Construction and other equipment - Thoughts about an excavator

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Thoughts about an excavator

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Construction and other equipment
Forum Description: everything else with orange (or yellow) paint
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=123418
Printed Date: 26 Jun 2025 at 1:15pm
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Topic: Thoughts about an excavator

Posted By: Rib Lake Allis
Subject: Thoughts about an excavator
Date Posted: 16 May 2016 at 7:38pm

Hi everyone, I know a guy that is thinking about selling a early 70's Drott 40 Cruz-air FWD wheel excavator. I would like to know some pro's and con's about them if anyone has any experience with one. Thanks Steve!

Replies:

Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 16 May 2016 at 9:09pm

I looked at getting one back in 70's or early 80's and decided against - not as stable as a tracked machine and not as portable either in many ways .

To a use as TLB they are not and as a excavator their use is limited .

Kind of if your doing specialized work they are great but for general use not so much

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Faith isn't a jump in the dark. It is a walk in the light. Faith is not guessing; it is knowing something.
"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 17 May 2016 at 4:58am

State of MO owns a few, use them for road ditch cleaning where they sit on the road, have spoken to the crews here about them and they would not have one personally. Would stick to tracks.

Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 17 May 2016 at 8:47am

Our county road department has 1 with a 4' bucket. they use it to clean out grader ditches. I've never seem them use it anywhere else.

Posted By: michale34
Date Posted: 17 May 2016 at 9:50am

I know a guy who bought one at a auction to use in a dirt pit to load trucks about 15 years ago he said he used it a few times and scared the crap out of him been sitting since

Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 17 May 2016 at 10:49am

that is where one sees them is cleaning ditches , or with a breaker hammer doing deck repair on bridges or highway - can be moved about a job site on solid footing -

but for excavating or loading - they do not have stability of track machine .

Posted By: Rib Lake Allis
Date Posted: 17 May 2016 at 7:55pm

Thanks for your input. I think I will pass on that one and look for something different. Thanks again Steve.

Posted By: CALEBnOK
Date Posted: 20 May 2016 at 9:00pm

Excavators buy a cat. Not always the best but if you depend on one cat is the only way to go. Parts availability is second to none compared to every other manufacturer I've seen.

Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 20 May 2016 at 10:24pm

Seems most are made in Korea and just couple outfits make them for others , change the paint and engine to Mfg spec and rest of machines close to the same .