I spoke to a heavy machine mechanic by phone today, about a possible trade but that didn't work out. As the main issue is the weight of this machine against the sand. He suggested a possible fix is to remove the counterweights. I've looked and it appears the counterweight on this machine is the back, almost all of it.

Questions - How much does that counterweight weigh? And can the machine operate, at a reduce capacity, without the counterweight on the back?