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Spec creep and the disappearance of the 10-12 ton class excavators

CM1995

CM1995

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Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
15,951
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
MG84 said:
Transportation is a very regional thing. What a man can haul in Iowa where roads are arrow straight and flat as a skillet is completely different than here in the mountains with 20%+ grades and sharp switchbacks. Most of AL I've been in is somewhere in between.

Around here a 120 is about the biggest hoe you'll see behind a tandem/tri axle dump truck, lots of 8-9 tons. Even a 160 most guys are hauling with a semi and either a short rgn or a tandem/tridem pintle hitch trailer behind a semi tractor depending on how tight of roads they have to get down. Finding a safe spot to unload and turn around can also be a challenge. There are some sites that are just inaccessible to a 210 size hoe and 336 and up are relegated to work in town or sites with main highway access.

All that being said, I understand and agree with your logic. We just have to scale everything down a bit, hence my interest in the 10-12t class. A 5-6t hauls nicely behind a medium duty truck, 8-9t is better behind a tandem and at that point you might as well haul a 10-12t.
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I was talking specifically about our operation as far as a lowboy goes. I could haul a 310 sized machine with our L9000 and tandem tag but I'd have to pack a lunch if the move is over 10 miles, cheaper to hire it moved.

Tight sites are where the Landoll our lowboy service has shines. Being able to slide the axles empty and maneuver a tight turn is extremely handy. One of those trailers are well over $100K new so it's cheaper to hire out.

In the past we've moved 315's behind a tandem and tri-axle dumps with the trailer we have now. Worked great.
 
I

IceHole

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2023
Messages
1,415
Location
AK
I'm curious how many around here are over 26k without a CDL.

Very common for an F350-550 (or Dodge) with a 20k plus pound trailer.

My truck is 19,500 I think. Trailer 25,000.
 
H

HarleyHappy

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Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
3,369
Location
So NH
Occupation
Welder/Mechanic
Most are probably overweight.
Not sure why DOT lets them and the guys with 2500’s hauling a 6 ton mini but me and my Top kick hauling a backhoe gets all the attention.
 
M

MG84

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2023
Messages
1,396
Location
Virginia
It's easy to spot the guys without enough truck by the way they load the machine, such as in that last pic. I always load with the blade to the front, house/stick pointing to the back, and generally pull the machine forward until the drive planetaries are centered between the trailer axles. There are a lot of guys running around with dangerously little tongue weight IMO.
 
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AzIron

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Messages
1,630
Location
Az
Tyler d4c said:
Hears what it was like working in the early 2000s
View attachment 361359
Click to expand...
Every pool digger around was set like that here

Cat designed the 314 for that application with a zero swing but you need a tandem dump and twenty ton tag to move it or a set up like this whitch is really handy1121171207.jpg
I just bought a 314 with rubber tracks last year and boy that's handy for a lot of things
 
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