Can anyone tell me if the Cat 225LC excavator is a good machine. I am new to excavators, looking at buying a mid 1980's machine for some work around the farm and for some custom work. From what I have heard, there are not alot of electronics on these older machines, so they may be easier and cheaper to fix. Do they have any weak points that I should watch out for? Is the 3208 a good motor? Is an excavator worn out at 10,000 hours? Thanks for any information you can help me with.
Those older machines are slower than the machines of today so as long as you know that, you shouldn't have too many problems. As far as I know, you can still get some parts for those machines. 10,000 isn't worn out, but there are definately some key components that need repari/replacement if they haven't been done already. The undercarriage is a good example, although if it has 10,000 hours chances are it's already on it's second carriage. If I had to buy an older machine, I would get an E120B or E200B. They're a little newer, early 90's and they really aren't too bad. A buddy of mine has an E200 and he uses it quite a bit for demo jobs, etc.
ditto on the E120 or E200. You can probably find a decent one with a newish underriage for a decent price. I spent a bit of time in an older E120B that had been used and abused most its life. It was a slow old dinosaur, but it could still get some **** done.
The 3208 is probably the worst engine Cat built. They smoked bad, were low on power and weren't very durable. I've been exposed to them in trucking, and they were a throw away motor that was good for 75k to 100k miles, that's about it. I don't know how well they worked in an industrial setting like a hydraulic power unit.
I see you are from Sask you might beable to find a old UH Hitachi or a 690 John Deere a little easier. The old EX Hitachi machines cab be found pretty cheap aswell you find a old EX150 or EX200. The old 235 Cats are okay they are a little bit of a dinosaur and expensive to repair. The 3208 is a POS they are hard to get parts for now.
While the 3208 was not the greatest motor ever produced by Caterpillar. Parts are not hard to get by any means, there are so many 3208s out there, complete reman engines, are often only 1 or 2 days out at your local cat dealer. Parts are very easy to get.
The Cat dealer doesn't carry parts for the 3208 anymore they are not used that much. If you own a 3208 you buy a bunch of dead ones for parts the guys that have them here have troubles getting parts for them. If your going to buy a machine make sure you can get parts for it. Alot of machines from the early 80s and the 70s are pretty much impossible to get parts for. Maybe down in the US dealers still have parts for old obsolete machines in my province you pretty much have to make a part or modify a part to work. Most dealers if its not a current machine something that is registered in their computer they will deal with you if its so old they need to look through parts manuals forget it.
Thanks for the info. I think I may stay away from the Cat 225 with the 3208 motor. I'll have to keep my eyes open for something with a different motor. I missed out on a Cat 213 excavator with a Perkins motor, that probably would have been a good little machine. There's also a Case 888 for sale in the area with a 5.9 Cummins. I like the motor, but I'm not too sure about the Case, and the electronics in the newer machines. My neighbor has a Case 1088 that he's dumped over $20k into, and still can't get his hydraulics fixed. That makes me a little hesitant to buy a Case. Maybe I'll be able to find a good Cat 120B or something.
Like I meantioned if you want a good Machine look at Deere aswell Cat is the most expensive machine to repair in Canada. These guys down in the US have a different situation where Cat is cheaper to repair because Cat is used alot more in the US. I think I would rather have a 490-590 or 690 Deere over anything else they are cheap to repair which is a big plus. You have Brandt Tractor for John Deere they are a good dealer they sell alot of Deere excavators here in B.C.
You really can't beat a Deere 490D/E or a Hitachi EX120-2 or EX120-3, bomb proof machines. Back then, Deere ruled the market. Cat's B series in the mid 90's spanked 'em back a little, though. :bouncegri
The old Deeres are easy to find and cheap to repair as I meantioned. I don't know what your using the machine for but a 15-20 ton would be a good size.
..... I think i would stay away from the 3208 they were not very good from what i remember it used oil, no power and im not sure but i think they don't even have sleeves in them im not sure about them in excavators ours was in a truck i know our machanic has rebuilt many of them he said they made him lots of $ overhauling them.....lol......
we have one and it works fine..has 15,000 hrs on it.never had trouble with it.mostly use it for hoe packing now.i believe it is a 1984 model.
Id go with a Deere or Hitachi. Ive seen old UH models beat to hell and the hour meter is on its 2nd or 3rd trip around. We had a EX100 that we traded at 7,000hours. Had one small electrical problem otherwise it was a hell of a machine. We now had a Deere 120 with 3,600 hours and its a champ. Our friend has an old EX270 with over 24,000 hours on all original parts with the exception of the motor. As for Perkins motors. Me personally, Id stay away. I know the old JCB backhoes had perkins and were terrible in the cold. The glass bowls would freeze up and you'd have to clear the ice, bleed all the lines, and re prime it all. And both Cat 416's we had with Perkins were problematic. Ive heard very good things about Case 9010's. Although a newer series. Its the same machine as a Linkbelt. Cummins in my eyes has the best engine out there.
In my experiance the 225 was an exelent machine. Tough to find one thats not beat and abused anymore though. Many I have been around have done well over 10,000 hours, a few over 20,000. The 3208 was a better engine in equipment than trucks, but still not a great engine. Try to find a 225 with a 3304, those were nice macines. The old UH Hitachi's were great macines too, easier on fuel than the 225, but they had their own drawbacks (like mechanical linkage controls instead of pilot). I would take a Hitachi over a Deere any day, the Izuzu is a better engine.
Cat 225 At work we've got 30 something excavators, and the oldest one still around is old shacky 225D (14,000 hrs, I would guess more than that, engines says 3208 rebuild). A 225 would do all right on the farm cleaning ditchs, not a high production machine and I wouldn't be taking her out in the mud, because they don't have good track power. We've got some old Hitachi 270, alot better machine, which I would recommend, they've also got a unbelievable amount hrs to and still goin strong.
my take i have a 1987 cat 225blc that is awesome! had it for years. the 3208 engine is great in an excavator. smokes only for a second in winter when first cranked....but not much more than anything else. i dont know what that smoke is...because my machine has never used oil. maybe on startup...its too much fuel and less oxygen in combustion chamber. idk? i can buy any part i want for the 3208 from cat. and the aftermarket. and i can also find parts everywhere used too. these are inexpensive engines and they run smoother than most engines. but i have had the engines in trucks...and they run great....but they dont seem to be a long term engine like the 6 cylinder cummins and cat typical style engines. but the cost....works out fine. you just swap motors and if you add up swapping for a reman versus rebuilding a 6 cylinder typical motor...thats what you should think about. but i think the 3208 was designed with a different mindset. it seems like its lighter...but i am not sure....and it seems like it runs smoother...and revs quicker like a v8 normally does compared to inline engines. from what i hear....its an awesome boat engine. from what i hear....anyways. but in my excavator...its been awesome! and back to the machine part. yes...the cat 225 is slow as far as operating speed. but it sure seems strong and torquey. it seems like it is made very well. very good metal. parts are plentiful....and NO electronics! i guess thats why it isnt fast and precise. but everything can be repaired with tools. i keep my 225 because it is in great condition and i cant get the money out of it that i will make in a dirt pit loading trucks when its needed. its just a handy machine. replacing it with a new 325 just to sit in a dirt pit to load an ocassional truck would be astronomical! i know that about the time my machine was coming out....the japanese machines were faster and cheaper on fuel. but...when buying an old machine...you have to look at parts availability....reliability....and an overall picture. and i always felt...but i cant promise...that cat used better grade of metal in the machines. think of it this way....an old liebherr dozer used to operate smoother than a same year cat with their hydrostatic controls. but i promise that if you were to ask what dozer you would buy that was 20 years old...and most wouldnt reccomend them! no offense to liebherr lovers. i love to operate them too. but not work on them!
In my experience the 225 was a great machine. The 3208 in an excavator doesn't seem to have as many problems as in other applications like trucks or 613 scrapers.
thats good to know maybe the equipment is better than the truck engines
3208 Sucks The 3208 is one of the worst engines that CAT ever built.
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums diverdown7! :drinkup
used excavators I saw this quote that had Case 1088 and it bought back some really bad memories. I bought one, had low hours, good price. THEN it started, ended up over a period of 6 months replacing 75% of the hyd hoses, couldnt get them from Case, had to have them made, very special fittings and expensive, I think one of the main pump hoses was $800 (6ft long) this machine runs real high pressure and takes the big buck fittings and hoses. I really liked the machine, but the maintenance was real bad, so to everyone STAY AWAY FROM THE CASE 1088, had a 888 also, but its just a toy, but a good older machine. I have good sucess with the older model Komastu's, there is a bunch out there and you can get parts Just my 2 cents worth
Case 1088 I just had to post another warning:Banghead Even if someone gives you a Case 1088, dont take it, except for scrap iron:bash This machine was made in France (I think) everything is to their standards (bolts,hoses, fittings, etc) mine had the Cummins 5.9, which was the only thing that was good about it. Hydraulic pump cost around $15,000.00 and most of them with a few hours are bad, or weak. Case hyd fluid for this special machine was $90 5gal, I think it hold 50 gal, main hose break $500 for fluid:Banghead Guess I will try to stop now