Koehring for Mass Excavation

Showing the versatility and productivity of large hydraulic excavators. Featuring Koehring 1066 and 1266.
Written and produced by: Jim Holtan
Videographer: Fred Movroydis

[@turbo1438]

Boy oh boy, those 10 wheelers were taking a beating!!

[@meb32340]

I was a mechanic for 30 years and started working on Koehring in 1968 till about 1987. Worked for The Earle Equipment in Romulus, MI. Then moved to Texas where I worked for Waukesha Pierce both of these companies were Koehring and Bantam Dealers. Bantam was a division of Koehring. Best days of my life. And yes the controls were a little hard to get used to.

[@boomersD9CAT]

The Bantam Teleskoop…spent many hours/days/years holding a grade pole or looking through the transit checking grades…👍👏

[@Guds777]

Did they have levers not servos...

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@Guds777 Ran the bucket curl and croud/rehaul with your feet. Boom and swing were on levers. Some were on wobblers on top of the levers and were air over hydraulic. The Kohrings I was around was foot controlled but the Drotts were air.

[@michaelwills1926]

Everything about this is nineteen seventy glorious.

[@ray8304]

This is really cool and brought back great memories from my early years when I was a machine buff. I remember the first time I saw a kohering 1466 on a sewer line project where I grew up and I was in awe at the size of that machine. The bucket cylinder diameter was absolutely enormous. Needless to say I was impressed. This is terrific to see this footage, never new it existed. Thanks for posting 👍😎

[@Ratdaddy78]

In the early 90s I worked for a company that had a 466 and a 666 Koehring. Both machines had a huge number of hours, but their combination of weight and reach kept them around for deep bridge footings. Someone at some point goofed when they worked on the swing controls, and for a while the 666 was a Killdozer, it would stick in swing and the air controls wouldn't stop it. Having a 50-ton machine in close quarters suddenly turn into a spinner is a bowel-loosening experience. The usual way of dealing with this was to jam the dipper back into the trench when you came around again. I dug out the manual and found that the air control cylinder and control lever were mirror-image assembled. Once this was corrected, no more spinning. A little too late, because a week or two later the swing gearbox catastrophically failed. The crash stopping had broken a chunk out of a gear which found its way between two other gears. I think the only thing that didn't have to be replaced was the swing pinion. Anyway, those two machines did close to thirty years of good work. The people who manufactured, sold, and serviced them can be rightfully proud.

[@huckstirred7112]

666 that just sounds evil

[@vascohinds3645]

0

[@catskinner3254]

I broke out running a triple 6 in 1970. It took a couple weeks to get my thumbs in shape. The bucket and crowd were controlled with your thumbs. Controls were air over hydraulic.

[@JimHoltan]

Yes, I remember those controls!

[@GitarCarl]

The variable volume pumps gave the 66 series onwards a fluidity of motion unlike every other excavator I saw at the time. Presumably the operators could get used to the slight unpredictability of how fast a particular motion would be. Thanks for posting this great video!

[@larrydunlop378]

Seems like the unpredictability came from the air controls possibly moreso than the variable volume pumps? There was some times a delay with those. Then throw in condensation and winter ! oh boy! LOL

[@jwonesti]

I have a koehring 440 dragline. Still use it to dig ponds. This video is great. Listen to those detroits at 3:48 Thanks for the upload.

[@mr.samurai901]

I loved heavy equipment as a kid in the 80s and still do. I haven't seen a Koehring in many years. Link Belt was another brand I never see anymore. Cat 977 track loaders we're everywhere back then too, that is a rare machine to see nowadays. I remember so much equipment I loved that is all gone now. The John Deere track loaders with the backhoe attachments, and Barber Greene bucket wheel trenchers.

[@russellking9762]

Link Belt still produce excavators today....they are owned by and are a division of Sumitomo of Japan

[@christianmoore7046]

This entire video reminds me of KZbin Gold!

[@fandangololo1855]

Great video. This machine was ahead of its time. Great design!

[@larrydunlop378]

Awesome video Jim. Watched a 1266D working way back about 1978 working on a large sewer job in pickering , Ont. I was in awe and couldnt believe the size and sound of it. Then on the 1266 became my favorite excavator. I was lucky a few years later to get to run the much smaller 466D but the sound of the Detroit and the thumb button air controls gave the feel of its much larger sibling. That is one great video and ive already watched it many times and will many times more.

[@maplemanz]

I ran a 666 with the air controls and absolutely hated em .

[@larrydunlop378]

@@maplemanz These D series Koehrings were some of the first machines to get away from large levers with Hydraulic valves under the cab floor. So it took noise and heat away from the operator. (Even though they had Detroit's!). Also much much easier for the operator to run all day. The problem with the air controls is they became problematic in the cold weather due to moisture in the air. Very advanced machines in the 70s.

[@Romans--bo7br]

@@larrydunlop378.... that's what air Dyer's are for.... they were & are, a "Gods send" for the truckers. Too bad that, that technology hadn't quite been perfected yet, at that time during the 70's when these machines came out... though, by the early 1980's air dryers were fast becoming commonplace on diesel powered trucks... and certainly could have been very easily retro-fitted onto pre-existing heavy equipment, as they were on semi's and other trucks.... and certainly would have been a "salvation" in the colder temps with regards to air-controls and any other pneumatic controlled or powered equipment or accessories. I worked on a large pipeline project back in 1983, loading under a Koehring 1466 which was purchased new for the project.... what a machine!! Loved hearing those twin V12-92TA's (680 hp each... according to the operator.. if, I remember correctly... pretty conservative rating for those engines).

[@Eavis_excavations]

Great to watch vast improvement over draglines and other stuff back in the day

[@philippetays4263]

worked for Recon for a summer, they had a couple of the big ones 1466 s with a pair buzzin dozens ( 12V71 detroit)

[@weazelchop3322]

They don’t. Make them like this no more these machines produced not like today always problems and downtime although I never ran any older ones I was to young but from all the research I’ve done it shure was a good machine

[@leelarson6392]

1466 had 8V92’s or K19 Cummins

[@maplemanz]

Thanks so much for sharing.This was always my favorite make excavator.

[@stevenchandler3409]

I like watching these old videos. Thanks for posting

[@steveashworth6707]

I operated a 1466 doing deep sanitary pipee!, they were one helluva digging machine!. I just retired after 46 yrs operating excavators and the crap they build today size for size do NOT match up at all!. The new machines are electric over hydraulic 👎, heated seats, stereos, and eco friendly!, sorry folks but that dont cut it in the real world!.

[@larrydunlop378]

Your a real lucky man to have run a 1466. That would have been a treat and a highlight to anyone's career. Wish I had some seat time in the 12 or 1466. You take care.

[@rodcody7278]

Oh but their tier 4

[@williamhall9204]

@Steve Ashworth I’m wondering if the 1466 was a reliable machine on the job.Also I’d like to know how deep could the 1466 dig.Any other interesting details that you recall would be appreciated. I have the specifications brochure for the 1466 shovel but not for the 1466 in backhoe configuration.Operating that huge Koehring must have been the highlight of your long career.By the way, I really like comment you made,especially the sorry folks part.

[@haldanson2183]

I ran one , back in the day, in Atlanta. Laid a mile of 60 inch gravity 30 ft. deep, on mats the while way. It's something to talk about now.

[@larrydunlop378]

How did you like the 1266? I would have loved to have been able run one.

[@rp1645]

Hal I always Dreamed about running the 1266 they used on a ass too a metro outfall. The land digging. It had the bucket that filled these smaller mining dumps they used. Bucket to big for 12 yard dumps. They hauled I'll the dirt out. The pipeline was under a right of way road. It was always so interesting how they used the button or little push switches on the Dipper and bucket. The 1266 is sitting all apart in the contractors bone yard, with all the other equipment.

[@MrSwampdawg47]

I understand this might sound a little far fetched but, my grandad bought a koehring from the Atlanta area after it finished up on a pipe job. I wonder if it might be the same one…

[@tristenklein5940]

@@MrSwampdawg47 We ran a 1066 installing golf course irrigation mains and drainage tiles back in the early 80’s, there was nothing on the market at that time that could beat its productivity, quality of machine, maintenance and reliability. The Isuzu Engine was superb in fuel efficiency, reliability, performance and quiet, sold the machine in 2018 and it was still running strong.

[@genefogarty5395]

@@tristenklein5940 Old stuff that is taken care of never dies. I still use a '74 Ford 5550 a friend's father bought brand new as my everyday machine for small drainage work. Four sticks, no BS electronics and it ain't got as much as a glow plug! Almost as impressive as my Dynahoe!

[@brianleonard890]

Awesome video. Thank you for sharing. Shame they stopped making these.

[@stevenmcgregor2219]

And just like that the hydraulic excavator replaced and made all other machines obsolete lol

[@jeffwheeler4693]

I would love to find some info on the conveyor loader they briefly showed at 3:40 if anyone has any leads

[@smedleypdolittle]

Holland Belt loader.

[@edmcelhone4501]

these were king in their day

[@NorthKoreanSimp]

this is awesome

[@Dozervideo]

Great video, thanks

[@ceejay960]

What was the first project shown, the one in the Southeastern United States? Just one section of the project was 11 miles long, 1 mile wide, and 100 ft deep? That is a huge excavation project! I wonder what it was.

[@JimHoltan]

That's the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway, a project that connected the Tennessee River to other waterways that would create barge navigation to the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, it was a huge project. Alternately called one of the greatest projects ever undertaken and one of the nation's biggest boondoggles.

[@ceejay960]

@@JimHoltan Thanks! The size of that project is so overwhelming! It's amazing that we have such big thinkers who dare to conceive and then carryout such an enormous project! Imagine being an operator and working on the same project for 12 years.

[@maximerenaud5130]

Great video!!Many thanks for sharing it!!

[@JimHoltan]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@boomersD9CAT]

Koehring made the Bantam Teleskoop truck mounted excavator ? Similar to a Gradall, but the bucket twisted at the wrist vs the entire boom rotating. In the early 1980’s I worked for an excavating contractor who purchased a brand new Teleskoop mobile excavator. I remember him telling me that he paid 72K (a-lot of money in 1980)

[@JOHNMcDANIEL0322]

Watching the guy loading tandem dumps was almost painful lol

[@AntonSander]

The one has 4 exhausts and like 8 Air Filters? That's awesome

[@dieselman8v923]

Powered by 2 v12 Detroit diesel engines. Lots of air needed haha

[@williamhall9204]

When you see that layout on a very large Koehring, it’s a 1466 model. You will not see that on a 1266D or a 1166E.

[@larrydunlop378]

Jim , Curious of the year you made this?? These 1266Ds were the last version with the white vertical stripes. The earlier D's had the horizontal stripe all the way around the house, which were made in the mid 70s. Thanks again for the fantastic video. It's Awesome!

[@JimHoltan]

I believe we finished the film in 1980. Yes, Koehring had just finished new branding on the machines. Thanks for your note.

[@leelarson6392]

1974-1980 on the 1266 I believe, they did make a few 20,000 series 1266, but the 1466 replaced the 1266

[@briankakuk3090]

Are co had koehrings exc 166 to 1066 14 in all thay were good machines

[@danabarrows8480]

So freaking cool

[@gilbertomoreira7019]

Gosto muito mais desses tempos . Do que a época de hoje sem graca e sem novidades

[@michaelmcgann8176]

Jim great video. Did you ever deal with Blieler equipment. I spent a lot of time working on those excavators back in the 80s

[@JimHoltan]

Never worked with Blieler. I was a Koehring employee, so single focused.

[@petercarlsen3462]

Two 12v71’s I assume?

[@Romans--bo7br]

Peter Carlsen.... I loaded under a brand new 1266 back in the early 1980's... and it had twin 12V92T's, rated conservatively at 665hp each and in the neighborhood of 1900+/- lbs ft of torque, each. These were Very conservative power levels for these engines... MacMillan - Bloedel Logging & paper, up in BC. Canada, had 5 special order Cabover Freightliner semis built with tandem steering axle's and planetary drive rears to haul up to 5 loaded logging trailers in the mountains of British Columbia, back in 1978 - 1979 and they were powered with DD 12V92TA's rated at 960hp and 2400 ft-lbs of torque... driven through Allison HD 750 transmissions with a Spicer 4spd auxillary behind the Allison. Average gross weights with 5 loaded trailers was in the 450,000+ lbs range. I've seen factory marine spec'd versions at 1,080hp. J&T Marine 6-71TA's at 465 & 485hp ratings were common... factory marine 6V92TA's at 550hp, and some J&T versions pushing 640+.

[@larrydunlop378]

@@Romans--bo7br Brand new with 12v92s? Must have been a real late 1266 or even specially ordered as the 1266s usually came with a pair of 12v71s. Either way there was no lack of power and plenty of noise! Lots of good and interesting info in your comment Bud ! Take care.

[@davestinson5691]

I bet several of these got slammed into trucks turning. Esp w boom on opposite side vs newer stuff. Bet u really had to pay attention when trucks pulled up beside u. Slick pads r weird to see but man those tractors r some beast. Bet new stuff will never last like that

[@williambozynski1176]

Is that Ron Burgandy on yazz flute?

[@rodneycody8746]

Nice

[@HariSupriono]

I smell *Fallout* Edit: Like no seriously this gives off Fallout 4 (or at least New Vegas) vibes

[@АлександрСоловьёв-я1к]

🤔🤔🤔👍 Хорошая работа!!!

[@duniaalber3178]

nice work, greetings from Indonesia channel 🙏

[@willcojak9650]

Where was this?

[@JimHoltan]

Various sites across the US. The first one is the building of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway

[@maplemanz]

I would love to run one that big ,the largest hoe I ever ran was a Cat 385B

[@chrisduhaime5689]

Looks like early 70s

[@JimHoltan]

Was filmed in the late ‘70s

[@jacobwalter6944]

What c

[@skadill]

Thanks for posting this,what a treat!!! Noticed the big Koehrings tend to leak out of end stick cylinder rod seal a bit.

[@jackk8422]

Lol they leak everywhere. Neat machine though.

[@careycummings9999]

That dramatic 70's music! They just don't make machines and documentaries like this nowadays. Excellent presentation Jim.

[@alexanderthevoice]

Yeah nowadays it's only with superhero music, a bit too much overwhelming

[@generationll]

Remember encountering a very large Koerhing 1466 back in 1982 & 83 in Boston on a subway relocation project.

[@williamhall9204]

Absolutely awesome video Jim. Thanks for posting it. The Koehring 1266d is my all time favorite excavator. I watched one working in NJ meadowlands digging a 40 foot deep pit as part of a waste transfer station project. That project took place in the mid 1980’s.That machine was a real beast. I’m pretty sure that a fully spec’d out 1266d had a 266,000 lbs.operating weight. As you know Jim, Koehring produced the even bigger model 1466.The 1466 was available as a front shovel or backhoe configuration. The operating weight on the shovel was 308,000 lbs. and for the backhoe 292,000 lbs. Thanks Again.

[@basher20]

My father worked as a computer operator in the Concordia plant in Milwaukee from the early 1970s into the 80s. I remember seeing this film at one of the family day events the company held out in Oconomowoc, then being bussed out to the proving ground to see the full product line of Koehring, Bantam, and Loraine lined up. Pretty overwhelming for an eight or so year-old engineerling.

[@KMPandme]

That's a great memory.

[@Lawrence-d7w]

Do you remember where the proving grounds were?

[@basher20]

@@Lawrence-d7w AS I remember, in Genesee Depot, across I-94 from where the outlet mall is today.

[@Joelontugs]

The size of the bucket next to the little dump truck doesn't even look real lol

[@dylanpeterson3490]

Yeah, I was thinking to myself "look at all that spillage" at first. Then I saw from a different angle and heard how big it was. LOL

[@knuttsackjones3094]

Overloaded in one pass😂👍🏻

[@jdizinski]

Thanks Jim great video. My father-in-law and I used to watch the 1466 everyday on the way home from work. It was the Camden County New Jersey municipal sewage Authority project in Southern New Jersey. The name of the company was Cruz Construction. We never saw a machine with that type of reach the setup was extraordinary. Again thanks for posting this video

[@randybushelli4276]

These exact 4 machines ended up in NJ and were rebuilt by LBSmith who I worked for.

[@maplemanz]

Just look at how massively built the boom and stick i. they used 50000 psi yield strength steel I have the spec sheet on the 1266D it weighed in at hefty 260000 lbs or 130 tons! Truly a massive machine.

[@reallyslowcustom2514]

Hell Yeah Super Cool

[@MotoScootMech]

A572 Grade 50 (50000 psi) steel is still being used as the primary material of choice for excavator booms and sticks.

[@keithgeislinger6039]

Installed a lot of pipe behind a 1266 and 1066 !!!

[@leelarson6392]

And I was there 😂

[@keithgeislinger6039]

@leelarson6392 not only where you there you fixed the old tired iron !

[@SchnelleKat]

I have a friend in Oregon who used to work for them. he mentions they later turned into Drott? Then something else, can't quite remember. One of my favorite older excavator companies along with O&K, Hein-Werner, and My all-time favorite was a French company called Poclain or sometimes CMC-Poclain, In the 80s CaseIH took over and made it Case-Polain. Very rare but neat looking. I do love my bay city draglines as well. I manage and run our Family Blueberry orchard here in MI and it would be awesome to have a smaller piece to dig out our Ditches with.

[@digggerrjones7345]

Thank you so much for posting this! Do you possibly have anything on the 1066, 1166, or 1466 shovels?

[@JimHoltan]

Hi Digger, unfortunately - while I did a lot of work with the 1066 (less with the 11 and 14) - we didn’t make any film of those

[@larrydunlop378]

Jim, I meant to ask you what year this video was made? Thanks

[@JimHoltan]

I believe we finished it in 1980

[@alexanderborden8401]

Back in 1978, I witnessed a 1266 or a 1466 working hard in mt morris, Michigan beecher school district . The machine was trenching for 102 or larger concrete storm sewer pipe , A Volkswagen could have easily been driven thru the center of that pipe that was being laid . i was about 11 years old . What a treat to hear and see that monster bucket and machine at work. I wish i could go back in time and witness the moment again.

[@anteroalex]

Excellent video on a significant excavator brand. Thank you very much for making and now decades later posting this..! Can it really be that no book exists about Koehring? That's quite sad, especially as years pass there are fewer and fewer people left who have worked for/with the company or its products. I'd like to compose a timeline of their excavators and put it online, i.e. when the different models were introduced and how many years they were in production. Also what was the operating weight of each model. I wonder could anyone help me sourcing the information needed.

[@tomsawyer247]

I couldn't help noticing the operator pouring dirt over his bucket pins. They wouldn't last the summer doing that.

[@jimmartin7881]

Say what you will but no one came near what the 10,12 and 14 could do production wise in that era. The sand mine my uncle ran got a new 1066 and I remember being in awe of that thing and it ran at that mine for over 20 years.

[@rylangideon1487]

Instablaster

[@worp999]

i remember those 1266 big slow air over hyd was slow compaired to a 385 cat like todays machines

[@80evgeniy]

Early hydraulic excavators with mechanical propel and swing(?).

[@MagnifiedGiant]

We had 6644, 6633 and 6625 excavators. They all worked great. Very powerful and dependable.

[@Mrdancefloordj]

JIM!! Two thumbs way up!! Great video. I have a 455 which is pictured in this early on. There is another video from Koehring called "The Eye Opener" Featuring the "D" series excavators. If you come across it. Put it on YT! Thanks again!

[@JimHoltan]

Thanks so much. ‘The Eye Opener’ wasn’t done in my time there, but I’ll keep an eye out for it.

[@Mrdancefloordj]

@@JimHoltan That video would have been early to middle 1970's.

[@MotoScootMech]

@@Mrdancefloordj what's this one late 70s?

[@Mrdancefloordj]

@@MotoScootMech The machines in the video span from 1965-1980ish.

[@Romans--bo7br]

@@Mrdancefloordj..... I worked on a large pipe laying project, which the main contractor bought a brand new 1266D for the job which I loaded under, and that was in the summer of 1983.

[@DaleDirt]

excellent video , lots of good information , Thank You

[@JimHoltan]

Thank you for your comments, Dale.

[@ericlakota1847]

It dose no justice to size tell you see one load a tri axel in one scoop

[@joshbakker7541]

The machine we used had a 8v71t

[@robertriquelmy7193]

Bad music

[@kennysaunders1909]

My dad owned a 666

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Another that the Japanese pushed into oblivion...

[@tomsawyer247]

Thats what happens when you copy something, but at the same time make major improvements like the UH series Hitachi.

[@robpeters5204]

Loved seeing all those Ford tandem dump trucks. Brought a tear to my eye seeing them. I used to ride with my uncle since 76-77 when I was 8 years old. Learned to drive one in 81-82. They are my absolute favourite trucks!!!

[@nyiloronikki160]

Don't know why it's fun watching excavator at work.

[@DarqeDestroyer]

Why did these excavators have the cab on the right? As far as I know every excavator I've ever seen has the cab on the left.

[@rodcody7278]

To better to see u

[@julianreverse]

Cab is on the wrong side 🤦‍♂️

[@willcojak9650]

That's the way they were back then. Same as a drag line.

[@bert26a]

That was a great video I hope you have more to post. I worked for a guy that ran a 1266 back in the day on a sewer and water job in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I worked on a 30 foot deep sewer in the early 2000's along side an 866E in the same city.

[@tomsawyer247]

What was the name of the company in Edmonton I worked for Voice they had a couple of Koerings.

[@bert26a]

@@tomsawyer247 No idea. I had worked for Raywalt Construction back in 2001 and they had a couple 866E's.

[@tomsawyer247]

@@bert26a ok I was called to work with them back in around 1986 or 87 but had just started with north American road down on the Mary River irrigation canal at Bow Island. I spent some time on a Koehring Bantam gradall for Kiewit on a dam in Saskatchewan before that but it was 1975 I worked for Voice, and they had a koehring excavator.

[@bert26a]

@@tomsawyer247 hah I was 6 years old in 1986. Lol

[@anthonythorp7291]

Bert26. A fellow sewer rat. Started my adult career doing that. Company had a 166, 266, and a 666.

[@dirttdude]

out here on the dirt and rock farm we hoot the frigsake with a whistler kajigger on a hootenanny and then trommel and conveyer it to yonders

[@Tharsadon]

Same

[@linkbelt5800]

whoa dude where did you get this? There is virtually no footage of koehring excavators anywhere on u tube! Fantastic! Thanks!

[@JimHoltan]

One of my projects when I was with Koehring in the late 1970’s. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@joshbakker7541]

These machines will come out retirement in no time to get the job done.

[@Hugh1966]

Um , no

[@ryanv3751]

They might look cool and have been ahead of their time but I don’t think you will find many operators today willing to run them.

[@joshbakker7541]

@@ryanv3751 well I had a 466D sitting on my parents farm and it replaced a 892 John Deere that had blown up on a commercial job the operator loved it so much he bought it off me.

[@stephenneville7841]

Those things were toilets

[@tomclark2467]

Your a toilet. (Breath). Don't know nothing about Koehrings. So Bag Up. And like it.

[@larrydunlop378]

Compared to what? And stay within their timeline .

[@stephenneville7841]

@@larrydunlop378 compared to Um I don’t know, cat? Komatsu? Anything. Guess you don’t have much experience with them. I do, and it wasn’t fun. Spent more time working on them than running them. Never mind when it got cold out, fucking air systems would freeze up and would do weird shit like controls had a mind of there own. You like them? Good luck buddy

[@larrydunlop378]

@@stephenneville7841 I have mentioned on other videos about the air system being problematic in the cold. And I said compared to what within their timeline. Cat nor Komatsu never made anything near this large in the 70s. Period. Comparing modern equipment of any kind to products built 50 yrs ago is not a comparison. Others on YT have commented they loved running the big Koehrings. I haven't. The largest Koehring I've run is a 466D so being a D series it had air controls that were easy to use compared to other brands of the time that had 3' tall levers coming up from the floor. These 1266s were the largest contractor size machines at the time. A few O&K and Demag machines were larger at the time but were mine specific machines. Not something you would find on a sewer job. Yes I do Love the big Koehrings.

[@stephenneville7841]

@@larrydunlop378 I never compared them to modern equipment. Just other equipment made in that time period. Just because it was the biggest doesn’t mean anything to me. Same with a link belt 5800. Junk.