We were tooling around online today and came across several examples of how to misuse large construction equipment. And believe us, this is some gross misuse of some very large pieces of equipment. Now, the misuse was VERY impressive, but we’re not sure we’d risk our necks (or that much money) on the type of shenanigans we saw in these videos. Without further ado, here are some examples of front-end loaders, excavators, and even a mechanical digger doing things that defy logic and (most people’s) common sense.
Mechanical Digger Rowing a Barge
This one is simply funny to watch. We’d hate to think of what might happen if the operator doesn’t split the duty evenly between left and right. It sure does speed things up, though!
Excavator Unloading from Flatbed Truck without a Ramp
This is actually more skillful than scary, and we have to tip our hats to the excellent control demonstrated by the excavator operator. Somehow I don’t think this guy is union, though. We doubt OSHA would approve of this particular method of loading and unloading.
Loading a Bobcat or Skidsteer without a Ramp
This apparent misuse of construction equipment absolutely floored us when we saw it. “No way” were the words that kept coming out of our lips as we watched. We thought this must be impossible—until it happened right before our eyes.
CAT319D LN Excavator Climbing onto a Rail Car
Apparently, these guys do this all the time, so it’s not technically misused, but we find it still amazing to watch. Can these guys do amazing things with their work trucks as well? We know one thing, roll cages are an extremely important part of any big piece of construction equipment!
How NOT to Unload an Excavator
An in case you thought this was all too easy… here’s an example of someone who is perhaps not as skilled in the art of unloading an excavator from a flatbed as some of the others we’ve shown here.
…and this guy had a headache the next day, both literally and in terms of the paperwork he had to fill out…
Final Thoughts
After seeing some of the crazy misuses of large construction equipment, those of us at the office felt glad we’re not operating six-figure equipment for a living! This may be one of those cases where it looks about as hard as it really is.
