The Recorder | Brass Lock Nut

“The most common mistake is selecting a trenching bucket that is too large for the excavator,” says Lee Smith, excavator product specialist, Doosan Construction Equipment. “Some excavator owners think a bigger bucket will increase productivity. However, that is not always the case.”

Toromont’s vice president of heavy equipment sales, Scott Ferguson, said proximity of the dealership to the island wasn’t the only incentive for the Lagina brothers. “They love the Cat brand,” Ferguson said, “and we had the right equipment to execute their plans.” He added that the brothers’ choice probably was helped by Toromont being the largest heavy equipment dealer in the region.

Caterpillar’s Pin Grabber Coupler can use some competitive buckets that are like size. “It allows customers to switch back and forth from bucket to bucket in a matter of seconds,” says Ryan Neal. “But one trade-off is the tip radius is increased and breakout force is decreased. Most customers are willing to lose that for the versatility.”

It was a hot July night when the 12 youngest children of Abby Seales made their appearance, slithering out in a 01:00 relay on my parents’ kitchen floor.

“An auger is by far the No. 1 attachment with those machines. For big skid loaders, 20 percent are rented with an attachment and a harley rake is No. 1 with an auger or a mower close behind. If you are in the rental industry today, attachments are a must,” Gilbertson says.

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Weld-on cutting edge – Technically, every bucket comes with a weld on cutting edge. However, when excessive wear causes the cutting edge to recede into the bucket, replacement can exceed the total cost of the bucket.

ROUND ONE: Santos is an inch taller but Manuwa has three and a half inches of reach on him. They touch gloves to get us going. Body kick from Santos and he clips Manuwa with a right, then a left and Manuwa is hurt. Santos goes for a guillotine in transition then lands uppercuts in a clinch, knees go back and forth but Manuwa is holding a clinch buying himself time to recover. Manuwa misses a left as they break. More punches from Santos as Manuwa gets another clinch, he’s getting hurt when Santos touches him. Knee to the body from Manuwa. There’s a right in close from Manuwa then an elbow as they break. Both men land lefts and Santos kicks the body. Bit of a head kick then a left from Santos and he gets a takedown against the fence. Manuwa quickly wall walks and they’re fighting in the clinch again. Knees and elbows from Manuwa, his dirty boxing is superior and he lands knees and uppercuts, then Santos with a hail may left hook to stun Manuwa and we’re in the clinch again. This is sloppy but nuts. Manuwa with knees to the body, Santos lands one of his own. Knees to the thigh from Santos then an elbow from Santos on the break. Santos misses a wheel kick then they punch each other in the face a few times and clinch again. Manuwa with a wicked left hook on the break that wobbles Santos and he slips on a stupid spin kick then Manuwa looks to get on top. Santos with a loose triangle attempt, Manuwa postures through it and moves to the ride position and lands a few lefts as the round ends.

The specific dealership was Atlantic Tractors and Equipment in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, 60 kilometers from the island and part of the Hewitt Group of equipment outlets. Atlantic was the Caterpillar dealer for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island until last August when the dealership changed hands. Ontario-based Toromont Industries bought the privately owned Hewitt Group. The Dartmouth dealership is now a Toromont Caterpillar Martimes branch.

When asked about any cab features they particularly liked, both operators mentioned what might seem a relatively insignificant item—but obviously important from an experienced operator’s point of view.

Storage space and particularly covered storage is one of the most valuable assets a rental yard can have. However, for many rental companies it is an asset of which they never seem to have enough. Expanding by buying more land or constructing additional covered storage is expensive and, in many locations, not an option.

– Take extra care with non-sealed needle bearings, as they could become dislodged from the bearing seats. Grease these with care.