Gradall bucket

admin

Our main Gradall operator is an ex-Marine. Well, as the saying goes, when it absolutely, positively must be destroyed........call a Marine!!! Now some of you know that I've been working ludicrous hours, and really gearing up for a ton of work. Well, the boss finally gave me the OK to show him what I can do. I won't be starting on this yet, because he is still runnin me obscene hours, six days a week!!! But, he basically said if I can fix this, I get all of his welding work. And trust me, he has a whole yard full of it. I could literally have a full time job doing just his welding work.Yeah, it's pretty messed up. I have a good idea of how I will attack this, but I will still consult with some friends here. It might be a while, but I will post pics as I go."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Stick-man  Buy: a new bucket, sand blast it, hire a faux artist to makeit look used, and give your client an X-Year guarantee.He gets immediate turn-around, and you save yourself for meaningful work.Yes - that glob can be repaired - but why?Opus
Reply:Damm ...That's tweaked and broke and pretty much worn outBetter talk to your fairy god mother stickBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Based on the rust it appears it has been cracked for a while. It looks like the base of the center supports have been repaired previously. Hammered for sure. Glad I don't have to fix it... but being cheap faced with the same I would. Good luck. The design just doesn't appear sufficient for the rippers... but I'm not familiar with those machines.Last edited by forhire; 11-23-2014 at 03:00 AM.
Reply:He doesn't ask for much, does he?Hobart cutting/welding torch.MM252, and nothing else.  My first welder.  Buy once, cry once....but I really would like a nice 50/60A circuit to run it at full strength.A bunch of ideas, and not enough time and money to bring them to life.
Reply:Was the operator running it beyond its design limits?
Reply:There's a point where things just become BER (beyond economical repair).   There's a lot of factors involved in figuring out exactly just where that point is but to me that bucket looks like it has to be really close to that point.   One mine I've been involved with fixing quite a few buckets for had a 60% rule.   They wouldn't spend more than 60% of the cost of a new one to get an old one fixed.
Reply:Ambitious project if attempted. I'm thinking it's to the point of diminishing returns as I've seen similar buckets on "Rock & Dirt" offered for sale which could be acquired, and rebuilt for less overall cost and time.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:It's bad, but I've seen a lot worse. I'd salvage the top tube and the bucket and cut out the center braces and replace them completely with new heavy plate. I bet with the center ones gone, the ends line up well enough you can tack everything back in place to relocate the top tube. Then you can fab the new center braces to fit. After you get the center braces at least partially welded, you can go back, cut the tacks and gouge out the cracks and weld that part.Center in the back of the bucket will take more work. I think with the center braces completely removed, it will move better and straighten out easier. The bucket itself doesn't look twisted, just the upper back portion. Once the center ribs are out I could tell whether it's easier to repair or replace that area. It's looks to be part of the QD system, so that part  maybe easily available ( though not cheap) to simply buy as a new unit to instal. That would be the fast way to do that repair. Less costly in materials, but possibly not labor, would either be to fab a new one from scratch, or repair the existing one.I know what you guys are saying about it may be more cost effective to replace than repair, but many guys doing excavation are penny wise and dollar stupid. I've seen plenty of stuff rebuilt for way more than you could have bought it new for because they "saved" money... Also many times guys will save work like this for the winter when they are slow. Even though it's not super cost effective, they keep their employees busy during the slow season. That lessens the risk if they lay them off while it's slow, they'll loose them to some one else next season. I used to stay well employed over the winter simply because I could do multiple jobs and didn't b1tch that about the fact that wasn't what I was hired for. Many of the other guys who wouldn't do anything else got let go until spring and couldn't understand why I'd be kept on and they weren't.If nothing else, if it lands Sticky more work doing welding and keeps him gainfully employed, it's worth doing the repair from his point as long as the boss is happy with what it costs..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I'd look around for a good used one. Gradalls are usually used on highway shoulders and ditches where the aggregate is crushed before it gets put there. Most buckets wear, but don't tear. Someone has a nice one for $1000. looking for a new lease on life. I don't know if I've ever seen a toothed bucket on a Gradall.
Reply:Bucket designs like this are usually used for removing concrete slabs or ripping up asphalt. The open sides allow you to latch on to a wider piece and pluck it out. My guess is the operator latched on to a much bigger piece than he could handle.A lot of the guys I know with one like this use them for removing side walks. You disturb very little of the area this way. You slip it in under a section of side walk and pluck it out. If it's too long, a gu with a sledge will easily break it as soon as you lift the slab. One or two smacks with  a 20 lb sledge and it breaks right in half..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWIt's bad, but I've seen a lot worse. I'd salvage the top tube and the bucket and cut out the center braces and replace them completely with new heavy plate. I bet with the center ones gone, the ends line up well enough you can tack everything back in place to relocate the top tube. Then you can fab the new center braces to fit. After you get the center braces at least partially welded, you can go back, cut the tacks and gouge out the cracks and weld that part.Center in the back of the bucket will take more work. I think with the center braces completely removed, it will move better and straighten out easier. The bucket itself doesn't look twisted, just the upper back portion. Once the center ribs are out I could tell whether it's easier to repair or replace that area. It's looks to be part of the QD system, so that part  maybe easily available ( though not cheap) to simply buy as a new unit to instal. That would be the fast way to do that repair. Less costly in materials, but possibly not labor, would either be to fab a new one from scratch, or repair the existing one.I know what you guys are saying about it may be more cost effective to replace than repair, but many guys doing excavation are penny wise and dollar stupid. I've seen plenty of stuff rebuilt for way more than you could have bought it new for because they "saved" money... Also many times guys will save work like this for the winter when they are slow. Even though it's not super cost effective, they keep their employees busy during the slow season. That lessens the risk if they lay them off while it's slow, they'll loose them to some one else next season. I used to stay well employed over the winter simply because I could do multiple jobs and didn't b1tch that about the fact that wasn't what I was hired for. Many of the other guys who wouldn't do anything else got let go until spring and couldn't understand why I'd be kept on and they weren't.If nothing else, if it lands Sticky more work doing welding and keeps him gainfully employed, it's worth doing the repair from his point as long as the boss is happy with what it costs.
Reply:maybe a rainy day project for the shop when field welding is in-advised?i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:DSW hit the nail on the head with both posts.Yep, we are penny foolish and pound foolish, but who am I, just a steering wheel holder. It's gonna get repaired either way. So I want to do what I have to do to get it rebuilt, because it will pay off in the future."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Not really relevant to the topic but I never understood gradall. It seems like such a strange and limited design compared to a standard excavator arm. I'm not a machine operator nor have I ever repaired one. Only heavy machinery I've operated is a fire truck but gradall makes a really out-there firefighting boom. Weird stuff.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestNot really relevant to the topic but I never understood gradall. It seems like such a strange and limited design compared to a standard excavator arm. I'm not a machine operator nor have I ever repaired one. Only heavy machinery I've operated is a fire truck but gradall makes a really out-there firefighting boom. Weird stuff.
Reply:I'm not real familiar with Gradall machines.  Conventional excavators i've been around all my life.  Just looking at the damage, I'd say a lot of prying has been going on.If it was mine, I'd probably go ahead and fix it, but it would be more cost effective in my case as I'd do it myself on bad weather days or other off time if possible.  If I needed it right away, I'd probably look for another one, then still fix this one.  Anything you demo concrete with, or dig rock with is going to be subject to a certain amount of abuse, even if you are as careful as you can be.  Some operators are more careful than others...  Some just don't know the proper technique to doing certain tasks.  If they see results by prying on concrete or a layer of rock, they honestly may not know how much stress they are applying to the machine or attachment.  We were doing a pipeline in Southeast Oklahoma one time, I had been down there running one of the hoes for a couple of weeks.  Dad was running the other one.  When time came for school to start again, he took another operator down to run my hoe.  The other operator was good at digging ditch in dirt, but didn't have much rock experience.  They finished up the job the next week, so the next saturday I went down to haul one of the hoes in.  It was a 266 Bantam, with I think a 34" bucket.  Bucket had all 5 teeth on it when I left the job.  Had 1 shank left a week later when I went to get it...  Also had ripper sockets on the back of the bucket, and I was using the rippers.  He couldn't understand the concept of ripping the rock, so had dropped the rippers off, and went to prying... It happened the first or second day he was there.  They said when dad pulled up where he was, saw the rippers laying beside the ditch, and 4 shanks already gone, he threw a pretty good jumping up and down, waving arms and cussing tantrum...lol-------------------------Chemetron AC/DC 300 HFSnap-On MM300L Lincoln SP140 Lincoln AC/DC 225g Lincoln SA200 Lincoln SA200 Miller Bobcat 225GVictor torchesH&M and Mathey beveling machinesMcElroy Plastic pipe fusion
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestNot really relevant to the topic but I never understood gradall. It seems like such a strange and limited design compared to a standard excavator arm.
Reply:I don't see a problem with fixing it, and continuing to use it.  ReallyThere's some killer deals out there on Gradall stuff, but you have to consider how expensive it is to go get those killer deals.  It often costs more than just dealing with what you have on hand (I should know)http://www.ironplanet.com/Gradallhttp://www.rockanddirt.com/search?db...7&cbmodel=none"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I worked around gradall's back in the early '70's & found that they had a hard time staying together in it seemed even loose dirt. They were always down. Warner & Swasey (Warner & Swayback!) didnt even put their name on them. That went for the hopto's also. Koehring's were the machine then.(as I recollect)  -c-
Reply:Gradall was good for grading for concrete and doing canals and riprap work because of there long reach and rotation of the bucketThey came truck or track mounted...the truck mounts had no outriggers ...What a PITAThen along came Hopto very powerful backhoes and they were building the first extend a hoe and Warner & Swasey couldn't have thatso they bought out Hopto back in the 60'sMy fathers 1955 model 200 Hopto was made by Hopto truck mounted and a 4 cyl Redseal Continental  and the 1962 was made by Badger division of Warner & Swasey .It ran the same 3 cyl Jimmy screamer that they used on all Gradeall'sBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Killdozer, man I got hundreds and hundreds of hrs. in those old wheel type gradalls. With no outriggers it will teach you to be smooth on the sticks. Ya know, when you run a rough dozer, you can say leave it for the finish man. When you run a finish dozer you can say leave it for the blade man. The blade man says leave it for the gradall. When you run the gradall you just want to go home, there aint no one to leave it for. Sh!t runs downhill !   Tho there were times when I got to bouncing so bad you couldn't catch it and you just got to turn loose and let her calm down ! To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth. This was the ancient law of youth. Old times are past, old days are done, but the law runs true oh little son.Winpower 180 DCSA-200 redfaceXMT-304
Reply:Originally Posted by killdozerd11Gradall was good for grading for concrete and doing canals and riprap work because of there long reach and rotation of the bucketThey came truck or track mounted...the truck mounts had no outriggers ...What a PITAThen along came Hopto very powerful backhoes and they were building the first extend a hoe and Warner & Swasey couldn't have thatso they bought out Hopto back in the 60'sMy fathers 1955 model 200 Hopto was made by Hopto truck mounted and a 4 cyl Redseal Continental  and the 1962 was made by Badger division of Warner & Swasey .It ran the same 3 cyl Jimmy screamer that they used on all Gradeall'sWow I'd head down to the steel supply and pick up a plate of ar400 and start replacing parts air arc off 5 he broken and replace with the new ar400 plate if ur on a budget and can't afford the plate get a big rose bud and a very large hammer lol
Reply:Some of those buckets are obsolete u just can't find them so when u do find one the cost is astronomical so it does pay to have it fixed and depending on what stick is charging for his time the man is pay baby saving money
Reply:Put it back the machine, force it back and fully weld and plate. Gusset on anything that looks like it will get bent
Reply:Good luck man! I  know you can fix it, and it would be awesome to get all of his other welding work!!  Hope it works out for ya.
Reply:@ stick-man - def have your work cut out for you.  Insight into your attack plan would be appreciated and look forward to seeing the bucket repair.   This is some heavy metal stick work bro!  Best fortune...."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi