Oldest machine on a commercial building site?

Silvera

I spotted a 1980's-era JCB excavator in use on the M11 Service Area building site today. (It's on the left hand side heading south - between Arklow and Gorey - and can be seen from the motorway most days). It surely must be the oldest such machine in use on a commercial building site in Ireland?

Anybody know of an older machine in use (on a commercial site) in Ireland?

101sean

Interesting question, you see a fair number of older machines like Hymacs around on farms but for commercial use, apart from some specialist uses, older machines would be too thirsty these days and you'll see more contracts insisting on machines meeting emission regulations. Small quarries and scrapyards is probably the last place for old machinery.

emaherx

101sean wrote: »

Interesting question, you see a fair number of older machines like Hymacs around on farms but for commercial use, apart from some specialist uses, older machines would be too thirsty these days and you'll see more contracts insisting on machines meeting emission regulations. Small quarries and scrapyards is probably the last place for old machinery.

Like you said 101sean. A few specialist machines around like drilling rigs for exploratory drilling built on county machines. Although perpose built tracked machines are becoming the norm there too.

ballinadog

we have a 1958 d8 dozer currently working on one of our sites at the moment. going like new! (see pics) we have a d5 dozer still working as well, not quite as old tho

Silvera

^^^^^ Great to see older machines working away for a living!

I've since spotted a 1960's-era Ford tractor (c/w with roll-over bar) on the M11 site I mentioned above. It's being used to tow a water-tanker around the site.
The 'Seanie-Poole' Dump Trucks on the site are all 1998 and older registered too.

I'm guessing the fact that so many excavators, dozers etc were exported after the 'Celtic Tiger' years, contractors now have to make-do with whatever machines are available in the country.

101sean

If your an old plant fan and ever in the UK, try and catch one of the working weekends at various private collections. a while back I timed a trip to the Lake District to be at the Vintage Excavator Trust working weekend at Threlkeld. Also have a load of pics of a Thaxted working weekend.

There's still a few D8 and scraper box combos in the UK.

Autonomous

101sean wrote: »

Interesting question, you see a fair number of older machines like Hymacs around on farms but for commercial use, apart from some specialist uses, older machines would be too thirsty these days and you'll see more contracts insisting on machines meeting emission regulations. Small quarries and scrapyards is probably the last place for old machinery.

I'd say safety issues more so.

Silvera

101sean wrote: »

If your an old plant fan and ever in the UK, try and catch one of the working weekends at various private collections. a while back I timed a trip to the Lake District to be at the Vintage Excavator Trust working weekend at Threlkeld. Also have a load of pics of a Thaxted working weekend.

There's still a few D8 and scraper box combos in the UK.

I've seen pics of the Threlkeld weekends in 'Classic Plant & Machinery' magazine, but not in-the-flesh as yet.

Would be great to see some of your pics?!

101sean

CP&M is an excellent magazine.

I'll post a load up when I've got a decent broadband connection to update my PB account but here's a taster of some from Thaxted in 2005. I've photos from a Caterpillar museum in New Zealand as well.








My favourite, ex military Vickers VR180

micraX

There's a mf188 or something similar pulling a tanker in Kelly's bay in skerries