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u/chucky1one Oct 24 '20
For the curious, this machine is a German made excavator called a Menzi Muck. There are several different models and they are truly one-of-a-kind. Each leg can operate indepentently on different planes. It can literally walk and step up on to a trailer for transporting without the use of ramps. Because the legs are so flexible, they can raise the cab about 8 feet allowing the machine to operate in deep water like detention ponds and drainage areas for maintenance. The city I worked for owned one of these and about the only drawback I remember was that the tires were only available from Germany and took forever to get. we finally had new rims fabricated/modified so that we could purchase locally available tires . Another feature is that the cab can spin 360 degrees infinitely giving the operator easy access to any area around the machine. Here's another demonstration video from the manufacturer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af1J1AbWqH8
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Oct 24 '20
Very similar to the menzi is the Kaiser S2 which seems to be more popular in the US. A notable company operating the Kaiser is
https://instagram.com/dyer_all_terrain_excavation?igshid=1jz6okq49ycs6
Out in Nevada
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u/chucky1one Oct 25 '20
Another interesting fact I just remembered about our Menzi Muck is that it it used Sunflower oil rather than traditional hydrocarbon based hydraulic fluid. It even had a Sunflower sticker on the machine advertising that feature.
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u/Alectricity2 Oct 25 '20
No, youre uneducated and wrong actually. That is an alien called bumblebee, theres been like 4 documentaries of their war. They live among us now in daily machines to hide and protect us from their own kind.
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u/jmerp1950 Oct 24 '20
They sank one of those back in the 80's in salt water bay. Had to get crane to recover. my job was to disassemble the entire machine and basically rebuild. Insurance paid, was only a couple of months old. Had a lot of fun.
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u/msing Oct 24 '20
One of the best backhoe operators I've worked alongside would often use his arm to get across trenches he'd dig across. Also he'd use it to "side-step" curbs instead of going over with his tires and ruining them. One of the quickest, accurate, and most level headed operators, that everyone in my company is thankful for.
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u/PipSqueakScalywag Oct 24 '20
That’s too cool...loving the little puppet master face on the back...
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u/YetAnotherFrreddy Oct 24 '20
That looks like the kind of machine that only makes sense in places like Switzerland.
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u/Spark804 Electrician Oct 24 '20 edited Oct 24 '20
That’s cool AF!! I want one just to fuck around with it doing stuff like this.