I have a Deere 690elc that I am going to start moving arround. All I ever see is 4 ratchet chain binder holding them on the trailer, hooked to the pads. Is this OK? What size binders do I need? Will the 3/8-1/2" size work? I want to invest in the right ones first. I know I should chain it also, but this will be short trips less than 20 miles, on the backroads. Thanks!
Cross chaning excavators is the best way to go. I've seen guys attach the binder right to the pad of the excavator and take the other end, attach a small leg of chain from the d-ring on the trailer up to the remaining end of the binder. Most commonly, we just cross chain, 1 side of the machine to the opposite side of the trailer, 4 chains total, 4 binders total. 'Round here, we don't worry so much about binding down the bucket, but you may feel the need to bind there as well. 5 chains and 5 binders gives you enough WLL (working load limit) to handle just about any machine. The binders you will get should have a WLL of around 15.000 a piece, so 4 total would give you 60,000 WLL, more than enough. Do not skimp on quality of the binders, forget the cost. Get good grade 70 or higher chain 5/8" in size at least in 10 or 12 foot lengths, I prefer 12 for flexibility in case I haul something other than than an excavator.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone use 5/8" chain to chain down equipment.. Now and then I've seen 1/2" but 99% will be 3/8". We lash our barges with 1/2" long link and they see 20' seas once in a while. I've never lost anything yet.
Legally by Federal law for a excavator you must use 5 chains, 4 on the machine and 1 for the bucket. The same 5 chains for a dozer with the last being on the blade. And for a backhoe you must use 6 chains, 4 on the machine and the others on the hoe and front bucket. This is not what we used to do, but started awhile back because seen the DOT, etc. enforcing the law. And noticed everyone else was using these extra chains. Before I just used 4 chains on the excavators 490D and 690D, 3/8" chain. And only 2 long chains on the backhoe and dozer, attached from side to side with the middle on the machine. We never used to chain down the buckets or blades, I really did not think and still do not think that front bucket on a backhoe or blade on a dozer is going to fall off. But I can see maybe the possibility of the boom and bucket on a excavator or backhoe turning. About WLL, the chains, binders, etc. only have to add up to 50% of the machine weight. 3/8" G70 chains has a WLL of 6,600 lbs. 5/16" G70 chains has a WLL of 4,700 lbs. So (5) 3/8" chains will have a total of 33,000 lbs., well above 50% of your excavators weight. We use 5/16" chains for the smaller stuff, our 310D backhoe, D3C and D3G dozers. Make sure your binders have the same rating as the chains, and are the proper size for the chains.
5/8" is a little overkill, I usually use 1/2" for all of our equipment, even the small stuff. We have some 5/8" from somewhere and I'll use it occasionally, but usually the 1/2".
Make sure to use DOT approved chain. I believe it is grade 70. I use 5/16" on skid steers, 3/8" on larger stuff plus have some short 1/2" pieces for tracks. Use ratchet binders because pull binders can get you. DOT here requires 1 chain per 10,000lbs plus one (ie. 40,000lb machine requires 5 chains) plus you must chain down attachments such as blades and buckets and usually uses the plus one chain required. Flag your wide loads with red or orange survey ribbon.
Our equipment hauler has me to run cold string welds on the ratchet binders he uses ( 4 beads on the threaded tube at ea. end ) . Gives a better gripping surface to take 'em on and off . He also uses 2 " C clamps with the flag wired onto it for flagging corners ( clamp to tracks ) . Hope these tips are usefull . Cotterpin
I use Grade 70 transport in 3/8, and ratchet binders. Make sure the WLL on the binders equals our exceeds machine weight.( if you have 5 6000 pound WLL binders, dont haul a machine over 30K with it) Make sure they are tagged grade 70 on the links. I bind all four corners from the pad to the trailer, and also one across the stick where it meets the bucket. If you will be going through DOT make sure you do it this way, They have been happy with me bound like this.
Chains Every ones advice is good, about using 5 chains and 5 binders. I'll just add one more thing, that I learned the hard way. Do not hook the chains to track pads. I have had two DOT officers tell me that is not OK. 1/2 inch chain is big enough for a 20 ton machine.
This is taken out of the NSC interpretation guide. :beatsme
I have also read in the laws and rules, etc. that chaining to the track pads is acceptable, as is posted above. About the load rating of the binders, as I posted earlier the federal standard and all the states in the NW only require that the load ratings are equal to more than 50% of the total machine weight. So with the 5 6000 lb rated binders as posted before you could use them for a machine up to 60,000 lbs. And yes you do have to use Grade 70 for everything, chains, binders, hooks. And make sure they have a stamp on them saying so. Now some states or DOT people may interpret the rules differently. But I have never had a problem at the scales or with DOT in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. In Washington they have really been cracking down on load securement and checking everyone. This is because in the last couple of years some people have been hurt or died because of something falling off of trucks. So the state has really been enforcing the laws regarding this and have passed out handouts, etc. to inform everyone of the rules. And they have also been asking the public to call 911 if they see a problem with a trucks load securement. They even have a web form for the public to report this at the link below. http://www.wa.gov/wsp/traveler/cvd/escload.htm Also check this thread.
Tracks as anchor point I'm only repeating what I was told by two different DOT officers. One was an Missouri DOT officer and the other was an Iowa DOT officer. They both made me re chain and the Missouri DOT officer gave me a nice fine. I tried to fight that one but lost. Since that time I always chain to the center of the track frame and never have a problem. I guess I just don't want to fight with the DOT, so I don't want to give them a reason to stop me.
So they fined you for anchoring to the track? Yes, we really beat this issue to death in the link that Kgmz provided.
We use 1/2'' on our 160 lc. A little over kill but better safe than sorry.
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums Cotterpin! :drinkup
Thanks there Countryboy , Having worked as a welder / mechanic at the gravel co. 13 yrs, and mechanicing on coal coring rigs 15 yrs , I know this for sure . MSHA and DOT inspectors interpolate the rules and determine whether you're legal or not . Our yearly inspections are always by different inspectors and there always something that passed last year that will fail this year . All one can do is be oversafe I guess . Glad to be here !
binders.....chains for a quick look at rules and regs for chains I have found this site useful: 1st-chainsupply.com. I believe (at least we do) that in order to be compliant, you must prevent your machine from moving forward on the deck........so we add one more chain to the rear of the machine and attach it rearwards to the back of the trailer. Binders and chain should be grade 70 and if they are not marked, the chain is calculated at common strengh.... For our track hoe we chain the bucket/stick, blade, cross the front and rear, and one rearward facing chain.........its a pain for sure.....
I have been lurking her on and off and finally registered. I have been pulled over 7 times for chain/binder inspections. If a piece of equipment weighs more than 10,000 lbs it must have 4 seperate chain/binders on it plus each hydralic implement must be securly fastened to the deck. In NH we can use a 1" nylon strap to meet the implement reg. The last time I was pulled over I was ******** and gave the DOT officer a piece of my mind and reamed him a new a hole. We spent 30 minuts arguing on how to tie down a 311CU with a blade, I had lashed to the blade arms, good sized tube steel, which he did not like. He said it is acceptable to tie to the track pads however. I disaggreed with him and he finnally let me go. I have not been pulled over since!
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums bigbob! :drinkup
chains and binders last week my dad and i moved a cat 245 think it was about 110k lbs and the week before we moved a larg volvo ex comparble to 350 but on the 245 we used 1/2 chains i think we used 7 total, but when we haul smaller excavators we generally use for 3/8 chainson the pads be safe and good luck:drinkup
Bigbob i have been pulled over plenty of times and some officers say they want me to go to the pads and others say no way.I told them they need to get their heads out of their butts.So he put me on the scales and weighed me up to gve me a ticket for over weight 2000 over 22ton tag only good for 34000 what a joke,he told me i need a tri axle trailer i told him no then he said i could get an overweight permit and i might be ok.What a joke could'nt find nothing wrong with the chains and truck-trailer so he gave me a ticket for overweight..I always use four chains x patten and one over the bucket..Not to far away from you so we probably get pulled over from the same boys... glen:usa
Chains Excavator I just got back from delivering an tractor with loader to Missouri. I was stopped by the Mo. DOT along with the truck in front of me. He was hauling a 200LC John Deere excavator and the chains were hooked to the track pads. They made him re chain his load. After they checked me and could not find anything wrong (could not believe that, first time I have been stopped in Missouri that they did not find something wrong) They seemed pretty good guys so I figured it would be OK to ask them about chaining to track pads. The one guy said that they were told it was not OK. I showed them the "NSC interpretation guide" So he called his boss. I talked to the boss and he said there is also rule about chaining to a firm/secure part of a machine. "Most states" feel tracks/pads could "move or pop off idlers/sprockets so they do not classify tracks/pads as a firm/secure part of a machine. This is what they told me so don't jump on my back OK. I was lucky, as I had 6 chains on the Tractor/Loader and let me go.
Thats the biggest problem I have run into,interpertation of the rules. Each DOT guy has a different way of appling the rules. That is why I lost it with the last guy. The weak link in my mind is the pin that holds the hook to the chain,. I do not agree about chaining to the pads either. You place a prying force on the bolts, let alone risking breaking the pad. I move a friend of mines Kom PC-60 and there is no place to tie to the frame, so I go to the track pads, cannot use the blade, which is pretty rugged. I have a BS degree in Strutural Engineering, don't flame me now, so I can look at things like this from a different angle than a cop or a buracrate sitting in a cubicle in DC dreaming this stuff up. I do not want to see anybody get hurt, but chatting on the side of a busy road is not safe!
bigbob Talk about not being safe. Between the inspecting the two trucks, trailers, paper work, along with having the other guy re chain his load and me talking to them I sat on the shoulder/road for over 3 hours. I was a busy HWY. How was that safe?? At least I did not have to give Missouri a donation.
OK, so if a Grade 70 3/8" chain has a WLL of 6600 lbs & a 3/8" binder has a WLL of 5400 lbs, does that mean that a combo of both chain/binder together would have a total WLL of 11,000 each?
No, 5400#
Thanks. That's what I thought ("you're only strong as your weakest link"), but I wasn't positive. And coincidently, you can legally bind or chain to the track pads here in Il. I was stopped & inspected last year by a trooper with a chip on his shoulder while moving our CAT 315 and had no problems.
Bigdan315 Are ratchet staps leagal ? say like 4 inch ?
Just wondering, but what size hooks work best on the pads? The 3/8-1/2" or the 1/2-5/8"? Thanks
Last year for our MSHA class we had an MSHA examiner, not inspector talk to us. OSHA has the same things, guys that come out to your quarry or shop and do a walk through, but no tickets. Its free of charge. The MSHA guy said the only thing that was black and white in the MSHA rule book was the print. One says 5 feet is enough, next says 5 feet isn't enough(for whatever, just making example). Its a pain to figure out how much you really need to do, and we try to take common sense into play as well but they act like common sense doesn't exist. Oh well. Trbo
Texas DOT Tx Department of Public Safety-DPS. Thou shall not secure a tracked vehicle by the track pads. Securement shall only be to manufactor supplied attachment points. Those loops hooks or whatever that have the tie down emblem identifing it as such. 4 chains and binders (ratchet not break over) for the machine and one for each attachment (blade, bucket or whatever)
I don't know if straps are legal. I personally would'nt use them. Another point to ponder. I've never seen factory tie downs on our equipment. We have a 1985 213 and it dosn't have any tie downs either. I go to the tracks, probablly will until I get a ticket. I just don't see a better place. :beatsme