So we put a quick coupler on our Cat 315c and now if you curl the bucket in bring the stick all the way in the bucket will hit the cab. This is our first Cat, but I think this is a problem for all 315 and 312 when you ad a coupler. Has anyone done anything to limit the travel of the stick so cannot hit the cab. I really want so do something so this done not happen. Any ideas? Thanks.
most do i had a fh130 and ex 135 both with quick hitches and yes most will do it you just had to be carefull if you needed to bring the bucket right in up close to the cab
Pay Attention.:beatsme
Sometimes that is easier said then done. Their will also be several operators on the machine. I would Hate to have the side of the cab bent and smash a bunch of windows.
You could also mount a magnetic switch, similar to one you would find on a backhoe, at the top of the boom where the stick is attached and have a light and/or buzzer go of in the cab.
Do like we do tell the operators it will be their last day if the bucket comes into the cab and weve never had a problem with it. we have quick couplers on our 315 316 325 and 365 and none of them have hit the cab yet
I been running hoe for over 30 years and I haven't hit the cab either, but there are some winners out there. Even if it is his last day, your still left with the damage.
Its kinda like having a hammer on a excavator, you can plow right into the boom and rip lines off, But if the operator has some common sence he will notice that that can happen and will stop it. If you stop and think about it, how many times do you really have the bucket so close to the machine that it can hit the cab? The only time I can think of is when I fold the boom up to grease it.
I know some of the sites we go on were so close to buildings you have to inorder to swing around but the other problem is the morons who curl the bucket into the bottom of the boom. my dad wanted to get stickers that say stop here dummy just for them
i have 2 312's both with couplers and the bucket doesnt hit on either one.
Cab Hits ? Yes, I seen that happen, by Oilers, and careless Operators . Bring it up at Safety Meetings , place warning labels on the window. You must talk about it with the employees. Part of "On The Job Training". Cursing after the fact, does not undo the damage.
I think this is a problem common to most excavators with a long stick and a wide bucket mounted, a quick hitch just makes your stick that much longer. I have also seen the aftermath of our Deere 330clc ripping into it's cab. Not pretty sight at all, and last time I checked Cabs are not cheap.
You can also get the magnetic switch to activate a dump solenoid on the "stick in" servo line.This is a kit that is commonly used on scrap handling machines to stop the grab hitting the cab and on loading shovels for loader arm height setting. Downside is that "stick in" movement is restricted when the boom is in all positions untill function switched off.
The Cat excavators with the sideshift boom have a "collision avoidance" system fitted which stops the hydraulics if it thinks the bucket is getting too close to the cab. It consists of angle sensors on the joints and, of course, a 'pooter. Maybe you could see about getting this installed, but it won't be cheap.....
There are a couple of types of quick couplers used on the Cat excavators. Pin grabbers and wedge couplers. The wedge couplers add about six inches to the end of the stick which is usually not enough to make the bucket hit the top of the cab. The pin grabber couplers add about a foot of extra throw to the end of the stick and will usually hit the top of the cab. I've seen many right side top cab lights torn off. I don't know of anyone that puts a safety system on their machines to prevent operators from being stupid. I do know of the customers I have had in the past usually only had the problem once. When all the rest of the employees see there is a consequence for being stupid they tend to not make the same mistake. Hopefully you haven't hired any stupid operators and just warning everyone else with sign in the cab will be enough to prevent the problem. Good Luck!
In a perfect world there would'nt be any stupid operators, but we all know that this is not a perfect world. I have watched people, who say they are good operators, do some pretty stupid things. I have watched employers do some very stupid things on there own equipment. Even with all the warning mechanisms availible, for any product, people are going to make mistakes. It's just human nature. Some people have even killed themselves while running equipment. Maybe they didn't read the sign that said "This machine can cause serious injury or death", or worse maybe they couldn't read at all.
You could dismantle the hydraulic cyinder on the stick, and fit a spacer over the rod on top of the piston. This will stop the cylinder from reaching full travel. Tack weld it to the piston so it doesn't rattle up and down and damage the rod surface.
This is a good thought, but there again you would lose crown in ALL ranges of the boom piston's travel.
fops put a fops cage on it
This is a bad idea, as you are now starting to mess around with hydraulic cushions and the cylinders' ability to flow properly when at full stroke. Not to mention, if what ever it is that you "tack welded" in there comes loose it will be destroyed along with the piston, cylinder and possibly the rod too. You will also have contaminated your entire hydraulic system with bits of metal. Bad idea I do not recommend this at all. Adding a rops and fops will make the problem worse and you can rip that off almost as easy.
like everyone has said most quick couplers will allow the bucket to hit the cab just like a backhoe will dig into the out riggers if you are not paying attention, you can also damage the under carriage on an excavator if you are not paying attention. the solution is PAY ATTENTION. Someone posted, tell the operator the first time the bucket hits the cab is the last day they work for you... I agree. One has to pay attention where the bucket is when they are digging around a house,truck,wires,pipes etc....why would you not pay attention any other time. we have never had a problem with hitting our cabs and all of our machines have them. I would leave the machine alone dont modify it.
If you think the operators cant be trusted not to hit the cab, take the hitch off. Nearly all excavators when fitted with the pin grabber quick hitch will have the ability to hit the cab. Educate and warn your operators, put stickers in the cab ( think its a legal requirement here ) and make it very clear there will be no second chances.
Well, there might be a second chance, if the window is up, and all that happens is that the weatherstripping gets dislodged, so nobody but the operator notices. Don't ask me how I know. :cool2
:lmao :crying many moons ago and long before quick hitches added to the problem a certain unnamed person found that it was possible to tap the bottom of the open windscreen of a Poclain 75 exc with the cutting edge of the wide digging bucket. The lesson learned was, when looking over your shoulder to check behind you, do not keep pressure on the dipper IN function otherwise you get showered in glass, and it gets everywhere
i guess i am a stupid operator cause i took an upper cab light off a brand new 315 last winter. i guess i need a sticker to warn others that i made a mistake
There's something about that that sounds vaguely familiar, but I can't for the life of me figure out why... :beatsme
It's called ESP, digger. When AtlasRob knocked his glass out, you could sense it, thereby learning from him not to do it yourself. You should now promptly thank him. :notworthy
Really Honestly, if you cant pay enough attention while operating machines to not hit the cab with the bucket you dont DESERVE to be in that position anyway.
Let he who has never crunched, crushed or broken cast the first termination slip....
Let it hit the cab and get a better machine?
I have noticed that the greatest danger of hitting the cab was when you get distracted and you don't fully let go of the controls.. I found the bucket heading towards the cab on more than one occasion when this happened. Getting out of the excavator every so often for a walk around helps the body and the mind keep focused. Doesn't sound like there is a practical mechanical solution. Threats might help!
It's OK, now that this site has exposed the problem the government is free to step in. The first step is to do a study of the frequency of occurrence. Big brother will hire street corner beggars and give them brand new three quarter ton pickups to drive around looking for damaged excavator cabs. The count will be established for a small geographic area and applied to the continent. Of course another consultant will have to be hired to interpret the numbers and ensure those statistics support the drafting of a new law. New Item: Five thousand people will have their lives shortened by six minutes because of the entry into the air of micro glass fragments in a confined area due to the ability of the excavator bucket hitting the cab and possibly breaking the glass. Therefore a new agency is to be established to ensure that the mega-multi national corporations are held accountable for their gross disregard for public safety in forcing this monumental gross violation human dignity on some unsuspecting operator. The next step is to require all manufacturers to supply one of each of their products to this government agency for testing and establishment of new safety standards. Since now operators are considered not intelligent enough to foresee the proper operation of the machine they are assigned to, automated systems are to be designed that prevent operators from hurting themselves. Of course this will take a whole new study. The cost of this program should not run more than a few hundred million dollars to the taxpayer. The moral of this story. IT'S CHEAPER TO INFORM YOUR PEOPLE OF THE ISSUE AND TERMINATE THE ONES WHO CAN'T SAFELY OPERATE THE MACHINE!!!!
i would agree that you just have to be aware of the possibility,the old 235's with the longer stick would eat the cab also.on the same token just like a mold board will get into the tires of a grader,excavator will hit the tracks with the bucket ,it's up to the operator to pay attention,by the way i took out a cab light on a 330C so i guess i'm a stupid operator too.
I think you and qball were just showing off. When I want to change a bulb I have to go to the lamp not bring the lamp to me
Funny that you say that.. My 225 wth long stick (10 feet) and new teeth, won't hit the cab. Fool-proof....good thing, too Reading this, I would think it would have, but it comes about 3 inches short.
the 235 would come to close for comfort ,i never tried it out but it would come real close 2-3 inches is real close put some momentum sloppy pins and a wide bucket might do the trick.the 330 i was in a tight area i had a laborer working under the machine compacting so i boomed all of the way up and sucked everything in tight so i would not have the bucket over him while he worked and then when i went to bring the bucket back down,crack out went the light, but now i know better won't happen again.:Banghead ointhead:drinkup
John C your last post was on the ball!!! Its also very easy to be critical sitting in our armchairs reading these posts. Anytime I get into a strange machine I always check the bucket/cab interface LOL and dont ask me why!!! Neil
how would you care to enlight us on how this would work :beatsme i cant make the link between damaging a machine and getting a better one in doing so
Why not just put a shorter crowd cylinder rod on, then when you go into automatic mode no worries.I really like the magnetic limiter to.
So I’ve been reading and I’ve found some things I would like to try. This dump Solenoid is one of them. My other option is making a wedge to put in between the stick and boom. Only problem is I won’t be able to reach the grease zerks and I’m not sure how it would work with hauling the machine down the road. I have an 892elc John Deere excavator similar to a 300lc John Deere. Old but bigger than what I want to handle pounding 4” pins every time I want to switch buckets. All the buckets I have would require me to get a “pin grabber” coupler as to a wedge. And everybody’s posts about stupid operators and firing them is tuff for me as it’s my dad who is worried about hitting the cab. And has run a successful construction company moving dirt for 30+ years. Any suggestions of my ideas and where to get what I would like to try?
Get shorter ( pin to tip of new tooth) ,deeper bucket that won’t hit the cab.
2001 hitachi ex120 with Manual quick coupler will do it to. Guilty.
I went through this...and, solved it. 328DLCR bucket to cab interference problems Falling under the assumption that Caterpillar Machine division and Caterpillar Work Tool division actually coordinate their products to work seamlessly together, we have purchased a Caterpillar 328DLCR with a Caterpillar Center-Lock Pin Grabber bucket coupler and a Caterpillar Heavy Duty 42"... HeavyEquipmentForums