Digging with the blade in the front or rear?

[AKfish]

What's the generally accepted technique for excavating with the smaller track-hoes? Blade in front or rear? (Personal preference...)

Thanks.

AKfish

 

[kennyd]

Blade in front and down. Makes the machine 10 times more stable.

 

[Jaxxson]

Ya what he said, at the front,
also when you have it at the front and its down, you can lift more heavy debris without a greater chance of it tipping.

 

[curtisfarmer]

Blade in front always.............do you know how much the drive motors cost!!! Huge. Beside, like evryone else said, the stability is night and day. The only time I dig in the "rear" is when on a hill and I keep the blade in back of me to jack the cab till its level. I did have rock come back and dent my cab panel once, the blade would have stopped it, and now I kep that in mind and use a 2X12 or a pile of dirt to protect my drive motors and machine from rolling object such as rocks.

 

[AKfish]

Blade in front and down. Makes the machine 10 times more stable.

Well... I thought I'd ask and throw it out there..

That's the way I've always "done it", too. But, I've seen other guys dig with the blade down and in the back.

Did notice, too... that if you're not payin' close attention to where that blade corner is located and you swing around fast enough with a tree or root wad - you can get VERY close to it with the teeth of the bucket!!

The blade in back does give you that little bit of extra clearance!

Thanks for the feedback.

AKfish

 

[curtisfarmer]

Try banging your drive motors all the time, filling them with dirt, extra friction.....maybe even a bad bite with your own bucket or self propelled rock? Its a could be bummer.

 

[coopers]

The only time I want the blade in the front is if I'm lifting something heavy. Otherwise I don't care if it's in front or in the back. The blade is always up anyways unless lifting something heavy.

 

[kennyd]

The only time I want the blade in the front is if I'm lifting something heavy. Otherwise I don't care if it's in front or in the back. The blade is always up anyways unless lifting something heavy.

Is that with a ZTS machine also?
Most of my experience is on ZTS's, and there is definitely a difference where the blade is and whether it's up or down...

 

[coopers]

Is that with a ZTS machine also?
Most of my experience is on ZTS's, and there is definitely a difference where the blade is and whether it's up or down...

I have yet to find myself in the need of a ZTS mini so my above comment is reference a conventional mini (KX121-3's, KX161-3's). I guess you can consider them more RTS. I have also not had the need to use a RTS 12 ton size excavator but I'm sure that time is coming real quick.

 

[AKfish]

The only time I want the blade in the front is if I'm lifting something heavy. Otherwise I don't care if it's in front or in the back. The blade is always up anyways unless lifting something heavy.

The only Kubota I've ever operated was 7-8 years ago. It was a ??41-?? something.. a real heavy-weight!

I was looking for/hoping for a blade on BOTH the front and the back!!

AKfish

 

[coopers]

Yeah the kx41-2's. They're the little guys. They can be tippy, less stable than the bigger brothers.

 

[Renze]

I was looking for/hoping for a blade on BOTH the front and the back!!

An excavator operator i worked with during school holidays (as a tractor dumper driver) loved the double stand of his Liebherr wheeled excavator: A blade on one end, and two independent support legs on the other: When finishing a foundation slab to grade, he would keep the legs in the front, and position the machine level with the individual legs, so he could also dig the slab exactly level.