We have a 210 Kobelco that has been a really good machine with very few issues. We bail sand and gravel with it quite a bit. The bucket pins and bushings wear out really fast. We grease it regularly. Wondering if anyone has suggestions regarding a grease that works well under water. Thanks very much for suggestions or opinions.
How often are you greasing? When you are putting pins underwater you need to be running an enhanced grease schedule, that's going to matter more then brand of grease.
No more than 8 hrs. I had heard might be a heavier grease that possibly had some sort of additional plastic beads or other filler that kept water out. We sent the stick out to a shop that builds thumbs and other attachments (HPF) a few years back to get all the pins and bushings replaced. Ever since it came back I has taken the better part of a tube of grease to fill the main pin and bushing set in the end of the stick. Not sure how new bushings take that much grease.
I’m no grease expert and don’t dig in water very often but I have had good luck with grease that contains Moly. Might be something to look into.
Are you replacing the rubber o rings and seals too. I've seen alot of machines get new bushings and the seals and orings never replaced.
If it's taking a entire tube every 8 hrs then it's washing out way before So 2 4 6 hrs in you might have none left. think you need to try some non typical options. Saw this no experience https://www.belray.com/product/termalene-heavy-duty-construction-grease-mining/ https://www.superior-industries.com/bronze_plate_product_165.html
We used the termalene in the Navy alot. Worked great for holding O-rings in place as well. Not sure how it would work for excavator pins but if it says it does then it should. Not sure about the newer eco friendly stuff however, that came after my time.
I have one customer that does a lot of dipping in water and muck, I think we have them greasing 3 times a day, don't have any pin problems.
Bailing sand and gravel out of water has a inherent problem, and that is the foreign material that is doing the damage. Unless you're working in a river or other large body of water where it stays pretty well clean where you're working, you basically have lapping compound that is getting in unless you are purging it out after every scoop.