Urban development has now entered a period of slowdown, while rural construction has begun in full swing. Of course, construction cannot be separated from excavators, especially mini excavators. Many excavator operators now have a lot of experience, but there are quite a few operating techniques for excavators. Below are some operating tips for you.
1. Operating Techniques
To operate an excavator, you must first understand the surrounding working environment to avoid mistakes during rotation and travel. For beginners, it's also crucial to determine the forward and backward direction of the tracks to prevent errors during travel. During operation, avoid pointing the travel motor directly at the digging direction to prevent damage to the travel motor and hydraulic lines.
2. Effective Excavation Methods
According to videos sent by many customers, many people who are not familiar with excavators simply use the bucket teeth to scrape the soil. The normal usage is to keep the bucket teeth at a 30-degree angle to the object being excavated, which reduces digging resistance and saves effort.
3. Excavating Rock
In principle, excavator buckets should not be used to excavate rock, as this will cause significant damage to the bucket. The rock should be broken up first using a hydraulic breaker before excavating. If it is absolutely necessary to use the bucket, the bucket teeth can be inserted into the crevices of the rock, and the excavation can be carried out using the combined force of the bucket and the boom.
4. Slope Leveling Operation
When leveling, first ensure the excavator's balance to prevent it from swaying. Maintain hand-eye coordination to ensure the boom and arm are under your control. Finally, use the excavator's rotation to perform a final leveling check.
5. Loading Operations
When the excavator is performing loading operations, its position should be adjusted first to ensure that the operation can be carried out with the smallest possible slewing angle. The smaller the slewing angle, the higher the loading efficiency. The excavator should also be positioned higher than the truck to allow for better operator visibility and easier operation.
6. Working in Soft Ground or Water
If the site is found to be soft soil, or has deep mud or water, prepare planks or other materials in advance to maintain the excavator's stability.
If the water level is high enough to submerge the excavator tracks, be careful that water may enter the engine compartment, causing electrical malfunctions.
7. Lifting Operations
There is a hook under the excavator bucket for lifting objects. First, the lifting operation should be gentle and smooth. The lifting rope should be of appropriate length. The position of the bucket should be adjusted promptly to prevent the hook from coming off. At the same time, no personnel should approach the excavator during lifting to prevent accidental injury.
8. Smooth Operation Method
When operating an excavator, it is essential to ensure its stability. Maintaining stability not only makes operation smoother but also reduces damage during operation and extends the excavator's lifespan.
There are many ways to keep an excavator stable, such as pressing the bulldozer blade into the soil, placing wooden boards or dry soil under the excavator tracks, and also keeping in mind that the boom is heavy and vigorous movement will directly affect the stability of the excavator during operation. Position the excavator in a position that is just right for digging.
9. Proper Operating Procedures
When the excavator is moving, the boom, arm, and bucket should be retracted as much as possible to avoid hitting other objects. When encountering obstacles that can be driven over, drive directly over them to prevent the excavator from tipping over. When going uphill, place the travel motor at the rear to enhance the track's traction; when going downhill, place the travel motor at the front to prevent the excavator from slipping. When parking the excavator, gently insert the bucket and bulldozer blade into the ground.
10. Proper Crushing Operation
Although crushing operations are very expensive, they can also cause significant damage to the excavator. Therefore, crushing operations should be stopped immediately after completion. When crushing hard objects, the crushing time should not exceed 60 seconds, and the crushing should be done slowly at the edges of the object. Continuous use of the breaker hammer for a long time will cause the hammer's chisel to gradually melt and will also damage various parts of the excavator.
The above 10 tips are the most common advice and techniques for operating excavators. There are also many other techniques that you need to explore and learn on your own, especially for new excavator operators who need to practice and learn more to become the best on the construction site as soon as possible.
