Winter gig

[245dlc]

As you guys know I got laid off a little while ago and spent a month looking for some winter work. Well my search panned out and I found some work similar to Rory's, only we're putting the wires underground and hooking them up to people's houses along with gas lines and phone lines. Sounds like I'll be busy through the bulk of the winter, spring breakup maybe a slow down. I'll get some pictures this coming week when I have a chance I'm just giving it a few days before I take any pictures the power company that we're contracted too is government owned and you never know with some of the personalities that you get with these people, since they're union they'll promote people to get rid of them if the crew doesn't like them and I don't want to play into any politics. I don't know when I'll get around to trying out that Terex 5 tonner but for the time being I'm enjoying the work. And so far the frost isn't to bad it's about 18" inches deep but not as solid as most years since we didn't have any rain this fall even before we got a little bit of snow so it's much easier to break up and I think the top layers of dirt are acting as insulation so it doesn't seem to be getting deeper...yet.

[Stock]

Delighted to here you are gainfully employed look forward to your pictures, and a dam sight more appealing than dam moggies.......

[JD450A]

Not Getting involved in the politics is a big part. Sounds like your in the same boat as myself, As a contractor the managment and visitors want there pound of flesh and moneysworth from a contractor. But you can only go the speed of the Gang or your "Trying to steal there jobs".. On with a Full contactor gang until chrismas for abit faster pace.

Look forward to pics. What's your Machine?

[ianoz]

Delighted to here you are gainfully employed look forward to your pictures, and a dam sight more appealing than dam moggies.......

Yes Bert , Good to hear the cash is still flowing in and i guess more importantly you occupied and won't get a chance to get cabin fever ,couped up inside >
Stock ,you don't know what your missing not being a cat owner . Cat hair is an important source of vitamin C, Believe me I swallow heaps of it ,and never get and cold . And there is nothing like streching and wiggling your toes in the morning to get them pounced on and force you to launch out of bed .

[Stock]

Yes Bert , Good to hear the cash is still flowing in and i guess more importantly you occupied and won't get a chance to get cabin fever ,couped up inside >
Stock ,you don't know what your missing not being a cat owner . Cat hair is an important source of vitamin C, Believe me I swallow heaps of it ,and never get and cold . And there is nothing like streching and wiggling your toes in the morning to get them pounced on and force you to launch out of bed .

You never own a feline barsteward; it own you! that just not going to happen to me, too many other feckers already have a piece of me................

[B4D2USA]

Bert, 18" of frost already? Having some snow on the ground helps keep it shallow. We have had a few days below freezing, but it hardly matters here. Between the sand and the leaf-litter all over the place, it will be a few more weeks before I can plow what snow may fall without digging into the sod.

I may need to hire you out, I need to trench for electric, phone and gas, plus I need to extend the well to the house. It may actually pay to go out and buy a trenching machine.

Ian, unfortunately, dog fur doesn't hold the same holisitc qualities. I have been fighting a cold for the last 4 days. Maybe if I grew a beard, it would filter out some germs... ;)

[245dlc]

Yeah but the frost isn't to hard yet, I haven't had to put a ripper on yet except for some road crossings where the gravel was frozen like concrete. We've got little to no snow, but the top two feet of earth are really dry at least dry for here so with no moisture it means relatively easy digging. My wife and I are planning on getting our passports soon so if you wanna pay the plane ticket I'll do whatever digging you need. If you need a digger Bruce try and find a small excavator or half decent loader/backhoe far more versatile than those DitchWitch chain trenchers.

[245dlc]

Well we've gotten into some stuff that's quite frozen in the top layers meaning there was probably a puddle or something making stuff freeze like a rock. Plus my bucket was just about full of frozen mud so it took a little "heat" to thaw it out and get it empty again.

[245dlc]

Well I got a picture of a 345 with it's bucket in a trench box by accident, we've got nothing that big or deep. lol I couldn't figure out how to delete it and was trying to add a couple other pictures. I had the guys build a fire so I could thaw out my bucket and finally get it empty. I was amazed I could get them to do anything as all they've done the last few days is argue with each other and act like little children, it's little wonder all these companies are getting privatized these days and all the work is being contracted out.

[Grumpy]

How do those buckets fix on ? It looks strange with the hangers open at the front ?

[Stock]

Saw that set once on a 365 cat but the operator told me that it they kept breaking the hooks, and before we finished the job they had fitted a brand new geith pin grabber..................

[Muz]

Yeah it does look weird .. you would assume all the pull from the dipper should have something against it? .. a photo would be good of the hitch close up? .. who makes it ?

[245dlc]

This particular one is made by WBM or Weldco Beales Manufacturing. They are quite popular on this side of the pond at least in Western Canada but in more recent years I think the quality has gone down and I've been seeing welds crack. Those open hooks on the front can also be bent pretty easily making it impossible to put the bucket on. There is both a manual and hydraulic version of this coupler but due to it's design you can't reverse the bucket like you can with the pin grabber type that you are accustomed to. Here are a couple links for you.
mechanical version
http://www.weldco-beales.com/Product...d=7&category=1
hydraulic version (the only decent thing they make)
http://www.weldco-beales.com/Product...d=6&category=1
And this is a French-Canadian design that I think is a little more versatile but I think the pin-grabber design is still stronger.
http://www.garier.ca/ProductSearch.a...16&LangCode=EN

http://www.garier.ca/ProductSearch.a...16&LangCode=EN

http://www.garier.ca/ProductSearch.a...16&LangCode=EN

[ianoz]

Muz , Have a look at the Ripper photo .It gives you an idea . By the look of it ,there should be very little loss of breakout power .
Bert are the services all at the same level and spread accross the trench ,or at different levels as the trench is backfilled .

[Muz]

http://www.weldco-beales.com/Product...d=7&category=1

That is bonkers ? .. these days most operators dig with the dipper, and feather with the bucket and boom .. the design doesnt look like it would last a minute. Maybe they wanted a fast pickup system or something I dunno ?

The way I see it .. all the force is put onto the bucket ram, and as such it would seriously compromise the machines breakout force, because the dipper isnt carrying that load ? the bucket ram is doing all the work .. and .. mostly it only generates 1/2 - 3/4 of the pressure in the circuit that supplies the dipper ram but without closer picks of the hitch its hard to see

put it more simply.. without a back stop for the bucket, the relief valve on the bucket ram is going to continuosly blow off ?

Muz , Have a look at the Ripper photo .It gives you an idea . By the look of it ,there should be very little loss of breakout power .

ok .. didnt see that ? which bit did you mean fella ?