Sunday winching gone wrong...

So this is how we spent today...I will post the pics and Eric can explain.

This comes to show you, no matter how much you know, sometimes things go wrong. Glad no one was hurt when that cable broke.

Huh. Why was the winch even needed?

MORE pics!

Wait til you see the broken driveshaft pics.

The hydraulics on the machine were crap. He couldn't do anything to get out.

some more....

K, Makes sence now.

No way that was going to work but I would have tried anyway.

ODdave said:

Huh. Why was the winch even needed?

Click to expand...

The excavator was a rental and it had very very little hydraulic power. It could not lift the machine. It also had one side that would barely drive.

The hoe sat overnight there , and the rear counterweight was totally submerged this AM. I am surprised it started. They could not rotate it either, until I dug around it with my backhoe.


After my driveshaft broke, I called in a friend with an old Holmes 550(I think).

MY winch cable was brand new. It looks like the tensioner did not travel across the arch, and that allowed the cable to bind on itself, causing it to snap. (that's my best guess).

All this damage with a true military issued shear pin installed.

Things I've learned over the years: 1) Don't go in the s**t on an excavator w/ weak hydraulics! 2) Be really careful dragging yourself out with that long-stick machine if the hydraulics are strong!

Billy Bobbed said:

No way that was going to work but I would have tried anyway.

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The tracks were parallel to the shoreline. One was under the mud/water by about 2'. The other was above the water and sort of on hard ground.

The idea was to have the boom up and use the winch to tilt the machine(sucking it out of the mud slowly) up onto the high side track, then let him drive sideways to the cable pull, onto hard ground.

That was working until the cable snapped(I suspect from the tensioner not working correctly) I have completely cleaned and lube it too.

When the cable broke, I had the low side track lifted up about a foot.

some more pics....

doghead said:

The tracks were parallel to the shoreline. One was under the mud/water by about 2'. The other was above the water and sort of on hard ground.

The idea was to have the boom up and use the winch to tilt the machine(sucking it out of the mud slowly) up onto the high side track, then let him drive sideways to the cable pull, onto hard ground.

That was working until the cable snapped(I suspect from the tensioner not working correctly) I have completely cleaned and lube it too.

When the cable broke, I had the low side track lifted up about a foot.

Click to expand...

Did you have wood mats under the excavator?

How the heck did you bend the PTO shaft like that? It looks like it got hit by one big mower.

That is one bent diveshaft!

And a few more...

Makes a few of the debacles I have been in, VERY recently, look pretty tame and manageable ! I am just so glad nobody was hurt, and that there was not any more damage done !

For an excellent effort ! AND for the great pictures of the adventure !

Im I wrong or did you use the front winch when you should have used the rear.

porkysplace said:

Did you have wood mats under the excavator?

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No, but we put several trees under the track, with my backhoe.


This mud was black sand and about the consistency of mashed potatoes.


I was not the guy that got the excavator stuck. I was the guy they called to get it out.


After about 8.5 hours, we did get it out.