Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[LGP Eddie]

This was the first ever new machine given to me as an operator and I really did look after it.

 

I can still see it now, I walked down the site and stood looking at it wondering why all the windows looked like dark tint.

The only giveaway that caught my eye first was the the air filter pre cleaner plastic bowl was gone and the paint all off the lid.

Opening the door revealed the full horror, but opening the flip forward bonnet to see the engine with bits of metal melted was unreal.

 

It was a battery lead short where it passed out of the battery box, according to the report after.

The engine bay was lined inside with aluminium covered foam and it must have literally burnt like an oven until it melted the dash and was able to come to through into the cab.

Front half of the cab was melted, but seat untouched and back half of the cab was totally untouched.

 

Real shame it was a great machine, but fair play the owner hired another straight in as a replacement, and said order whatever spec you want from the Case dealer as a replacement.

 

I had a full spec Turbo version, which at the time had the Greg Cab JCB’s totally licked.

[doobin]

Finally got a couple of hours to re-do my faithful, bent, ten year old springtine rake. Was going to make proper grab pockets, but thought I'd try this first. A different way of doing it but very simple. Self centering as you grab it. It's got less flex in it than pinching a grab pocket, so for 'give' you are relying entirely upon the springs. So it makes a big difference which way you sweep. Not neccessarily a bad thing- you can be more agressive if required and as there is less distance between the ground all the way up to the hitch, there is more slew power too. I'll give it a go on a job tomorrow but it swept up the fire at the yard lovely. Slightly wider spacing than the old one too, hoping to collect more brash and less mud.

 

The main benefit of grabbing like this that once it's grabbed, you'll never drop it by mistake, even if you momentarily pull the lever the wrong way (it happens, especially when you're tired and just want to finish off raking so you cna go home!)

 

If anyone wants one made let me know.

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by doobin

[s o c]

Nice.

what type are the springs?

[Marc Lewis]

Sadly I haven’t any images of when I first started out on machines, that was a 2 wheel drive JCB 3cx with no Extending arm.
Promotion to an old C registration 4wd non turbo black cab Sitemaster and finally given my first new machine a Case 580sk non Turbo.
Sadly this burnt out, and it’s replacement was a Case 580sk Turbo in this image.
 
Took me an awful lot of years of operating for others to be able to have a shot on my own.

Cool photo

[doobin]

13 hours ago, s o c said:

Nice.

what type are the springs?

The usual haybob tines. Cheap and effective.

[LGP Eddie]

14 hours ago, Marc Lewis said:

On 18/01/2022 at 11:14, LGP Eddie said:

Sadly I haven’t any images of when I first started out on machines, that was a 2 wheel drive JCB 3cx with no Extending arm.
Promotion to an old C registration 4wd non turbo black cab Sitemaster and finally given my first new machine a Case 580sk non Turbo.
Sadly this burnt out, and it’s replacement was a Case 580sk Turbo in this image.
 
Took me an awful lot of years of operating for others to be able to have a shot on my own.

Read more  

Cool photo

Thanks, different (better) times.

[doobin]

lovely jubbly. 

Edited January 24, 2022 by doobin

[Mrblue5000]

On 22/01/2022 at 18:16, LGP Eddie said:

This was the first ever new machine given to me as an operator and I really did look after it.

 

I can still see it now, I walked down the site and stood looking at it wondering why all the windows looked like dark tint.

The only giveaway that caught my eye first was the the air filter pre cleaner plastic bowl was gone and the paint all off the lid.

Opening the door revealed the full horror, but opening the flip forward bonnet to see the engine with bits of metal melted was unreal.

 

It was a battery lead short where it passed out of the battery box, according to the report after.

The engine bay was lined inside with aluminium covered foam and it must have literally burnt like an oven until it melted the dash and was able to come to through into the cab.

Front half of the cab was melted, but seat untouched and back half of the cab was totally untouched.

 

Real shame it was a great machine, but fair play the owner hired another straight in as a replacement, and said order whatever spec you want from the Case dealer as a replacement.

 

I had a full spec Turbo version, which at the time had the Greg Cab JCB’s totally licked.

Eddie I am thinking of buying a Case 580. When did the first Cummins engines come on them, was it the L series or earlier? It’s going to be used on a farm mostly.

[LGP Eddie]

4 hours ago, Mrblue5000 said:

Eddie I am thinking of buying a Case 580. When did the first Cummins engines come on them, was it the L series or earlier? It’s going to be used on a farm mostly.

I was literally like a JCB stick of rock in the day, local to the Factory and grew up fascinated with them.

 

My first experience of a Case, was the 580SK version, as pictured and it was huge news when the guy purchased one on the doorstep.

 

Literally a few hours after it was delivered, a couple of cars pulled up from JCB, boot full of freebies, help yourself if we can have a look around the Case!

 

This was fitted with the Cummins engine, absolute revelation to the Perkins we were used to.

It used to have it’s oil done every 250hrs, and it literally never changed colour.

 

The big serpentine belt, tensioner and water pump with a just couple of bolts was simply unheard of!

 

Did 500hrs, then unpick the seals and give them a tweak for a few more revs, made all the difference on the road.

 

Good machines, fast and powerful.

[s o c]

Hi.

I’m looking for a 2.5 to 3 ton digger to replace old hitachi ex30.

looking for something reliable for €15k to €20k.

mini diggers like most used stuff at the moment seem to be at inflated prices so I realise I’m going to be getting an older machine for the money than two years ago.

I am coming across a few Volvo EC25 that seem to be priced ok.

Any opinions on Volvo?

 Thanks