I can see that on 3 sides, but seems strange to me that the 4th side (the one in compression) doesn't bend and tear differently. Regardless what seems strange to me, facts are facts, I guess that's just how they fail.
It does seem odd to me, but I’m think that there is no side in compression on that lift - the cylinder is the “compression side” of the boom on that lift, so all four sides of the boom are actually in tension - not equally, the top is under more tension than the bottom, but all are in tension since the break is between the pivot pin and the cylinder attachment.
If I had one, I'd certainly be talking to a structural engineer about designing a reenforcement for that area.
Did you find those during "normal" inspection?
Every lift they have ever sold will have a recall on it at the very least. Everyone that owns one will no about this issue. No one will ever buy one now because it’s happened multiple times. From the sounds of it it’ll happen again. I sure as shit wouldn’t go up in one and would never put an employee in one as well. They are totally f#ucked.
Sean thanks for sharing this. Kyle has the 62' CMC. I'll tell him about the failure of the 83'. We should find out if the design is at all similar.
Same here
Not sure but received that email I believe in December
Machines are made by humans. Humans can make mistakes. All their testing and design and research is great, but it was done by humans...who are sometimes wrong, or at the very least not fully informed. This is why things like consumer watch advocates and product recalls exist. Going back to my post about the broken frame on our Morbark chipper...a few years prior we had the hydraulic tank fall off the machine while making a turn in a parking lot. Yes you read that right. The hydraulic tank fell off the machine. Morbark redesigned their brackets and even added a another one higher up. If you have a bobcat with a rear window and door that can be removed from the inside to allow for operator egress during an emergency (I'm pretty sure it's part of the forestry package along with ballistic glass on the door)...that's because someone where I work almost died when the machine caught fire and the arms were up blocking the door from opening. Luckily the hydro lines ended up failing and the arms came down under their own weight and the operator escaped physically uninjured. Bobcat then designed emergency escape options. Sometimes the consumer is still the beta tester. I'm not saying that's intentional, but that's the reality.
I did read the "pictures on social media" text in AA letter. If these pictures are of other machines, not the failed machine's, then what's the point? We have all read that one of these owners was meticulous and CTP, etc.
Sorry I wasn’t more clear. My point was to x ray the booms on the lifts that “have not” failed or cracked.
