Greetings all, New to this forum and to heavy equipment. I am looking to purchase an excavator to initially use on my farm and perhaps in the general area afterwards. Looking to use the machine for clearing Forest/Fencerows as well as a number of ponds up to 2 acres in size. Also, I will be installing quite a few swales for water retention. I have a number of questions that I would appreciate your collective opinions. My property in Kentucky is hilly with lots of limestone slab. Its not the easiest of digging. As such, I am thinking about a machine in the 20T - 25Tish ton range. Ultimately, I would like to have a hydraulic thumb and a Helac Powet-tilt coupler. These items may or may not be feasible ultimately, but I want to purchase a machine that makes this as likely as possible. I am interested in the Helac powertilt unit because I think that it will be able to help me both dig and perform light grading with a single machine. Also, it seems like I will be able to use the a single bucket for both digging and grading. I am concerned about using a standard duty tilt/wrist ditching bucket due to the rockiness that I encounter. My Questions: I am looking at a couple of machines on IronPlanet that maybe could be tweaked to meet my needs. A 2006 LB 240LX machine With Hammer Hydraulics and Pin on Bucket. One question is the feasibility of convering Hammer Hydraulics to bi-directional hydraulics. Is this as expensive and/or complicated as adding AUX hydraulics to a machine without aux? I understand that one can spend around 5-10K to add Aux to a machine that is lacking Aux Hyd. Is it cheaper to convert from Single acting to bi directional? For this machine, I would need to Purchase a thumb (Mayber a powergrip) and Purchase a powertilt coupler. I would Pin on the powertilt and pin on the existing bucket to the powertilt and then match the Thumb to this configuration. Can this work? With this config, the tilt would be permanently fixed to the machine and would be used for all digging. Are these units able to take HD digging? Or is this a bad config? Second Machine. A 2005 JD 230C that comes with a Hydraulic Thumb and Weldco-Beales manual Quick Coupler. This machine appears closer to my needs without tweaking. (1) To attach the Helac Coupler, I am assuming that I could build it up to mate it to the Existing Quick COupler and then use a Pin on Bucket on the Helac . (2) Or I could pin the Helac to the stick and attach the Quick coupler to the bottom of the helac. (3) Or I could leave the existing quick coupler on the stick , Mount the Helac and add a second Weldco-beales quick coupler to the bottom of the Helac. With option 1 - This option seems nice in that the HD digging and thumb remain in their current configuration. The disadvantage is that the Helac will be added/removed and I will need a separate bucket when using tilt. With Option 2 - the Helac will be permanently pinned on and the thumb will need to be moved down the stick (somehow). Both Digging and grading can be accomplished with the same bucket, Or if I end up with a wider bucket, it is quick coupled. With Option 3. - I can use the top quick coupler and thumb configuraiton for standard digging. Then add the tilt as needed using the same bucket. This configuration may have weight and clearance issues. Do I understand the options correctly? Any thoughts on these options? Thanks Guys!
I cann't help with cost of bi directional hydrolics but I do know a little about the helac twist-o-wrist. When you put a wrist on it really changes the way the machine digs. Not nearly as much bucket force and you have to be really careful with the clearance between the bucket and the cab. I defiantly would not try to use one for any kind of heavy digging. Also I don't know what the limestone is like in Kentucky but in Pennsylvania it takes quit a bit of hammering on a machine that size to get anything done.
While I like twist wrists, I've never seen one on a job in my 10 years running dirt equipment and I've never been up against anything that couldn't be accomplished with a cleanup bucket or grade beam. They're very expensive and delicate, they are strictly a finish grading tool in good material. With that said, I know in some applications they are irreplaceable. Unless you're a "for hire" outfit and you do tons of ditch/swale grading or tight area slope work where you're not always able to square up with the slope, trust me when I say you can get by without it. If you have acreage, you should have all the room you need to get setup to do what you need to do without spending $10K or more on something that you might potentially destroy in those conditions. I'd save that cash and put it toward a newer machine or maybe a real trick thumb/coupler if you end up with a machine that doesn't have them but it plumbed for 2 way hydraulics. Just my .02 As far as aux. hydraulics go, don't buy a machine without them, end of story. Just not worth the hassle, plenty of gear on the market that's plumbed and ready.
Thanks All, I am looking for a machine with Aux Hydraulics, but most seem to be hammer hydraulics. Are you saying to only consider machines with bi-dir hydraulics? I am curious to understand if it is very expensive to convert hammer hydraulics to bi directional hydraulics. Most machines seem to be hammer, but if it is straight forward to convert, then I can consider them as well. My interest in a tilt bucket comes from the steep nature of the areas that I am looking to swale and also that I will be amongst Forrest in many locations, where it would not be desired to clear a big enough swath to go perpendicular to the hillside to grade the back-cut. Thanks Folks!
A tilt bucket is a finishing tool. If digging conditions are that hard, you don't want it on the machine- it puts unnecessary wear on the unit and it reduces the break out force of the machine. I would just get a tilt bucket and add a servo valve to the aux hydraulic line if it's not already bidirectional.
I can speak for the 230, it has an aux. circuit in the control valve that they are using for the thumb. for hammer operation, you would only need to add a diverter valve at the base of the boom or thereabout to tee off to tank. You may also need to add a solenoid actuated PRV to the pressure/ thumb close side of the circuit to Switch operating pressures for the thumb and hammer. Not a complicated or horribly expensive job for a mech that knows what he is doing.
I'd also pass on the wrist unless you are going to contract out with the machine and bill out the wrist on top of the normal rate
Plumbed with a 4 way valve already? I found this in an earlier Thread related to converting One Way Hydraulics to Bi-Directional on a CAT 312 machine. I am looking at an LB 240 at the moment. I Dont know if this valve assembly would look the same for all excavators and be mounted in a similar location. Does anyone happen to have a picture of a Main Control Valve assembly / Auxiliary Valve section that I could compare to the excavator that I am looking at? To see if it has the A & B Port as described above. Also, I would need a description of where to locate the valve on the machine. Thanks
I bought a tilt bucket setup for my machine ,but just dealing with dirt here.I have the quick coupler option. As for what you want to do you need the quick coupler for use ,must have for changing out buckets quickly.For your project i would use a regular tooth bucket rough dig it to what you need look like through the rough digging of the rock,so forth .Then switch to a tilt bucket to finsh and shape it. As far as hammer, to bi, the mini have a lever to change back in fore.On my 160 machine it has a lever to run hammer or switch it back to like if you have a thumb on it.The bigger machine might have this or might not,probably an option at the time for extra cost. Really liking my 160 size machine for what i want to do and use it for .Digs like a 200 size machine and good reach just dirt here tho.Good luck.
A few picture for you.I would go for the Deere 230 the way it is set up.
Hi All, Still working on finding the excavator for me... I Currently looking at a 2001 Link-Belt 160LX with Multi-function Hydraulics. Can someone in the know confirm for me a couple of things about LB Multi-function Hydraulics. As I understand Multi-FUnction means that I could run both a Hammer or a thumb/tilt-bucket as needed. Just wanting to confirm. Second, I am assuming that various implements would need different flow rates and pressures. How is this adjusted? Can the machine be programmed to do this, or is some type of mechanical relief/flow valve needed? Is there an adjustable type of valve that is typical? Lastly. The machine I am looking at has a 48" bucket, which seems rather large for digging Dirt/Clay and Rock. What size bucket should I be using, really? Thanks, John
A quick coupler is a must nothing worse than having to get out and unbolt the bucket. You said you are going to be working in some tight areas with trees around? You might want to think about the excavators with no backswing so you don't have to worry about hitting anything when you spin. 48 inch buckets are good but can be very heavy which might slow you down a little. I ran this Deere for awhile when working on the freeway and I loved it. Had a lot of power and the hoe-ram worked great with just a push of a button on the stick. It also had a screen to change the power when digging, ramming etc. good luck on whatever you buy I'm sure you will have fun with whatever you pick lol.
I could really use some opinions. I am pretty far down the line looking at a Linkbelt 160LX machine 2001 Model. I had a LB dealer perform a pre-purchase inspection this morning. Their report on the #hours vs what I was guessing it had moved me from positive to slightly negative on the purchase. The Hour Meter was broken on it, but the Diagnostics Console indicates that the machine has 12,500 hours. About 4500 Hours @ Idle and 7500 Hours at Work RPMs. As I have been looking at excavators, this seems like it is fairly high. For items that will need work/repair. The (4) Bucket Pins and Bushings are shot. The 2 Boom Cyls are showing some weeping and I think will need a rebuild. The Main Hyd Pump (near the engine has a slow leak) From an indeterminate location. Any thoughts on a reasonable cost to fix these items? The rest of the Excavator is in surprisingly good condition. Minimal dents, Undercarriage in great shape, Engine is dry. I tend to think that it was a well maintained machine. How would y'all weigh the overall condition and care of the machine vs the high hours on the unit? Is this a machine to consider seriously? I will mostly be using this machine on my farm for a few years and likely reselling it after a few seasons. Thanks John