I need a manual quick connect for a 200 class excavator. Who makes the best. It has to be a pin grabber and I would like to use it on buckets from different makes of machines. Thanks, Roddyo
JRB builds a very nice pin grabber coupler IMO.
I'll second that on the JRB, we've also got a Werkbrau (WB) that works very well.
i'd price the dif to a hydraulic, once you got one, they're slick...and i'll 3rd the motion on jrb's...we've got the rotolocs, absolutely love em. you don't have to worry about pin spacing. we have a 210 case, 210 hyundai, 690 deere. we can use any bucket/attachment on any of the machines. also allows you to go to auction sales and pick stuff up and not rebuild em
We've had good luck with Dromone
I bought a new ACS hydraulic coupler for my 790E last spring, it works very well, change buckets without getting out of the cab in less than a minute.
Geith works great fo us. Has a safety flap on it also
I like my ESCO Multi-Pin Grabber coupler.
Psm
I've had two Wedge lock couplers. They have worked well. Also very easy to convert to hydraulic at a later time. Make sure you look at the one made in New Zealand, not the Kenco type with the bolt on removable wedge. The Kenco type is nice for one reason, it keeps the geometry the same, but it is a hassle to change. RT
I'm pretty sure he's looking for a pin-grabber. On that note does anyone use their pin grabber to quickly reverse their bucket on the stick for back filling? It's probably one of the handiest features we've found with a pin-grabber vs. wedge or bar lock system.
reverse buckets All the time. When I started in 2001 I had a new Hyd Gieth hitch and 3 buckets made for the Atlas 1304M duck I bought. The back link on the Atlas is narrower than the dipper, and I specified the buckets must be reversible. I have since had 3 Miller hitches all pin grabbers as you boys call them and have still got the original buckets. The new (2007) machine was ordered with a 48" digging bucket, as I had gone from 13 to 17 ton a bigger bucket for truck loading would be handy! Only been on the machine once, its a Lemac and is made with the back link narrower :Banghead. I never thought to check when I ordered it.
nice poodle. what's his name.
poodle Thanks Wolf, he's 8yrs now and is called Perry, though I refer to him as a black sack of **it. People think they are a bit pooffey due to that cut they give them for showing, but in fact they are highly intelligent. Dogs like there owners :beatsme dont think so.
Oh My God!!! This Dog has Hijacked my Thread. :Banghead Lol. Nice dog and thanks for the reply.
Sorry
Psm, Cws
Dear roddyo, We bought a new Hitachi ZX200LC last year from Hugg & Hall equipment out of Little Rock and ordered it with a manual pin grabber coupler. We didn't know anything about couplers, but the dealer assured us that the Geith coupler would be a good match for us since we had other buckets from previous 20mt machines. We really like ours. Sincerely, ZAXIS
Thanks for the reply. I really like Geith products, I use their buckets. If it was a toss up i would go with the Geith but JRB sounds really good. Have you ever used your buckets on backwards with the Geith.
roddyo, no I haven't. I'm not sure what application that it would be suited for? ZAXIS
Back filling an extremely large hole. It's scary fast.
SWEET!! I'll have to give her a try. It won't be this week, but give me a week or two and I will let you know how it went. Thanks, ZAXIS By the way, what part of Arkansas are you from??
Spinin that bucket around is extremely helpfull in pipe work. It makes digging under footings or existing utilities a breeze. Locate the utility. Dig up to it and on the other side of it. Sping the bucket around and dig the remaining dirt out from under it.
Turbo, that sounds like a good idea-it seems like we are always digging around something. Thanks, ZAXIS
Have to agree 100%. Also do it to get under kerb lines. Also do it with a narrow bucket to get under the concrete base of kerbs, slabs etc. BUT, be aware in doing so you are putting extra stress on the locking ram and tounge as you are trying to pull the front of the bucket out of the back pin grabber. Having said that I have loaded railway track grabbed in the jaw, and pulled crash barrier posts out with it. Both Miller and Geith, have never had a problem.
AtlasRob, you just reminded me of a good trick with spining the bucket around. I worked on road widenings. We would have to pull concrete curb away from the road. Its usually hard to start without damaging the pavement, Even harder is if the curb is a radius. Spin the bucket around, put the teeth under the curb, and role the bucket up. Usually it pops The curb up without any damage to the pavement. Once the first piece is out you can switch the bucket back around and pull the rest out no problem.
Squaw City. Or Pocahontas if you prefer.:usa
roddyo, that's not too far from me. Are yall still under water over there?? I personally prefer squaws myself. ZAXIS
Our 60" bucket is on backwards as a write this.It will be on that way all day tomorrow also. When you need it on backwards it works great. We also turn the 60" around when we are cleaning ditchs. It works great as you are not pulling debris toward the road. Just scoop against the bank spin around and dump it over the bank on the other side.
The water depends on how much more it rains. We have on road still closed. I work at the car auction during tax time.
reversed Sounds like we both had the same trainer that is exactly what I was trying to say.:notworthy You can see in one of the previous pics I posted where I am placing concrete into a wall shutter with the bucket reversed. I gain at least 2 metres in reach like this, the other way around the bucket would be empty before I got half way there.
Claq coupler We just mounted two French made Claq pin grabber style couplers (very poplar in Europe) on two of our machines. Is available as manual or hydraulic system. We chose manual for the price. Bucket mount plates will weld onto any bucket or attachment. Lotsa leftover buckets are on the market cheap and with a Claq plate will fit any Claq coupler of the same size. Fits machines up to 11 tons. We have added a fork and a treespade to our excavator attachments with great success. Very simple system with a spring loaded plate that grabs a locking horn after it pivots onto the pins. See pic. Imported by Rockland we're selling the system in KY,TN and Va.
They are quite popular in UK on some makes of mini digger common in the self drive hire market, which is a catergory of plant driver that need as much help as possible in changing a bucket The problem with them is you cant reverse the bucket, but in the self drive market thats probably not a bad thing
I really like our Miller quick coupler. It is hydraulic and is a real time saver. Haven't backfilled, but do use it to lift piles of trees to get the starting paper in and under quickly. Warren
Get a slide lock wedge type pin grabber. It grabbs the bucket tight so it wont be lose like some other couplers that don't wedge. Plus you can reverse the bucket. I have JRB in use for 15 years very good, go with hydraulic that is the best since it's great for bucket and ripper digging, footing with key ways, back fill bucket to compaction wheel etc. Stay clear of anything spring loaded. Also have a North West had to add a reinforcement but it is now in use 8 years that is also slide lock wedge type.
Some one mentioned the Wedge lock Hitch from New Zealand, they are a good unit but get the one with 2 oil lines to it, not the one with 3 lines as most machines have the 2 lines from new but you have to have the third added which is a bit of a pain and its only because of our stupid saftey laws here.The other good one is a JB hitch, been around for years and pretty robust. Regards Brandon
I am not jumping on you !..... I have done the exact same thing myself. Make sure you have " the pin in " before taking pictures that you put on the web Been there, done it and got the KICKING :Banghead :drinkup I agree very good hitch
Rob Rob Rob Rob Rob, you just put your foot in your mouth. The safety pin IS in. HAHAAHA. :drinkup:drinkup:drinkup Esco (Miller) has THREE holes to choose from for the safety pin. The pin is properly installed in the lower of the three. If you don't believe me I can blow up the spot and upload it. Oh don't worry, I got the safety pin speech MANY times already. HAHA. I really do appreciate your concern though. Too many people die each year from buckets falling off to not put it in. Thanks again Rob Warren
ops Cant argue with that. :duh Thanks for taking the comment the way it was intended :thumbsup Certain people here in the UK have it in thier heads that the Semi automatic hitches ( that have a safety pin ) are unsafe and want to ban them. Manufacturers have already agreed to cease manufacture and supply of new semi automatics, which was a knee jerk reaction in a lot of peoples opinion, mine included. I attended a meeting last week to try and explain to a lot of suits ( no offence intended ) that the problem isnt the hitch its the guys not using them properly. What concerns me is that the semi autos get completely banned and then 6 months later another guy gets killed ! That will happen unless the root cause of the problem is addressed, which in my opinion is the operators/drivers not fitting the bucket correctly and checking it is secure before putting it to work. We can argue for ever about whether that is down to lack of training, work pressure, etc etc, but it is a problem that banning semi automatic hitches in my opinion wont cure. Sorry for the speech. Really glad you've found both the machine and the hitch an asset. I know it was a big step you made in getting both :drinkup
I'm sorry if my first posting on this forum is a bit of a rant, but I feel strongly that I ought to put the other side of the case for banning semi-automatic hitches in the UK. These circumstances may also hold true in other parts of the world. Rob; May I start by saying that you are one of the good guys; a professional construction equipment operator who has gained the respect of everybody that you have come in contact with. However, we must all recognize that a significant proportion of operators in the UK are far less skillful than yourself, and work alongside site foreman who I wouldn't trust to run my Grandmother's candy store (I'm trying to write in American English, the Scottish expression is 'my Granny's sweetie shop'). Most of the work done in the UK construction industry utilizes rental machines in one form or another, sometimes on a short-term, self-drive basis. The point on the Health & Safety crackdown on semi-automatic hitches in the UK is that, if the construction equipment industry can not regulate itself to cater for the majority of its people, then we can expect the Government to impose such harsh regulations. As an aside, we all know that the licensing/training system for UK operators is a joke. The deaths and serious accidents caused by the misuse of semi-automatic hitches doesn't make it worthwhile to continue down this path. The excuses of “I was just moving the bucket and didn't think it was necessary to put the pin in” or “it was raining hard and I thought the bucket was secured,” or the fact that we've all seen safety pins either missing, or made out of bits of discarded metal, doesn't hold water. But these have been the reasons given for deaths and serious accidents to our colleagues. The whole issue of semi-automatic quick hitches is, in any case, just a temporary glitch in the continued development of construction equipment. Soon, such designs will be part of our history, not our future. For what it is worth, my opinion is as follows; If there is no need to change the attachment on an excavator more than once or twice a week (or if the machine is only used occasionally) then the standard bucket pins will suffice. Start changing an attachment once or twice a day, then a quick-change mechanical coupler has serious advantages. To answer the originator of this post; all the brands of mechanical quick-hitches mentioned in this thread work fine. The best way to decide which one is for you is to find a local dealer who you can trust. However, if your application is out of the ordinary – for instance using maximum breakout force – it is worth seeking-out a specialist in the field. If the application involves frequent changes of attachment, then why not invest in a fully-automatic quick hitch system? The semi-automatic versions (requiring the operators to get out of the cab to activate a safety mechanism) are only on the market to offer a cheap alternative to modern fully-automatic designs that are the real way to maximize operator productivity and safety. Privately, the hitch manufacturers welcome this move, allowing them to focus on either simple mechanical solutions or sophisticated hydraulic automatic systems. This is a unconventional way to say hello; I trust an alternative viewpoint (from a suit) is welcome. DD
First, welcome aboard Dirty Digger, good to have you on board :yup I think I am safe to say that all members here encourage alternative points of view and personally I think you expressed it very well. The expression suits was my easy way of explaining that a lot of the people ( I expected about 8 and found around 50 ) at the meeting were not operators, and in no way was it meant as a derogatory remark or insult. But I think you understood that. You are leaning on an open door with me on this one. I fully agree that a few years down the road the semi auto hitch will have been left behind, only being used by a minority. I disagree that it was produced / invented as a cheap alternative to a fully automatic, I think the fully automatic hitch was the next logical step it just took a little time to sort out how! ( somebody will now prove me wrong I suspect ) My concern is not the banning of the semi automatic hitch. My concern is that if we dont cure the root cause of buckets becoming detached, people will continue to die. The manufacturers are making great strides in eliminating the problem in my opinion. The automatic locking on to the front pin by a retaining bar/wedge/weight, whatever you wish to call it, depending on the make, on the ones I have seen is a fantastic step in my opinion. :drinkup That does not solve the problem that we have with the thousands of semi and fully automatic hitches in circulation that dont have that additional feature. Maybe the jailing of an operator a short while ago will bring the message home to the guys in the seats and thier supervisors that they can and will be held to account if an accident occurs.
Hi, I'm also new here and in NZ we have a crazy government dept called OSH, which is our national safty outfit and bascially won't know the difference between clay and **** but cause allsorts of greive. We can't buy new these "semi auto" hitchs anymore, they all are 2 line hitchs or as I mention up above Wedgelock have a 3 line hitch which is a pain if your machine is factory fitted with 2 lines. I do agree it is alot of people who have no idea about the way the hitchs operate that have caused deaths and injuries, I was only the other day working in conjunction with another contractor and his operator hadn't put in the safty pin on a 25 tonne Kobelco with a vibra hammer on it and ended up loosing the hammer of the end trying to pull out pile casings and it was hanging off the machine with only the oil lines, we where lucky someone didn't get hurt. I looked in the cab and found the saftey pin under a heap of rubbish and the operator had no ideas what it was or how to fit it in, education is the best cure to this problem.
Just a thought. ointhead Personal preference I always insert the pin from the cab side with the clip on the blind side. IF the clip gets dislodged while working in woods, brush etc and the pin starts to come out, I will see the pin. The other way around I feel the clip could get dislodged without being noticed and the pin work its way out, again without being spotted. Personal preference :drinkup Do you have a locking, power switch in the cab or a general rocker / flick switch?
No one mentioned the Japanese system, one bucket on one machine and have 4 machines on the job! Ever wondered why such a small country produces such a large source of gray market machines?
You mean they share the one bucket between four machines :Banghead No wonder they keep selling the machines,
Many thanks for the welcome. I have a vague recollection of being involved in the sidelines, when the first thoughts of specifying hydraulic quick couplers for 'normal' excavators and wheel loaders was being considered. At first, the hitch designers thought that they could do the job using just hydraulics; there may have been precedents set with agricultural equipment. I could be wrong, but I think it was the Health&Safety mob who insisted that a manual pin be included in the specification for construction quick hitches. One could therefore argue that Health&Safety promoted the use of semi-automatics in the first place! Modern fully-automatic hitch designs are far superior to those far-off days but, until recently, the Health&Safety mob still seemed to be creating unnecessary hurdles to their introduction. One difficulty appears to be their non-acceptance that a check-valve will work (perhaps a couple of years after the hitch was manufactured) keeping the safety circuit of the hitch closed. I further understand that it has been pointed out to them that the integrity of such check-valves is fundamental to the principal behind fitting them on excavators. Of course, now that the Health&Safety mob have distanced themselves from semi-automatics....
That's a good idea, I started off using that useless clip but like you said the trees kept knocking it off, now I have one of the very fancy pin clips that we use on the wagons and it is designed for that type of application so it isn't a problem anymore. I will start putting the pin in like you suggest, that is a good idea. There is a safety rocker switch in the cab, meaning you have to lift then move to activate it. It would be pretty hard to accidentally bump it. There is also a buzzer in the cab as well to signal the cylinder is retracting/retracted. Warren
The worst thing is getting into the habit of changing tools like bucket to ripper and back and forth for several days then changing to a task that does not require changing. You may find your self trying to cycling the coupler and getting in trouble. You could be working as fast as possible loading trucks and switching back and forth to a smooth edge and bucket with teeth. Them somebody stops you in the middle of a change and maby the bucket ends up in the truck. I think cover over the switch is must. I have one coupler that did not come with a check valve, I had to add one cost like $35.00.
I agree with you 100%. I have witnessed the result of a flick switch and no safety pin inserted. I was following, when the exc in front dropped its bucket on the haul road from about 10ft in the air The drivers hard hat had vibrated off the back of the seat rolled down and hit the switch, by the time he realized what the noise was ( in cab buzzer ) the bucket was on the ground. Several times over the years I have tried to remove the bucket with the pin inserted :beatsme no harm done, the pin did its job and the bucket did not come off. I am of the opinion that too much haste along with a spot of too much familiarity / complacency as you highlight perfectly in your post is a major factor in many of the accidents that have occured with hitches. BUT, that is my opinion.
Sorry, I did not respond to your reply. You've understood exactly why I asked :thumbsup Safe digging. :drinkup
We live near one of the uk's fatalities from last year at a UK power station, the bloke that died lived in the next town to us, don't know the in's and outs of the type of hitch used but from the witness accounts a fully auto hitch wouldn't have saved him as the driver had only got it on the front lugs when slewing over a trench while curling the bucket. The safety devices are only any use if used correctly still, if the back pin isn't in the slot for the grabber its still going to fall off. The driver who dropped the bucket got 1 year in jail. Now thats proper food for thought when we all change bucket next!!!
with the jrb rotoloc, even if the back pin isn't grabbed, you can physically see if the front pin is. granted, you want to make sure everything is tight/ready to roll.....but you won't drop the bucket with a JRB, it'll just flop around if the reaf clamp didn't grab for what it's worth...i don't see what taking a man for an however foolish unintentional accidental death like that is...and putting him in jail for a year, accomplishes. just my 2 cents
I used several size Doosan excavaters this summer with Geith pin grabbers. I really like turning the bucket around to dig and stay on my pad nice and clean. I'm kind of a shovel man anyway. The Geith has a pin and plate locking saftey that stays attached to the grabber. That leaves more room on the cab floor for loose tools,empty red bull cans, empty styrofoam coffee cups,old lunch bags,old bannana peels,apple cores,pop cans,cigerette butts,sunflower seeds,etc.
I need to be very careful in how I respond to this as having read most of your posts I believe you to be neither inexperienced nor stupid so I have to assume you have missed something. First, with reference to the jrb rotoloc which I am not familiar with , I believe from what you say that it is probably one of the new generation hitches in that it has a seperate independant locking device to hold the front pin. A great stride forward by the manufacturers and to be commended 100%. The problem I have with your comment is your reference to a foolish unintentional accidental death During the past 2yrs there have been at least 4 deaths of workers due to detachment of buckets from excavators in the UK. We cant get figures for the rest of the world but do know we are not alone with this problem. It doesnt seem to matter how many toolbox talks, start of shift briefings, method statements, permits for this that and the other are produced to try and make life on site safer, we are still killing people! If an operator/driver does not follow the correct, manufacturers procedure to change a bucket and check that it is secured properly before putting it back to work, who do you blame.! Finally the powers that be have JAILED for 12months an operator who killed a fellow worker when the bucket came off. That operator has to live with the results of his actions for the rest of his life. The guy who died left a family. Hopefully ( I am not holding my breath) this will be a wake up call to anybody operating a machine that they can and will be held accountable if an accident occurs.
I have to agree with you there Rob, drivers have to be responsible for their own actions in these times, operator error is the biggest problem, people won't and can't be bothered to take the 10 seconds it takes to chech the bucket is on correctly. Idleness is killing people a lot of the time!!!
Here I go again. When you are changing the bucket 60 or what ever times a day like back fill then change to compaction wheel all day, and someone stops and talks to you in the middle of a change or you just get distracted wile you have the bucket in place but not locked you are on the way to disaster, big time. And I don't any more controls from the government. Lights and buzzers will burn out. I bought a replacement buzzer several years ago after a year in my lunch box wife tossed it. I need to get another. I now pause before I start working and double check, I hope!
I will be the first to admit to being terrible for fitting the safety pin to a Semi Automatic hitch. I have always had two methods of working depending on the circumstances, but not anymore. I always fit the pin whenever I am working with or around other persons, but when in the middle of a field/pond etc alone then I have until now taken the easy option. It took the Jailing of another Operator (and the sad unecessary deaths of fellow workers) to give me the wake up call I needed. I have made a concerted effort to ensure the pin is 'IN' at all times. When I look back at some of the mishaps I have had with buckets it is frightening what can happen and how a series of events can creep up on you. I'll give you the tale of a big Hitachi Rubber Duck FH 150w that I was operating inside a building. The dig was some 15ft deep and 10 ft wide, loading directly into lorries, using a 4ft bucket with teeth. Whenever I needed to trim the base up a little I would switch to the Tilting Bucket. The hitch was a 'Miller' and the usual operator had actually disconnected the 'buzzer' because he disliked it!! Upon fitting the tilting bucket, I encountered problems with pressure in the lines and the whole episode took some time to sort out and ended with me frustrated and covered in oil as usual. It is my normal practice to connect the hoses with the arm outstretched and the bucket crowded closed to aid reaching the connectors. You will probably be ahead of me by now, but what happened next was something I don't want to repeat again. Having slewed over the hole with the bucket fairly high, I opened the bucket for some reason (probably in my line of sight I assume) and it came straight off plunging into the hole with a total fall of some 25ft. That Hitachi had some pumps on her I can tell you, as the now torn off hoses from the bucket whipped into a frenzy and oil sprayed everything within sight. Luckily noboby was in or around the hole, but it demonstrates the need to ensure all the systems are in place, and have one last final check before working to ensure all is OK because you could of been easily distracted. If the Buzzer had been working then I would have known the hitch was open, but yes I probablly would have left the pin rolling around the cab until that 4ft bucket went back on to load lorries. I will now go out of my way to hire machines with a 'Miller Bug' hitch, and would urge all owners of machines to look at ways of retaining the safety pin to the hitch. If the pin is attached via a short length of chain welded to the hitch, then the only thing you can do is use it and not throw it in the cab. Personally I feel a UK ban on Semi Automatics will follow shortly and despite all the cost implications that owners certainly don't need during these difficult times it could only be a good move.
I think this got hi jacked this thread a wile back into a safety issue. But the fact of the best coupler is on that grabs the bucket and locks in tight, pulls in tight and does not come lose like some other types. JRB slide lock type is the one. Yes we are going to have safety issues. Do we need to hire a guy to watch and make sure the operator locks the coupler. That is the operators job, we don't need any more laws. If the operator run down or back over someone the operator is responsible. The book says couple the bucket and test that is is secured To get back to the best coupler I have pictures of a new coupler that I had shipped in for 220 and it had a mechanical with a spring and was hydraulic, I also did not like the way the jaws were built, the sides of the jaws did not touch the bucket pin it was like 1 inch in on each side. I was really up set that the company in OHIO was building selling this poor piece of iron. I have other products from this company builds that are great. I since looked at this brand coupler on machines and the slop and loose fit that is built in. OK I feel sorry for the hired operator that has to put up with using this junk. The thread was best coupler. Pictures of a bad coupler. Picture 1 see how the outside is larger than the pin this is real bad it's like a warn out coupler. Picture 2 shows how much space is around the outside of the pin i inch on each side of the bucket that 4 inches less contact where all the pressure is. That is poor design OK. I sent that coupler back.
Thank you Eddie. It takes a lot to admit when we have done things other than by the book. I have been just as guilty as you and its only in the last couple of years I have got into the habit of fitting the pin. I was invited to attend the meeting that I refer to in a previous post, following a phone call I made to the CPA for exactly the reason you state in your last paragraph. I fear that the "powers that be" could completely ban semi automatic hitches in the mistaken belief that this will stop the accidents. I honestly believe, that alone, will not cure the problem, it is the operators that need to change. Accidents will still happen with manual, semi automatic and fully automatic hitches unless operators/drivers/users adhere strictly to the manufacturers procedure. The new generation hitches that lock onto the front pin will make a great difference, but it is estimated it will take between 5 and 10yrs for the hitches presently in use to filter out of the work enviroment.
I think the expression is horses for courses! A hitch manufacturers will make you a hitch to specifically fit a set of buckets, but many companies want a hitch that will fit different manufacturers buckets. The hitch manufacturers are in the business of manufacturing and I expect they get better market penetration ( sales) by being able to accomodate a wider range of buckets. Unless you specifically asked for a hitch to fit a certain brand of buckets a hitch will have space at its sides when attached to some buckets as buckets vary in width between thier webs as dippers and bucket linkages vary between different excavator manufacturers. Some semi automatic hitches have more than one possible hole to fit the safety pin as the throw on the locking ram is long to accomodate different distances between the front and rear pin. From your description, I assume that you had a fully automatic hitch. With both semi and fully hydraulic models that I have encountered the locking ram ( talking pin grabber ) has pressure to it constantly as soon as a hydraulic service it activated, therefore the bucket is continually pressure locked onto the hitch and play is eliminated. That is not to say that other hitches do not have this feature. I am sorry that you were not happy with your purchase and trust that the supplier and yourself were able to come to a satisfactory conclusion. As for the thread getting HI-jacked :beatsme I cant think of a more pertinent issue than safety when looking at different options of an item. :drinkup On edit, is that a PC150 bucket pin? in the 220 hitch
We give the coupler builder the pin OD in mil. The center to center and the width between the ears. I want it made that way and nothing less. I have many attachments that I want to use on different excavators and that has worker fine. This same company sent some 1 3/4 inch pins in place of the 70 mill pins that were ordered. They felt that I would except a smaller pin. They went back to. I would bet that most people would have accepted and used it, but I want something that will last. I think safety is still in the hands of the operator not the government.
I cant argue with that and I admire your principles. :beerchug
Rob how wide is you grading bucket that osilates I like your web site.
Thanks Rob, I imagine most operators have worked without the Safety pin and had a few near misses best forgotten and never repeated. I have my own thoughts on Quick couplers, and feel that we actually over developed the concept for smaller machines. I remember operating the first Case 580sk backhoe in the area, and what a stir it caused among the JCB boys! It was fitted with a 'semi quick hitch' of the type where you pick up on one permanent pin in the bucket, and then simply crowd the bucket to align closely with the other hole and leave it free swinging clear of the ground. It is a simple matter to then push the other bucket pin through and fit the clip. If you think about it, this method gives the safest most direct and rattle free connection without the issue of a safety pin. If the bucket pin is not fitted you can't work. I don't know why they fell out of favour, and we had so many spring type couplers being manufactured? I used one last year on a Takeuchi 125 mini and it was a brilliant simple coupler giving great geometry and rattle free use with the ability to turn the bucket around. Maybe this would be a better way for the smaller hitches to go (probably up to 7 tonne/Backhoe class), with larger machines being changed to the new 'percieved' safer variants. I am not familiar with the Geith variant, only that a lock falls over the front pin can anyone explain more? I witnessed the 'Miller Twinlock' at SED as this will probably be industry standard in the UK, it certainly was good at hanging onto the bucket and the whole removal process seemed quite involved. This is not always a good thing, as Operators on machines with a slow/awkward hitch will always move buckets around by just hanging them loose on the front jaw and not fully connecting. I still maintain there will be a Ban in the UK, and in the current climate it could actually be a positive selling point of your hire services if you can demonstrate having the Safest quick hitch avaliable fitted. Whatever they decide, it is simply down to the 'Operator' or 'Seat Filler' to work safely and as we are all aware there is a vast difference between the two!
Worst Quick Hitch? Had the pleasure of driving a Volvo ec55b for a couple of weeks, great machine with plenty of power/reach and very economical. (i'll post a few pics under Showtime of it) However the quick hitch fitted was something else! It is a home made affair plugged directly into the two way pipework and the taps turned right down. Put it this way, you can't leave the safety pin out out of this as one shift of a foot in the cab would see the bucket on the floor! The volvo does have a good safety cover for the pedal, but that's not the point. No buzzer or warning at all, and as you can imagine how fast that tiny ram operates on the two way pipes the bucket is off in an instant. Definately one for the scrap bin, we don't need the hassle this kind of rubbish can bring.
Its 1900mm just over 6' in old money Its grown a little with having wear plates added to the sides, thanks for the compliment on the web site, glad you like it. :drinkup
Hi Eddie, The only "NEW" fully automatic hitch I have experience of is the " Hill " that was on a duck I hired. It would seem to work very similar to the Miller autolock. As soon as the front pin touches the front jaw of the hitch a pair of locks drop in front of the pin. The only way to get it to release is to put the bucket on and lock it. Then go through the unlock sequence, if you rush and dont hold the bucket closed long enough with the dipper pulled in very close the retracting ram doesnt trap the front locks which are weighted. When you uncrowd the bucket if you havent done it properly the bucket is trapped by the front pin, so you have to repeat again. It definetly taught me to slow down