Avant Digger 260 trenching for electric cable

Forgot to turn off the Smooth Drive (boom suspension) at first.
• Avant 650i (A450091/M650) ~2136 kg with 180+36 kg additional rear weights
• Digger 260 (A35248) ~480 kg
• Tilt adapter S30-150 (A35249)
• Digging bucket 400 mm wide, S30-150 attachment (A414304)

[@AvantSouthAfrica]

Awesome!!! Always happy to see you posting an Avant video

[@nothingspecial5875]

I like your videos, it's good to see somebody else doing work with the same tools to compare and learn. I run the 260 remote on an 860i and am still learning how to use it properly. Here are a few random thoughts: Smooth drive: I constantly switch back and forth between smooth drive enabled and disabled. My manuals says to enable smooth drive when changing the height of the boom (for transport) and disable smooth drive for digging. I think this is because smooth drive disable the self-leveling feature and therefore the tilt cylinder of the coupling plate don't strain themselves. I am not sure if it is the same with your support bracket, because mine is a little different (two silver bars). For me the coupling plate is tilted all the way to the rear and the two silver support bracket make tilting the couple plate impossible. Enabling smooth drive each time I lift or lower the boom, really saves the tilting cylinders from serious stress. I try to lift my front wheels for digging like the manuals says, but usually I just dig myself into the ground. I'll have to try and lower the shield, maybe screw some wood bar under the two lufting cylinders. Nice job by the way - very clean trenching work.

[@Tarqwak]

As far as I know the smooth drive just enables hydraulic accumulator and allows the oil move between boom cylinder rod and piston side. Driving with the digger in front on a bit bumpy asphaIt road at 25 km/h it does make a noticeable difference when it absorbs bounces. Never noticed that before that the 800 series boom topside is completely different and that there's different digger versions for 500-700 series and 800 series, my A35248 or newer A437510 Digger 260 can't be used on 860i, only the RC A443267. When the plate tilt cylinder is fixed by the boom bracket and you lift the boom without enabling the Smooth Drive the plate cylinder pressure is released by overpressure valve somehow, I'm guessing. I did lower the blade one notch so now the blade hits the ground first and then I can adjust the outriggers individually and engage the parking brake. The 650i in the current digging configuration with ~2.7 tons total weight (with driver) it does seem way more stable than the 635 was with ~2.2 tons total (didn't have rear weights). I'm guessing the 860i with RC digger is ~3.5 tons or so. When digging from pavement that you don't want to mess up with blade/outriggers I've used a sturdy plank under the blade, but thought about making a attachment from a blown up truck tyre tread that's screwed onto a plank or some metal contraption that can be attached to the blade. Thanks and looking forward to your 860i & RC shovel videos ;]