Getting machinery to and from installation jobs can be a chore. Innovations in excavators are making it easier. For certain jobs, some installers find towables highly convenient. And now, for those machines and for many devices pulled behind a truck, there’s an ingenious hitch that makes it much easier to hook up and go.
Towable excavators include the Go-For-Digger unit from R.H. & M. Machine Co., and the TMX unit from Extend Manufacturing LLC. Meanwhile, Williams Innovations offers the TeleSwivel moveable hitch, which makes it much easier to position a vehicle for making the towing connection.
Easy on yards
The multi-function mini-excavators have lockout drive hubs that enable a half-ton pickup truck, van, vacuum truck, or light-duty tow vehicle to pull them at highway speeds up to 65 mph. There’s no need for a trailer or CDL license.
“With the high cost of labor, efficiency is vital,” says Dave Edgell, co-owner of R.H. & M. Machine. “The Go-For-Digger is for the small onsite jobs when you have to go on yards, like uncovering a lid, pumping a tank, putting in a riser or doing an inspection. It’s not meant to install a complete onsite system.”
The unit is designed to be yard-friendly. It weighs 2,800 pounds and offers 2,500 psi hydraulic pressure and 4,500 pounds of digging force. It can be bought with a diesel engine and a backfill blade that attaches to or replaces the bucket. Bucket sizes range from 8 to 36 inches.
“The four-point stance makes it easy to level on a taper,” Edgell says. “Four independent stabilizers allow users to park on hillsides.” With two hydraulic drive motors, the unit can turn a circle in forward and reverse. It has joystick controls, a maximum digging depth of 8 feet, fully raised operating height of 110 inches, loading height of 6 feet and loading reach of 59 inches.
The bucket offers 180-degree rotation and 145-degree swing arc. The machine measures 168 inches long in the towing position. It has a trans-port height of 90 inches and 7-inch ground clearance, and is 77.5 inches wide with a stabilizer spread of 80 inches in the operating position.
Zero-turn technology
The TMX uses zero-turn technology similar to that found on lawn mowers, enabling it to get in and out of tight corners easily. A 72-inch, 4-way finishing blade with 21 degrees of tilt is well suited to precision grading, a plus when there is a need to expose a tank or make a repair, says Chris Osswald, managing partner for Extend Manufacturing.
The blade also acts as a stabilizer. “So if I’m on a side hill, I don’t have to go down or up,” Osswald says. “I can actually work on the side hill because I can level the machine completely.” The unit has two joystick controls on either side of the slightly offset business-class seat. The seat is positioned four inches from center, giving the operator a clear view of the bucket, digging arm and backfill blade.
The machine has an auxiliary hydraulic circuit with 10 gpm flow and 2,000 psi for attachments. “You can run all the auxiliary tools like jackhammers, dewatering pumps and compactors while the machine is still digging,” Osswald says. “So if I have a hole with water problems, I can run that dewatering pump while I’m digging.”
The 2,941-pound unit has an 8-foot digging depth, 7-foot, 2-inch loading height and bucket digging force of 4,050 pounds. Maximum bucket height is 121 inches. The boom has a 140-degree swing (70 degrees right or left) and 32-inch minimum swing radius.
It’s powered by a 20 hp Kohler, air-cooled gasoline engine, and a 21.5 hp Kubota diesel is available. The machine measures 151 inches long, 74.5 inches wide and 79 inches high with a tongue weight of 380 pounds. It has a three-speed transmission and top drive speed of 6 mph.
Two-speed electronics enable experienced operators to work at top speed, or the unit can be programmed down for novice users. The color-impregnated cab and body are made of oil-, gasoline- and crack-resistant plastic that withstands temperatures from -30 to 230 degrees F.
Bigger target
The TeleSwivel hitch makes towing even easier, providing a target zone about 25 times larger than a standard ball and coupler. Instead of repositioning the truck or wrestling the tongue and excavator, the user swings the hitch into place and locks it for towing. The device fits any standard 2-inch receiver hitch. It telescopes out five inches and up to five inches from side to side. It has a 10,000-pound rated towing capacity with 1,000-pound tongue weight limit.
The company also makes a TeleSwivel BX model hitch adapter. Rated at 10,000 pounds of towing capacity, it telescopes out about four inches and swivels six inches from side to side. The Pro model, made for commercial or fleet use, is Class IV rated and has a towing capacity of 14,000 pounds. It comes with 2-inch and 2 5/16-inch balls and with pintel capability.
Designed for military use, the swivel hitch has been scaled down for commercial applications. The basic model comes without a ball, so that users can mount any size ball they need, says Jeff Allen, commercial sales manager.
“Our BX allows you to use an existing adapter, such as a three-ball or pintel,” he says. The Pro also has an adjustable drop of seven inches to make positioning easier.
