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….
"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.
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.
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! 👍👍👍👍
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.
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! 🤣
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.
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.
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!!!
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.
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!
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
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!
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.
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+"👍
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
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..😢 😮
You’re ready to do your next big pond dredging project now aren’t you Chris? Maybe just another half hour of practicing. 😂 All kidding aside I imagine it would help a lot if it had air controls instead of Armstrong controls. There’s just something about them but I could sit there for hours watching a dragline working.
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!
LOL my 900 kg mini excavator drives faster. hahaha anyways congrats Chris seems you got the gist of it. what a machine - legendary. ohh not to forget any ideas if you do a duet with @dirtperfect on both of your dragline's?
Seems like mechanically the bucket pull back cable should pull from up higher on the boom. Where it is now makes it difficult to keep the contents in unless you almost at grade. I see a cable connected to the top of the bucket, is there a pulley that pull the front of the bucket up to there? Hard to see on the video.
That might be the very reason why I can only remember clamshells being used in underwater operations (here in the Netherlands). You'd have the hoisting cable and the opening cable to the top of the boom, and a positioning cable to that wheel halfway.
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.
get yourself a gaint D ring and put a castle nut and a hairpin so it doesn't have to be stupid tight and impossible to undo. then you can swap and go anytime you want to hand your flag or hook n crane :)
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 👏
Could you imagine digging or dredging a whole pond like this? I guess if it’s all you know it’s not so bad. I’m spoiled with new hydraulic machines but I will say old timers had it figured out no doubt. That’s when men where real men.
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.
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.
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.
Just watched diesel creek re cable his latest drag line machine. Worth a look if you need to do yours Chris, nice save with the bucket maybe remembering listening to conversations with Dad and Grandad may have inspired the save
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...
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
I remember watching draglines working back in the early 1960s, near my home, and those old guys made it look as simple, easy, and fast. But, it's obviously not simple or easy, nor fast, compared to hydraulic excavators, but you seem to be figuring it out pretty quickly.
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.👍🏻
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.
Well done Chris ,I was just thinking if you held in a little on your drag rope and then let it go and dropped the bucket it would get you out farther and guess what you did it 😅
Holy crap!! It’s hard to see the size of the hook and rotating element! When you picked it up to carry it back to clip to the cable you could really see how big that thing is!
Getting pretty damn smooth with the old girl Chris!!! Was fun to see the progression if your skills to operate over the past few weeks. Have you thought about fixing the drag line up any? New cables and such?
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 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.
I guess you found out the hard way why they don’t use a hook to hold it. You were doing pretty good with it while the fun lasted. Once you get used to it, and easier way to dredge a pond because you don’t have to drain it… that and at the end when that mud went plop and splattered.. it was so far away from the cab, you didn’t have to clean it up like you would with the excavators… Oh well.. at least knocking the wedges out is not difficult.. just a bit of a pain.
