"What the heck is Chris doing now!?" - Fish 1. "I don't know but I wish he'd stick with mulching the banks" - Fish 2. "Speak for yourself" - Frog 1. "Hear, hear!" -Turtle 1.
Brings back memories, about 62 yrs ago my dad had our farm pond dredged out by a dragline like this. I was only 10 yrs. Old and did not appreciate the skill of the operator. Thanks for the memories, keep up the great videos!!!
Wow Chris. I imagine you were the ONLY person today operating a drag-line to dredge mud from their pond. 🤙 MUCH respect! I took quite a while to learn how to cast a fly rod, but you got the hang of this beast quite quickly. No shame in dropping the bucket. AND you figured out how to retrieve the bucket from the pond without needing anything high-tech. You are a MASTER! 👍👍👍👍
My uncle dug a large part of the C54 canal in South Florida. I used to go watch him run a drag. I will never forget the visual of the man and the machine in perfect sync as he effortlessly loaded bucket after bucket. Because of this I still relish watching a true operator of any machine. This is a cudos to you sir as you and that Volvo are joined at the hip.... now for that drag...... keep practicing!!!!
I appreciate this video probably more than the ones where you're on your trackhoe, dozer and grader. Every operator started out as a newbie. As experienced an operator that you are, and you show us every week how excellent you are at moving dirt, on a new piece of equipment, there is still a learning curve. I know that you'll eventually pick up the techniques needed to perfect the dragline, and I expect we'll be watching in wonder on that big dredging project sometime in the near future!
It’s a nice thought and very kind of you to say but Chris’ partner and uncle has a long reach excavator that’s much more efficient than a drag could ever be. It’s a hobby and an homage to the past. Respect….
Chris, You should just remove the split pin and use a heavy shackle to connect to the bucket. That way you can swap the bucket out to the lifting ball when you need it.
I got a grin on my face, seeing yours at the beginning of the video. It stayed right up to when the ball and bucket separated, and then you laughed and I joined you (your laugh is infectious😁). Thanks for this wonderful sharing of your dragline. I wondered how you'd retrieve it and I have to say that was masterful. Thanks, Chris. I still have a grin on my face.
It’s been 50 years since I was a kid in my dads BE and I still remember the smells and heat being in the cab. Very cool to see this running….. I wouldn’t say epic failure, that’s a whole new game running a dragline. With your natural abilities and practice you’ll figure it out. Watching dad he made it look so easy always in constant movement and smooth as glass…. Made for a great laugh just the same! 🤣
Hi Chris, When moving the machine, travel with the drive tumblers at the rear - it keeps the crawler belts tight on the bottom, as the bottom rollers are not travelling over bunched up track pads, and also makes for easier steering . . . .
@@cityguyinthecountry Hi there, absolutely agree - Chris is an outstanding machine driver, and my comments were only offered to make life easier for him, and the machine. We have several of them, and I guess that you could say that it’s hard-won experience ! Kind regards, Steve A.
Coordinating the drag line with the lift line to shuttle the bucket up and down the boom was a trick when those clutches and brakes were new. I can’t imagine how much brain power Chris is using to do it now. Bravo 👏
Hi Chris! My husband and I really enjoy you and your videos. On this video with the dragline, my husband noticed that when you pull the bucket in with its payload, as you raise the bucket you lose some of your mud or dirt. Just a suggestion - if the chains attached to bucket from the boom cable were moved maybe 4 - 6 inches forward to the front of the bucket, would that help to keep your mud in the bucket until you are ready to unload the bucket? Certainly you are the professional, we are the watchers…. Lol
Chris, are you sure you haven’t been practicing with that old school tool? Man, you sure got a handle on it like you’ve always used that dragline. Up until,,,,,,,ahh,,,,, the bucket came off. That was pure GENIUS how you retrieved the bucket. Well done sir!
If my Grandfather had been there with you he would have felt compelled to say "And we're off like a herd of turtles!" for your speedy journey to the pond.
For a quick change option, just take the pin out of the becket on the ball. Put the biggest shackle bow in the becket, and itstall the becket pin. Then put the shackle screw pin on the wire sling you were hooked into before. Use 9 wire to safety the shackle pin to the bow. Another suggestion is to shorten the top wire from the crowsfoot to the top of the bucket. By shortening this cable, it will help hold the front of the bucket up after you pick up a scoop, and are paying out the haulback to dump on spot. Love the crane. Working on brining home a 1968 Koehring 2N crawler crane that has 300.7hrs.
My friends dad has been an excavator operator 50 years now and Ive seen him running a big cat and somehow feeling metal pipes in the ground copper and steel... He said somehow he feels them in the machine??? He admitted he cant feel plastic I was like wow!!!
@@mikeznel6048 Even more amazing is how few hours experience does he actually have with this drag line? Equivalent to a coffee break perhaps? Impressive!
At first I thought, "great, more fish habitat". Next thought was I'm glad you have a spare. You never cease to amaze me Chris. I'm sure Matt had a good laugh but I haven't seen him lately operating his. Good video
Just imagine back in the day having to run one of them all day. Love the drag line.That was funny loosing the bucket in the pond. I bet Matt from Diesel Creek enjoyed that. He has a nice drag line as well. Nice recovery of the bucket Chris. Have a great day buddy.
I’ve been hoping for this video since the day you brought the beast home. That’s literally the perfect task to perfect your skills, plus it’s practical and productive. It’s probably how that pond was originally dug in the first place.
If anything you are seriously shaking up any frogs and fish living there. You and Matt from Diesel Creek amaze me with your assurance and fluid grace that comes running old and contemporary equipment. Wishing you and your family a blessed week and interesting opportunities. Peace Chris
Still, even with the bucket "incident", it was great to see you working that old machine in its natural habitat... soon enough you'll be hiring yourself out! "LetsDragLine30+"👍
I have gone fishing and cast my line only to see the lure fly through the air with the greatest of ease, not attached to anything. You are a true master. Take care and stay safe.
What a drag! As a kid I remember a huge drag line on a barge dredging Gloucester Harbor. It made your crane look like a toy, the bucket was at least 30' long and 10' wide! Great video!
Comparing the dragline/bucket to the excavator, is like comparing a wooden sailing vessel to a speed boat. My hats off to the people who operated a dragline and the amount of materials they moved, on all of those projects that required their expertise. Chris you are a man of many talents, carry on, an on a side comment, I bet your glad you have excavators now...
Brings back memories in the early 70's i spent a lot of time in a truck mont B/I diging out back water traps getting all. the prime top soil back to spread on the thin spots in a field , after the mud dried, i had a D6 cable dozer and a 12 yard pull scraper to scrape up the soil and take it back to the field
That last cast was a sure enough humdinger. I was thinking ," Boy he's got it now...Oh!" 🤣 I rebuilt a late-1930s one cylinder outboard motor with my Dad when I was kid in the 60s. I hooked it up to my jon boat and took it for its maiden voyage on Jan. 1st. Halfway across the semi-frozen pond, with everyone watching, the motor fell off the back of the boat. Uh oh! 😳 That spring I retrieved the motor and got it running again. This time with the addition of a safety chain. Not for the first or last time I learned the rules about maintaining and running equipment are the way they are for a reason. 😉
Across the road from where I work up here in far northern Minnesota there’s a drag line just like yours working in a gravel pit. They just put it into service again a couple weeks ago.👍🏻
Hi Chris, I used a run an old Unit crane with a magnet on it back in the 90’s. One thing I learned is to keep the track sprockets to the rear of your travel. Especially turning if the chain or track is slightly loose one or both with jump off the sprocket. Not a fun day.
Best cast of the day and ....OOPS! Really makes a guy appreciate Fred Flintstone and the amazing work he did down around the Quarry, but seriously how did they dig holes with those things🤔 Must be an art form.
I had a great laugh along with you for the day! Off camera you might have had other things to say..! The mirror image of the pond (before the first plunge) was stunning - picture perfect.
Leave the ball on, just replace the hook with a shackle. Then you can disconnect from the bucket with not much effort. Just a suggestion, not trying to be a know it all. Hope all are well and safe.
The sounds of the Bucyrus Dragline operating are distinct and seared into my memory as they dug out canals and sand pits in the eastern half of North Carolina years ago. Thank You for reminding me of that time I remember in the 1960's and 1970's!
You are the man Chris! Gotta run the hoist and drag at the same time. Boom up or down sets distance. Don’t need to mess with that while working. Your spoil pile is set by boom angle…..
You brought back childhood memories of Sand and gravel pit that was across the road from we’re I grew up Chris thanks so much I remember once the bucket came off the drag line and someone had to swim down and secure a chain around the bucket for the drag line to drag it out what a memory
Chris that was funny but it also shows how great of a operator you actually are! Never panicked and were able to laugh at the situation and that just tells me you were havin a bucket load of FUN!
Congratulations! Chris, the Dragline Bucket for the Mud clearing by Ponds to use, a Grande Idea!!!! The short preparation Time and always to make. You hav always a clean Pond.. 🏆👌👏😃
Thanks Chris😂 you could have just filed this one away. Thanks for sharing. Just chuckled every time you did. But you’ve picked up operating that quite nicely. Great job, keep up the great work and more vids of this dragline and pond escapades. 👍
A very interesting demonstration! Reminds me of my job in the phosphate mines in central Fl. In between my high school and my start in college, I worked as an oiler on a 17 yd B/E dragline. The operator was a master digging the phosphate feed from the ground and dumping it in a slurry pit where high pressure hoses would beat it into a slurry before being pumped by metal pipes to the washer plant. The oiler job was hot and busy for the old B/E. I survived through the summer, got a part time job in a research lab for the same company and worked there until I graduated from college. Great memories. Keep up the great videos!
I was thinking, is it like carrying out your favorite lure, only to watch it keep going, and hoping, and going? Lol!!! Atleast you got it back on land. Maybe that's where you need to keep practicing until you attach that thing properly. Lol Love the video Chris!
Oops lost my fishing Rod like that lol never did get it back glad you got the bucket back sure Matt had a great chuckle on that one great watch Chris 👍👋🇨🇦
Chris I'm old enough to remember when draglines were modern equipment. I've seen a lot of operators who could really throw a bucket but you are the first I have ever seen that could throw the bucket AWAY. LOL
I attended the Wilson community college back in the day for heavy equipment and they had draglines there but the instructors would try to persuade you from taking dragline operator courses, I always wondered why. Thanks for sharing I really enjoyed that👍👍👍👍
Great video, great fun to watch. I kinda figured you'd approach retrieval the way you did (as there weren't many options), nice work! As an accomplished operator to start with, muscle memory gets thrown out the window when confronted with something so new (old) to learn. You did very, very well in a short time. Many of us will be watching for more vids starring this dragline. Thanks for a new look! Be well, be safe!
You DA man! You had that machine pulling mud out of the pond real quick. Plus you were able to retrieve your bucket without any major problems. I would consider the whole thing a major win!
LOL.. I can see Matt laughing his ass off when you told him what you did... Good thing you figured out how to retrieve the bucket. I was picturing you in a dingy trying to "hook" something to get a chain on it. Or even scubba gear... lol
Hello Chris, thanks for the video. Operating a dragline is similar to a crane in that it is a controlled movement both up AND down. What you were doing is controlled up and freefall down which totally shocks all the components of the bucket every time, which causes failures. On your next attempt, try controlling ascent and descent, being as gentle as your winches will allow and practice controlling the winch cable that attaches to the buckets arch. That's what you should be using to empty the bucket. I'm certain you will be excellent with some practice.
I spent 30 years on 30Bs digging ditches clearing trees and ponds Absolutely loved it and and I was damn good with one. I was doing it before hydraulic excavators came along Still have a 30B Series III in the shops yard, that hasn't moved for 10 years
Now I have not been in a dragline in 30 years so my memory may be a bit off.. 1 when move a lattice style crane though shall have the boom as high as possible ( the lower the boom the more chance it will bend from bouncing when traveling) 2 when attaching a bucket to hoist remove ball…when the bucket hits bottom or water the ball keeps moving causing the link to jump out of hook. 3 when casting pull the bucket up to crane boom approximately 10-15 above water ,trip drag line, trip main line when bucket is about 10 ft from where you want bucket to land moves catch drag line as bucket hits water then catch main hoist line.. 4 always try to have tracks parallel to your casting ( tracks are longer then wider) giving you more stability.. In my hometown there is a company called Redpath crane and dragline its about 3 hours north east of AMI’s headquarters. I never work for them but I did go to school with them years ago. To the best of my knowledge they are still running draglines to this day..😢 😮
As much as I hate seeing you have a problem or setback in anything you do Chris, at least it lets me know I am not the only one on the planet that can fudge something up. You come back from it nicely though. This last couple weeks it's been a bit tougher for me. My backhoe blew the left boom swing cylinder seal, so I decided to have both swing cylinders redone and some old cracky looking bucket hoses replaced as well. Just got a Bobcat T300 skidsteer (track loader). When it arrived I ran it for 12 minutes and it overheated and coded. Sent it back for repairs, they fixed it no cost thank goodness. Also just got a 116 gallon transfer tank, put it on my pickup bed and took it to be filled. No problem. I unloaded it with the skidsteer and almost got it to the ground before it rolled off the forks. No damage, just a scare, so I proceeded to use it to fill equipment...but I made a stupid assumption that the blessed chinese tightened all the fittings. They didn't. After I tightened them all and cleaned up the messes from squirting diesel everywhere, I filled the excavator and my brother pointed out that fuel was leaking out the bottom of the excavator below the tank. Great...thought it was a cracked tank or something, but I opened the access panel and the sight glass (transparent rubber hose, not glass) was snapped near the top and fuel was overtopping the broken hose. Got to get THAT fixed now, IF parts can even be found at this point. I'm sure they can....I hope. That leaves me at the moment with just the skidsteer to work with, so I can't get much done on the pond at the moment. Live and learn. Big machines, big bills from big problems. Some days make you just want to sell everything, grab a gold pan and head off to the woods and disappear....
Draglines can definitely be a handful. They're complicated as all get out to get to know, and they don't really dig much material at a time. That's why they're mainly used for building roads. where they only need to move piles around or scrape the surface. Larger draglines are used in mining. Once you get to know this machine and get fluent with it, it'll be a workhorse for you. But it's definitely a learning curve lol.
As they say, if you don't break something, you ain't learning :) Drag-line looks like it's well in its element there, could be a real asset to keep the ponds dredged and maybe the occasional project for a buddy.
A whole new set of coordination skills to be learned here and everyone has to start somewhere. But I'm sure that with your operator skills, mastering this great old gal won't take long. Thanks.
Cool . when turning the house , when u get to where u want to dump , just let the drag spool out . That action will stop the house turning movement. . Hardest part of turning to cast is not flipping the bucket when it hits the water. We ran our boom at 33 degrees. . How to pile with out blowing the pile apart is another art in its self . Once you get more used to it and can get a rhythm going it is easier because you can change one action with another and not have to stop. . You are doing well . I have seen many erection crane operators not able to run a dragline. . Sometimes if you have enough room to move the drag line . you can pull on bucket at an angle , it will sometimes slide or roll and let you drag bucket back to shore .How you done it worked out pretty well being able to have the hook. . When i lost our 10 yard bucket , i got it back to only about 15 feet of water . Same as if get slack in drag cable can turn house and let as much cable out as needed then pull yourself back straight with drag cable. I think what messes a lot of people up is the need to watch the bucket and not the boom . Move boom a little , let bucket catch up and then just move the boom to catch up to bucket , and to stop , slow boom then just catch back up to where bucket stopped or let drag cable out and bucket swinging out will stop house movement . Looks like you have that figured out . Running the dragline was one of my favorite jobs
So glad you were able to retrieve the bucket and give it a bath. Now didn't I hear you say, "I'll be using every piece of machinery left except the drag line." Well you had some excitement anyway. Fun video.
☘️🇮🇪🇺🇸 omg u take me back 2 being a hypnotized 7 yr old on my fathers’ const site watching the men move those massive dinosaurs -that 2 my father’s chagrin they’d occasionally tuck me in the cab squealing w/delight & amazement- oh Chris Ty for letting us laugh w/u & such joyous memories!!! Blessings!!!!!!
Loved seeing this old machinery in operation doing real work as well as seeing it from all the different viewpoints. Next will be an old steam shovel right ? =)
When I was growing up, we would travel to Memphis and then north to Tiptonville, TN to visit my uncle. We would see those old drag-lines working the Mississippi, usually from barges.
Great video Chris LOL 😆😆 Can't wait to see you do some more dredging, as it's great to see old machinery at work. You could put a D shackle in place of the ball and hook then all you have to do then is remove the D shackle and place the ball and hook back on again. Alot easier than undoing the wedges on cable. Thought you would be getting your feet wet. 🏊 Great stuff loved the video. 👍👍👍👍
Take the bolt out of the hook that holds it on the ball and use a shackle. Then you can just remove the shackle and replace it with the hook when you need it.
Chris,I used to occasionally use that same model and the only thing I took away from it was to accidentally tip the boom back pnto the cabin lol! But great effort,we had a guy that loaded trucks with it all day long.
I have absolutely NO idea how to operate that thing but I was here - sitting in my nice comfy chair - telling you what you were doing wrong lol Have fun with that new/old toy.
Are you safe in that relic?...History in the making folks...I knew it would only take a few drops and you would become a pro at lot of fun watching one of those things go to work again...@ 74 I've seen a lot of em...
No FISH were HARMED in the MAKING this video...but they were MIGHTY SCARED....and swam to the SHALLOW end of the pond! 😊❤
Nice recovery, Chris. 😉
"What the heck is Chris doing now!?" - Fish 1. "I don't know but I wish he'd stick with mulching the banks" - Fish 2. "Speak for yourself" - Frog 1. "Hear, hear!" -Turtle 1.
@@nandi123 He scared the crap out of the crappie!
You should take that dredge material to Geoff's to grow some dang grass!!! Great video (as usual)! Thanks for taking us in a time machine!
Brings back memories, about 62 yrs ago my dad had our farm pond dredged out by a dragline like this. I was only 10 yrs. Old and did not appreciate the skill of the operator. Thanks for the memories, keep up the great videos!!!
Wow Chris. I imagine you were the ONLY person today operating a drag-line to dredge mud from their pond. 🤙 MUCH respect! I took quite a while to learn how to cast a fly rod, but you got the hang of this beast quite quickly. No shame in dropping the bucket. AND you figured out how to retrieve the bucket from the pond without needing anything high-tech. You are a MASTER! 👍👍👍👍
Draglines all over Alaska are mining placer gold out of ponds during the summer. Not uncommon at at all.
@@johnbaskett2309 Well, they first discovered gold in the U.S. in North Carolina!
@@ranger2316And your point is ?
Props! I'll bet they were not retired as long as Chris' was, but still - Nice to see old iron moving earth! 🏆
@ranger2316 Maybe Chris should pan for gold in his pond. Who knows?
My uncle dug a large part of the C54 canal in South Florida. I used to go watch him run a drag. I will never forget the visual of the man and the machine in perfect sync as he effortlessly loaded bucket after bucket. Because of this I still relish watching a true operator of any machine. This is a cudos to you sir as you and that Volvo are joined at the hip.... now for that drag...... keep practicing!!!!
I appreciate this video probably more than the ones where you're on your trackhoe, dozer and grader. Every operator started out as a newbie. As experienced an operator that you are, and you show us every week how excellent you are at moving dirt, on a new piece of equipment, there is still a learning curve. I know that you'll eventually pick up the techniques needed to perfect the dragline, and I expect we'll be watching in wonder on that big dredging project sometime in the near future!
It’s a nice thought and very kind of you to say but Chris’ partner and uncle has a long reach excavator that’s much more efficient than a drag could ever be. It’s a hobby and an homage to the past. Respect….
Chris, You should just remove the split pin and use a heavy shackle to connect to the bucket. That way you can swap the bucket out to the lifting ball when you need it.
I was thinking along the same line, except pull the pin that connects the main cable to the ball & hook and conncet that to your loop on the bucket.
You had the same thought that I did,,,,,,,,just unbolt the hook from the ball and use a shackle that way Chris can still raise the flag!
make sure to out mechanics wire on the shackle bolt so it doesn't come loose!
I got a grin on my face, seeing yours at the beginning of the video. It stayed right up to when the ball and bucket separated, and then you laughed and I joined you (your laugh is infectious😁). Thanks for this wonderful sharing of your dragline. I wondered how you'd retrieve it and I have to say that was masterful. Thanks, Chris. I still have a grin on my face.
It’s been 50 years since I was a kid in my dads BE and I still remember the smells and heat being in the cab. Very cool to see this running….. I wouldn’t say epic failure, that’s a whole new game running a dragline. With your natural abilities and practice you’ll figure it out. Watching dad he made it look so easy always in constant movement and smooth as glass…. Made for a great laugh just the same! 🤣
At least with it out there the splashes of mud dont hit the windshield.....
Hi Chris,
When moving the machine, travel with the drive tumblers at the rear - it keeps the crawler belts tight on the bottom, as the bottom rollers are not travelling over bunched up track pads, and also makes for easier steering . . . .
I respect his work, he always delivers quality content
@@cityguyinthecountry
Hi there, absolutely agree - Chris is an outstanding machine driver, and my comments were only offered to make life easier for him, and the machine.
We have several of them, and I guess that you could say that it’s hard-won experience !
Kind regards,
Steve A.
Coordinating the drag line with the lift line to shuttle the bucket up and down the boom was a trick when those clutches and brakes were new. I can’t imagine how much brain power Chris is using to do it now. Bravo 👏
Hi Chris! My husband and I really enjoy you and your videos. On this video with the dragline, my husband noticed that when you pull the bucket in with its payload, as you raise the bucket you lose some of your mud or dirt. Just a suggestion - if the chains attached to bucket from the boom cable were moved maybe 4 - 6 inches forward to the front of the bucket, would that help to keep your mud in the bucket until you are ready to unload the bucket? Certainly you are the professional, we are the watchers…. Lol
Chris, are you sure you haven’t been practicing with that old school tool? Man, you sure got a handle on it like you’ve always used that dragline. Up until,,,,,,,ahh,,,,, the bucket came off. That was pure GENIUS how you retrieved the bucket. Well done sir!
He is very inspiring, I admire his passion
DEfinitely an "Oh Shit" moment.
If my Grandfather had been there with you he would have felt compelled to say "And we're off like a herd of turtles!" for your speedy journey to the pond.
For a quick change option, just take the pin out of the becket on the ball. Put the biggest shackle bow in the becket, and itstall the becket pin. Then put the shackle screw pin on the wire sling you were hooked into before. Use 9 wire to safety the shackle pin to the bow. Another suggestion is to shorten the top wire from the crowsfoot to the top of the bucket. By shortening this cable, it will help hold the front of the bucket up after you pick up a scoop, and are paying out the haulback to dump on spot. Love the crane. Working on brining home a 1968 Koehring 2N crawler crane that has 300.7hrs.
This guy is a literal artist. With zero tactile feedback from the bucket through the chains, he scoops like a boss.
There is feed back. You feel it all in the machine. And it’s skill, not art. Lots and lots of experience.
He's an honest to goodness Master.
Who does'nt enjoy watching One at His craft?
My friends dad has been an excavator operator 50 years now and Ive seen him running a big cat and somehow feeling metal pipes in the ground copper and steel... He said somehow he feels them in the machine??? He admitted he cant feel plastic I was like wow!!!
@@mikeznel6048 Even more amazing is how few hours experience does he actually have with this drag line? Equivalent to a coffee break perhaps? Impressive!
@@mikeznel6048 art and skill are the same thing.
At first I thought, "great, more fish habitat". Next thought was I'm glad you have a spare. You never cease to amaze me Chris. I'm sure Matt had a good laugh but I haven't seen him lately operating his. Good video
Matt released a video of him power washing & servicing his .Less than a week ago .
His last video was over an hour long of him putting new cables on his. I guess 4 days ago isn't lately for you.
Just imagine back in the day having to run one of them all day. Love the drag line.That was funny loosing the bucket in the pond. I bet Matt from Diesel Creek enjoyed that. He has a nice drag line as well. Nice recovery of the bucket Chris. Have a great day buddy.
Chris visited matt last year but that's matts second dragline .The first one is mostly in pieces.
He always delivers quality content, I respect his work
I’ve been hoping for this video since the day you brought the beast home. That’s literally the perfect task to perfect your skills, plus it’s practical and productive. It’s probably how that pond was originally dug in the first place.
If anything you are seriously shaking up any frogs and fish living there. You and Matt from Diesel Creek amaze me with your assurance and fluid grace that comes running old and contemporary equipment. Wishing you and your family a blessed week and interesting opportunities. Peace Chris
He always delivers quality content, I respect his work
Still, even with the bucket "incident", it was great to see you working that old machine in its natural habitat... soon enough you'll be hiring yourself out! "LetsDragLine30+"👍
Great job Chris in getting the antique machine working and digging in your pond! Very few people are able to operate a dragline nowadays.
I have gone fishing and cast my line only to see the lure fly through the air with the greatest of ease, not attached to anything. You are a true master. Take care and stay safe.
His passion is very inspiring, I admire him
What a drag! As a kid I remember a huge drag line on a barge dredging Gloucester Harbor. It made your crane look like a toy, the bucket was at least 30' long and 10' wide! Great video!
Comparing the dragline/bucket to the excavator, is like comparing a wooden sailing vessel to a speed boat. My hats off to the people who operated a dragline and the amount of materials they moved, on all of those projects that required their expertise. Chris you are a man of many talents, carry on, an on a side comment, I bet your glad you have excavators now...
Damn I haven’t laughed that hard in a very long time😂😂😂. Just hearing your “oh shit” I was dying
Great to see the dragline in action dredging the pond.
Great bucket recover.
He has a great personality, I enjoy his videos
Looks like you’re getting the hang of it. Your grandfather would be proud.
Takes alot of self-confidence and humility to let us watch!!
It never fails to amaze me how a good operator can adapt so quickly to any piece of equipment and that retrieval was ace. Well done Sir
Brings back memories in the early 70's i spent a lot of time in a truck mont B/I diging out back water traps getting all. the prime top soil back to spread on the thin spots in a field , after the mud dried, i had a D6 cable dozer and a 12 yard pull scraper to scrape up the soil and take it back to the field
Very Cool to watch Looks like every time you run it you get more comfortable in operating it
Man, I enjoy watching you work
That last cast was a sure enough humdinger. I was thinking ," Boy he's got it now...Oh!" 🤣 I rebuilt a late-1930s one cylinder outboard motor with my Dad when I was kid in the 60s. I hooked it up to my jon boat and took it for its maiden voyage on Jan. 1st. Halfway across the semi-frozen pond, with everyone watching, the motor fell off the back of the boat. Uh oh! 😳 That spring I retrieved the motor and got it running again. This time with the addition of a safety chain. Not for the first or last time I learned the rules about maintaining and running equipment are the way they are for a reason. 😉
I was hoping to see this pond digging since the day you set it up in your yard. Great madden voyage for sure. thanks for bringing us along.
Across the road from where I work up here in far northern Minnesota there’s a drag line just like yours working in a gravel pit. They just put it into service again a couple weeks ago.👍🏻
Hi Chris, I used a run an old Unit crane with a magnet on it back in the 90’s. One thing I learned is to keep the track sprockets to the rear of your travel. Especially turning if the chain or track is slightly loose one or both with jump off the sprocket. Not a fun day.
Best cast of the day and ....OOPS! Really makes a guy appreciate Fred Flintstone and the amazing work he did down around the Quarry, but seriously how did they dig holes with those things🤔 Must be an art form.
I had a great laugh along with you for the day! Off camera you might have had other things to say..!
The mirror image of the pond (before the first plunge) was stunning - picture perfect.
I enjoy his videos, he has a great personality
ROFL😂😂😂😂😂
"I've gone lost my bucket, dear Lisa, Dear Lisa....."
Leave the ball on, just replace the hook with a shackle. Then you can disconnect from the bucket with not much effort. Just a suggestion, not trying to be a know it all.
Hope all are well and safe.
You were having fun. Doing work. Learning. And got a good belly laugh out of it. And retrieved the bucket. That's a win in my book.
I was waiting for a turtle to pop up with a white hard hat on and yelling WATCH OUT BUD !!!!
The sounds of the Bucyrus Dragline operating are distinct and seared into my memory as they dug out canals and sand pits in the eastern half of North Carolina years ago. Thank You for reminding me of that time I remember in the 1960's and 1970's!
His insights are very appreciated, he is very knowledgeable
You are the man Chris! Gotta run the hoist and drag at the same time. Boom up or down sets distance. Don’t need to mess with that while working. Your spoil pile is set by boom angle…..
You brought back childhood memories of Sand and gravel pit that was across the road from we’re I grew up Chris thanks so much I remember once the bucket came off the drag line and someone had to swim down and secure a chain around the bucket for the drag line to drag it out what a memory
He is very knowledgeable, I appreciate his insights
Chris that was funny but it also shows how great of a operator you actually are! Never panicked and were able to laugh at the situation and that just tells me you were havin a bucket load of FUN!
Congratulations! Chris, the Dragline Bucket for the Mud clearing by Ponds to use, a Grande Idea!!!! The short preparation Time and always to make. You hav always a clean Pond.. 🏆👌👏😃
That was awesome!! Its so cool to see an old piece of equipment at work..
Very interesting to watch you figure out the technique in real time.
Thanks for sharing your afternoon adventure. The dragline works like it was made yesterday.
Thanks Chris😂 you could have just filed this one away. Thanks for sharing. Just chuckled every time you did. But you’ve picked up operating that quite nicely. Great job, keep up the great work and more vids of this dragline and pond escapades. 👍
Ok, you had a little issue but you recovered!! Like when your stuck, you’re really not stuck, you just aren’t moving!!
A very interesting demonstration! Reminds me of my job in the phosphate mines in central Fl. In between my high school and my start in college, I worked as an oiler on a 17 yd B/E dragline. The operator was a master digging the phosphate feed from the ground and dumping it in a slurry pit where high pressure hoses would beat it into a slurry before being pumped by metal pipes to the washer plant. The oiler job was hot and busy for the old B/E. I survived through the summer, got a part time job in a research lab for the same company and worked there until I graduated from college. Great memories. Keep up the great videos!
His insights are very appreciated, he is very knowledgeable
I was thinking, is it like carrying out your favorite lure, only to watch it keep going, and hoping, and going? Lol!!!
Atleast you got it back on land. Maybe that's where you need to keep practicing until you attach that thing properly. Lol
Love the video Chris!
I imagine it's super different from excavators. Nice to see you putting the old machine to work, though!
well that was interesting to watch, glad you had some fun, there were some great throws, love your genuine laugh Chris 🪝⛓🚜
Oops lost my fishing Rod like that lol never did get it back glad you got the bucket back sure Matt had a great chuckle on that one great watch Chris 👍👋🇨🇦
Chris I'm old enough to remember when draglines were modern equipment.
I've seen a lot of operators who could really throw a bucket but you are the first I have ever seen that could throw the bucket AWAY. LOL
He is very creative, I like his style
I was impressed Chris you had it going great! I like casting the bucket out there.
I attended the Wilson community college back in the day for heavy equipment and they had draglines there but the instructors would try to persuade you from taking dragline operator courses, I always wondered why. Thanks for sharing I really enjoyed that👍👍👍👍
Excellent casting Chris, I gave you a big cheer on your first attempt. Shame about the installation craftsmanship 😂
Great video, great fun to watch. I kinda figured you'd approach retrieval the way you did (as there weren't many options), nice work! As an accomplished operator to start with, muscle memory gets thrown out the window when confronted with something so new (old) to learn. You did very, very well in a short time. Many of us will be watching for more vids starring this dragline. Thanks for a new look! Be well, be safe!
I enjoy his videos, he has a great personality
You DA man! You had that machine pulling mud out of the pond real quick. Plus you were able to retrieve your bucket without any major problems. I would consider the whole thing a major win!
LOL.. I can see Matt laughing his ass off when you told him what you did... Good thing you figured out how to retrieve the bucket. I was picturing you in a dingy trying to "hook" something to get a chain on it. Or even scubba gear... lol
Hello Chris, thanks for the video. Operating a dragline is similar to a crane in that it is a controlled movement both up AND down. What you were doing is controlled up and freefall down which totally shocks all the components of the bucket every time, which causes failures. On your next attempt, try controlling ascent and descent, being as gentle as your winches will allow and practice controlling the winch cable that attaches to the buckets arch. That's what you should be using to empty the bucket. I'm certain you will be excellent with some practice.
I spent 30 years on 30Bs digging ditches clearing trees and ponds Absolutely loved it and and I was damn good with one.
I was doing it before hydraulic excavators came along
Still have a 30B Series III in the shops yard, that hasn't moved for 10 years
He is very inspiring, I admire his passion
Now I have not been in a dragline in 30 years so my memory may be a bit off..
1 when move a lattice style crane though shall have the boom as high as possible ( the lower the boom the more chance it will bend from bouncing when traveling)
2 when attaching a bucket to hoist remove ball…when the bucket hits bottom or water the ball keeps moving causing the link to jump out of hook.
3 when casting pull the bucket up to crane boom approximately 10-15 above water ,trip drag line, trip main line when bucket is about 10 ft from where you want bucket to land moves catch drag line as bucket hits water then catch main hoist line..
4 always try to have tracks parallel to your casting ( tracks are longer then wider) giving you more stability..
In my hometown there is a company called Redpath crane and dragline its about 3 hours north east of AMI’s headquarters. I never work for them but I did go to school with them years ago. To the best of my knowledge they are still running draglines to this day..😢
😮
As much as I hate seeing you have a problem or setback in anything you do Chris, at least it lets me know I am not the only one on the planet that can fudge something up. You come back from it nicely though. This last couple weeks it's been a bit tougher for me.
My backhoe blew the left boom swing cylinder seal, so I decided to have both swing cylinders redone and some old cracky looking bucket hoses replaced as well.
Just got a Bobcat T300 skidsteer (track loader). When it arrived I ran it for 12 minutes and it overheated and coded. Sent it back for repairs, they fixed it no cost thank goodness.
Also just got a 116 gallon transfer tank, put it on my pickup bed and took it to be filled. No problem. I unloaded it with the skidsteer and almost got it to the ground before it rolled off the forks. No damage, just a scare, so I proceeded to use it to fill equipment...but I made a stupid assumption that the blessed chinese tightened all the fittings. They didn't. After I tightened them all and cleaned up the messes from squirting diesel everywhere, I filled the excavator and my brother pointed out that fuel was leaking out the bottom of the excavator below the tank. Great...thought it was a cracked tank or something, but I opened the access panel and the sight glass (transparent rubber hose, not glass) was snapped near the top and fuel was overtopping the broken hose. Got to get THAT fixed now, IF parts can even be found at this point. I'm sure they can....I hope.
That leaves me at the moment with just the skidsteer to work with, so I can't get much done on the pond at the moment.
Live and learn. Big machines, big bills from big problems.
Some days make you just want to sell everything, grab a gold pan and head off to the woods and disappear....
Draglines can definitely be a handful. They're complicated as all get out to get to know, and they don't really dig much material at a time. That's why they're mainly used for building roads. where they only need to move piles around or scrape the surface. Larger draglines are used in mining. Once you get to know this machine and get fluent with it, it'll be a workhorse for you. But it's definitely a learning curve lol.
As they say, if you don't break something, you ain't learning :)
Drag-line looks like it's well in its element there, could be a real asset to keep the ponds dredged and maybe the occasional project for a buddy.
Fun video, u can handle any piece of machinery. Great sense of humor when things happen, proud of u! God's blessings.
Great job retrieving your bucket, you picked up on that pretty quick
LOL 🤣🤣🤣 and you where getting pretty good at that. I bet Matt really loved that.
BUMMER!
Reminds me of the 1st time with my new BaitCaster. Slipped out of my hand and into the lake 😮
Love the view from the operators seat!
A whole new set of coordination skills to be learned here and everyone has to start somewhere. But I'm sure that with your operator skills, mastering this great old gal won't take long. Thanks.
Best thing I’ve seen all day!!! Thanks for the great laugh!!
Cool . when turning the house , when u get to where u want to dump , just let the drag spool out . That action will stop the house turning movement. . Hardest part of turning to cast is not flipping the bucket when it hits the water. We ran our boom at 33 degrees. . How to pile with out blowing the pile apart is another art in its self .
Once you get more used to it and can get a rhythm going it is easier because you can change one action with another and not have to stop. . You are doing well . I have seen many erection crane operators not able to run a dragline. . Sometimes if you have enough room to move the drag line . you can pull on bucket at an angle , it will sometimes slide or roll and let you drag bucket back to shore .How you done it worked out pretty well being able to have the hook.
. When i lost our 10 yard bucket , i got it back to only about 15 feet of water .
Same as if get slack in drag cable can turn house and let as much cable out as needed then pull yourself back straight with drag cable. I think what messes a lot of people up is the need to watch the bucket and not the boom . Move boom a little , let bucket catch up and then just move the boom to catch up to bucket , and to stop , slow boom then just catch back up to where bucket stopped or let drag cable out and bucket swinging out will stop house movement . Looks like you have that figured out . Running the dragline was one of my favorite jobs
That's funny the way the bucket fell off and your reaction to it .... 🤣🤣🤣
We all knew this was coming.. Chris , dragline, pond....
15:17… loving the new quick disconnect system… not many drag liners have this system on theirs toys… 🤣🤣🤣
So glad you were able to retrieve the bucket and give it a bath. Now didn't I hear you say, "I'll be using every piece of machinery left except the drag line." Well you had some excitement anyway.
Fun video.
He has a great personality, I enjoy his videos
I can tell that you are having a great time Chris. All of us kids need our toys. Nice job. Great save. Have fun.
He is very inspiring, I admire his passion
☘️🇮🇪🇺🇸 omg u take me back 2 being a hypnotized 7 yr old on my fathers’ const site watching the men move those massive dinosaurs -that 2 my father’s chagrin they’d occasionally tuck me in the cab squealing w/delight & amazement- oh Chris Ty for letting us laugh w/u & such joyous memories!!! Blessings!!!!!!
When i was younger, I watched the Linkbelts dredge the missippi while I sat on the levy . Those booms looked so long and big then.
I could watch this drag-line all day, minor setback with the bucket. Great video!
Looks like you were having fun , the machine is running great now too.
It sure is nice to have this spare time to learn by yourself right or wrong your still learning and your enjoying the time.
Boys and their toys !!! 😂😂 👍
Loved seeing this old machinery in operation doing real work as well as seeing it from all the different viewpoints. Next will be an old steam shovel right ? =)
When I was growing up, we would travel to Memphis and then north to Tiptonville, TN to visit my uncle. We would see those old drag-lines working the Mississippi, usually from barges.
The Man and his machine become one ♥️♥️❤️👍 it. Thanks for the video Chris nice recovery, take care of yourself and Winston and be Blessed ❤️.
Very nicely recoverd! But other than that cris I think you panicked the Pike and Perch and scared the crap out of the carp
Great video Chris LOL 😆😆
Can't wait to see you do some more dredging, as it's great to see old machinery at work. You could put a D shackle in place of the ball and hook then all you have to do then is remove the D shackle and place the ball and hook back on again. Alot easier than undoing the wedges on cable. Thought you would be getting your feet wet. 🏊 Great stuff loved the video. 👍👍👍👍
Take the bolt out of the hook that holds it on the ball and use a shackle. Then you can just remove the shackle and replace it with the hook when you need it.
Chris,I used to occasionally use that same model and the only thing I took away from it was to accidentally tip the boom back pnto the cabin lol! But great effort,we had a guy that loaded trucks with it all day long.
I have absolutely NO idea how to operate that thing but I was here - sitting in my nice comfy chair - telling you what you were doing wrong lol
Have fun with that new/old toy.
Lovely watching you learn how to use the dragline
Are you safe in that relic?...History in the making folks...I knew it would only take a few drops and you would become a pro at lot of fun watching one of those things go to work again...@ 74 I've seen a lot of em...