Classic Cats and Scraper Boxes Digging a Reservoir

[@danielhanney3326]

Kinda humbled to see these D8K's hard at work after all these years, I helped to build these very machines when I worked for Caterpillar 1974 - 87, a lot of Uk suppliers manufactured the parts, from Radiator grills made in Pool in Dorset..track links from Dudley Drop forgings in the Midlands, Cabs built by Penman in Dumfries..the list goes on ..we sourced a lot the castings from all over the UK and machined and heat treated in our Tannochside plant, nr Glasgow..happy days employed there..and proud to see our machines still working away 😊

[@scruffy6151]

Thank you. That is something you do not see everyday dozers pulling pans. Clay that has been rain soak is never fun to work. Nice looking set up seem to be getting the job done.

[@Gaz1980-x2l]

Those D8K dozers are in fine condition and have obviously been well looked after......

[@Grabatire]

Spent several summers shining the seat of a D8H and D8K pulling scrapers. No cabs just canopies, which I actually preferred. Worked in a lot of jobs that took the better part of an hour to clean the tracks at the end of the day too.

[@waynecompton7612]

Thank you for the video, Dad use to own and run a Komatsu D155A and a cat 453 box . It’s nice to see this equipment running.😎👍

[@cmcg1737]

That's one busy d6

[@johnthompson4294]

From small acorns large oaks grow well done aidie. From Tommo

[@albertemanuello7471]

NICE D8K i saw three of these great eights in Classic Plant nice job rebuilding them thanks for posting. BIG AL BOSTON ,MA.

[@travisnull273]

What is in the racks above the cab on the dozers?

[@heartland96a]

Why was the front dozed used with out a blade or counter weight to help with traction?

[@kmnmalaska]

Does anyone else think that the push cat should be a D8 as well? A 6 seems to be overmatched when pushing this large of a scraper.

[@ConstructionMachinesChannel]

Cool video. Does this contractor use this machine combination regularly or did they come out of retirement? Don't see them being used on sites too often anymore

[@AwesomeEarthmovers]

Construction Machines Channel That’s his regular setup. He was telling me that he prefers the D8K as it had more horsepower than the Following model, the D8L which was the first 8 with an elevated drive sprocket.

[@kreimer674]

@@AwesomeEarthmovers Here in Canada we still use cat and cans. They work awesome for short haul applications, such as new housing developments. We use komatsu d155 and Rome cans. Alot of times no need for push cat. They actually work better then 8k. We run 7 units. 3 with Trimble 3d gps.

[@UrsulavonB]

@@AwesomeEarthmovers 8K 300hp / 8L 335 hp - Tier1 3408E 379hp

[@1nugget2C]

just a quick observation, would it be more productive if the d8's had a blade and then they could assist each other in loading? great video love the old 8k's cut my teeth on them as a kid

[@1nugget2C]

​@die warlock sounds like you've got a bucket load of experience. What's your best practice improvement so we all can learn something to help our businesses? just asking, we run scrapers in oz all the time push and pull so it would make sence to me if they could assist each other in part of the loading cycle.......... but hey i'm just a kid?

[@jestestuman]

It is often used method, but it depends on the conditions and material removed as well as the scrape and haul distance. watch this type of work in the US and there is a lot of actions like this. Self propelled scrapers even have a hook to pull each other.

[@TheByard]

@@jestestuman Watched a machine shop guy repairing a Cat hook, he does a lot of Cat parts. He's an Ausie guy and has lots of videos up. He also uses old machine shop equipment. Cutting Edge Engineering Australia, check it out.

[@lembriggs1075]

What did you dig the core trench with? Did you remove all of the sand and replace with good clay fill? Looks like you’re doing a great job! I’d say you’re burning about 250 gallons a day?

[@dennytrent1864]

Never understood why the cats don't have blade the extra weight up front would help load plus they maintain their pile or fill so much easier

[@jackschissler255]

I understand the Tracks provide better traction than tires but after awhile won’t mud/dirt get up in the inside of the tracks and prevent them from moving? And how often must you take them apart to clean them?

[@AwesomeEarthmovers]

Jack Schissler Tracks will normally never seize due to mud. Some operators will dig the mud out daily to prevent wear and tear but doing that is essential in cold climates as well because when mud freezes in the tracks it will seize them.

[@boozer7774]

great vid love those's big machines . as to why there not using new stuff its that they own them now there bring the bacon home to mama not only that you don't need a 10,000 computer to tell you how to fix it

[@kreimer674]

So true. Those d8k cats have paid for themselves 10 times by now. Cheapest way to move mud short distances. We have retired 8ks and use komatsu 155 as power units pulling Rome scrapers. 3 units run gps to help productivity.

[@claterpillar1]

So true. My 965B Scraper tractor , had an ecm go bad. Ecm $1600. 3 service calls to get ecm to work right. $4200.

[@bacazterchovej2235]

is that sand ?

[@briangardiner1015]

That poor D6 was getting a workout. It is interesting that these scrapers can still be productive. I wonder if the material is hard enough that it needs to be ripped?

[@kk-cd7oy]

Brian Gardiner looks Sandy to me

[@jestestuman]

Lol scrapers are mosrt productive way of removing soil, it is method widely used in the US. It is rarely used in Europe for some reason.

[@Grabatire]

I sure feel for the operators when at the end of the day they have to clean those tracks. Been there, done that. Yech.

[@dhewitt2514]

Never realised how much the lpg tracks help until I watched this. Big difference isn’t there

[@AwesomeEarthmovers]

D Hewitt They LGP tracks are perfect for this material. Could have done with them on the D8k’s as well!

[@mariotorres6287]

Serious heavy, wet digging!! Traction definitely an issue in this wet stuff. Production limited by long pushes required to obtain decent loads in the pans, and the necessity to continue the push uphill out of the cut. I wonder if a larger pushcat (at least a D8) would help with traction and speed to increase production. Fun to watch these pull-pans, nevertheless.

[@AwesomeEarthmovers]

Mario Torres it’s the first day back after a lot of rain a couple of days ago. By the afternoon things were looking much better.

[@danhaskett455]

If you loaded downhill you wouldn’t need the d6t... awesome gear!

[@dplant8961]

Hi, @@danhaskett455 . The bloody armchair critics are really coming out of the woodwork on this one. Would you pleas explain to me - and the men doing the job - just how in hell you load downhill when you are digging a largish reservoir with a BIGGG, FLAT bottom and then climbinbg up about a 1 in 4 batter that is more slippery than the proverbial 'butcher's &*^#'@' ?????????????? IF you pay attention, you just might see at the 3.40 mark what happens when one of 'cat-n-cans' tries to load itself. May I suggest that read Awesome Earthmovers' comment above about the rain? Just my 0.02. You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.

[@apjack2553]

It can't be easy to get that much out of that scraper.

[@seanmallon4174]

Any chance of a start?

[@russellthomas2044]

ever heard of a push cat ?

[@0796logsplitter]

Looks to me like someone here has more money than sense.

[@mojostevo]

I love these types of comments: Outrageous accusation, with no explanation to back it up.

[@buildmor]

Diggin the world away why don't you bid against them on the next job? Should make a killing with all the "sense” you got

[@74superglide]

There are new vids where they are working this same job I believe, 120k cubic yards and still working on it. I mentioned I use to work at a phosphorous mine and we moved 80k cubic yards every 20hrs!

[@raganusmc]

Where is this jod?

[@ericstone8812]

Why not leave the blades on the 8s and have em push each other? At least the 6 would only have to push every other one.

[@LeoAlmeidaBRASIL]

scraper without power

[@7rixee]

Didn't know they had scrapers in the UK as well.. Always thought they were a bit ridiculous and ineffiecent, regardless of how effective.

[@NITENINJA3]

Here in australia we start with an empty paddock and then 3 months later its a 3000 megalitre storage dam. Its crazy how much scrapers can move in the right environment.

[@TheByard]

I worked on a new ring road around Gloucester in the UK, Sir Robert McAlpine was the contractor doing the work for the County Council. The motor scrapers moved so much dirt in a month GCC put in student engineers to check the daily time cycle of the scraper fleet, from burrow pit to embankment build up. There were several teams of tally clerks keeping records of the numbered scrapers, fueling was done overnight and during the two 20 min breaks in a 12 hour shift. The mechanics also worked nights and had the Cats running ready for the operators 6am start. This was back in 1970s. My father ran several Cat dozers and scraper box's in The Gold Coast (Now Ghana) on the Takoradi docks extension in the 1950s. These were cable operated box's of course.

[@7rixee]

@@TheByard That's cool to hear. So much know old infrastrucrure and massive builds and you never know who built them. Today even caterpillars are going obsolete in much eatrhmoving with the advent of gps guided excavators. With the automation, the operator will soon be just overseeing and correcting if need be.

[@TheByard]

@@7rixee I was sat in an office with the site boss and an 50 ish guy walked in looking for a job. A young office clerk ask him what he had driven. His answer was "a lot of yellow ones". The boss and I knew exactly what he meant, the boss told the clerk to get him a cup of tea and then we had a 20 min chat on his list of jobs. No CV but put him on a machine and it danced.

[@reatonable]

Just add water, don't you just love working in mud.

[@chrisduhaime5689]

Almost continues flow withthe helper cat at the uphill exit

[@puksrasohchurrun]

Greasy as a butchers prick. I know the pain. Great gear and video all the same, Ta

[@ryanhaack240]

Using a D6 wide track finish dozer to push scrapers? Get yourself fired for that at most earthmoving companies around here. Only D8's or bigger pushing pans. That's not what that 6 is for. I guess if that's all you got it works.

[@AwesomeEarthmovers]

The D8’s pulling the scraper pan are doing most of the work and the D6 is needed for trimming the steep sides of the reservoir as well. A D8 would not work well on steep slopes. It’s the optimal set up for what they do.

[@WilliamLawson6899]

Little boring