This concept machine was dsigned by a China local manufacture. It can become a loader when the reach boom flexed. It seems not practical but is a good try.
Excavator begin to change....
The hydraulic pipes were too mass....
I didn't see a spec sheet, but it looks too short to load a trike. In the one photo the operator has the bucket curled so far back that I see your going to have to be carefull in rock or you will spill some off the back of the bucket and smash hydraulic lines, or maybe tumble them into the cab. It has twice as many pins, bushings, and greese zerks, I would imagine that the boom would develop an incredible amount of slop with hours. One the good side, a one man show doesn't need two machines. How long does it take to swith from loader to hoe? Personally I'd rather have a separate hoe and loader, Tracks on a backhoe would be nicer in my opinion.
Although interesting in concept, I agree Stretch not very practical. I could see the machine having success in the gov't sector since it is probably expensive and really can't do the job of an excavtor or loader efficiently.:cool2 I first saw SunWard at Conex earlier this year. I only took one picture of their booth-
Stump Jumper Do a google for Mecalac they had a multipurpose tool carier that had a doubple pitch boom like a larger wheel excavator, available with weels or track. It lacked all the joints. It could be used as an excavator or a face shovel and a fork lift. They are marketed towards Municipailties as a single unit. I have a friend that ran one for a utility provider for a town in Georgia. It had a chain trencher that hung where the becket goes that had a drive wheel that syncroniszed with the ground speed of the carrier to allow offset long reach trenching. He mailed a few pics of it in use trenchining 4 feet on the other side of the guard rail. The crowd cylinder is mounted under the boom like the old Drotts. But it makes a good loader to. I think Terex was eyeing them to.
That windscreen would last 5 minutes . I recon a Traxcavator on an excavator type track frame would be the go . You could drive into a pile , come back out while slewing around and load a truck behind you without turning the tracks .
Looks like an other chinese wet dream. How long before you throw the whole machine away if it is like all other chinese junk? 500 hours?
It would be nice for stoning septic leach lines, but I see: off balance & maintence headaches.
Thanks for posting those pictures, Hitch. Very interesting concept. I appreciate getting a chance to see it. :usa
those wacky 'lil fellers sure have great imaginations.
Chinese eh? I wonder what Chinese workers think of Chinese tools and machines?
qball , I do'nt understand your signature . Judging by the fit and finish of those machines , and the fact they use Jap hydraulics and Jap and American engines i think they look to be pretty good value .
I'd give it 2,000-3000hrs and it would be stuffed. These machines don't last. Even the Cats, need TLC after 2,500-3,000. (Around the 5t) But yes, good concept to be different.
i am running a brand new 13t chinese machine and when i did the pre start on the first day the bolt that holds the air con unit in place had come out and the unit was floating in the engine bay, TOTAL HRS = 35 ointhead
Let's try to keep the topic on the concept of the excavator instead of a debate on the quality, either good or bad, of the Chinese equipment. Carry on.:cool2
air con problem aside how do you find the rest of the machine ?
The whole concept in my opinion sucks. You can load faster with a wheel loader, or a regular excavator loading from on top of the pile. If they do try to sell it here in the states who will be the dealer network? WalMart?
seems about right that is something that walmart will go for cheap useless crap.
Iron Horse, It's a line from the move Animal House, here's a link to a video that shows it, and if you google it you'll find some other details. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtP3whUbgZE&feature=related Sorry to interrupt this thread but I figured this was a quick answer.
better than digging with there hands! But they don't expect much there except to die by the thousands mining coal every year as it is cheaper to pay the family $150 or less in death benefits than do it right and preseve life. God Bless them.:angel Never had anything of quality from China except a garden trowel which was shocking. I try to by USA but it is getting harder.
Hey guys, I post this thread just wanna discuss how about the " Concept " of this machine whether it is good or bad, The HEF is a nice place to talk about any topic about heavy equipments. Seems every time I post some topic about China equipment, the reply will gradually transfer to the criticism of China products quality or even the socialism system at the end.(if you take a look at the thread I have post before). If you have a bad experiecce of certain China brand construction machines, I could forward your opinion to those companies head trying to figure them out through their branch or dealer in your location. It is good but nor realistic to expect a developing country like China India or Brazil....to produce a high quality product like Caterpillar, Volvo, Liber and other brands. These companies have nearly 100 years experience of manufacture, on the other hand, most of the China manufacture just began to product equipments 20 or 10 years ago. That is a long distance. Speedpup, "it is cheaper to pay the family $150 or less in death benefits than do it right and preseve life" I don't know where did you get this news, I don't want to explain more about this sadly topic but it is totally untrue. Once I was in a biz trip in US, I was asked did we have refrigeratory in our home. I really surprised about such kind of questiones but I realized the impression about China in some people's mind is out of date. China do have a lot of problems and welcome any comment but please try to learn more about it before make a conclusion. Bu the way, this concept machine was awarded the “Gold award of concept design" in the International Design Excellence Awards 2007 by IDSA(The Industrial Designers Society of America), following is the link. http://www.idsa.org/IDEA2007/gallery/award_details.asp?ID=3 Hope this post didn't offend any folks, today is the first day in 2009, Happy new year and wish every member a brilliant 2009! Welcome reply and thanks for discussion abt this machine.
Hello Hitch , it is an interesting concept . But without any information to go with the pictures as to what it is designed to do and what it can do better than exsisting machines , it is hard to make comment . In regards to Chinese machinery , i have been a pretty strong advocate but i am aware of serious quality control issues with thier machinery . As you would remember i own several myself . I'm afraid i cannot agree with you though about being a new player . The Chinese have been building equipment for many years , many factories sprung up during the war years . They have access to all the same technology that Europe , America and Japan do . They have factories so clean and modern it puts Australia to shame , computerised assembly lines with auto robot welders and even Xray machines . The only thing they have lacking is someone like myself who has a critical eye to inspect the finished product . My excavator would not have left the factory with it's current paint job if i had been standing there . The quality of thier rubber components is terrible , but could easily be rectified with the available rubber that everyone else uses . They just need to take more pride in the finished products , it's that simple . Do you know what the machine you pictured is actually is for ? Thank's Reg .
Iron House, thanks for your comment. Regards to this machine, even I don't know what they are made for. So that's how the "Concept" comes out. it is just a new design and not as practical as an usual excavator, I do think this company will produce a lot and sell them in any market. Don't have the spec of this machine, forward some basic explaination from the IDSA website: "This construction machine combines the functions of an excavator and loader on a rotating tracked platform. Its innovative boom concept allows the operator to fold the segments of the excavator arm onto each other to create a solid loader. Attachments can be hydraulically coupled from within the cabin using a quick-attach system. The result is an extremely versatile, ergonomic machine for digging, loading, handling pallets, blowing snow, grading, breaking concrete and much more. With SYNERGY’s patented folding arm mechanism, it is uniquely poised to address the rapidly growing worldwide market for compact tracked excavators and loaders. " “This innovative design would produce a compact, well-packaged and functional combination machine without sacrificing any capabilities.“ Robin Edman, CEO, Swedish Industrial Design Foundation
Yes , i can see uses for it now . It's always easy to use hindsight after the fact , but if they were to take it one step further and make it a sliding TeleBoom on the rigid section it would be awsome on a costruction site as a mini Telehandler . Happy new year Hitch .
thought i would add my 2 cents worth regarding china and chinese products. i went to china in 2006 for the V8 supercar round, the amount of building and construction there is amazing, the race track at shanghai is the best i have seen, it is magnificent and i was told it was built on an old swamp in 16 month, the work force worked 24 hours a day 7 days a week, i reckon would have taken 5 years here.i have imported several lots of promotional clothing, jackets, shirts caps etc, the quality has been excellent and the manufacturers we have dealt with have been honest and fair.as for the machinery they manufacture you have to remember china was basically closed to the rest of the world until a few years ago and they mainly produced for their own use under a communist regime,while they are still communist they are now competing with the rest of the world and i have no doubt they will soon learn ( they are learning quickly) ( what they need to do to compete, i remember when japanese cars were first sold in australia, they were junk, now they are equal to the best in the world and probably better than most in the world, and they are still profitable. i also recall when machinery from korea had a bad name, i own a 2 year old hyundai and am very happy with it. my prediction is in another 5 or 10 years chinese earthmoving equipment will be equal to the best in the world..
These machine's (mini machines) were designed to be used in the Japanese/Chinese Markets, usually are aimed at construction work in tight spots. As most of their sites are like working on Terrace houses (very narrow but long houses). Outside of these markets, they are very useful, but usually when they export them to other countries, the work life is much different to what they built them for. About 80-90% of imported machines I see, are in excellent low hour quality. But the working life for these machines (well I'll say Aussieland), is quite rough. We seem to give the a "bit of curry" during their life (really work them hard). We always buy the smallest machine possible, and expect it to do the larger machines job. And probably where they start to get a bad name, simply they cannot handle the aussie conditions, but that could also be the operator's/owner's view if he didn't manage / service it right. What I do wish for, is most of the pivot's static bores to have replacable bearings in them. Once you get a bit of wear in them, they flop all over the joint. Side thrust or area where it hasn't been shimmed, can cause a lot of viewable wear, but really isn't worn, it's sliding up and down the pin to wear the pin evenly in a larger area. When they wear, you have to weld up the bores and recut the holes. The perfect scenario is a small mini excavator with a parallel offset boom. Lots of pins / bushes on an 8 t machine, can cost in excess of $10,000 for new pins and bearings / rebore static bores. But 1-2mm of wear is supposive acceptable wear by the manufacturer, the owner / operator see's it in a different light. (as in it's worn, now fix it) It's the most common question asked to me about offset booms.
I find the concept of the machine to be very interesting although I can't image where it could be used in the territory that I live in. In short I don't see how I could operate this machine and make more money than standard design machines could already make for me. The design I find more evolutionary than revolutionary. I can imagine it being used in the tight confines and conditions of Asia and Europe for small construction projects. On the other hand, mini excavators only became popular in the United States as a result of them being brought in by the gray market. As to the quality of Chinese products, I have seen several Cat excavators sourced out of China here in the United States for this market and not found them to be any different than the Cat excavators built anywhere else for this market. I have found many differences between machines built for Asian markets and ones built for the US markets. I view these as differences in working conditions, cultural differences and legal requirements. As I told many of my customers over the years, you purchased grey market equipment to save a pile of money and now you have to pay for the reasons you saved that money up front. When I was a kid in the early sixties the same complaints of quality were lodged against Japanese products and we now know how they stand in relation to many US manufactured products. China has some significant manufacturing advantages over many other countries. I'm sure comments made here and other places will be considered in how to make more competitive products for other countries in the future. Hitch, thanks for the photos and please continue to post in the future.
Concept ? Looks like it is for the small footprint, residential/commercial marketplace. My thinking is that it is too complex , for the semi-skilled,people that would use it. A telescopic material handler , skid steer is , easily mastered by the semi-skilled users. Probably will find a niche somewhere. Going to take a dedicated operator , or long training cycle. Compared to single purpose machines.
whoops, I was saying "it is just a new design and not as practical as an usual excavator, I do not think this company will produce a lot and sell them in any market, missed a key word.
I think it is a very interesting concept indeed. The basic guise of the excavator has been around for many years now and inovative thinking like this will push the boundaries of future excavator design. Hats off to the designers for thinking outside the box. I can think of several applications for machines like this; the first one that springs to mind is of course high rise demolition. Where floor loadings become an issue you could have just one machine in the building instead of two. BTB
just showing this was posted before:
Concept machines always have a hard time setting off. Look at the NH Bladerunner, it looks an amasing piece of kit, and I would have one straight away if I had enough work for it, but still I've never seen one working in the UK. Don't think this mini will take off, it doesn't light my fire really, if it doesn't make you think, WOW I need a go on that!! then it isn't going to go well.