Wheeled excavator

[irish surgeon]

Hi guys, i have purchased an 8ton wheeled excavator for our sawmill with the view of fitting a timber grab for sorting logs. She's a 1992 machine but in very good nick. She came from holland. My issue is She's extremely unstable from the side even with an empty bucket with blade down, surely I'm missing something. I did notice on the opposite side to blade, there seems to be levelling rams above wheels but i can't figure is there a switch ar lever in machine to operate these rams as I've tried everything 

[Mick Dempsey]

Are you sure that was the original set up? Not just a tracked loader unit dropped on a wheeled chassis of some sort.

Edited August 4, 2023 by Mick Dempsey

[irish surgeon]

Yes it's a benmac 3.08. I understand wheel excavators won't be as stable as tracked but this is lifting machine when jib is extended out empty 

[Mick Dempsey]

Watching a video of one on YT, he’s full extension with a grading bucket of sand, looks pretty stable.

Igor Piekruz, have you seen it?

[Haironyourchest]

Sounds like there's some ballast missing on the back end. I though diggers had built-in counterweight, but maybe yours doesn't?

[doobin]

You are indeed missing something. Those levelling rams are axle locks- and you need to make them work so the axle is locked and can't pivot under load!

[PeteB]

I have seen a few rubber ducks with fold out legs as well as axle locks and blades for extra stability! 

[Johnsond]

Doobin is spot on regards the axle locks,  I’d be looking to lift as much as possible over the front utilising the blade for stability. Cross carriage lifts are always gonna give you a bit more to worry about. What’s the max size of logs you are planning to move ?? 

[richy_B]

On my Mec MTX 12 we have telescopic legs at the front and locking axles. You have transport mode and working mode. It 100% sounds like you are in transport mode. 

 

Trace the rams back to the engine valve block and see what's connected up. Might be worth marking those cylinders when dead straight then when laden leaning over the edge to see how much difference there is. Cheap fix if you aren't transporting much would be to make up some collars that bolt around the ramp when it is at its highest. 

[doobin]

12 hours ago, richy_B said:

On my Mec MTX 12 we have telescopic legs at the front and locking axles. You have transport mode and working mode. It 100% sounds like you are in transport mode. 

 

 

PICS!!! What a machine, you kept that quiet. Either that or I'm not very observant.