New $500K excavator found in Lake Michigan!

MonacoMike

MonacoMike

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Sep 15, 2009
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Indiana lakes and Lake Michigan
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"Police in Oak Creek are dealing with a lakefront mystery after a piece of construction equipment was found in Lake Michigan.

Oak Creek highway staffers spotted the yellow monster Monday as they worked on a bluff improvement project. A new $500,000 Komatsu excavator is in Lake Michigan with icicles dripping from its treads."

Full article and photo at the link

http://m.wisn.com/news/new-500k-excavator-found-in-lake-michigan/30022336

MM
 
Rumor has it that a Caterpillar 390F passed by and it Committed suicide :grin:

Full disclosure I work for a Caterpillar dealer :grin:

MonacoMike said:
"Police in Oak Creek are dealing with a lakefront mystery after a piece of construction equipment was found in Lake Michigan.

Oak Creek highway staffers spotted the yellow monster Monday as they worked on a bluff improvement project. A new $500,000 Komatsu excavator is in Lake Michigan with icicles dripping from its treads."

Full article and photo at the link

http://m.wisn.com/news/new-500k-excavator-found-in-lake-michigan/30022336

MM
Click to expand...
 
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Seems the CAT was on it's way back to the dealer after losing a sale to a Volvo EC when it passed by the Komatsu. Komatus knew if the CAT couldn't win over Volvo it didn't have a chance and committed Hari Kari. :grin:

Just for the record and to be fair.
Market share leaders as follows. Cat 1, Komatsu 2, VolvoCE 3, then everyone else. With VolvoAB's purchase of Terex, SDLG,and Duetz They hope to close in on 1&2 spot.

Sorry but the door was opened by SeaAyeOwe.:lol:
 
It would be funny if they lifted it up and the guilty party was stuck under it. They either drove it off of the bluff or they put it in gear and jumped off...
 
The latest is that vandals drove it off of the bluff, but did not go down the bluff with it. They have it uprighted back on its tracks, but it won't start, so they are going to bring more equpment down to the beach area via a nearby access road and tow it out before the lake starts to freeze.
 
DaFish said:
The latest is that vandals drove it off of the bluff, but did not go down the bluff with it. They have it uprighted back on its tracks, but it won't start, so they are going to bring more equpment down to the beach area via a nearby access road and tow it out before the lake starts to freeze.
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Really, Wouldn't start......huh??
 
Let's see, the thing is running, is driven off a bluff into water, sucks the water in and now won't start. Big surprise there.

BTW, good luck pulling a 105,000 LBS machine across the sand and mud. That's the spec weight of a PC 490 LC.
 
OldSkool said:
Let's see, the thing is running, is driven off a bluff into water, sucks the water in and now won't start. Big surprise there.

BTW, good luck pulling a 105,000 LBS machine across the sand and mud. That's the spec weight of a PC 490 LC.
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I am sure I can arrange for a Cat to drag them out - now that would be a picture for a Peoria billboard :grin:
 
SeaAyeOwe said:
I am sure I can arrange for a Cat to drag them out - now that would be a picture for a Peoria billboard :grin:
Click to expand...

What do you have in mind? A couple 850hp D11T's? :thumbsup:
At least they would be working instead of sitting idle due to our current mining restriction. Love this administration... not.

Now that the oil prices have tanked the articulated haul trucks, pipe layers and excavators in Canada will be idle too. No profit in pulling oil from Canadian sands when it's under $85 a barrel.
 
OldSkool said:
What do you have in mind? A couple 850hp D11T's? :thumbsup:
At least they would be working instead of sitting idle due to our current mining restriction. Love this administration... not.

Now that the oil prices have tanked the articulated haul trucks, pipe layers and excavators in Canada will be idle too. No profit in pulling oil from Canadian sands when it's under $85 a barrel.
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I might send a 994 just to make a point and make for a better picture shoot :smt021

Yes - you are are right on the pipeline and construction stuff. Oil sands is starting to be a concern - though most dealers make their money from utilization hours (parts and service) not new equipment sales, and they are working the actual oil sands units just as hard at the moment right now because they really need the cash flow from existing operations and when oil price is down that means more volume - I expect some maintenance and service cutback and belt tightening any moment though.

My main concern from oil price on impact of business is the on/off west coast LNG and the stuttering export pipeline impact (keystones or any of the other viable options).

Though for me other areas are more pressing - I am just literally back home for three hours after a week in Chile, Argentina and Bolovia - mining business really is tough in South America since November 2013.

Feast or famine!!
 
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Part of my team is in Brazil and I know exactly what you are saying. NA is about the strongest market right now for both of our equipment sales and service.
You are absolutely spot on about service being in high demand right now. As new machine sales fall, older equipment needs continued repair.

I have been intimate in 992's, 994's and 5230's. I once ran field service for a local CAT dealer in WNC. Had 15 service trucks under my control. Komatsu dealer hired me away to run the local dealership. I left them after 6 months due to broken promise of bonuses based on performance. I met the performance but they reneged on the bonus.

Sorry for the high jack but it's fun to reflect with someone in the business.
 
Yes sorry for the hijack and boring everyone, taken off line.
 
For those of us not in the heavy equipment industry, your dialogue was informative-thank you. It will be entertaining to see how the suburban dept of public works figures this one out.
 
DaFish said:
For those of us not in the heavy equipment industry, your dialogue was informative-thank you. It will be entertaining to see how the suburban dept of public works figures this one out.
Click to expand...

Having a great conversation with SeaAyeOwe off line Dafish. Just wish he wasn't on the other side of the country. Hopefully We will meet when I visit that region again.
 
DaFish said:
For those of us not in the heavy equipment industry, your dialogue was informative-thank you. It will be entertaining to see how the suburban dept of public works figures this one out.
Click to expand...

Spend a lot of money, fail at the task. Then spend even more money. Then cut it up and take it away in pieces. Tell the owner Oh Well buddy
 
It seems like they would be a lot better off doing some dis-assembly and get a heavy lift helicopter in there or set up a crane up above to lift the parts out.
 
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