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Digging over sprockets

Scrub Puller ยท 2012-02-17 15:18

Yair...excuse my ignorance but I have not run excavators since the days of the chain drive Kato's. I was told then to always dig over the idler end so that dirt doesn't build up around the drive chains. I have noticed a few comments here on the subject and wonder in these days of enclosed final drives what difference does it make? I get to observe several 13-25 ton excavators working on a road job and it seems to make no neverminds to them. I also saw a large Cat 324 walk about three quarters of a mile with the sprockets to the front. Any comments folks? Cheers.

Replies11
  1. #1bigshow2012-02-17 15:49

    Idlers forward or go home.

  2. #2JDOFMEMI2012-02-17 16:29

    Here are 4 good threads with the discussion well argued over. Lots of educational reading here, and a good topic to bring up for the newcomers, as it has been dormant for a while

  3. #3heavylift2012-02-17 17:23

    old hoes, the drive motor stuck out. so when you would dig backwards you had the chance of ripping the drive motors off the hoe. beside why set on a hoe when the control does just the opposite of the way you push them. I always dig over the front

  4. #4Drc2012-02-20 22:38

    I understood you should dig over the front idlers, but with the rubber tracks and blade on our Takeuchi's we usually dig over the sprockets

  5. #5coorecat2012-02-20 23:45

    I never got a straight answer from the guys in the shop but when we ran the bedding boxes on our 1250's and 385's we dug over the drives and had the boxes over the idlers.

  6. #6Drc2012-02-21 00:45

    Indeed and when are bucket teeth upside down? If the teeth are put on "upside down" the bucket will load if the floor of the bucket is held flat which would suggest the teeth are the right way up?

  7. #7diggerop2012-02-21 03:16

    What is a bedding box?

  8. #8heavylift2012-02-21 04:16

    http://www.speedshore.com/bb.html http://felcobackfillconveyor.com/ 2nd one starts at the 8th photo. this works really well it tight areas where a full swing is impossible. the system that you dump spoils in is also great, I have used it on job also with limited space,

  9. #9coorecat2012-02-21 13:47

    Like heavylift said look at the second link eighth photo and felco is a great brand by the way.

  10. #10diggerop2012-02-22 03:48

    Thankyou.....

  11. #11maddog2012-02-22 08:44

    On my mini's I allways try to dig over the idlers just seems to be smarter. This doesn't allways work out though, sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.