I just bought a farm complete with a 2004 CAT 303CR. I am completely a newbie with an excavator (but having a ton of fun). I can't seem to find any infomation anywhere about how steep it can climb without tipping. I am pretty parnoid about going over any on any slope for fear of it tipping over (it seems pretty tall and skinny). Can anyone offer abit of insight into how steep a hill they can climb? and if I am climbing should I be boom uphill or down? This don't seem like a thing I want to find out by trial and error. Any tips would be appriciated. Thanks in advance.
use the boom stretched out on the ground to control the machine when going over objects. id say stay away from any type of slope until your comfortable with it. someone here can probably expain it better than me. have fun with the new toy
if your going up a steep hill keep the boom/arm stretched out and low to the ground, then if you slip you can grab the ground with your bucket and stop, and if it is steep and your going down hill i put the boom about half way out and low to the ground, same deal if it starts to tip forward you can put the boom down and stabilize yourself, i`d be careful about going on a side hill but if you have to travel across a steep hill same deal as going down, boom on the low side close to the ground. it is something your gonna have to get the feel for, just remember seat belts aren`t bad things .
First of all put on your seatbelt those mini-hoes can throw you around quicker than a rodeo bull. My suggestion would be to get comfortable with the operation of the machine on flat ground and progress from there - slowly. Start out slow, get a good feel for the machine and as your ability to operate the machine improves, take on more obstacles.
Most excavators that go over do so because the boom was up to the stops so that the operator ( read driver ) could see where he was going. As stated keep the bucket low and get comfortable with it before venturing up or down steep slopes. Try to avoid crossing a steep slope, if your lucky you will loose a track if unlucky you'll loose the machine. This is not aimed at operators its for the benefit of inexperienced new drivers. Learn that which ever way the machine is likely to tip, forward off a step, backward of a step etc put the bucket that way just above the ground and if it does tip it will only go as far as the bucket hitting the ground. Bucket 4' in the air IS NOT just above the ground
Thanks for the info. I have figured out how to use the bucket to keep the machine level when I am climbing down something. In fact I have quite a bit of practice at it because I tend to do it even on the slightest slopes. I slowly finding that the machine is more stable than it feels. Okay so I think I have it. The best way to find that roll over/balance point is to go down something, leaning the machine forward, and leveling with the bucket. By lifting the boom I can feel if I am too tipped without a rollover. By the way. This machine is so cool. My wife payed with dolls as a kid, and years later she got two "real" kids..I played with Tonka's. It is only right that I get an excavator.
Think of the machine as set of scales - ideally you want to try and keep the machine (scales) level so you use weights on either side of the fulcrum point to do this on a set of scales, in a excavator the fulcrum point never really changes (middle of undercarriage)and nor does the rear weight (counterweight) so you have to use the bucket as a 'weight' to balance the machine by either stretching or retracting the dipper arm and bucket!! Whatever you do, keep the boom and bucket as low to the ground as possible without dragging/pushing it in the ground as you want to keep your centre of gravity as low as possible. Sounds like you worked out how to find the machine's limits safely though, so enjoy!!