385C L Powerstripe Pioneering a Bench

*actually the right video to the title this time!
Starting a bench off a huge 50ft vertical face. I pull down enough material to build a pad halfway up the face then climb up and start chewing my way in, then spinning and digging my bench out as I go.

[@vantagetes]

My camera used ACHD Lite* a type of HD format that has high compression for smaller file sizes, and I have a 2 GB card. These videos are pushing around 1.8 GB in size (I have to upload them overnight).

[@vantagetes]

I started off on a 330, then an old 375 showed up that no one wanted to run. I took it of course, I didn't mind the heat and dust I just wanted a big machine. After I proved myself on that I got the 385C LME.

[@vantagetes]

Right now our company is going from 7am to 330pm. 15 min break at 10am, and 30 min (unpaid lunch) at 1pm. Tracked machine operators get 30 min after that to shovel tracks etc (usually do a little clean up around the site if needed as well).

[@bigpete405]

good video. so cool to see how you set up on a hill

[@vantagetes]

I think they bumped up the time limit, either that or it's just limited by the actual file size. My videos are in a new highly compressed HD format so I can get more video length with the same size card.

[@TomBrueggen]

I like the videos man, but if possible could you do a summary at the end to kind of show the big picture? I understand you are at work, so no worries. It was just hard to get a visual of the overall effort you put out. I guess you were down in a hole and digging you way up and out? Or not necessarily in a hole, but needing to move up a hillside right? Anyway, keep up the good work!

[@vantagetes]

Yup it is for now. I imagine there will be a "new" version out in the spring.

[@vantagetes]

@whoha69 More stick? Good lord man I'm already down 15,520lbs of crowd force with the GP stick vs the ME, I don't need to lose anymore digging power when I'm trying to ram a 8yd bucket through the ground.

[@Heavytruckphotos]

Great video...!

[@vantagetes]

Yeah it's kinda weird working at my company. I'll run a 385 loading 773s and swinging around a D10 all day, and it seems small. I know every corner of the machine and where it is. Then we might have a month or two off in the winter and I get back in and scare the hell out of me the first 10 min cause it's freaking massive.

[@JimBruce42]

Some days I'm not sure he does, my back still feels funny from the rattling I got the other day, haha... too bad you didn't get glass cleaner with that nice vest;)

[@vantagetes]

You run your machine with your eyes open Pip? Haha yeah that sun made it suck even worse. I got a couple spots of mud and then my wiper smeared it all over and I didn't have time to stop and fix it until coffee.

[@vantagetes]

I think the 10 minutes is just the average length you can get out of 2gb with a regular HD camera. I don't think it's actually time capped but file size capped.

[@vantagetes]

It's still slow so I doubt they will want to go through the paper work to get a foreign operator =/ Plus winter is coming so things will get even slower.

[@cypresssteve1]

Hey mate, good stuff. Whats with the dozer sitting up there in the background? He could've made you a bench in no time. Think I'll buy one of those cameras myself. I've always wanted a time lapse of one of my shifts.

[@jordan1789]

cypresssteve1 ...the dozer operators don't always understand the full picture of how to set up a bench. I agree a dozer can set up a bench real quick but sometimes it's better to just do yourself.

[@vantagetes]

@FUCKINROCKIT I was more concerned about rolling a lump through the front window, that edge started off as straight up and down and 50ft high. You'll noticed as I pull it down I slowly let the dirt fall away from the bucket so I can swing the big lumps sideways if I have to and around my machine. I also built up the area directly in front of the machine to make a crown so the material would keep rolling to the sides.

[@bert26a]

Shit I wish we had some dirt as dry as you guys, I gotta deal with Red River gumbo here.

[@vantagetes]

@blakesbitch Haven't run any of their excavators but I like their rock trucks a lot!

[@ebpierce55]

is that 385 in the new series of excavators?

[@69rd96]

How did you manage to get 13 minutes of video length?

[@welderboy14]

Great video how did you get 13 mins of video on you tube

[@vantagetes]

Haha oh I'm not so sure. I bet you say that to all your subscriptions ;)

[@welderboy14]

ya it must be the hd because thay havent made the time limit any longer :( Thanks for replying

[@redheadedduckhunter]

He works for a company that does subdivisions for housing and other stuff like that not mining.

[@vantagetes]

Yup landfill still.

[@ebpierce55]

right there probally will be at the rate they make em and all the money cats getting

[@juhis1978]

how much will the machine weigh?

[@juhis1978]

what is the size of that bucket?

[@345MEdigger]

hey wing how about some glass cleaner??

[@73roadrunner1]

What kind of mine is this / gold ?

[@vantagetes]

Yeah that guy was a cheap ass. He did send a nice hat though, helps keep the sun out of my eyes. Hey look at that, I'm even wearing it in the video!

[@Gasteraner]

thats my same question LOL

[@jimmyjohnson7769]

it be nicer if kidco still had its 245 Front Shovel

[@vantagetes]

From what I understand that was used exclusively at the gravel pit. Last I saw it was sitting in a yard in Edmonton, still had Kidco stickers on it!

[@vantagetes]

I always thought a 345 front shovel would be the cats ass for loading out swampy top soil that was stacked by dozers.

[@jimmyjohnson7769]

yeah its still sitting there nobody wants its

[@jimmyjohnson7769]

vantagetes oh fuck yeah

[@vantagetes]

@juhis1978 8 yards

[@jimmyjohnson7769]

85 tons

[@jimmyjohnson7769]

Roughly 85 tons