I recently picked up a decent CAT one owner excavator, super tight, no leaks, working AC, apparent good maintenance EXCEPT for the bucket teeth. I don't know what the guy was thinking, but he was having a problem with the teeth staying on the shanks. His brain-dead solution was to weld the teeth to the shank and then use a 3/4" square bar on the top and bottom of the tooth to help keep it on. Over time the teeth got so worn it looked like someone trying to jam a fist into the dirt.
When I go the machine home just for fun I tried to dig a ditch in our hard rocky ground. It was so painful that I stopped after a couple of half full buckets. Although new teeth, shanks, oxygen, acetylene and a bunch of grinding wheels were not cheap...about $800 total, once done the machine will be able to actually dig hard ground and when the teeth wear down I'll be able to knock out the pins and replace them.
Photos are the progress up to welding the new shanks which should arrive today.
Just never been able to figure out how someone can buy and operate a machine and not keep decent care of it:Banghead
When I go the machine home just for fun I tried to dig a ditch in our hard rocky ground. It was so painful that I stopped after a couple of half full buckets. Although new teeth, shanks, oxygen, acetylene and a bunch of grinding wheels were not cheap...about $800 total, once done the machine will be able to actually dig hard ground and when the teeth wear down I'll be able to knock out the pins and replace them.
Photos are the progress up to welding the new shanks which should arrive today.
Just never been able to figure out how someone can buy and operate a machine and not keep decent care of it:Banghead