Excavator Built from scratch

[jayrush13]

Its just about 5' long and made for my 2 year old

Built this with some stuff me and my Dad had laying around. Went off some pictures online and made it to fit what I had on hand. All told the only thing i had to buy was the nylock nuts for a grand total of 98 cents. Every thing else was salvaged off jobs or left over from other projects

View media item 23835
It is pretty strong I made the Support the seat screws to long enough for a Dad size child to try out and it will hold me up just fine. My Dad even had some left over Cat Yellow paint.

 

[Justanoldguy]

I bet your 2 year old will DIG it.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Excellent job! That will turn out to be a fond Dad memory for him, which is priceless.

 

[jhelrey]

I see lots of sharp edges for a 2 year old to hurt themselves on. Otherwise, it looks sweet!

 

[isaac338]

I see lots of sharp edges for a 2 year old to hurt themselves on. Otherwise, it looks sweet!

No quicker way to learn to watch where you're going, in my experience!

 

[CreteCoater]

No quicker way to learn to watch where you're going, in my experience!

+1..

 

[signcrafter]

I see lots of sharp edges for a 2 year old to hurt themselves on. Otherwise, it looks sweet!

No quicker way to learn to watch where you're going, in my experience!

When I was a kid we had all metal play ground stuff. I remember getting cut a few times but that was part of being a kid! Now everything is rubber coated.

The digger looks great. I remember spending hours on those as a kid. The was even a pond that had a few of those in the shallow water that was fun to "dredge" with. Time to make a powerwheels dump truck!

 

[allinon72]

i see lots of sharp edges for a 2 year old to hurt themselves on. Otherwise, it looks sweet!

wrap the kid in leather before he can use the digger!!

 

[jayrush13]

I see lots of sharp edges for a 2 year old to hurt themselves on. Otherwise, it looks sweet!

There are no "sharp" edges all the corners have been rounded over it is made out of steel so if you hit it hard enough you could get hurt but he is a quick learner

Thanks for all the kind words he also has a Murray pedal tractor that was my Dads from the 50s and I used it in the 80s it needs a dump trailer next

 

[thundermug]

That's awesome. My son would love one of those. Good work.

 

[AeroNautiCal]

That's excellent, he's going to love it!

 

[slow50]

thats cool. be ready im sure when he's four he will want wheels on it then when he's five its gona need a motor. then he's gona want the real deal!

 

[BD1]

I see lots of sharp edges for a 2 year old to hurt themselves on. Otherwise, it looks sweet!

angle iron cut on 45 instead of rounding corners. Kid will be ok, it's the old man falling on it **** faced.

 

[1SlowFormula]

Very cool, and good work. My son will be 3 in December and I was looking into buying something like this, I think you just inspired me to build one instead...

BTW, what area of Oregon are you in, I'm just south of Portland...

 

[magnusk750]

Looks fun. I'd even build one for myself...

 

[GeoTracker90]

I see lots of sharp edges for a 2 year old to hurt themselves on. Otherwise, it looks sweet!

I want to tell you to grow a pair and let the kid be a kid and let the parent be a parent. Then again I'm also the guy that gave my 5 year old a SHARP pocket knife and let him carry it and use it without supervision. We first sat down and had a very good discussion of what was appropriate and what wasn't and what the rules and consequences were. It's amazing just how much kids can comprehend and understand at young ages, especially when it is something that they want and boundries have been set and enforced.

jrush13 - Awesome project and very well executed. I'm looking forward to what you do for an encore. You and your son will have lots of fun with this. It's amazing just how many enjoyable hours can be spent moving sand or dirt from one pile to another. I'm sure that my mother was thankful that there was a sandbox that kept my brother and I busy for hours at a time during the summers while I was growing up.

Mike

 

[jayrush13]

Very cool, and good work. My son will be 3 in December and I was looking into buying something like this, I think you just inspired me to build one instead...

BTW, what area of Oregon are you in, I'm just south of Portland...

I live in Lebanon about 30 min south of Salem

 

[1SlowFormula]

I live in Lebanon about 30 min south of Salem

ahh cool, I was down that way like a week ago with my little guy for the sublimity harvest festival, my wife has family in Salem also...

 

[kald]

Very cool! I have a 2 year old daughter. I can weld plastic reasonably well, maybe I need to slap together some barbies.

 

[NASTYZEN]

Nice for the kids. Good on you.
I saw one years ago and took a picture in the hope I would build one for the boys, but they grew up before I got around to it.
My 15 year old is just about 6 feet tall now. I'd have to make a BIG one!

 

[Zengineer]

I found an easier way for my 3 year old... lol!