230LCR Hydraulic Excavator (HYEX)

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230LCR Walk Around by Don Busack
230LCR Arm Walk Around by Don Busack
230LCR Top & Bottom Walk Around by Don Busack
230LCR Working by Don Busack
230LCR in OIF by Monte Claussen

Hydraulic Excavator (HYEX)

The Hydraulic Excavator (HYEX) is a commercial off the shelf item of construction equipment. The HYEX is a track mounted, hydraulic controlled, excavating system. The Hydraulic Excavator (HYEX) is used to excavate and load earth, blasted rock, sands, and other types of aggregate into standard Army trucks, concrete mobiles, and rock-crushing units. The HYEX provides rapid excavation for construction and repair of runways, roads and trails, railroads, pipelines, waterways, and quarry operations. The HYEX is used in the rear area to construct medium to large obstacles and bunkers.

The HYEX will be introduced into the theater of operation to provide excavation for horizontal construction projects in support of military or other national goals or objectives. The HYEX will provide rapid excavation for construction and repair of runways, roads and trails, railroads, pipelines, waterways, and quarry operations. The HYEX will be used in the rear area constructing medium to large obstacles and bunkers.

The HYEX will be fielded to CBT HVY, CSC, Quarry Teams, Port Constr. Co, Pipe Line Co, Panel and Multi Role Bridge Co. The HYEX replaces several overaged, obsolete non-supportable systems, and one current system.

The Hydraulic Excavators (HYEX), types I/II/III are new pieces of equipment. All three types are off-the-shelf, commercial items, with minor military modifications. The military modifications include lifting and tiedown fittings for transportation, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Slave Receptacle, Chemical Agent Restraint Coating (CARC), JP-8 fuel capability, and a rifle rack. These items are basically added on and will not affect the vehicle configuration. All three types are diesel engine-driven, self-propelled, track-mounted undercarriages, with a hydraulic quick connect/disconnect coupler system, for use with a variety of different attachments. The operators will be MOS 62F (Lifting and Loading Equipment Operators) and 62G (Quarry Specialist). The maintainers will be MOS 62B (Construction Equipment Repairer), 63G (Fuel and Electrical Systems Repairer), 44B (Metal Worker), and Warrant Officers (MOS 919A) Engineer Equipment Repair Technician.

The HYEX types and their features are as follows:

Type I HYEX (ZLIN: Z39575/SLIN: E27792, NSN: 3805-01-463-0804) John Deere Model JD 230LCR, will come equipped with a hydraulic thumb clamp, heavy duty and utility buckets for general digging, trenching, and lifting.

Type II HYEX (ZLIN: Z39507/SLIN: E41791, NSN: 3805-01-463-0806) is the same as the Type I HYEX, John Deere Model JD 230LC-RD except it will come equipped with a hydraulic rock drill and a heavy-duty bucket for use in quarry operations. The RD stands for rock drill.

Type III HYEX (ZLIN: Z59362/SLIN: E27860, NSN: 3805-01-463-0805) is a larger excavator; John Deere Model JD 330LCR, which will come equipped with a heavy-duty bucket, rock bucket, and a hydraulic impact breaker for use in quarry operations.

The Type I and II HYEX is the heaviest excavator, with the highest digging forces, that has a transport height not exceeding 10'-2". Digging forces must be the highest possible to provide the Army the capability to perform excavating missions in the most difficult soil conditions (ie; caliche, frozen soil, shale, etc.) anywhere in the world. The Type II is the same base machine as the Type I, but is differentiated by having a rock drill as its principal third member attachment.

The Type III HYEX is the heaviest excavator (not to exceed 75,000 lbs.) with a bucket digging force equal to, or greater than, 40,000 lbs and a stick force equal to, or greater than, 36,000 lbs. It will be used to excavate shot rock in a quarry.

All excavators provided in accordance with this purchase description shall be the manufacturer's current commercial production model equipped with all components furnished as standard equipment and features customarily furnished with excavators of this type, whether stipulated herein or not. The excavator shall have a diesel engine, be crawler mounted, have an upper structure capable of continuous 360º rotation, and which digs, elevates, swings, and dumps material by action of the boom, the arm, and the bucket. Manufacturer decals, logos and model numbers shall not be permitted to be displayed on the HYEX, except for manufacturer name and model number on the identification plates.

This description comes from the Global Security website.