Demo accident. Had to load up the Link Belt today and go rescue a Volvo that got it’s self and the operator in a pickle. The operator was down in the pit with the machine and was pulling on some old storage bins when all hell broke lose. He is lucky to be alive. Why he was in the pit with the machine pulling on the bins I don’t know. The best and safest way would to have had some cable hooked up to the bins and hooked up to the machine and then pull on them while the machine was out from under the building. A large chunk of concert came in through the roof window of the machine landing in the lap of the operator. It weighed around 10 to 15 pounds. So here are a few pictures.
A few more.
That's gotta suck, We have a volvo and I have noticed that the green tinted plexi glass roof sure does not look like it could withstand much falling on it. got a question, Did the operator have the windsheild up while he was working? If so I know those machines have the saftey glass, like the windsheilds of car, and not tempered glass. That should have stopped the concrete should'nt it? But I see the side windows did not make it either, although the machine does not look to be in that bad of shape to have a building fall on it. Volvo's are built strong :thumbsup:thumbsup
A few more.
Yes the operator did have the front window closed. He had to open it to get in and out because the side rail just above the door got bent down and is stopping it from opening. The Volvo front glass is a safety glass like a car windshield and is a very nice feature.
Wow.... Lucky to still be alive... I'm not sure what to say? ................................. Sometimes.... there just aren't enough words...
I here ya Roll Over Pete. I told the operator he should have went out and played the lotto. I for got to say or add the Link Belt has a shear on it, and is one of the main machines I run.
What size volvo is that? EC360
Wow! That had the potential to turn out so much worse. He's a lucky guy.
Lucky for him Lucky day for that operator. Someone was watching out for him. Lucky too that you had the shears mounted on your Linkbelt and were able to cut away all that tangle of metal to release him. How did the operator react to it all? Did he know why it all came crashing down upon him? What was he doing pulling on those storage units anyhow? Thanks for the grrreat pictures, Truckie.
Very lucky.... You got any pics of the shear?
That makes me almost sick to my stomach, there is NO WAY that ANYONE should even ATTEMPT industrial demolition without proper guarding one their machine, small house and stick frame demolition while still a bad idea, is bad enough without guarding, but ANYTHING involving steel should be left to those who care enough about their employees to install a $1500 cage on the machine, especially if they're willing to install a $30,000 demo grapple, or a 3rd member shear (at least $80,000) this operator got VERY lucky, but plain and simple there's no excuse to put the operator in that kind of danger. here's a shot of my old 350L's cab after a section of the building broke loose and swung into the cab: a properly equipped volvo 290B notice that not only is there front window protection but a full FOPS cage that protects the whole cab: this was harsh, I know, but it is the truth. Eric
Dirtman 2007, The machine is a EC 330 Tonka I will have to look around in my computer for some pictures of the shear. If I don’t find them today I will get a few for you tomorrow. Demo guy I agree with you whole heartedly. I still don’t understand why this guy was in the pit he was in and why he was pulling on the bins from inside. They come to find out that the last bin was full of lime and is one of the reasons this all happened. They are lucky my machine was in the yard at the time and our yard is only 2 miles from where this all happened.
Wow
Digging out the Hoe Truckie: You saved the day, getting the hoe and operator out of there. I hope that they at least gave you some work cutting up the steel for scrap. . .
That is one lucky guy.
looks to me like an inexperienced operator. he placed himself in harms way there
Definately a serioulsy lucky operator. I can't believe he was doing that sort of work without proper Rops & Fops though!
Tonka I did not forget about getting some pictures of the shear for ya, Iv just been so dang busy it keeps slipping my mind. I will try to get them tomorrow for you.
thanks bud, I'm not in any hurry
Her ya go Tonka. Here are 2 pictures I grabbed at the end of the day.
scary stuff
nice claw
is that a MSD1000 on the end of your 240Lx? Eric
Yes it is. Im trying to talk the owner in to buying a MSD 2000 Thanks Tonka.
I would look at a genesis gxp 400 instead of the msd 2000 ive had better luck with genesis than labounty
Daniel, I have never heard anything from an operator who's run a genesis, every company i've worked for swears by their labounty's, sure they have their share of problems, but on a demo job, you're bound to have a few, what is it that makes the genesis a better attachment in your opinion? like I said, i've never run one, but would like some insight from someone who has. Eric
Eric I have two genesis gxp 660r shears and have had them both about two years now. I had a msd 50R sv I run it obout 9 month before I got rid of it. The genesis i have compared to the labounty. The labounty didnt have half the power the genesis has but you have to remember the 660 is a hybrid it has a 700 cylinder in a 500 size shear. The genesis will pierce 1 1/4 inch plate the labounty would pierce 3/4 inch plate. The only problems ive had with the genesis is the zero leak plugs that they put in the port blocks comming into the shear but genesis has been real good to deal with on the problem. My second genesis we have only cracked the tip on it but that was the operators falt I think, he was cutting some dragline buckets and hit a maganese wear strip on the back of the bucket with the corner of the tip. The thing i like the most about the genesis is that the upper jaw dont move side to side like the labountys do. Daniel
Daniel Thanks for the reply and the insight of the Geneses. I will look at some info on them. I have only run La Bounty shears also. With the La Bounty’s I do have to agree on the side to side movement. As soon as the blades need to be shimmed that is when things start to get caught between the guide blade and the shear jaw blade. When we first got this shear we had a problem with the hoses and fittings on the piston breaking and leaking. We solved that problem with getting swiveling 90’s coming off the piston. The only other thing I had to replace on this shear is the rotator motor. The original one lasted 2and half years.
truckie I was wondering if you have had any problems with the bolt on tip on you labounty Daniel
Daniel No, no real problem, other than once in a blue moon hitting a bearing race in the # 1 pile and breaking it. I did that once, and thank God it was ready to be replaced. The only real problem I have with the tip is once you flip it a few times during the blade flips the bolts get worn and stretched out, and then the front bolt will get a little loose. I keep a few spare bolts and washers handy just for this reason and every once in a while I might have one break in a blade.
Tuckie glad to hear you have had good luck with the labounty I was wondering do you guys run a scrap yard or do demo work and also how do you like the 3rd member mounting of your shear. Daniel
Daniel We are a scrap yard but we do, do demo work. We have 2 demo companies that deal with us and also work for us. The 3rd member mounting is nice with the reach, but the machine can be a little light in the rear, especially when stretched out all the way and grabbing from the pile. To tell you the truth it could use another 5,000lbs on the rear with the 3rd member mounting. That would make it real soiled machine all the way around. Just boom mounting it would be just fine with the standard counter weight. I run this machine all the time so I know all the little quirks in what it likes and don’t like.
Truckie Ive worked with some companys using 3rd member mounting one was a 400 Hitatchi with a msd 40r and the other was a 350 cat with a msd 50r the hitatchi wasnt to bad but the cat was real tippy. Every thing ive run has been 2nd member mounting but we dont do alot of demolition but it would have been nice to have a 3rd member mounted shear on some drag lines we took down about 2 years ago
I have only use Geneses shear's and never had any trouble with them. We had them mounted 3rd member and if a greenhorn got on it and was rough they'd bust the pins. We also twisted the stick once too.