If I have to work on my hoe with tires off, is it safe to rely upon the FEL or outriggers to hold the machine up? My gut says no. It's one thing if the unit is on tires, so if either of these two let go, the tires will catch it, so it doesn't crush me. But with tires off, I'd be concerned about crawling underneath. If this is correct, any leads on reasonably priced jack stands that will support 15,039 pounds? And do I have to put something underneath them to keep them from sinking into the pavement? Thanks
I'd crib it with 4x4 laid up log cabin style. Likely there are heavy jack stands to handle the weight, but I get nervous they'll sink a foot into asphalt pavement or gravel & tip over. Look for log cabin log culls, or have a portable sawmill make some two flat sided logs. Short rail ties work OK if you can get them. The subject came up recently on another forum, a shop owner showed some cribs made of 2x4 he uses for tandem axle trucks. I have a grease pit. I once used 2-1/2" thick Oak planks sawed out by eye & chalk line to cover it when not in use. I upgraded to aluminum panels, so the pit planks get repurposed.
You can cut an angle iron piece and strap it to the outrigger cylinders to safety block them, but i would not be pulling all 4 off the rig at the same time anyway. Too many downsides.
It is absolutely not safe to depend on hydraulics to hold a machine up have a local sawmill cut you some hardwood blocking. We use 4x6 and 6x6s. On concrete we use 25 ton jack stands.
I usually take a good 1/2" chain and binder and tie the outrigger pads together and then use the same setup and tie the loader frame down to the counter weight or front axle depending on what I am doing. Otc makes very good stands and I always set them on poly crane mats
Esco has a nice offering of heavy stands.
Unless you are going to use one stand to hold the entire machine up they don't need to be rated 15,039 lbs. I have a 5 1/2" thick floor in my shop and I use 6x8 blocks with a 6x8-1/2" steel plate on top of them. Just sayin.
Outdoors, if there is any softness to the ground, gravel, thin asphalt, hot asphalt, correct for that. 1 or two layers of plywood bigger than the base of the jack stand or cribbing works. Level each if the ground isn't. I use a scrap of lumber laid perpendicular to the fall line at lowest point. Then a log cabin lay of 18" lumber. 4x4 would be nice, 6x6 better.
Around here for one-off jobs, a couple of rounds off a thick log cut with a chain saw might be used as jack stands. Roll them into place, stand them up, plenty sturdy. When done, chop into firewood. That is assuming you have logs of that nature laying around where you live.
The Deere tech who changed the seal used a 6 x 6 post to hold up the axle.
<takes too many chances.
A: He's on a level concrete floor. B: He's likely to become an accident statistic. On a level concrete floor you still need a base bigger than the top. Pull too hard on a wrench, a 6 x 6 stood on end could tip over.
A couple of old truck brake drums and a timber on top.
I'm gonna bet the bucket is setting on the floor. Bob
Probably But, if he had the hoist raised for more more room to work.
I built four heavy stands at the ready mix company out of a short piece of wide flange I beam about 12” high with a flange width about the same. I cut one foot pieces off the beam and welded a piece of pipe upright between the flanges at each corner to keep them from bending over, and that made a good hand hold at each corner to set them in place. If someone was worried about steel on steel being slippery, they could put a piece of plywood on top. They were the right height to set the spring saddles on when doing a Mack brake job, or to block up a shovel or excavator. Heavy enough that they didn’t wander from the shop either.
Pictures, eastroad, we gotta have pictures !
No can do. I left there in 1998.
No pictures. Shuda tookem with you. ---> The stands.