Big Cat 983 "Little Debbie" Loader Faces Major Oil Leak and Tree Pushing Challenge

Initial Checks and Preparations

• 🛠️ The Big Cat 983 loader, nicknamed "Little Debbie," is prepared for work on a 60° day with some initial maintenance.
• 💧 Fluids are checked, noting the transmission fluid was slightly milky, and the engine oil dipstick is at the bottom of the safe range, serving as a baseline for leak monitoring.
• ⚙️ Bucket pins are greased, though not all could be reached due to running out of grease.

Moving Dirt and Discovering Issues

• 🚜 "Little Debbie" is put to work moving a dirt pile, with the operator noting the difficulty in gauging bucket level due to missing linkage for the indicator.
• 🌲 The loader is also tested on pushing down trees, with the operator curious about its capabilities.
• ⚠️ A significant engine oil leak becomes apparent, with oil streaming out and requiring frequent refills.

Testing Other Equipment and Returning to the Loader

• 🚜 The 977 loader is brought out to assist with moving dirt after the 983's oil leak worsens.
• 💧 The 983 is refilled with five gallons of engine oil and continues to leak approximately 4 gallons every 30-45 minutes.
• 🌳 The operator decides to test the 983's ability to push over trees before returning it to the shop for repairs.
• 💥 The pine trees are easily pushed over by the 983, shearing them off at the ground due to the hard soil.

Shop Restock and Final Tasks

• 🛒 The shop is restocked with PIG absorbent mats, microfiber cloths, and dispensers for spill containment.
• 🔧 The new PIG products are organized on shelves, and an airline pipe is installed.
• 🏞️ Separately, the dragline is used to clear mud from a pond edge before an anticipated 2 inches of rain.
• 🚧 The dragline successfully moves a large pile of mud from the pond bank, though some remains underwater.