Bucyrus Erie 15B

Grab it. All simple mechanical stuff to make it move. Are you going to be able to make the Nowthen show this weekend. I hope you can.

I saw your post about the show. That's the first Iv heard of it. I might have to see if I don't have anything going on this weekend. Otherwise Pioneer Power is coming up and I always make that one. I may also try the WMSTR up in Rollag. I have never been to that one either.

-Jeremy

Thank Goodness someone had the good sense to lower the boom down thereby closing the covers over the hoisting drums. I have seen so many cranes like that ruined because the last operator left the boom in the raised position and the covers were up allowing the rain and snow in on all the drum and mechanisms rusting them into a solid mass. I looked at a Bucyrus 10B locally a couple years ago. The boom was left up and there wasn't a single moving part in the house that wasn't rusted fast. What a shame!

Poor ole girls been put out to pasture! lol

Hi, Seyser.
These were good,solid, reliable machines, simple and pretty easy to work on, although there would be times when you are learning to handle it that you might wish you had an octopus for a co-pilot. Once you get it all sorted out though and establish a rhythm, they are not difficult to operate, just require some muscle power here and there. Proper adjustments will help to reduce that.

if you choose to inspect it with a view to purchase/acquisition, I would suggest getting the engine running and then GENTLY engaging the master clutch to see if anything might be stuck or binding. Once that is achieved, try each individual control, again gently, to see that they all run freely. You don't hafta pull them into full engagement, just enough to check that they free.

There are a good few lube points, zerks and oil cups, and they all deserve proper attention, including 'blackjack' on the slew ring gear and the boom tip and fairlead sheaves.

Hope this helps.

Just my 0.02.

I saw your post about the show. That's the first Iv heard of it. I might have to see if I don't have anything going on this weekend. Otherwise Pioneer Power is coming up and I always make that one. I may also try the WMSTR up in Rollag. I have never been to that one either.

-Jeremy

[quote="seyser"]I saw your post about the show. That's the first Iv heard of it. I might have to see if I don't have anything going on this weekend. Otherwise Pioneer Power is coming up and I always make that one. I may also try the WMSTR up in Rollag. I have never been to that one either.

-Jeremy[/quote]

Chapter 3 will be having a meeting on Saturday afternoon during the show. Ask a member when and what time. Guests are welcome.

My only experience was on a 22B, 30B and best of all, a 38B with air! Both the 22 and the 30 were all hand frictions. All three were log loading shovels. the 22 had a dipperstick with tongs, the other two were heelbooms. If I could run them at the age I was then, they must have been pretty bullet proof. They are fun machines to run.

Dad ran one along with a P&H
I tried to learn at 14 yrs old- those pedals are not meant to stomp on!
Like Pete said -- easy does it.

The operator I was with told me he was going to take my shoes off and heat the pedals with torch, make me less prone to stomping them.
He ran his brakes very loose, just enough to hold an empty bucket.
Swing is tricky to learn, keep the bucket under the boom. Easy to have the boom ahead or behind the load.

As someone said here -- make sure the clutches are not engaged and drawing the cables when you start it - more than one has crumpled a boom, or wrinkled the house by pulling boom over it.

Bucyrus draw works run in oil, a great advantage and they clutches were all manual connected, P&H used brake master cylinders on the levers and slaves on the clutches, always leaking!

Loading the flat track can be a bit tricky, Dad used to throw some pea gravel on the ramps, helped keep it from slipping, days long before the nice Cozad trailers.

Good Luck!