I'm looking at a machine with crane pads and would like to know what I am giving up. I will be digging in an area that has heavy rock to dirt ratio. I may also be digging in hilly terrain and cleaning ditches. Will crane pads be too slippery?? Can I weld on "grousing" bars, and will they work??
Somebody has to have an opinion on this!!
What kind of machine? Can we see a picture? Can't say I've ever seen crane pads on a modern excavator.
Not really modern. I'm looking at purchasing a 1970 Link Belt or a 1975 Hein Werner. Both have crane pads. Here is a link: http://wyoming.craigslist.org/grd/2349235733.html
The flat pads will be slippery, especially on hilly terrain with rock. Could be dangerous in very steep terrain. One option would be weld some re-bar to the pads. Good Luck, VC
That's a pretty nice looking Hein Werner from the pictures. If it's a C12 I don't think it has a 4-71 but a 4-53... Did the seller tell you what the issues are with the engine? Mine has the flat pads as well but I haven't used it for anything other than moving wood with the grapple, but I can imagine on rock it would be slippery as others have said. On flat ground it shouldn't be a huge issue but on slopes I bet it could get interesting. Probably would work well if you welded grouser bars on, but I'm by no means an expert...
I know a guy here in Jackson who'se selling a older Daewoo I think. I can get you his number if you're interested, Looks about the same size of a hoe or close to it.
Yes, I'm interested in the contact info for the Jackson excavator. I'm looking for one in the 40K -55K weight range. Needs to be cheap, as I do this for a hobby and not a full time job. Old is OK, as I am willing to put $$ into it. I just don't want major issues (hyd pump, 10% U/C, teeth missing on swing gear...) The Hein engine got too hot - I bet it has lost compression and needs a rebuild. I sure would like it to be a 4-71, as that is what I have in my grader, and a spare engine is never a bad thing. If it is a 4-53, I would look for a BT-4 for a transplant. I was thinking that the re-bar "cleat" would work too, just wanted somebody else's confirmation.
I ran an old john deere 690 with tracks like that and they were bad they kept falling off even when they were tight , and were really bad in soft dirt and mud. They sold it and bought a different 690 with the grouser pads and newer track design hope this helps.
The smooth pads are really not as bad as most make them out to be. Unless it is muddy or you are working on slick rock you won't slide around very much. The weight of the machine keeps you in place most of the time. The real problem is that when this type of track is worn out is that they are tough to keep on the machine. Although you can rebuild them with a welder and a lot of time. If you decide you have to have grousers on one, don't waste your time with rebar, use some hardened steel that will last a while.