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| Internal cab details are very good. |
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| You should not walk within the swinging radius! |
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| Very good hydraulic lines. |
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| It looks great when viewed from a tower crane. |
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| Very good metal tracks and frames. |
Soilmec SR 70 Piling Rig
Model Review December 2007
Detail (continued)
The connection to the mast is via a complex parallelogram system and this is modelled very well with most parts in metal. A large number of realistic hydraulic lines run from the front of the body via the parallelogram and into the rotary head. The mast is in four pieces and is all in metal. The bottom piece is short and would have been better with a base plate to support the mast during drilling. The middle and largest section includes some silver hydraulic lines which run to the crowd cylinder (this pushes the rotary head down during drilling). The mast head consists of another short length of mast and the head itself. There is some intricate modelling on the mast head and the pulleys are metal.
The rotary head is another complex component and includes two hydraulic motors which are modelled in plastic. The kelly bar guide is metal but the kelly bar itself is plastic - one of the few such parts on the model. A large diameter metal drilling bucket is provided which has impressive teeth.
Features
The metal tracks are freewheeling and unusually they are not mounted on a spring loaded frame so removal of the tracks is more difficult. The track frames are extendible so the model can be posed well in transport configuration with the tracks closed in, and with the tracks spread the model is stable when posed for drilling.
The mast breaks into four hinged sections to allow folding for transport. When erected for drilling the rotary head and kelly bar guide slide easily up and down the mast. Two working winches are provided. One is operated via a metal key through a hole in the body and controls the kelly bar which can be winched up or down. The second has to be operated by a finger on the winch drum cheeks and controls the service hoist.
The drilling bucket can be rotated although the kelly bar has limited movement in this regard.