Hey, that's our tracks! (Prowler) lol Glad to see you had close to, or more than 2000 hours out of them. You still had a lot of tread life left on them it appears, so I "suspect" it may had been possible that the track could had been gouge causing a deep channel that moisture could funnel through. Once the moisture gets to those inner cords they will corrode and split/break under high torque. The continuously wrapped inner cords are wrapped in vulcanized rubber (as you can see up close in your video), however if the gouge is deep and sharp enough it can still penetrate through the hardened rubber that wraps those steel cords. Sorry to see you had the break, but extremely happy (and proud) you still purchased our Prowler Tracks. Means a lot to us! Awesome video BTW. Very well explained. Be safe out there!
@@coler154 they'd be far weaker or unnecessarily more expensive. They don't need to last forever because the rubber wears out eventually. Steel and rubber is just right for this application. 👌
Andrew, maybe you should not throw out that old track just yet. I had the same type of tracks on our mini excavators ( smaller ) but I used the old track cut in two and bolted them onto the steel ramps of our trailer. It was a great aid in climbing on board, especially with steel tracks on steel ramps ! Just a thought!
Yeah that's true, but I should have mentioned that the tracks we used were the small one's.It did add some weight, but the grip we got was worth it. Oh, also our ramps were spring assisted. ( Sorry !)
There is many utube channels I have stopped watching in recent weeks. i just feel so entertained and informed by Andrews videos. so thanks mate your a champion.
Another interesting and educational channel in "Ron Pratt" His business, Midwest Truck, is a towing company. His "Rotator" tow truck handles some interesting uses beyond the towing of semi trucks. He works just an hard as Andrew, in a different business. He's in SE Missouri.
Who heard the fart at the end of the video That was so fucken funny i watch these videos to get a laugh but never have gotten a laugh out of Andrew's videos until to day
Thanks so much Andrew! I threw the track on my Kobelco SK50 and the first video I saw took 2 people and long pry bars to get it back on. Then I saw how you used the bucket to guide the track back into place and that worked for me. Thanks for the tip!
I want to caution you to protect your back it's 1of your most valuable assets. There were many times you could have pulled up the other mini excavator to assist you. I am 52 and have been in a similar line of work all my life. Have had 2 back surgeries over the years. Love the work and am still at it but it gets tougher with age.
I watched this video a year ago. I just got a job this week clearing a road with a rental Kubota excavator. I threw a track two times and I knew how to put the track back on because of this video. Thank you Andrew.
As a hermit, l have struggled to replace tracks by myself. You have helped to show me to be patient , look and think . Yes the digger has been in difficult areas where flatish ground was not within reach so had to raise and block the underside so l could use the bucket. Thanks a lot. Be safe.
I'm going to buy some small used machines to do some subdividing work on my 5 acre property. I'll hire a D6 to do the clearing, but use machines like this for drainage works & fencing. Been on your channel for days now & it's helping me understand the capabilities & maintenance of these machines. Thank you very much
I really wish I would have the luxury of that much space, here in Germany it is all towns and just buying some forest and building there legally isnt possible.
Great video as usual. For the folks giggling about a fart they may have heard, I have watched Andrew accidentally put his bare hand on red hot metal and he did not break out swearing. I have never heard him swear on any video so can say with high confidence that this guy is a gentleman.
I concur, Andrew is unusually stoic in the face of pain and freezing cold weather but do you remember his video where a young lady called him in front of all his buds? She said, "Hey, I know you, last time I saw you, you were chugging a bottle of catsup!" I was surprised to find that he plays grab-ass like the rest of us, off cam.
Kubota KH 35, I believe, had the threaded track tightener too, a real hassle in underground mining confined narrow drifts. Later the mine purchased Kubota KX 41 mini excavators with the grease fitting track tighteners, this was night and day in reinstalling a rubber track on the machine. Our mini excavators were mainly used for ditching to keep the water away from the railway ties, the bucket didn't have teeth, but had the two outside corners notched-out to prevent the railway spikes being pulled out when cleaning up in between the rails, it really worked good. And not a fan of pick and shovel work for cleaning out track switches, I always had a compressed air blowpipe handy for those occasions, lol.
Lmao, I haven’t finished watching yet but @4:43 when you’re talking about the front idler getting lost in the mud, the way you said “an hour” had me in stitches lol. Thank you for being humble enough to share your knowledge, warts and all. Respect.
Great work Andrew! I had to install new tracks on my excavator earlier this year. Had about the same hours on my tracks, luckily it was at my shop and had the loader to help put the tracks in place. I have that same grease gun! It’s awesome! I run my tracks a hair on the tight side seems to really help keep them on there especially on hills and such. Keep up the great work and take care! Thanks
Great job installing the track on your own. I've changed tracks and sprockets on a 28 ton, used a 54 Liebherr to do it on-site. I find to make the rubber tracks last longer and reduce the risk of it coming off I lift the machine with the bucket and turn the machine that way, especially on rough terrain. And if turning on ground with loads of little stones that get trapped between the rollers and the track I again lift the machine off the ground and spin the tracks to get most of the stones out, I find it damages the tracks less, possibly getting more hours out of them
So many haters this young man is doing an excellent job self sufficient in every way. All of the sudden we have all these potheads his same age just trolling on him. I foresee this young man is going to be a millionaire by the age of 40.
He's all ready rich, three excavators, three dump trucks, a couple of dozers, a lift in the repair facility and then his castle. I am just floored at all that Andrew has put together. So yea millionaire by forty for sure.
Great video Andrew, as a computer SME I don't know much about excavator tracks, but logic dictates that if you have less space between the links, there is less opportunity for the track to have lateral pull/push pressure remove it from its position, but on the other hand, it should then be easier to apply contrary pressure to put it back in....but when I run multiples scenarios in my head, I can see one where that with less links, the dirt and mud with rocks have more cavities to escape or relieve pressure, technically you now have the perfect machine to answer that question, we can see that the older track has some worn on it and also a few nicks, but if your confident you can get another 400 hours out of it, you should run it and monitor when/which tracks get pulled, and then rerun that scenario on opposite side, to see if the sheering pressure has the same result on the other side.... Normally I would tell somebody else to better replace the other one before it breaks, but you ... even if it breaks in the middle of a job, you would find a way to still do the job, I have seen you have breaks over the years, I know this, breaking doesn't scare you at all!
Thanks to you Andrew for watching this video prior to me popping off a track on an excavator. Me and my girlfriend were able to get the truck back on the machine using your message in this video. Like you said you don’t pop them off in the most convenient spot thank you
Nice job. You made it look too easy. That track is about 500lbs or more. I've seen tracks changed or reinstalled in weird places and in strange ways. Yours was nice and straight forward. I think I would change the other track too. It looks a little rough and you can keep it covered up some where for a spare. See you in the next one.
Nice job. Lots of fun pushing those tracks around by yourself. I found laying down a 3/4 x4x8 ply wood down makes it easier to position the track under the drive train.
By the way.. old rubber track when its laid out flat works great as traction mat for soft areas.. you may have to drive across many times. so its worth rolling up and sticking it back on the pallet and saving it for that exact time you need it. it can also be used to protect the concrete floor if you run a steel tracked machine into the shop..
I used an old track to make a planter box for my wife. Just turned it on it's side. They have sprocket holes in them to let excess water out. Works great!
wayne p, great idea I never thought of having a set of tracks for that. I have used old tires for so long but the track cut in 2 ft lengths would work great to walk a machine across a road or curb and gutter or into a shop for repairs.
My tracks were always coming off in mud on my mini ex. I was so used to fixing it. Got it down quick. This reminded me of the good ol days making good money. That all changed in 2008
Lifting the excavator alot with the boom really puts wear on the "turret ring". That thing with all the teeth, where the upper part of the excavator turns on. YOu maybe want to be gently to it, as it is an expesnive part.
Andrew I own several excavators and if one of my guys left the under carriage and tracks that muddy he would not have a job. You need to keep them clean so you can perform the maintenance and repairs. I know you have a power washer. You do good work but they don't make you money unless you take care of them. Down time is money out of your pocket. The other track needs to changed. We only get about 1800 hours out of our rubber tracks. So we change them at 1500 which for us means we don't break anymore on the jobsite. Keep pushing forward and digging dirt.
Having those grease fittings are great to keep tension on the track and as far as the metal ones i can remember having to torch out the pin and re-weld it when i was done, whatever you gotta do to keep going and get the job done👍
My, what a colorful ratchet! I concur with you on the electric grease gun. Working on farm equipment, especially balers and, oddly, tedders, not needing three hands to do the job is NECESSARY. And it saves SO much time, especially with the odd, hard-to-reach fittings poorly designed into the guts of the machine. We had one old square baler that conveniently had a gang-panel of grease fittings with tubes running to various internal parts, but that was the exception to the rule. There was another one where we actually had to climb into the chute to get two fittings.. really a pain in the butt if you had an old partial bale in there. And the design was so poor that the action of the material moving through the chute would wear down the fittings to nothing and we had to replace them almost every time we used the thing, despite them being recessed. Our tedder had 27 grease points. 27!!! And it was one of the simpler pieces of equipment! A tedder has nothing on a round-baler in terms of complexity.
Andrew..you are certainly not afraid of a little hard work..admire that...Take it from an old timer....NEVER pour gas down a carburetor and crank at the same time...3rd degree burns will follow.
1:06 "like a wounded soldier, the mini ex drags it's limb with it to a safe place where it can begin the process of healing. Nature is just incredible..."
Andrew,this is a good explanation and demo of one of your jobs where you had an issue about perforated pipe: Apple Drainage,How to install perforated pipe,worth a look.,cheers ,good work,AUSSIE PAUL.
I replaced both tracks on my 4.5 tonne Hitachi on my own having never done anything like that before… it still beats me how I did it as I didn’t release very much tension so I had to “roll” the tracks on using the sprockets. I only wish I’d checked and replaced the rollers as I now have a job to replace all the bottom ones at the very least. I also wish I’d known to check the final drive oil as one of them recently expired with a horrendous crunching sound and that will be costly to replace… in 8 years of occasional use I have never checked the final drive oil on my now 29 year old machine: big mistake!
This would be a perfect time to use that fancy hot water pressure washer. I am kind of surprised that it didn't get cleaned before installing the new track. Andrew is usually on top of cleaning and maintenance, or at least more so than I am anyway.
I think I’ve watched all of your videos and wish you would tell us the story of how you came to own your piece of the mountain......when, where, how and how many acres? If you lived close to us, we’d keep you busy....you amaze me with your ability to operate such a variety of equipment AND maintain them.
Take your pressure washer and blast all that dirt out so you'll have a clean area and do a service grease all the roller fittings. A Clean machine is a happy machine! When I worked at a rental yard we kept them spotless then you can see if something is going to break.
I've been a sub, of your channel for quite awhile now. You never cease to amaze me, such a hard worker! When most other men your age are slack offs. Was that your dad helping, he must be very proud of you. Enjoy all your videos, keep on keepin on.
You should certainly order a new track for the right side sooner than later. @ 12:32 you can see exactly where it will tear in half and fall off when you can least afford the downtime.
Remember that there is a specification on the tension you put on the track when pumping grease back in. It is a measurement of the distance the track drops of the bottom rollers when the track is off the ground.
I know a guy who used to do a lot of lake dredging remember hearing about the joys of walking about in knee deep mud looking for the ideler in the lake bed
2000 hours is around a man year. Damned good service life. Had the rubber not leaked water to the steel cable maybe would have lasted longer but still good service life.
Fewer link's is better because you have less travel on the idler and the track's will stay on better, both rubber and steel. Also my most used tool that I have ever bought is my Husqvarna power washer; Of course I am a stickler for equipment maintenance and cleaning --- but that's just me, I hate working on dirty equipment. I would also replace the other track, and put the old one on a hook system on the excavator or trailer with my tool's for it, as a emergency spare when in the field.
That's why they call blown caps (retreaded truck tires that blow or let go) left on the highways "alligators". Because when you see one twisted around, sitting in your lane in the dark, the lugs sticking out look like the nubs and ridges on an alligators' back.... just before you run over it at 70 mph.
I was hoping that you had a bad roller. I liked the way you rebuilt the center pulley in your Ford dump truck. I bought a replacement roller for my machine, but I saved the old one, I'm going to try pressing in new bearings.
Thanks, Andrew for the video on changing tracks. I don't know what it is about the excavator's but, it may be how well you operate them also. Hope to see your next video very soon.
I was just watching the video where you fix the Mitsubishi alternator and then you off roaded it at the end. I was laughing so hard when your were off roading it because you were driving it like a mad man! You should make another video where you off road the Mitsubishi.
Andrew I just found you and have been binging on your videos. You are doing one hell of a job so keep it up. P.S. those tracks are basic tire tread construction designed for that purpose. A word of advice. If you have not done so look into business insurance. Keep track of what you earn. You can bet IRS is watching.
You could use the old track as a threshold for your shop. Instead of things hitting edge of concrete floor to go up and into the building the track could take the shock of that impact off the edge of the slab and keep it from cracking longer and it would shed water so it wouldn't be directing water into the shop like if you built up the dirt/gravel at the edge of the slab. Just spike it down with some rebar to keep it from moving around.
DAMN Andrew! I had to pop back on plenty of tracks of a mini, but never seen one sheered like that before. 2k hours seems like it got some good use though.
More links = smoother ride AND when you going over a narrow object for ex let's say a 2x4 on the side when you going whit the roller over the links they getting spread , on the new track you getting away but whit 500 hr the damage it's going to crip in . Now let's say you operating in Florida where it's soft dirt and sand in that situation you don't need a track whit 70 links less links it's ok , in your case mu friend it's not in your neck of the woods it's all rocks and don't ask me haw i know , i'm 1hr south from you . Keep them coming Andrew.
No job man! Yeah, my Kubota tracks are pretty smoked, I should probably get some new ones at some point, but I'm sort of like you.. Just might want till they bust. One other thing I heard of is to leave the tracks in the sun for a while and also to toss a 2x4 or 2x6 in the middle of the track to help spread them out. My buddy says that it's also easier to use a forklift if you can... I think you should just get a new track for the other side as well, it doesn't look too long for this world.
Hey, that's our tracks! (Prowler) lol Glad to see you had close to, or more than 2000 hours out of them. You still had a lot of tread life left on them it appears, so I "suspect" it may had been possible that the track could had been gouge causing a deep channel that moisture could funnel through. Once the moisture gets to those inner cords they will corrode and split/break under high torque.
The continuously wrapped inner cords are wrapped in vulcanized rubber (as you can see up close in your video), however if the gouge is deep and sharp enough it can still penetrate through the hardened rubber that wraps those steel cords. Sorry to see you had the break, but extremely happy (and proud) you still purchased our Prowler Tracks. Means a lot to us! Awesome video BTW. Very well explained. Be safe out there!
Cant you use metal cords that wont rust?
@@coler154 they'd be far weaker or unnecessarily more expensive. They don't need to last forever because the rubber wears out eventually. Steel and rubber is just right for this application. 👌
@@coler154 Todd came to shamelessly plug his company, not to answer good questions.
@@justincase8239 don't be a dick
Andrew, maybe you should not throw out that old track just yet.
I had the same type of tracks on our mini excavators ( smaller ) but I used the old track cut in two and bolted them onto the steel ramps of our trailer. It was a great aid in climbing on board, especially with steel tracks on steel ramps !
Just a thought!
Would make some heavy ramps.
Yeah that's true, but I should have mentioned that the tracks we used were the small one's.It did add some weight, but the grip we got was worth it. Oh, also our ramps were spring assisted. ( Sorry !)
I did that with an old snowmobile track, screwed it down on my sled deck so the sled can easily back off the deck. Works great.
Yes, Dan that works really well too.
great idea
There is many utube channels I have stopped watching in recent weeks. i just feel so entertained and informed by Andrews videos. so thanks mate your a champion.
Another interesting and educational channel in "Ron Pratt" His business, Midwest Truck, is a towing company. His "Rotator" tow truck handles some interesting uses beyond the towing of semi trucks. He works just an hard as Andrew, in a different business. He's in SE Missouri.
@@genedameier8746 so true about Ron.
Who heard the fart at the end of the video That was so fucken funny i watch these videos to get a laugh but never have gotten a laugh out of Andrew's videos until to day
Personally I prefer the track with more links. I don’t own a tractor, but I watched this video and now I’m an expert.
lol
Hahaha lol good one
🤣
You mean excavator
See one, do one, teach one.
Keep up the hard work Andrew! Such an inspiration and motivation to thousands!
Thanks so much Andrew! I threw the track on my Kobelco SK50 and the first video I saw took 2 people and long pry bars to get it back on. Then I saw how you used the bucket to guide the track back into place and that worked for me. Thanks for the tip!
These videos are so entertaining. I could watch these all day long
How bout it when I first found this channel I bing watched all of them for hours great channel
@@mountainviews5025 I'm currently doing the same! on day 4 now lol
I want to caution you to protect your back it's 1of your most valuable assets. There were many times you could have pulled up the other mini excavator to assist you. I am 52 and have been in a similar line of work all my life. Have had 2 back surgeries over the years. Love the work and am still at it but it gets tougher with age.
Listen to this good advice
i have been told my opinion is worthless here too many times to comment
I watched this video a year ago. I just got a job this week clearing a road with a rental Kubota excavator. I threw a track two times and I knew how to put the track back on because of this video. Thank you Andrew.
As a hermit, l have struggled to replace tracks by myself. You have helped to show me to be patient , look and think . Yes the digger has been in difficult areas where flatish ground was not within reach so had to raise and block the underside so l could use the bucket.
Thanks a lot. Be safe.
I was a track & wheel tech in the Army. The three ongoing jobs were fuel filters, putting the track back on and how to get ice :)
I'm going to buy some small used machines to do some subdividing work on my 5 acre property. I'll hire a D6 to do the clearing, but use machines like this for drainage works & fencing. Been on your channel for days now & it's helping me understand the capabilities & maintenance of these machines. Thank you very much
I really wish I would have the luxury of that much space, here in Germany it is all towns and just buying some forest and building there legally isnt possible.
Great video as usual. For the folks giggling about a fart they may have heard, I have watched Andrew accidentally put his bare hand on red hot metal and he did not break out swearing. I have
never heard him swear on any video so can say with high confidence that this guy is a gentleman.
I concur, Andrew is unusually stoic in the face of pain and freezing cold weather but do you remember his video where a young lady called him in front of all his buds? She said, "Hey, I know you, last time I saw you, you were chugging a bottle of catsup!" I was surprised to find that he plays grab-ass like the rest of us, off cam.
Even gentlemen can swear, but it's the context that matters.
Mark Twin advised not to trust a man who didn't swear.@@sleazoid99
Andrew, You are an amazing young man, always teaching your viewers tricks of the trade!!
I like how you always persevere and find a way around any problem.
Kubota KH 35, I believe, had the threaded track tightener too, a real hassle in underground mining confined narrow drifts. Later the mine purchased Kubota KX 41 mini excavators with the grease fitting track tighteners, this was night and day in reinstalling a rubber track on the machine. Our mini excavators were mainly used for ditching to keep the water away from the railway ties, the bucket didn't have teeth, but had the two outside corners notched-out to prevent the railway spikes being pulled out when cleaning up in between the rails, it really worked good. And not a fan of pick and shovel work for cleaning out track switches, I always had a compressed air blowpipe handy for those occasions, lol.
Lmao, I haven’t finished watching yet but @4:43 when you’re talking about the front idler getting lost in the mud, the way you said “an hour” had me in stitches lol. Thank you for being humble enough to share your knowledge, warts and all. Respect.
Good comment I was sitting here thinking that hours from experience to, the way he said it and not just a casual 10 or 15 minutes looking !
Sounded like the voice of experience, didn't it?
Thanks for sharing your work and experiences. Your videos are very educational and informative, and very well edited and engaging. Thank u so much!
Great work Andrew! I had to install new tracks on my excavator earlier this year. Had about the same hours on my tracks, luckily it was at my shop and had the loader to help put the tracks in place. I have that same grease gun! It’s awesome! I run my tracks a hair on the tight side seems to really help keep them on there especially on hills and such. Keep up the great work and take care! Thanks
Everytime I watch your videos, I get more and more stunned by your wittiness with an excavator.
Great job installing the track on your own. I've changed tracks and sprockets on a 28 ton, used a 54 Liebherr to do it on-site. I find to make the rubber tracks last longer and reduce the risk of it coming off I lift the machine with the bucket and turn the machine that way, especially on rough terrain. And if turning on ground with loads of little stones that get trapped between the rollers and the track I again lift the machine off the ground and spin the tracks to get most of the stones out, I find it damages the tracks less, possibly getting more hours out of them
You are a one man crew. ANDREW your parents must be proud of you. I know I would be happy with you as a son .
Keep up the good work. Wow's
So many haters this young man is doing an excellent job self sufficient in every way. All of the sudden we have all these potheads his same age just trolling on him. I foresee this young man is going to be a millionaire by the age of 40.
Especially when he's not married, lol
He's all ready rich, three excavators, three dump trucks, a couple of dozers, a lift in the repair facility and then his castle. I am just floored at all that Andrew has put together. So yea millionaire by forty for sure.
Pretty sure he is worth over a million as is.
excellent job???
He's married to his work, and his dogs, some where down the road some women broke his heart, so he works..
Great video Andrew, as a computer SME I don't know much about excavator tracks, but logic dictates that if you have less space between the links, there is less opportunity for the track to have lateral pull/push pressure remove it from its position, but on the other hand, it should then be easier to apply contrary pressure to put it back in....but when I run multiples scenarios in my head, I can see one where that with less links, the dirt and mud with rocks have more cavities to escape or relieve pressure, technically you now have the perfect machine to answer that question, we can see that the older track has some worn on it and also a few nicks, but if your confident you can get another 400 hours out of it, you should run it and monitor when/which tracks get pulled, and then rerun that scenario on opposite side, to see if the sheering pressure has the same result on the other side.... Normally I would tell somebody else to better replace the other one before it breaks, but you ... even if it breaks in the middle of a job, you would find a way to still do the job, I have seen you have breaks over the years, I know this, breaking doesn't scare you at all!
I not only learn, also enjoy all the detail in procedures. Thanks.
Thanks to you Andrew for watching this video prior to me popping off a track on an excavator. Me and my girlfriend were able to get the truck back on the machine using your message in this video. Like you said you don’t pop them off in the most convenient spot thank you
Yeah, it happens often. I had one pop off today, I was able to push it back on without getting off the machine.
Good to know that you got 2000 hours on that old track. This summer I put a set of prowler tracks on my Komatsu.
I guess the gentleman helping you is your father. Father i'm pretty sure you are very proud of Andrew. I just wish I have a son like Andrew
I wish I had a husband like Andrew. ❤️
Nice job. You made it look too easy. That track is about 500lbs or more. I've seen tracks changed or reinstalled in weird places and in strange ways. Yours was nice and straight forward. I think I would change the other track too. It looks a little rough and you can keep it covered up some where for a spare. See you in the next one.
i could watch videos like this all day long..super informative!
That Yanmar is amazing! It does the work of bigger excavators and Andrew is a master at operating it...🥇💯
i still remember him from older video ..
and always trying to help, nice guy..
you have a lovely dad 💚
keep up the good work 🔨🔧
Love the pregnant pause as you,"Gas off", classic.
Nice job. Lots of fun pushing those tracks around by yourself. I found laying down a 3/4 x4x8 ply wood down makes it easier to position the track under the drive train.
That freight guy was prob like, oh my lucky day.
He has delivered to me before, I was all ready for him, he was stopped there less than 2 minutes.
By the way.. old rubber track when its laid out flat works great as traction mat for soft areas.. you may have to drive across many times. so its worth rolling up and sticking it back on the pallet and saving it for that exact time you need it. it can also be used to protect the concrete floor if you run a steel tracked machine into the shop..
I thought you could use it as stepping stones or a walkway in a wet area.
I used an old track to make a planter box for my wife. Just turned it on it's side. They have sprocket holes in them to let excess water out. Works great!
wayne p, great idea I never thought of having a set of tracks for that. I have used old tires for so long but the track cut in 2 ft lengths would work great to walk a machine across a road or curb and gutter or into a shop for repairs.
Thanks Andrew, but it's your experience and confidence that makes it look easy, I'm sure we would take a lot lot longer to put on a new track.
My tracks were always coming off in mud on my mini ex. I was so used to fixing it. Got it down quick. This reminded me of the good ol days making good money. That all changed in 2008
Lifting the excavator alot with the boom really puts wear on the "turret ring". That thing with all the teeth, where the upper part of the excavator turns on. YOu maybe want to be gently to it, as it is an expesnive part.
andrew has the job we wish we had when we were kids playing in the sandbox.
I think excavators are one of the greatest inventions. They move so much soil so fast.
Stuart Moser Thank Mr. Otis. He invented it back around 1840.
Andrew I own several excavators and if one of my guys left the under carriage and tracks that muddy he would not have a job. You need to keep them clean so you can perform the maintenance and repairs. I know you have a power washer. You do good work but they don't make you money unless you take care of them. Down time is money out of your pocket. The other track needs to changed. We only get about 1800 hours out of our rubber tracks. So we change them at 1500 which for us means we don't break anymore on the jobsite. Keep pushing forward and digging dirt.
Having those grease fittings are great to keep tension on the track and as far as the metal ones i can remember having to torch out the pin and re-weld it when i was done, whatever you gotta do to keep going and get the job done👍
man, I can barely change the tire on my bicycle without needing help and you do a whole track like that by yourself. Another cool video, thanks!
My, what a colorful ratchet!
I concur with you on the electric grease gun. Working on farm equipment, especially balers and, oddly, tedders, not needing three hands to do the job is NECESSARY. And it saves SO much time, especially with the odd, hard-to-reach fittings poorly designed into the guts of the machine. We had one old square baler that conveniently had a gang-panel of grease fittings with tubes running to various internal parts, but that was the exception to the rule. There was another one where we actually had to climb into the chute to get two fittings.. really a pain in the butt if you had an old partial bale in there. And the design was so poor that the action of the material moving through the chute would wear down the fittings to nothing and we had to replace them almost every time we used the thing, despite them being recessed. Our tedder had 27 grease points. 27!!! And it was one of the simpler pieces of equipment! A tedder has nothing on a round-baler in terms of complexity.
Gotta love grease nipples that always get destroyed. I should probably buy a pack of plugs someday and just swap the nipples in only when greasing.
Nice work Andrew. Nothing to it when you know how to do it !
Andrew..you are certainly not afraid of a little hard work..admire that...Take it from an old timer....NEVER pour gas down a carburetor and crank at the same time...3rd degree burns will follow.
I’ve gotta say, you made isolation for two weeks bearable!
1:06 "like a wounded soldier, the mini ex drags it's limb with it to a safe place where it can begin the process of healing. Nature is just incredible..."
Andrew,this is a good explanation and demo of one of your jobs where you had an issue about perforated pipe: Apple Drainage,How to install perforated pipe,worth a look.,cheers ,good work,AUSSIE PAUL.
I replaced both tracks on my 4.5 tonne Hitachi on my own having never done anything like that before… it still beats me how I did it as I didn’t release very much tension so I had to “roll” the tracks on using the sprockets.
I only wish I’d checked and replaced the rollers as I now have a job to replace all the bottom ones at the very least.
I also wish I’d known to check the final drive oil as one of them recently expired with a horrendous crunching sound and that will be costly to replace… in 8 years of occasional use I have never checked the final drive oil on my now 29 year old machine: big mistake!
This would be a perfect time to use that fancy hot water pressure washer. I am kind of surprised that it didn't get cleaned before installing the new track. Andrew is usually on top of cleaning and maintenance, or at least more so than I am anyway.
Never cease to be amazed by your skills and determination ,well done ,thanks for sharing.
Respect on that track job, replacing isn’t easy work.
Did anyone hear that fart at 18:36 😂😂😂😂 still the best channel on youtube
Don Hill yes he stopped just to push it out
natural gaz
ahahhaha:-) :-) sound of nature
Haha, I just caught that. Reached it twice to comfirm
2 farts...lol and @ 18:56 a Sasquatch screaming in the distance!
I think I’ve watched all of your videos and wish you would tell us the story of how you came to own your piece of the mountain......when, where, how and how many acres?
If you lived close to us, we’d keep you busy....you amaze me with your ability to operate such a variety of equipment AND maintain them.
Thanks Andrew, My track just came off, and now I am ok to go ahead and fix. Your a champion and thanks for your post
Take your pressure washer and blast all that dirt out so you'll have a clean area and do a service grease all the roller fittings.
A Clean machine is a happy machine! When I worked at a rental yard we kept them spotless then you can see if something is going to break.
My favorite RUclips channel Andrew...really like the way you work and think "outside the box." Great job my friend.
That pressure washer you bought would have come in handy
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Editing out the farts? Nah, that's just extra content for the yt-channel. :D
This video has everything I needed to know to do this by myself if I needed to. I feel like an expert now.
man for all the hours that are probably on that machine, that thing still starts right up!
Imagine before excavators were invented... Good to hear you have plenty of projects lined up. Take care.
I've been a sub, of your channel for quite awhile now. You never cease to amaze me, such a hard worker! When most other men your age are slack offs. Was that your dad helping, he must be very proud of you. Enjoy all your videos, keep on keepin on.
Respect brother....you are in reality an one man army...
You should certainly order a new track for the right side sooner than later. @ 12:32 you can see exactly where it will tear in half and fall off when you can least afford the downtime.
Remember that there is a specification on the tension you put on the track when pumping grease back in. It is a measurement of the distance the track drops of the bottom rollers when the track is off the ground.
I just looked at the specs of this track, its weight is 544 pounds!
Thumbs up for ripping those fart's while telling us about separating a track.......classic!!!! Eat more Taco Bell .........hahaha
Hallowe'en is coming. I heard he's going to dress up as The Grim Ripper.
18:35 lol
I know a guy who used to do a lot of lake dredging remember hearing about the joys of walking about in knee deep mud looking for the ideler in the lake bed
Those are fun to do for the first time. Especially when you are nowhere near a shop.
2000 hours is around a man year. Damned good service life. Had the rubber not leaked water to the steel cable maybe would have lasted longer but still good service life.
We bought a DEWALT battery greaser gun after wearing out our Lincoln battery powered grease gun. Your right a great product.
Fewer link's is better because you have less travel on the idler and the track's will stay on better, both rubber and steel. Also my most used tool that I have ever bought is my Husqvarna power washer; Of course I am a stickler for equipment maintenance and cleaning --- but that's just me, I hate working on dirty equipment. I would also replace the other track, and put the old one on a hook system on the excavator or trailer with my tool's for it, as a emergency spare when in the field.
Looks like a limp crocodile, the old track :))
But man, your driving skills are awesome! Never saw an excavator actually drive on only one track!
That's why they call blown caps (retreaded truck tires that blow or let go) left on the highways "alligators". Because when you see one twisted around, sitting in your lane in the dark, the lugs sticking out look like the nubs and ridges on an alligators' back.... just before you run over it at 70 mph.
I was hoping that you had a bad roller. I liked the way you rebuilt the center pulley in your Ford dump truck. I bought a replacement roller for my machine, but I saved the old one, I'm going to try pressing in new bearings.
Yeah, usually just the whole roller gets replaced. Good luck changing just the bearings.
You don't think I should try it? I thought it would be similar to you rebuilding your Ford center pulley, except the roller has 6 bearings.
If the bearings aren't expensive you should try it.
i like how this video come before the video where you used that machine with broken track :D
Thanks, Andrew for the video on changing tracks. I don't know what it is about the excavator's but, it may be how well you operate them also. Hope to see your next video very soon.
Thanks again Andrew for sharing, fighting the flu is much easier while watching your video’s 🤒 ❤️✌️
Thank you for sharing your story. God bless you and your family
Nice tricks, now I want to buy an excavator and play in my yard.
andrew you are a jack of all trades!!!
Looks like the other track not long for this world too
Watching you work is like sitting with a good bourbon and a cigar.
It’s great to have toys I mean tools and equipment to do the job the right way .
I was just watching the video where you fix the Mitsubishi alternator and then you off roaded it at the end. I was laughing so hard when your were off roading it because you were driving it like a mad man! You should make another video where you off road the Mitsubishi.
Followed by a "Fixing the Mitsubishi" video. Fun for everyone.
Experienced heavy equipment man. Very educational. Thank you sir. Have a good day.
I would change the old track and use the same size on both sides.
could different sizes/types cause a problem?
I've had better luck with fewer links in rubber tracks. They seem to let rocks pop out a little easier.
Just learned something new. Thanks!
Andrew I just found you and have been binging on your videos. You are doing one hell of a job so keep it up. P.S. those tracks are basic tire tread construction designed for that purpose. A word of advice. If you have not done so look into business insurance. Keep track of what you earn. You can bet IRS is watching.
You could use the old track as a threshold for your shop. Instead of things hitting edge of concrete floor to go up and into the building the track could take the shock of that impact off the edge of the slab and keep it from cracking longer and it would shed water so it wouldn't be directing water into the shop like if you built up the dirt/gravel at the edge of the slab. Just spike it down with some rebar to keep it from moving around.
I think Andrew as all tracks will eventually come of ,get the one that' easiest to put back on again.
DAMN Andrew! I had to pop back on plenty of tracks of a mini, but never seen one sheered like that before. 2k hours seems like it got some good use though.
i like tracks with less links because it might be easier to pop off but its also easier to put back on
More links = smoother ride AND when you going over a narrow object for ex let's say a 2x4 on the side when you going whit the roller over the links they getting spread , on the new track you getting away but whit 500 hr the damage it's going to crip in . Now let's say you operating in Florida where it's soft dirt and sand in that situation you don't need a track whit 70 links less links it's ok , in your case mu friend it's not in your neck of the woods it's all rocks and don't ask me haw i know , i'm 1hr south from you . Keep them coming Andrew.
Keep up the great work and take care! Thanks
Super job on the track. I like your style. Just do it!
No job man! Yeah, my Kubota tracks are pretty smoked, I should probably get some new ones at some point, but I'm sort of like you.. Just might want till they bust. One other thing I heard of is to leave the tracks in the sun for a while and also to toss a 2x4 or 2x6 in the middle of the track to help spread them out. My buddy says that it's also easier to use a forklift if you can... I think you should just get a new track for the other side as well, it doesn't look too long for this world.