Trail building and rock breaking.

[npaden]

I really think it's just that first 50 yards that is going to be hard. I'm thinking if it is too hard I can drop down below that yellow circled stuff and move up after I get past it.



Updated route based on matching the 2 different angles up:

 

[npaden]

I don't work with construction equipment, but rather ag equipment. Certain implements seem to have a ton of wear and tear on tractors/machines they are attached to. Yes the thing may be rated for your tractor, but through the vibration, impacts, extra hydraulic flow, etc. it will cause other components on your excavator to wear out pre-maturely. The machine is built to dig holes. Adding impact and vibration will cause seals to fail, bearings to go out, things that are supposed to be round becoming oblong, things that are supposed to be straight bending.. that sort of thing.

Definitely going to be using some premium Moly 5% grease for the excavator and the breaker when I'm running it. I just don't think running it for 20 hours is going to destroy a nearly brand new excavator. Seems like if you put something like a breaker on a worn machine you might spring a few leaks for sure, it is going to put some stress on things. Might be a good idea to do it now while I'm still under warranty.

 

[mevertsen]

I really think it's just that first 50 yards that is going to be hard. I'm thinking if it is too hard I can drop down below that yellow circled stuff and move up after I get past it.

View attachment 419571

I live in hard rock mining country. Tons of road building, reclaiming excavation.

The gold mines have big money, big equipment, explosives, and dudes with lots of experience.

That's a big job and you will destroy your machine at best.

 

[npaden]

I live in hard rock mining country. Tons of road building, reclaiming excavation.

The gold mines have big money, big equipment, explosives, and dudes with lots of experience.

That's a big job and you will destroy your machine at best.

I keep looking back at the work that was already done and other than that one big rock on the side of the trail, everything else is broken into pretty small pieces. From a geology perspective I think we are dealing with a heavily fractured rock formation rather than something like heavy bedrock. The previous guy did that with just an excavator and a bucket. No breaker and no ripper. He had a bigger excavator but based looking at it most of that rock was able to be pulled apart in pretty small pieces. I don't intend to destroy my machine but I do think I am going to give it a try. I do wish I could have seen a "before" picture of the area that is already completed, I don't know if that spot looked like the area immediately above it with the big exposed rock faces or if it looked like the area in front where I need to go that looks reasonably passable with just a few big rocks. I think that worst case scenario I have to stay flat for that first 50 yards and stay to the side of the cliff that will be there if the rock is solid.

I can't move up much faster than that anyway to keep a reasonable slope. If I had to go through the area circled in yellow I think it would be a chore but I think I can stay under that. Right at the top where I plan to make a switchback to turn back there is a shelf that might pose another problem but I think these are things I can get through, just think they will take some time and patience and pondering as I get to them.


Putting both pictures in the same post so you can see them without scrolling back and forth too much:



If I can get through that first big rock right at the start of the red line I think I have a legitimate shot at getting it done.

 

[mevertsen]

I certainly admire your tenacity. Lol.

Hoping you can get it done with you and the machine in one piece.

Good luck.

 

[npaden]

I certainly admire your tenacity. Lol.

Hoping you can get it done with you and the machine in one piece.

Good luck.

I figure it never hurts to at least try it. Seems like it would be kind of fun if I can get it done.

 

[BenP]

I'm rooting for you, but even just some tanerite and shooting practice would be worth a try. I want videos of how it goes with the breaker.