The Druids Duck Hunt

[Muz]

Bit Flasher than the only Duck i ever operated ,Which was an old HyMac.
Got my excavator ticket on it back in 1978 .

F*k me lad ... that wernt yesterday ? Flares and sideburns all the way

[v8druid]

Bit Flasher than the only Duck i ever operated ,Which was an old HyMac.
Got my excavator ticket on it back in 1978 .

Would prefer a little less 'flash' on the control front Ian!!
Doesn't always do as it's asked
I've had to wire in some 'extras' to regain control of certain aspects, when the OE switches refuse to co-operate - switch works, just the magic box it's connected to doesn't 'play ball'.

Intermittent faults ....... don't yer jus' luv 'em

Would so much prefer old school ...... power source - switch - wire - unit functions .....Yay!!
OK few more wires 'praps, but trace-able and reliable ............. computer controlled!!

I've spent DAYS sorting/working around simple leccy issues - would not want to have had to pay someone elses's time on it

Great tool otherwise

[v8druid]

Bit Flasher than the only Duck i ever operated ,Which was an old HyMac.
Got my excavator ticket on it back in 1978 .

F*k me lad ... that wernt yesterday ? Flares and sideburns all the way

Good times though Muz, the 70s

[v8druid]

a couple more full profile shots for you all







I am amazed that these weren't a more popular machine here?
However, it'd be nice to know what it cost new, especially in comparison to the more 'main stream' offerings. I would imagine it was 'expensive'!!
Built like the proverbial and to last - 70mm pins and spherical bearings everywhere. massive rams - can' t remember the dia.s - will have to check.





ZF running gear, massive slew ring, Rexroth hydraulics; Best of everything!
Fairly advanced control for its age. It's beautifully put together as well and sooo smoooooth!













You're not going to break this ol' girl in a hurry!!!!!


A few of the cab and general viz / outlook




view over your right shoulder - very good rear viz - must get a mirror on that arm!!





'trotter' controls





One through the rear window!

[v8druid]

Here's a couple of the underside/axles/etc..













Not going to break these in a hurry either!!!!!!!!


Good for 1.4 tons at this full stretch according to the duty chart, on the 7.5T link lift point!!









Think the next time I do this, I'll just drop the safety pin in that hitch!! Just in case - looked up and thought - hope that doesn't decide to test gravity's functionality right now!!!!!


Boom rams fully up, VA right in, dipper full out






Boom rams fully up, VA right in, dipper full in -just does it, with the Miller on



If that wasn't a convincing enough case for a VA boom!.....










Very gently does it on the sticks for this one - or new cab required.
Could very easily end up shaking hands with that bucket!!



Close quarters working should be a doddle with this degree of flexibility/versatility available, combined with a very short little'derrierre', it's a great tool that feels smaller than it is !!


Reminds me of an old 'ex' - she had a nice little a**e too!!
Not quite a 'zero', but close!!







The 'Drema has on board load sensing with 3 modes; Free on Wheels over front, FOW x 360 and Blocked x 360. The sensing for this is done via this sensor .......





And gives a safe load and overload warnings

Promised some ram rod dimensions and have just found them. I can now say that - the crowd ram is 70mm dia., the two main lift rams are 80mm dia. and the VA ram is 90mm dia.
That is some sort of ram rod. Afraid I don't have the o.d.,s on the cylinders, but I can confirm they're pretty big, just from memory !!!!!!

[v8druid]

I still haven't scanned all of the pages of the op. manual for this yet and when I've a spare hour I'll get it done for you all - getting info. on these is like getting blood from a stone

I have been desperately trying to get a circuit diagram for the dash panel and control unit PCBs, as I continually have issues with motions not switching when required - it has some sort of 'logic control circuitry' between the dash and the ECU - only a few wires between the pair and must use pulsed signalling to achieve control.

There are several preset 'option' switches on the dash PCB and on the ECU PCB, which I would love to know the functions of
2014-04-30 17.56.01.jpg2014-04-30 17.56.14.jpg2014-04-30 17.56.24.jpg2014-04-30 17.56.34.jpg2014-04-30 17.57.02.jpg
Electrical issues are the biggest downfall of this machine - I have 'hot wired' several items with additional over-ride switches for when the original controls do not 'want to play nicely'
It's a pity as it spoils 'the experience' of what is otherwise a superb piece of equipment

[v8druid]

When I bought the 'Drema, it came with a virtually new 4 ft (122cm) toothed digging bucket,

4 ft.jpg
a 7 ft (220cm) bulk/grading bucket,
7ft.jpg
a metre hydraulic digging clamshell bucket
metre grab.jpg
and a 2 ft (60cm)toothed bucket (which wasn't there when Paul picked it up and was promised to be forwarded on a pallet - 12 months ago - no show so far!! )

I've since acquired a nice 3ft (90cm) toothed bucket which I need to re-cheek (but was a very good price)
3 ft.jpg
Plus a 6ft grader, in need of a little TLC
6 ft.jpg
and another 3 ft which is in need of a few teeth (more on that subject later) which were again a very good price, .......
3 ft akerman.jpg
......... due to the fact that they are both on a B20 mount, which is not popular in the UK!
6 & 3.jpg

The 6 footer is of 'unknown origins' and been modified to B20, but the 3 footer is Akerman and has had virtually no use.Regrettably its teeth have gone astray and I have so far drawn a blank on finding some replacements

akerman teeth.jpgThis'll make an awesome rock bucket when I find it some teeth!!

akerman socket.jpg

akerman edge.jpg

I had intended to re-cheek the both of them to suit the 'Drema's 400 x 280mm pick ups on 70mm pins, but had an alternative idea - more on that again.

[Muz]

A major problem with electronics in kit like that is the vibration and dust ingress (which I'm sure you'll know) but there are some things you can look for and eliminate .. the first is dry joints on the boards. They aren't immediately obvious but, if you look round the bases of the components, there may be a loose bit of solder or a loose component leg. It isnt always the environment that causes the problem, more , that the producer of the electronics didnt know the extent of the environment in which it was to be used !! Zif sockets next

[Muz]

eer .. I'm on a roll .. often the culprit lies in a board below a push button .. look for more dry joints, and then .. cracks or breaks in the pcb .. a hairline in a bit of copper track is all you need, but it will always be under a high stress area

As to ZIF sockets .. sometimes a chip can be heated and sweated in use and a simple move in the socket can re establish a connection , but be careful .. its not easy on a multi legged chip

[v8druid]

eer .. I'm on a roll .. often the culprit lies in a board below a push button .. look for more dry joints, and then .. cracks or breaks in the pcb .. a hairline in a bit of copper track is all you need, but it will always be under a high stress area

As to ZIF sockets .. sometimes a chip can be heated and sweated in use and a simple move in the socket can re establish a connection , but be careful .. its not easy on a multi legged chip

Whatever the cause Muz ............. it's */+-*^%ng annoying .
Can be perfect one day/hour/minute and pullin' yer hair out with it the next
As I say, it's a pity, as it spoils an awesomely nice machine!!

[Muz]

Whatever the cause Muz ............. it's */+-*^%ng annoying .
Can be perfect one day/hour/minute and pullin' yer hair out with it the next
As I say, it's a pity, as it spoils an awesomely nice machine!!

well check the items I suggested first electronic problems are just as logical to fix as engines or gear boxes, they might be daunting to some, but it just depends on what ye know

[v8druid]

well check the items I suggested first electronic problems are just as logical to fix as engines or gear boxes, they might be daunting to some, but it just depends on what ye know

Yeh, I'll have a look when I'm feeling enthused - used to do a lot of 'electronics' as a teenager, but stuff has moved on a tad since then
An intermittent fault would indicate a dry joint, or cracked PCB as you say. Leccytronics usually fail permanently, when it's a component fault.
I had put it down to switch contacts mostly, given the environment they live in, again as you say - they ain't built for the roughty, toughty digger world

[Muz]

Yeh, I'll have a look when I'm feeling enthused - used to do a lot of 'electronics' as a teenager, but stuff has moved on a tad since then
An intermittent fault would indicate a dry joint, or cracked PCB as you say. Leccytronics usually fail permanently, when it's a component fault.
I had put it down to switch contacts mostly, given the environment they live in, again as you say - they ain't built for the roughty, toughty digger world

RS sells spray switch cleaner, which is just a degreaser really, but cos its a spray, can get right into the switch body ?

[Stock]

When I bought the 'Drema, it came with a


[ATTACH=CONFIG]2542[/ATTACH]This'll make an awesome rock bucket when I find it some teeth!!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2543[/ATTACH]

What I've done with this type of bucket previously was modified ordinary tips to fit as in weld some square bars together ground them and drill them to take CAT 215 teeth,then weld them in to the cutting edge,
Poclain had a two piece set up with an insert to go in to the formed cutting edge,and replaceable tooth.

The most recent was just sent it out to have the cutting edge replaced and new CAT 225 carriers and tips put on.

[v8druid]

RS sells spray switch cleaner, which is just a degreaser really, but cos its a spray, can get right into the switch body ?

Used to have a can of stuff called 'Inhibisol', which was the dogs bollox but haven't been able to finds it for years now .... probably 'cos it's main 'ingreedyment was carbon tetra-chloride which don't seem too popular/PC these days

Bloody good stuff though