change order to granite steps instead of just a base stone for wooden steps to land on. I may have to tweak the front bottom piece... There's a small gap under the top stone. Picking them up at the granite store (in @HarleyHappy 's neck of the woods, I think): Unloading:
Prepping for the steps:
Placement:
wow, that's really a nice machine. were I in this business professionally, I'd be looking for one of these in my area. Granted, even with the best machine in the world, a poor operator can make a mess. you, sir, are obviously a solid operator!
Hi! I apologize for late high jack on this post! Do you have a Mecalac part number for this diverter kit? I set it up on my 6MCR with a couple manual valves off the factory diverter at the mid boom but not having to straighten the arm all the way out to drop that middle boom down to where I can reach it and then having to get out and flip the valves would be nice..... Thanks! Chad
Hi Chad, the part number on the invoice is MNA-K7152015 and the description is "KIT DEP+ROT BENNE ON/OFF 6MCR" Hopefully that helps you out. Tell us about you and your machine and post up some pictures!
Thanks! I have a 2022 6MCR currently with only about 230 hours. Set it up with a 48" TOFT Chinese rotating log grapple and TOFT 750 breaker. Got the forks, 14", 24" & 36" toothed buckets, Wolverine auger with some HD American made bits. I've built and had built mecalac ears to allow direct connection to the connect system for all the attachments. I switched the main boom foot pedal to be reverse from the factory setting (toe in, heel out changed to toe out, heel in). Added a second attachment circuit by utilizing the middle boom diverter with valves so the L thumb switch can operate secondarily, in my case mostly rotation for the log grapple. Built a hitch receiver that direct bolts to the grade blade to use a 12000# winch as a winch or with a snatch block as a crane/drag line. And recently installed 87HP tune from a German company to up the power. Been fun and mostly just play with it now as I haven't had a lot of work for it. Was purchased to start a new business with my mom and dad who had rental businesses before and wanted something for an additional income stream. Unfortunately soon after purchasing it my moms health went south and we kinda just let it sit for a while. She passed in Nov 2024 and it sat some more except for a few things around the property and some of my projects. Decided we would use it ourselves to complement one of my businesses, Im a general contractor/builder, but it then seemed too complicated to rent to yahoos who would struggle to use it properly. Anyway, love the machine every time I use for a project I'm so impressed with what its capable of and how powerful it is in comparison to other units I've run, not a lot but enough to see the real value.
Couple more....
Very cool, thanks for sharing. Looks like some interesting projects that you've used it for. I'd be interested to see the winch in action. I've thought the foot pedal was backwards ever since I got my machine. Did you change the hoses at the pedal, or somewhere else? Sorry to hear of your mom's passing.
Thank you. She was in late stage Parkinson’s so it wasn’t a surprise but it was peaceful and painless for her so we are thankful for that. I haven’t used the winch yet! Innocent scheming new attachments making purchases then trying to find things to do with them. Haha. Thinking of buying an arc droid and plasma cutter just to make attachment ears. I’ll save thousands. Honestly would have already paid for itself. I’d be very interested to purchase and install the forestry cab guard set up. V-belt and Son on YouTube got one and I do love safety but I think it’s pretty spendy. Probably wouldn’t be thinking that after taking the butt end of a log to the chest.ugh. I had to take a minute to remember about the pedal…I did it all from under the machine, it was pretty simple honestly. I used it for about 100 hours with the factory set up, it always seemed backwards for the most part. Sometimes it made sense?!?! I don’t have the machine experience that you do so even tho it’s been about 100 hours I still occasionally find myself trying to use it the factory way. The reverse is what I’m gonna keep tho for sure.
Parkinson's is tough to watch. I have a friend that is dealing with it now. How many sets of ears have you had made? I've had two sets made and I think it was about $900 for both. But a good portion of that was the cost of the steel itself. It's definitely a good idea to have cab protection when using a brush or log grapple. Good to know that you were able to switch the pedal only from under the cab. Seems easy enough. I'm sure it will take a while for me to not be confused by having it the other way.
I had 2 sets water jetted and it was thousands. It'd be cheaper to buy from your guy and ship to CA. Everything is so expensive here. I had a hard time even finding someone who would even be able to do it and his estimate and final pricing were 2 different things. Are the ones you had a full 1 1/2" thick like the factory ones? I was also thinking of cutting 3 pieces of 1/2" for each one having pockets cut out of the outsides in the sandwich to lighten and give weld contact in the hope to have something as strong as 1 1/2" solid. Worry about warp tho with that. As with most things I'm not the greatest in all these fields I find myself jumping into.
Yes they are full thickness. The shop that did it has a CNC plasma cutter that can cut up to 3" thick. The Mecalac dealer told me it's $1400/set from them, so $900 for two sets was a good savings.
Yeah. Dang that’s such a good price. He had to have created a file for it. Did he give you the file? You paid for it. I never even got my file from my guy. I had 2 sets cut and a 1/2” plate to create a top cap for our concrete demolition hammer and I think I paid $3600? I’d save money hiring your guy and getting them shipped! That’s why I want to look into a powerful plasma cutter and an ArcDroid portable CNC.
No he didn't give me the file. I could probably ask for it.
Finally installed the new bucket. This is a warranty replacement for the original that deformed with very little use:
@TheObliviousCowboy , I did finally get the file. Any recommendations for a dxf editor?
What is going on here?!? I just changed the hydraulic oil 200 hours ago and now it's cloudy?
Water?
That's my fear. I have no idea how it got in there, and so quickly. I guess I need to check the seal on the tank cover. Maybe melting snow made it's way in somehow. Seems like it would take a significant amount of water to turn the oil that cloudy.
Depends on how much water and quality of hydraulic fluid. That looks emulsified to me.
Supposedly it's a quality fluid. Schaeffer's 112
That's what the hydro oil looked like on our Hitachi EX-270. The gaskets, springs & o-rings in the aluminum cap were compromised allowing snow melt/ice into tank over time. The machine was 'new' to us so likely happened over a period of time. It really surprised me how much water was able to get into the tank. I wonder if an analogy is a comparison to what happens when drums of fuel are overwintered without being laid on their sides. A surprisingly large amount of water can get into barrel via bungs. Standard procedure with cached jet fuel in barrels was to always lay on side.... Sure looks like water to me...
What was your solution, just drain and refill the tank? And fix the cap leaks obviously... I don't think I can store machine on its side all winter
Put some of the oil in a clear container and see if water seperates out of it. I recall someone had heated water logged oil and evaporated the water. Not sure how effective it would be. Probably best to replace the oil.
The machine was a 20,000+ hour ex- road builder so had a pretty hard life. Lots of plating (actually pretty well done) on the boom etc. So with this in mind my 'solution' was to lower a small electric pump into the tank and suck out the hydraulic oil into a drum. I did this twice....The oil did clear up a quite bit. The new tank cap revealed just how compromised the leaking one was.... We used the machine for 2 seasons and then sold it. It had rebuilt pumps and was a real strong digger; never had any issues. For a nice machine (such as yours) perhaps some kind of filter cart? My buddy had his oil put through a filter cart (that the mechanic had custom built). That was on a Cat 311; more preventative in his case as no large amount of water was evident. I know it is hard to keep machines overwinter without some kind of damage. I always thought those Allen key released caps on the EX Hitachi's seemed over complicated and prone to leaks. Not sure your style of cap. I started putting a pail over the caps (and fuel cap) over winter. I also cover engine/battery/computer compartments with plywood. Just took our 210 out of 'winter storage' last week. No damage; fired up on the overwintered batteries so a win this time! Good luck!
I had something similar after winter storage. In my case, the hydraulic reservoir fill cap appeared tight but the washer had shifted, making an incomplete seal. In the spring, a milkshake. My solution was to drain the tank, refill, cycle all functions, and repeat. About 100 gallons of oil later, it was clear. I ran the machine hard for the rest of the day then took an oil sample. Results showed no water in the oil and I had no further issues. Keep us updated.
On my Case, everything seems tight and sealed but had enough water, I did the drain, fill and pumped the return into a big barrel, while exercising all cylinders. Ended up putting a valve in the 3/4” NPT drain plug and every time it sits a few days, part of the start up, I drain the water out. Helps with condensation, I’m sure, especially if I’m not running it hard or hot enough. Winter doesn’t help. Now after a year, I don’t even get a teaspoon of water out.
Here's my first suspect for water entry - a poorly done case drain by the previous owner. However bad the welds look, I'm still not convinced that's where the water got in. The grinding they did on the sealing surface of the tank cover is more likely the cause of the leak: The weld is pretty bad though... I have a call in to the dealer to order a new cover and o-ring seal, and hopefully they can tell me the proper location for the case drain to enter the tank.
The dealer has ordered the new tank cover (on its way from France), but they insist that the cover is the best place for the case drain to enter the tank. Apparently Mecalac does not offer a case drain from the factory and they have to be retrofitted by the dealer. At least I should be able to do a better job welding and will refrain from grinding on the sealing surface of the cover plate.
Seems like I could never get enough curl on attachments when using the skid steer coupler, so I decided to modify the angle. Hopefully I didn't take too much out. Just did a quick and dirty cut with the torch, pulled it together and welded up. Didn't bother cleaning up the cuts with a grinding wheel, so it took a lot of 0.045" wire to fill it back up.
Definitely liking the better curl angle
Since I sold my Bobcat E60 , I've been planning to convert my grapple to work with the Mecalac. A while back I did some CAD (cardboard aided design) to make sure the new ears end up in the right place. This afternoon I did some torch work. The #2 tip isn't really big enough for the 1-1/2" steel. Hopefully it's sunny enough tomorrow morning to weld it all together with electricity from my power wall
huh. what kind of inverter are you using to power that welder? that's usually a nasty load, and I've had very little luck with longevity on simulated sine wave inverters. never an issue on rotational generators, but.. that's to be expected. Looks like a nice solar wall though! I do know there are industrial inverters using modifies square wave - meant for heavy motor loads and such - will they work for welders? please let us know the model you are using, and what kind of current you are welding with. that kind of steel, I'm betting it's pretty high current!
Micro inverters. One for each panel. It's a grid tied system so the grid will make up whatever the panels can't produce. But hopefully the generation for the day will offset the usage. I'm planning to use 0.045" dual shield wire which is a CV process. Not sure exactly what the settings will be, but when I welded the adapter shown in post 203 I noticed the amperage exceed 300A at one point. This probably won't be that high, but likely above 200.
Looking great! Is that a TOFT grapple? I bought and modified one to work on my unit.
Mine is Jiangtu. Looks about identical to yours. I didn't like the stock angle so I cut it back apart and am adding about 1-1/4" to the near edge of the ears. I don't need it to curl in this much, would prefer to have it go out farther the other way. Stock angle: Modified: I didn't get the second shim installed before dinner time, so I couldn't test it out today. My hope is that I can hold it out horizontally in front of the machine without having the arm fully extended. I use it for holding trees while I cut them.
How does it work having the hoses coming out toward the machine? I'm afraid I would get them tangled up in branches and such. What do you typically use yours for?
I don't use it for taking trees down, mostly just moving downed & limbed timber and for demolition and moving piles of random brush or garbage. The hoses are about as short as they can be without any binding, more by pure chance than planning but they are really out of the way and haven't been a problem. On a similar note I likely won't be buying &/or modifying any further attachments. I've got a couple custom built items with mecalac ears already coming from china from RSBM and it's so cheap there's no reason to fab anything yourself other than when timing requires results now. For example I got a 24" smooth bucket with at least as heavy specifications than factory units, WITH TARIFFS, CUSTOMS & SHIPPING, for under $1000. Same bucket from Mecalac dealer I would bet is closer to $3500. They were easy to work with had great CAD specification and drawings. Ordered mid April Due in Port of Oakland CA June 30.
This 48" tilt rotate bucket is $5000-5500 shipped. Working on this soon with another order hopefully before years end.
That's good that the hoses work well in that orientation. I'm going to keep mine going out the sides at this point but may try the front later on. Does your grapple motor have a case drain? Wow that is cheap for the bucket. Hopefully they don't get caught selling those with Mecalac ears. They have a copyright on the design so no one else is allowed to make and sell them. Which is annoying as we both know!
Done for now:
Seems like that bucket would be hard to use with the rotation axis not parallel to the bucket bottom.
No case drain on my grapple. Does yours?
Yeah that bucket configuration was not what I would order, it was someone else's bucket set up. You can specify any detail and they will change it. I'd get a Scandinavian style bucket instead of a standard bucket like that. I haven't operated a rotating bucket so thanks I will address that with them.
Yes, I've thought about swapping the motor for one without a drain. Though in reality it's not a huge deal to have one more hose to connect.
Yep, that took some juice: I was welding within view of the panels, I wonder how much power got recycled
Don't do welding to close to those panels, they'll get arc eyes and stop working.
Finally got the new hydraulic tank cover, welded in a fitting and installed it. 1/2" makes much more sense than 3/4" on a machine this size, and I made sure not to disturb the sealing surface like they did on the original one
With this setup I can rotate the fitting if needed. Whoever did it the first time welded the elbow to the cover so it was in a fixed position. Nice fit:
Does anyone know where I can get parts for this Berco idler? The Mecalac dealer sold me bushings and seals but apparently can't get the shaft.
Measure up all dimensions of the idler and check out Komatsu parts. If they have them it will end your troubles with Berco rubbish. Speaking from my own experience.
Would a Komatsu dealer have dimensions for idlers or would they have to measure each one to see if there was a match? What is your experience with Berco? I've not had much experience with them but always assumed they were a good brand. What brand does Komatsu use? Or do they make their own?
Komatsu had a licence agreement with Berco to manufacture tracks and some years later that fell apart or expired. Now Komatsu make their own but based on Berco. I owned and operated a Rayco c140 which had Berco track gear and could only get 1000hrs out of the idlers before they did exactly what yours have done. A smart bloke looked up the Komatsu catalogue and found they made the same idler so we fitted them. They were twice the price of Berco and were still good after 4000hrs when I sold the machine. I considered it money well spent. A good independent track shop should be able to access the information, it's only available to dealers and them but not to you.
I had to reassemble the idler to do some emergency digging so I haven't been back to work on it. Your idlers wore so they would wobble on the axle? What I found strange with this is that the new bushings were loose on the unworn part of the axle shaft. Apparently they designed it to have some play. Is that normal? I did rotate the shaft when I reinstalled it so at least it's riding on the unworn half. I'm fairly certain the main problem is actually with the tracks themselves. Any recommendations for the best rubber tracks? I'm not aware of any independent track shops.
Mine had worn so much there wasn't any oil in them,so we're cactus. I didn't bother to pull them apart.
Well I don't think this was the main problem with water getting into the hydraulic system after all. I just discovered some oil in the coolant tank...
Uh oh! The plot thickens…
And the profits get thinner! Oh wait, what are profits?
I just talked to the service department at the dealer. They think the radiator/oil cooler ruptured internally based on my description. Waiting on pricing and availability from the parts department now.
Oil in the radiator is usually the oil cooler on most engines.
In that case it would probably be black/sooty, right? This oil is clean and clear.
Yes black engine oil. Does it have a hydraulic or transmission cooler ,cooled by antifreeze?
The radiator and hydraulic oil cooler are an integral unit.
$6921.76 + shipping from SC
Wow! They really got you on that one! Not much for other options I would expect?
The other option is from France for $4220 + shipping.
I just read your thread about the mecalac. Interesting story and good work pictures. Concerning radiator: is there a radiator repair company ? Old brass radiator can be repaired and also checked for leaks. Yours is probably aluminum but maybe you find a company for checkup and repair. Tvh which I have sent you in the cylinder thread has spare parts in general . Ask them for a radiator. Tbh the emphasis there is manly on the price . I never bought a radiator there . But for 6500$ I would try
I second the radiator shop. Take your radiator/ oil cooler and they then have a template and can figure out what caused the failure. Buying OEM is buying the same problem .
The best radiator shop we have around is Merrill’s in Pembroke NH
Good thing they showed up today
Yes I believe it is aluminum. I imagine it will be nearly impossible to fix an internal leak but I don't know much about radiator repair. I think it's specifically designed for this machine so I doubt there will be any aftermarket options. But like you say, it's worth a try.
I'm planning to pressure test it to confirm if it is actually the problem. The dealer said they don't sell them very often so I don't think it's an inherent problem. But maybe a shop can build one for less than $5k.
I'll have to check them out. I've used Dale's in Claremont but they can't fix aluminum radiators.
Hi Mater, how is the tension of the tracks set and released here? I've never done that so I'm curious how that works
There is a hydraulic cylinder that uses grease to expand and tighten the track. Then just loosen the fitting to release tension. Good thing they gave me detailed instructions for changing the tracks:
thanks , ok this is same as a tracked bobcat. I only read about it but didn't change the tracks. luckily I sold the machine before the change
Some days are just all screwed up What actually is screwed up are the utility marks The shovels mark where the fiber line actually is (instead of under the orange flags where it's supposed to be). It is about 3" deep.
What are the piers for? Did you buy the auger motor just for setting them or repurposed from something else? The helical piers are slowly catching on here, I haven’t been on a project with them yet but they look promising.
Looks like PV array ground mounts to me.
A solar array. The solar company owns the drive head. They have a skid steer but the terrain is too steep for it to be used on this job so they hired me.
You got it
good score of a job.
Should my price match the terrain?
Did they move to Northwood?
Yep, he was in Concord and moved. It’s right on Rt 4. We used to have Moe,s and he was damn good and do it right in front of you, if an emergency but he passed.
I called and talked to Jim? (I think that's what he said his name is). I'm sending him some pictures to see if it looks like something he might be able to fix before I bring it there. Definitely a lot of cross contamination:
They are pricey but worth it. He’s also very good at being honest and tells it like it is, even if you don’t really want to hear it.
On our side of the river is Arthur's Auto. My mother kept the books at the local farm store, when I was 13 she thought it was Arthur Zotto. In those days it was Gary Arthur. Now it's his son Roy. This man makes magic. He builds new, or if I just don't want to spend the money on forever, he fixes the old. Last time he warned me: "It might not last" was 36 years ago. Arthur's also is great at starter, generator, and alternator rebuilds. One tractor I have long term, I had bought "rebuilt" starters. They lasted a year or two. I took the original to Roy, it has lasted ?25? years. If Roy retires, one by one, I'll have to abandon my fleet.
I've heard of Arthur's but only for alternators and starters. Didn't know they they radiators.
So I finally weaseled it out of the machine and pressurized the coolant side. It was still holding pressure several hours later. I'll check it again in the morning. I stretched disposable gloves over the hydraulic side ports, figuring they would start to bulge if there was any internal bypassing. No evidence of that happening yet either. Now I'm confused. I can't think of any other place where coolant and hydraulic oil could come in contact.
Did you every have the hydraulic oil tested to confirm it's coolant?
Can you pressurize the hydraulic tank to be sure it isn't getting rain water?
No, but that's a good idea.
I believe it builds pressure when the machine is running. I could put a gauge on it to confirm.
If it is rain water, I still need to figure out where the oil in the coolant is coming from.
Radiators, heater cores, electrical components & carburetors.
I pulled a sample from coolant that I drained from the radiator and a sample from the hydraulic tank drain. I don't think I need to bother getting it tested:
My radiator repair shop does a pressure test with the radiator drowned under water to see if there are any air bubbles
Maybe that helps or ask your shop if they do the same
I just talked to the service manager at the Mecalac dealer. He is sure that the problem is the radiator. He said they've seen this problem before. He said the oil side is under a lot more pressure so that's probably why I didn't see leakage when I pressurized the coolant side.
ok so they know the problem, but that means it does not make too much sense to just buy a new one. I would ask the radiator shop about that if they can do something . when you look inside do you see 2 separate compartments?
It'S aluminium when see the welds!?
If it's a known problem by Mecalac and they don't have a warranty/replacement campaign with it, you might consider having a custom, multi-unit built. The heat exchangers on my mulchers are bolted together into 1 large HE but each system (air-air, coolant, hyd) is a separate unit. There is no way for cross contamination with this type of system. If one part goes down, I unbolt it and repair or replace. Cross contamination is a very expensive problem!
Fair enough.
No affiliation with these guys, but I’ve seen them build custom radiator assemblies for other heavy equipment: Radiator Supply House | Radiator & Cooling System Manufacturers Radiator Supply House is a complete manufacturing facility for metal replacement radiators, steel tanks, all aluminum radiators, oil coolers, and charge air coolers. With an inventory of radiators, oil coolers, charge air coolers, A/C condensers for semi-trucks, agriculture, refuse... radiatorsupplyhouse.com
What treemuncher said up above. Get rid of the joint hyd to coolant heat exhanger, go air to hyd. in a separate cooler. No cross contamination that way. Coolant is not a good hyd. oil. Hyd. oil isn't a good coolant.
Do you have the room to mount a separate oil cooler to the radiator? Or any room to mount a seperate oil cooler with it’s own electric fans?
Yes there are two separate compartments but I can't tell how or where the leak is between them.
Thanks, I'll check them out if the local places don't work out.
Not sure what you mean. Yes the radiator is all aluminum.
Excellent idea, thanks.
Unfortunately not. There isn't room to add an extra zip tie to this machine...
sorry there was missing the rest. cell phone and my thumb do not work together very good. the aluminum gets brittle over time I would try to get a custom made solution from a radiator shop with better quality if possible. makes no sense to spend 7000$ for the oem part where the guy on the parts counter tells you " we have a problem with that" or you find an aftermarket part for less