In the early ninties, Keystone and other concrete block wall systems started to become availible in Anchorage and since we were building a lot of hillside homes, chances were that alot of these house needed something to retain the cut banks and the foundation transitions that were used to place a house into a slope.At the time ,I didn't even visulize a mini-ex at that time, but a friend of a friend had a 800 series bobcat with a backhoe attachment provided the inspiration.
What I had was and old skid steer, a mobile tow behind excavator and a bunch of metal I had scavaged from various places.The skidsteer was wore out and the owner was getting rid of it because it was taking up space. I got it for a small trade. He saw it as a rusting pile of junk, I saw it as a gold mine for parts for my backhoe project
The tow behind excavator was the type you used to see in the back of magazines, and was powered by a 12 or 14 hp gas engine. A electric utility had originally bought it in the eighties to fly to remote sites. It was never used much and was sold to another friend who flew it into his remote cabin and worked it there a little bit.He brought it back and it sat at his place for a couple of years until I bought from him for less than $500.This machine in it's original form is a pain in the butt to use and worse to operate.And like some of the the women in my life, it had things I needed and couldn't get anywhere else so I forked over the dough.
I used a backboard off an auger attachment that came with the JD. Augers don't do well in my area because of the rocks.
I cut the arms of the skid and made a hybrid sort of outrigger. I wanted it to be as narrow as possible. The rams had long enough stroke to lift the machine quite a ways. The front of the frame had a foot below so that I could set the machine on pavement and not damage things.I often used it this way without the out riggers down.
The frame metal was off an old boat dock with heavy plate to mount the axle housing of the JD, Time has run out for me so I will add more next post. Scott
What I had was and old skid steer, a mobile tow behind excavator and a bunch of metal I had scavaged from various places.The skidsteer was wore out and the owner was getting rid of it because it was taking up space. I got it for a small trade. He saw it as a rusting pile of junk, I saw it as a gold mine for parts for my backhoe project
The tow behind excavator was the type you used to see in the back of magazines, and was powered by a 12 or 14 hp gas engine. A electric utility had originally bought it in the eighties to fly to remote sites. It was never used much and was sold to another friend who flew it into his remote cabin and worked it there a little bit.He brought it back and it sat at his place for a couple of years until I bought from him for less than $500.This machine in it's original form is a pain in the butt to use and worse to operate.And like some of the the women in my life, it had things I needed and couldn't get anywhere else so I forked over the dough.
I used a backboard off an auger attachment that came with the JD. Augers don't do well in my area because of the rocks.
I cut the arms of the skid and made a hybrid sort of outrigger. I wanted it to be as narrow as possible. The rams had long enough stroke to lift the machine quite a ways. The front of the frame had a foot below so that I could set the machine on pavement and not damage things.I often used it this way without the out riggers down.
The frame metal was off an old boat dock with heavy plate to mount the axle housing of the JD, Time has run out for me so I will add more next post. Scott
