I've got a Volvo EC250DL, 50,000 pound machine, 30,000 pound breakout and yet, when digging in hard rocky soil, I find myself pushing harder on the joysticks as if that's going to make it dig better. I occasionally catch myself and remember that an open pilot valve is an open pilot valve and there's no 11 on this thing that's only activated by brute force. I hate it when I don't really notice I'm doing it and after a couple of hours find myself exhausted as if I was manually digging the hole. LOL So, fess up, who else fights this? For those that overcame it, how? Just more time in the seat? I've only got 500 or 600 hours running excavators, just for my own ranch stuff so, it's not an everyday job for me. I have a really light touch when clearing trees and other delicate work, I wish I could consistently keep that touch when digging in tougher soils.
I have made my neck sore in years past. Now not so much. The neck thing was stressing about things and probably not hard sticking. I know I am sore after a long day of loading trucks, and that is self induced stress. I don't think I'll be doing that work again though.
I used to do same thing. I found it was because i didn't allow enough time for the job and i was rushing trying to make ex dig faster to beat the clock by doing what you're doing lol. Let it do the work, schedule more time and i now use my finger tips to operate joysticks rather than choke the chicken grip. Haha
Choke the chicken, we always said choke the gopher.
I would think most operators are like that when they start out. Most of the old operators back in the day were smokers and when things weren't going right would stop and build a smoke but all the while thinking about the task. Next thing the job would change around and become easier. A very poinent expression "softly softly catch ye monkey " comes to mind
Absolutely. I don't know how many 1,000's of hours I've got on excavators, track loaders and CTL's and if it's tough digging conditions I'll push that lever a little harder. If the machine struggles all day I feel it on the way home.
If you feel yourself pushing the sticks harder, focus that oomph into your left thumb. That's your boost button. You get a bit more breakout force and the RCVs don't suffer. Another thing to try is if you're really hogging out big chunks with an oversized bucket, arm out while curling your bucket in. It seems counterproductive but it works. Good luck
I ran the Koehring in my avatar in drag line configuration when I was in my thirties and forties for a little bit at a time. Everything was worn out, the frictions and brake bands would slip as the machine got hot. Pulling the levers and pushing the brakes harder as time went on was normal. At the end of the day when I got home and got cooled down the leg and arm cramps would start, sometime after dinner, sometimes in the middle of the night. I can't imagine a pilot controlled excavator ever being having that degree of physicality. I can only guess at how relaxing it would have been to get off that machine and jump on a modern excavator.
I’ve been operating equipment for the last 30 years or so and I find myself doing that when trying to dig through rock or rip out large stumps, I usually stop and take a minute to reset myself and go again. I also find that as the digging/stumping gets harder I find that I’m sitting on the very edge of the seat and need to remind myself that there’s a seat back for a reason….
We had an underpowered wheel loader. Right leg was always sore from mashing the pedal to the floor.
Never would I ever think all of you are insane! LOL
Had a temp operator trenching frozen ground on a wobble stick backhoe, the regular operator came back and was livid- the right stick was bent, really bent. We got a laugh about that.
I end up sitting upright like that as well sometimes. I do the same, remind myself to lean back and relax. It's funny how you get into a zone and don't notice yourself and then all of a sudden you do and you're like "Why am I so dumb?" LOL
Along the lines of this thread. In the 50s I was growing up on a farm and Frank up the road bought his first tractor. Prior to this he had done all his agricultural work with horses. Well Frank decided to have a go with this new machine. He got to the end of the paddock and starts yelling WHOA WHOA and is pulling on the steering wheel. The deaf tractor continued on through a fence then into a ditch and stopped. Frank had pulled so hard on the wheel he yanked the shaft out of the steering box A number of years later Frank buys an aeroplane, an Auster and asked dad to teach him to fly it. Mum really put her foot down on that idea.
When you start bouncing in the seat to get more digging or traction force, then you are probably going a bit too far.
Not only do I push and pull harder on the sticks, but when I'm using a hammer, I'll push harder on the button, at least until my thumb gets tired. I'm pleased to report that the results are every bit as good as when I chase up the engine RPMs in a 1 ton dump truck with an electric hoist...
Have you ever wondered why brake pedals in vehicles are made so robust? Its been a problem forever.
Its a funny post. Not only do I abuse controls when I think I need more power; I also quite often find that when I am running an impact wrench on a stubborn bolt... I clench my jaw. No clue what I believe either do for the process.
Horses have a brain. A well trained smart horse responds to Q's. Ask them a question and they answer. Rains can be hanging but they can respond to a slight draw. Pressure from your foot or calf on their side as well as verbal requests receive responses. Other horses are pushed and pulled around with the reins. They can normally never preform as well as one that is happy answering questions. I find myself trying to drag a machine around with the controls sometimes. We must teach ourselves better.