Hi, I am an owner operator, I do excavation and demolition on custom homes, Once I Finish excavating a basement down to about 4-6" above grade I use a stick man to give me my grade using a transit, I have only recently taken over this business and would like to enquire about laser grading systems that I could mount on my John Deere 200C. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated... Paul
Hi, I have a 20ton machine and use a magnetic sensor mounted to the dipper. I find that it is easier for me to set some level points on the ground and excavate by eye than to try and chase the beam on the sensor. There is too much difference in hight due to bucket and dipper angle effecting the distance between the sensor and the bucket teeth. Unless you go for something like a Excavision, http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190348940260&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT or similar, a man on the staff is the best way to go IMHO. Baz
I have been using a simple magnetic mount target, You just slap it on the stick and dig away, It has 2 settings, corse and fine. It costs around $1500 usd. It works realy slick and you are not waiting for the grade man....
The key to it working great and so so is set up, I set mine so that the bucket is curled back into the full dump position, the teeth are set just touching , the target has a plumb indicator. You have to keep in mind that if you press the bucket down you will not get a accurate reading as their is some slop in the bucket linkage. This is why I set it so that the bucket hangs. If I wanted you could pour cement behind me if I place it on the fine setting. I would post a picture IF I was smart enough to make it work.....
Ocala Instruments sells a system that you mount on an excavator and you just set your bucket at the grade you want, press a button, and that becomes your benchmark. I believe the system actually senses bucket/stick/boom positioning and everything. Never used it though.
Glad to see the site up and running again. Anyway, I have been running my excavasion II for about 12 hrs, and it works pretty good. A good operator could do a great job without a stick man. I checked my work and i am +/- 1" without a stick man, and i am no operator. That was the first 100' or digging the first ditch i have ever dug. So i figure that is pretty good for me. I am running a 240 with a 66" ditching bucket and can dig new ditch averaging 2' deep, at just over 100 feet/hr, maybe a little more. Not blazing fast, but i am not that great an operator and i use the display for every pass, slowing me down. The excavision II does what it says it does, is dependable, and seems work pretty well. I'm happy with it. However, i know there are lots of systems on the market that dont work that great, if at all.
Hey Paul, I use to dig basements on a frequent basis and have tried a variety of different laser receivers, but the best I tried is made by Leica they're not particularly cheap at $1800, but they sure do work nice and also have heavy duty magnets so they don't fall off or slide down the stick. What we do here to calibrate the stick of the machine is put the bucket flat on the ground, with the stick as straight up and down as possible and then mark in feet with a black felt tip marker on the stick and finally use a cold chisel to mark it permanently. This makes it a lot easier and more efficient, plus the receiver has a plumb indicator for side to side and in and out. You do have to put your bucket and stick straight up and down every time you wanna take a shot, but it works quite well. I'd recommend this before getting an expensive machine control system. I'll leave link to Leica's site so you can see what I'm talking about. http://www.leica-geosystems.ca/en/Leica-Basic-Digging-Systems_4685.htm
Thanks for the tips, I have been running machines for along time, its like starting from scratch when you have new obectives somtimes. Going from heavy industrial operating in the tar sands to digging basments in Toronto on large custom homes, my last had a footprint of 8000sq feet. grading is in essential part of my job, go to high and the footing/form workers will be pissed as they will have lots of shoveling to do after i'm gone, go to low and they will have to poor more conrete for the footings. So far with my stick guy I stay on grade within about an inch, I try to go an inch low as it eliminates more man hours. I am really looking for a good system, easy to use and reliable, I have ooked at the Leica system before and it looks good, but more feedback would be appreciated. Paul
I've been using a Spectra-Physics Laserplane target for some years (I paid $2500.00 with out a plumb function so you know it's been a while). I'm using a mast mount as the magnet mount fell off twice while I was using their demo unit (right in front of the salesman). I understand the newer magnets are stronger. Other than the rechargeable batteries going bad every few years it has been trouble free. It's a big time saver even if you have a grade man as you don't have to wait for him to get out of your way.
That is excatly the same recivier I was talking about, I tried to post a picture, but was unable to,Thanks. I have been incharge of daddy daycare latley so my time to actualy put togeather a intelgent post is some what limmited with the kids... What I realy like about the Leica reciver is the ability to move it from machine to machine, I can put it on a mast on a dozer, or stick it on a Excavator, even a rental. I realy like its versitility, I do not have another person to check grade. I can do everything with one person, once you make some minior adjustments to your work habbits, I think it works well, and is well worth the money.
Lol, thanks Dr. Ernie, there was another fella with a mini-excavator in British Columbia that had a picture of mini with the same receiver. I've seen several outfits here in Winnipeg using the same setup and that universal fit really is nice. And not having to program any computer kind of device is nice too. Plus I think it helps promote grading with the naked eye as opposed to relying entirely on fancy computers and machine control systems.
spectra physics laser transmitter+a magnet mount receiver with plumb indicator. awesome setup that will keep you in the seat and digging instead of jumping off and checking grade.
Do you have a link?
Google Spectra Precision. Apparently they've merged/been bought/whatever with a number of other companies like Trimble and Newport. Not to be a skeptic but usually the kiss of death for a good company.
Yeah no kidding I'll probably stick with Leica for the time being.
The Spectra Precision LR series are just the Apache Bullseye's in a different color. Trimble owns both Spectra Precision and Apache. http://www.apache-laser.com/product/machine.htm http://www.trimble.com/construction/siteprep.aspx I have a Apache Bullseye 3+ that I use on the dozers and excavators.
Leica, Swiss made so it has to be good.....
I bought an Apache Bullseye 6 about a year ago. It was alittle shakey gettin used to but now I woudn't dig on grade w/out it. I think I paid around $2800 for reciever and magnetic mount. I know you can buy them on ebay alot cheaper, but I buy everything from my Topcon dealer just because of the service. It is equipped w/ a plumb indicator and also has a plumb compensator that will adjust up to 7 deg. out of in and out plumb. I dig at least 2 to 3 basements a week w/ it and I'd be lost w/ out it now. I also do alot of ag work and the compensator is worth it's weight in gold on cleaning out ditches as you don't have to keep adjusting your distance away from the ditch to keep your stick plumb.
-Just some background info on Komatsu 150's post: Spectra Precision (owner of the old Spectra Physics Laserplane brand) was acquired by Trimble in 2000. At that time, many products were rebranded to 'Trimble', but this term was more known to surveyors (Trimble's main customer group at the time) than to contractors. A few years later, the brand 'Spectra Precision' was resurrected by Trimble as a a way to both create a budget-brand and to reclaim a bit of the construction business that was lost after the initial rebranding. All the manufacturers below make magnetic stick-on laser receivers: Spectra Precision (owned by Trimble - http://www.trimble.com/con_lr20.shtml ) Apache (also owned by Trimble - http://www.apache-laser.com/product/machine.htm Topcon ( http://www.topconpositioning.com/products/laser/laser-sensors/ls-b100-series.html/ ) Leica (who acquired the Laser Alignment brand - http://www.leica-geosystems.com/en/Leica-Basic-Digging-Systems_4685.htm )
This is what the topcon reciever looks like. Works really well just takes a bit of practice to achieve finishing tolerances
Hey Jam, I have the same Topcon receiver. It is a quality piece of equipment. What size machine are you using it on? I find that the beam is a little hard to chase as there doesn't seem to be a large envelope where the sensor starts to flash on a 20ton machine, works great on a track loader though. Baz
Hey baz we use it on 13ton diggers mainly. Your dead right about picking up the beam, most of the time we would rough out a cut on the first pass with the level set so as the base of the bucket is flat which makes it easy enough to pick it up. Then for a finishing pass set the level with the stick vertical and the bucket curled fully open and just dip the bucket to check as we are moving along. How about yourself any other tricks?
Hi Jam, I tend to use it with bucket rolled back and stick vertical, but it is frustrating when trenching as I find I am better to focus on the trench floor than the sensor. It is easy to take out 100mm too much out of a soft trench trying to find the beam. I did a job where I was digging down from the upper level to a basement 3.5m down. It was a big help to be able to have some point of reference without having to get out of the machine and climb down 3.5m to see if I am in the ball park. When finishing I really find it easier to mark a few points with spray paint that are level and do it by eye. I find chasing the beam distracting and slows me down. When finishing with the traxcavator you can chase the beam easy as the bucket edge is constant with the receiver . While it is not as useful as I had hoped, I will definitely keep it as it is a big help some of the time. One other thing I find frustrating is trying to get the laser set up in a position where you don't mask the beam with part of the excavator, it is not always as easy as it would seem. Any tips here would be appreciated. Baz
Hello. I know the post is old but many of us surely have the same problems. I just want to share my little experience : I purchased a Chinese green laser with auto leveling and horizontal line. I made excavation at night, installed the laser in a hole at right level, and then directly excavate the 150m2 surface 2 meter deep. just chasing the beam where it does hit the soil. Works perfectly. Now I purchased a power laser (dot beam stady (gov safety is not ok) and I made a try daylight. Put it in trench beginning , adjusted the direction and slope with 1M distance, and just dig in it. The trench was perfectly straight and perfect slope, digging was done in a breeze. No need to check for a laser detector not a stick/bucket angle, the task is just to keep the beam in the middle of the trench, and keeping it visible. Never did a trench so quick before. Had no need to check the slope, only pour the pipe into and fill … Now I will make myself one with horizontal 360 beam for daylight use. Should be very careful for the eyes and to the people around and the planes in the sky, but will be devastating efficient for sure. And no need to work at night. If somebody did this before, please give your opinion ! I wonder why, never seen anybody else doing such anywhere in real world nor in the web Maybe will sell them later abroad, if one wish , MP !