I'm thinking of buying an LR60. Are you guys really happy with the grade you are able to keep with this detector? Is it realistic for me to believe I could dig to +/- 1/4"? I'm really anal about my grade and am rarely satisfied with how promptly and accurately my grade guys give me information so I can make the most of my time. Will this unit slow me down enough to tick me off while checking? Are there any situations where this detector doesn't work very well. How about when digging septic tank holes? I hate (like everyone) to spend money and be unsatisfied with the result. Case in point.... when I bought a magnetic detector maybe 15 years ago not realizing I wasn't going to be able to tell if the stick was plumb! Easy to be inches from grade. Any light you folks could shed on the subject would be greaaaaaaat!
To be as accurate as you can get with it, you need to have a mast on the bucket. Set the receiver on "Plumb Indicate", and then you can keep your bucket "flat" by using the lights. Blinking or not indicates plumb, and the progressive arrows show grade. I can usually get my ditches within a half-inch on average. In my opinion, a a plumb-indicating receiver on the bucket will get you accurate as possible with a laser, but in order to be consistently within a quarter inch, you're probably going to need either a stick man or GPS. I'm not saying it's not possible to do, it's just not possible to do it and be productive. There are too many variables, mostly the plumb indicator is only within 2.5°. Unless you have a flagpole for a mast, that translates into at least an inch at the cutting edge.
If only using the plumb indicator the LR50 will work. In order to use the full function of the LR60, the mast would have to line up properly with the cutting edge on the bucket. Another trick is to put indicators on the bucket and stick so it's always in the same position when you want to check then mount to the stick. Any machine receiver will be faster and cheaper than a grade man.
Twisted hit it right on the head. Without tabs to line up on the stick and bucket, forget it. I use a cr600 with good results for about $350.00.
My two CR600's along with the lasers have made me many thousands of dollars. I moved up in tools only to speed up my game while keeping the same or better quality of work. The majority of my work is ditching or cleaning/fixing existing ditches with my excavator or dozer. My grades vary from .020% up to .075%. 1/4" makes a difference with those slopes. You'll always have bird baths but it looks better if they're gone in a day or so.
Has anybody tried or know anything about the Trimball GCS Flex system? It's a lot more expensive than the LR 60, but might be worth it.
I just bought the LR 60 and a CR600. I love the lr60. I do alot of trenching with pitch. It takes a bit to set up the laser on both ends of trench, but when laying pipe with fall you can't go wrong. Not really impressed with the CR600. Small unit and I prefer to use it on my grade rod for set up and double checking the work. I bought the dozer mount but haven't used it yet due to the weather. You wont be disappointed with the lr60 bud!
Does anyone have a photo of how to make these tabs? Is is as simple as welding a couple of 1/4 in. squares or short strips to the bucket pin boss and the stick in such a way that the operator can see when the bucket is positioned at exactly the same angle to the stick as it was the previous check.
I got this idea from shimmy last year. Finally had the time to mount it yesterday. Wish I bought the lr50 as now I don't need the angle compensation just the plumb indicator. I thought it worked horrible mounted on the stick.
You are going to like it. I could get my cuts within a tenth with it stick-mounted using angle compensation. One thing that is CRITICAL when using it on the stick is to make sure it's in-line with the bucket pin (if you're measuring with the bucket flat) or with the teeth (if you're measuring with the bucket fully dumped). With it on the bucket, you will get it within a half-tenth, closer if you're fussy. Good work, srjd.
I mounted my LR60 a bit different with amazing results. I'll take some pics when I get back to the machine but I'll try to describe as best as possible. My old CR600 worked fine as long as I wanted to lay the bucket flat in the ditch and kept the stick plumb. That is time consuming at least. I welded a 1-1/2" NPT coupler to the bucket and screwed in a chunk of pipe. I can move it from side-to-side or take it off easily. The trick was to put the mast in line with the cutting edge. Imagine looking down the inside of the pipe and seeing the front of the cutting edge. That makes the LR60 worth the money. An LR50 would do just as well otherwise. Now I can reach out to full or really crowd in close and still read exactly where my cutting edge is regardless of my bucket curl. There are limits of course but I'm roughly 50" from cutting edge to receiver so my range is close to +/- 30*. It makes a huge difference on the wide or deep ditches where I have to really reach. It saves a lot of time vs. having another man on the stick rather than running a dozer. While ditching I take a few cuts then check. More or less depending on the grade and how level I can keep my machine. Now rather than plumbing my stick and leveling my bucket for a grade check I can just touch the cutting edge to the bottom to check grade. It really opens up opportunities for different ditch profiles. I will try to explain better if you folks still have questions on my set-up. Good luck.
How has your setup welded to the bucket held up? I just couldn't see digging a foundation with that stick hanging out there and not getting hit off with a rock or root.
I am very pleased with the new setup. I haven't got the hours I was hoping to yet this year because of weather conditions but it has paid for itself in a couple miles of ditch cleaning. The mast works well. I have a couple different lengths of pipe for my mast. If I get my laser at the correct elevation, I need less than 18" sticking up so it isn't behind the bucket. I keep a longer pipe for different occasions. I know the pipe threads will eventually wear out but that's a 15 minute repair. I usually go just past hand tight. Here's a little hint. Use toilet bowl wax on the threads. It is a great lube and never gets hard or sticky. I install a 1-1/2" PVC pipe plug while not in use to keep the dirt out. A plumber showed me the wax trick many years ago for plastic pipe. Everyone who has worked with threaded plastic knows that it can be impossible to unscrew a fitting at a later date. I always have a couple wax rings handy for a number of uses. My internet has been terribly slow the last few days but I'll try to snap a couple pics this afternoon.
Can you up load some pictures of that set up?
Get the LR60W and the RD20 wireless remote, you won't regret it, especially when using the swing boom where you can't see the LR60 anymore. This setup paid for itself in ONE JOB and then some. Don't forget the magnetic mount too, that takes some playing with as many of the newer ex's have so many hydraulic lines going down both sides of the stick. This is the setup I bought: https://www.contractors-tools.com/s...y-receiver-nimh-rd20-wireless-remote-display/
I am very pleased with the new setup. I haven't got the hours I was hoping to yet this year because of weather conditions but it has paid for itself in a couple miles of ditch cleaning. The mast works well. I have a couple different lengths of pipe for my mast. If I get my laser at the correct elevation, I need less than 18" sticking up so it isn't behind the bucket. I keep a longer pipe for different occasions. I know the pipe threads will eventually wear out but that's a 15 minute repair. I usually go just past hand tight. Here's a little hint. Use toilet bowl wax on the threads. It is a great lube and never gets hard or sticky. I install a 1-1/2" PVC pipe plug while not in use to keep the dirt out. A plumber showed me the wax trick many years ago for plastic pipe. Everyone who has worked with threaded plastic knows that it can be impossible to unscrew a fitting at a later date. I always have a couple wax rings handy for a number of uses. My internet has been terribly slow the last few days but I'll try to snap a couple pics this afternoon. Would still like to see some pictures of your LR60 mounted on your machine if at all possible " Twisted ". Would be greatly appreciated. Use to live by Thunder Bay Ontario just north of you. Thanks Simon
I have a marker line on my linkage that lines up with a weld in the perfect bucket position. Been doing the same with wheel loader linkages for many decades