An excavator machine is a type of hydraulic equipment that can dig through the earth, sort of displacing various types of surfaces, to create a depression. Excavators are normally used when digging through earth to erect a building’s foundations. Excavators use excavator buckets, which are typically attached to the machine, to dig through many types of surfaces – clay, slate, sand, and more.
Driving past an excavator machine, you probably think its operator is having a field day controlling something so huge. Looks can be deceiving, though. An excavator operator might make it look easy, but unless he knows how to handle the machine and the excavator bucket the right way, he might not be able to get work done on time.
Digging trenches, as it is, is already a daunting task. Now, for the excavator operator to achieve the day’s goals, be productive, and produce failproof results, he needs to undergo rigid training so he can control the machine, making it function that way it’s supposed to.
Are you an excavator operator? Here are some things you should keep in mind so you can handle your machine the right way:
- Unlike traditional vehicles, an excavator machine can only “walk” a straight line. Thus, you need to make advance preparations. For starters, you can designate reference points and mark those appropriately to serve as guide. The front and back of the machine should be well-aligned to the reference points to help you walk the machine in a straight line.
- Your line of sight when driving the machine could deceive you into thinking you’re not digging deep enough when cutting through the ground. That’s a mistake, since realistically, the teeth of your excavator mud bucket are buried about 8 inches deeper than what your eyes can see. It is deeper than it appears.
- If you’re not well-trained in handling the excavator machine, you might end up hitting people who are working nearby with the excavator bucket. Be extremely cautious when handling the machine lest you want to be the culprit of a medical emergency. Be extra careful of blind spots, too.
- Excavator buckets function depending on the type of ground being dug. If the excavator is hauling rocks from the ground, you will need a rock bucket. An excavator mud bucket is the one used to dig through trenches, ditches, and ponds. If the wrong type of bucket is used on the wrong ground, you’ll end up wasting your time, as this will be ineffective.
- See to it that you know how to level the excavator. That’s crucial, as it gives you the assurance that the ground you will be walking the machine on is levelled, too.
- Every second you spend operating the excavator machine counts. So, make sure you’re not wasting any moves when operating it.
Keep the above tips in mind when handling an excavator machine to ensure utmost productivity. Make sure you have gone through all the necessary trainings before getting behind the wheel of an excavator, because the last thing you want is to have an out-of-control monster in your hands.