Gday, I'm new to earthmoving - I've picked up a little VIO17 Yanmar for work on site (I'm a builder) and I've got the basics down and can trench well enough (not to the forums standards I'm sure!) But my skillet is improving. Except for one thing.. I always struggle to pickup my 300 & 450 gp buckets with my mud bucket at the end of the day! I need them stacked in there for transporting and I absolutely struggle at scooping them up! I'm hoping I could get a few pointers from the pros in here, as I'm always keen to learn. Any help would be appreciated!
Sometimes you have to play around with it, sometimes it’s not possible. One of our excavators will only work if we put our small bucket on. One can’t be done so bucket needs to be tied down separately and one will work but it’s too complicated / damaged for most people to do. I don’t like it but if you need a weird angle you can pin a bucket against something/ your tracks and get it that way Too many attachments is a problem for us haha on bigger machines pushes the weight limits for sure and often time need to move them separately
Depending on the profile of your muddy sometimes you just can’t scoop them up. Have you tried to go over the top of your GP’s and then try scoop them up by wedging them in by their ears. Bit hard to explain that manoeuvre. otherwise rest your cutting edge up in the air on a pile of soil or something and then just place the other attachments in with your hitch unlocked. Keep your muddy curled about half way then they shouldn’t fall out.
I wish I had an excuse but they fit in the mud quite well!
Going over the top sounds interesting - you're right, I can't picture it though..
no matter how I get them to the trailer, I tie the buckets and hoe pack down separately from the bucket/boom for transport. I use a large ratchet strap over all 3 extra tools, and have a little curb at the front of the trailer to pull them against. I can grab the 18" and 24" digging buckets sie by side with the 42" cleanup bucket and thumb. I hang the hoe pack on a short cable and can walk the whole mess over to the trailer in one go.
I very much encourage this and wish more drivers did this… there some younger guys that try to save time but they end up with soo many straps and chains and blocks and binders that… aghhh it hurts man … keep it clean keep it simple don’t let the load move… if you have to cut your own chains off we got a problem
I see all these efforts to curl the extra bucket up and then arrange one chain over it all, and cringe. I also see minis without the bucket/boom chained down, that's a ticket. I get flagged into the scales all the time because the 1 tons with minis behind them are easy money and sloppy. I do it right, but the general reputation these small operators create is annoying.
Weld a couple of slotted plates at the top of the buckets, then you can just hook your cutting edge into them.