Autoblog

Dump truck is rescued by front-end loader... badly

Zach Bowman — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 20:01:00 EST

There are all sorts of cliches for a situation like this. Phrases like "out of the frying pan and into the fire," or "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" all seem apt. We aren't exactly sure where the video below comes from, but in it, a ~~bulldozer~~ front-end loader successfully rights a tipped-over dump truck. It's what happens after the fallen hauler puts its wheels to the pavement that things get messy once again. We won't ruin the surprise for you, but we will say the clip is a good advertisement for planning ahead. You know, in the event you happen to participate in some heavy-machinery salvage of your own.

You can take a look at the quick video below.

Continue reading Dump truck is rescued by front-end loader... badly

Dump truck is rescued by front-end loader... badly originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy equipment playground officially makes Las Vegas the most fun place on earth

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Work, Toys/Games

There are driving and flying experiences for all kinds of wheeled and winged machines, but what's been missing? Obviously, a place to play with heavy machinery to relive the sandbox fantasies of one's youth. Leave it to Las Vegas to fill the void with Dig This, a giant dirt pit where anyone at least 14 years old and 48 inches tall can pay a fee to spend hours pretending to do the kind of job many people would rather avoid.

At your disposal are some of Caterpillar's finest: three 15-ton excavators and two 10-ton bulldozers. After a bit of classroom instruction, you'll be led to your workhorse for some in-cab instruction. Then, depending on which of the three 'experiences' you've purchased, you have anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours to perfect your earthmoving technique.

If throwing 15 tons around isn't enough, Dig This has also partnered with other entertainment venues like The Spa at Trump on packages like Excavate and Exfoliate. They can sign us up for Dig & Destroy on our next trip to Vegas... To learn more, you'll find a video after the jump.

Continue reading Heavy equipment playground officially makes Las Vegas the most fun place on earth

Heavy equipment playground officially makes Las Vegas the most fun place on earth originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Crazy machine rolls out brick roads like it's laying carpet

Chris Shunk — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos

Tiger Stone brick layer - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Any non-professional who has built anything using brick pavers knows that the work is tough on the back and hands and the process is slow as molasses. The payoff is a beautiful, long-lasting finish, but there has to be a better way. If you have a Tiger Stone brick layer, there apparently is.

The Dutch-made brick laying machine utilizes an angled plain that enables workers to feed pavers into the machine without bending over and wrecking their backs. At the same time workers are feeding the electrically-powered machine, gravity is used to lay down the pavers in an orderly fashion. Fresh bricks are fed into the system via telescoping forklifts, further removing human blood, sweat and tears from the equation. The machine moves methodically down the pre-leveled path, enabling up to 400 square meters of 18-foot wide paved roads per day. Impressive stuff. Hit the jump to watch video of the machine doing its thing.

[Source: YouTube via Inhabitat]

Continue reading Video: Crazy machine rolls out brick roads like it's laying carpet

Video: Crazy machine rolls out brick roads like it's laying carpet originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: World's Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Etc., Humor, Specialty, Racing

World's Fastest backhoe - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Drag racing and construction vehicles do not typically mix well. Unless someone is trying to quit their job in dramatic fashion, heavy equipment is confined to slow speeds and hard labor. The JCB GT backhoe chooses to disagree. Thanks to a 1,300 horsepower engine, this drag racing backhoe (one of the weirdest phrases ever typed) rips away from the tree and down the line. Perhaps they were inspired by videos of wheel-standing loaders and drifting semi trucks?

The folks at JCB are no strangers to speed. A few years ago, their diesel-powered salt flats racer hit 350 miles per hour and at one point they expressed interest in purchasing Jaguar. We'd love to see how driving the Dieselmax compares to handling the JCB GT. We'd wager the backhoe is scarier to drive...

See the JCB GT in action after the jump.
[Source: Streetfire via CarDomain]

Continue reading Video: World's Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement

Video: World's Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Volvo has 13-liter engine, 500 horsepower

Zach Bowman — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Europe, Work, Volvo

Volvo FMX - Click above for high-res image gallery

No, we didn't miss a decimal point. Volvo (well, Volvo Trucks, to be more precise) has just pulled one very big sheet off of a new heavy-duty construction truck called the FMX. The leviathan bears a host of features designed to help it excel on the manufacturing and construction sites of Europe, including impressive ground clearance, substantial skid plates and one badpush-bar. Of course, there's also that impressive engine.

Volvo will let you equip your very own FMX with either an 11-liter powerplant capable of anywhere between 330 and 450 horsepower or a 13-liter lump with 380-500 horsepower depending on configuration. The larger of the two engines produces around 1,800 lb-ft of torque - more than both the 2011 Ford Super Duty and 2011 Chevrolet Duramax combined.

The FMX also comes with i-Shift - unique gearbox programming that senses the truck's load, then adjusts gear ratios accordingly to climb or descend hills. It will also let you rock the vehicle back and forth to get free of sticky mud or loose sand.

Yes, Volvo says the FMX is built to boost the company's presence in the construction market, but we're thinking those three- millimeter-thick bumpers would stand up well in your run-of-the mill post-apocalyptic scenario. Zombies, militias, recession-induced governmental collapse - the FMX could handle it all. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Volvo FMX

[Source: Volvo Trucks]

Continue reading New Volvo has 13-liter engine, 500 horsepower

New Volvo has 13-liter engine, 500 horsepower originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How not to right an overturned semi truck

Chris Shunk — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos, Work

Click above to watch the video after the jump

We've all seen semi trucks turned turtle on the freeway before, but as it turns out, the cleanup aftermath of a rollover can be as action-packed as the initial calamity. Said another way, If we ever run into an overturned hauler on a dangerous stretch of mountain road in Chile, we now at least know what not to do.

Hit the jump to watch video of a semi that was flipped back over with a front-end loader in what is decidedly the wrong way. We don't want to spill all the beans here, but the post-jump video contains quite a bit of excitement - even if the camerawork isn't quite ready for Michael Bay. Enjoy the madness!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: How not to right an overturned semi truck

Video: How not to right an overturned semi truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Heavy Equipment Calendar is for you who like your pinups big and dirty

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Work

2010 Heavy Equipment Calendar - Click above for image gallery

Sure, there's a Porsche calendar and a Mini calendar, but what if you're the kind of enthusiast who likes the bigger things in life - and we mean really big. Like, industrial-mining and earth-moving big. If so, then the 2010 Heavy Equipment Calendar is for you. The folks at Baumaschinen24 spent four months all over Europe capturing some of the biggest objects man has ever built , such as the Terex O&K RH120-E Mining Excavator, in slinky, naked, dirt-flinging poses.

As with the date-keepers from Pirelli et al, there's quite a bit of airbrushing. Still, as a symbol of what went into it, its makers call it "THE Construction Equipment Calendar," to distinguish it from all those other construction calendars you've been eying. It's available now for €29.80 ($44.69 U.S.), and make sure you check out the 'Making of' section at the site. Sports Illustrated, watch out... Hat tip to Jens.

Gallery: 2010 Heavy Equipment Calendar

[Source: Bauforum24]

2010 Heavy Equipment Calendar is for you who like your pinups big and dirty originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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