I am not sure if this classifies as compact at 17,000 lbs but what is the consensus on the Cat 307 machines? I figure its a rebadge of a asian built machine. There is one for sale fairly close and figured I might indulge myself if for nothing else than to play with it and maybe do a geo-therm or two. I was more into finding a larger backhoe but this might fill the need for the present time. thanks tim
I'm fairly sure the 307 is a grey market machine. If it is, it's not a rebadge of an Asian machine, it is an Asian machine. It was not made for the American market. That doesn't mean you can't get parts for it though, it just means you ain't going to get a service manual in English because there ain't one out there. I think the 307 is equivelent to the E70B which is a domestic machine. A lot of the parts can be ordered using E70B parts pages. The hardest one to get Cat to work with is the 307SSR, our local Cat dealer doesn't want to have anything to do with that one. :usa
The 307 is definately sold in the U.S. by CAT. There is also a grey market version. My partner owns a 307C, which is a very handy machine as it can be easily transported. I used to have a E70b which was the predecessor of the 307. There is also a 308 which is the zero tail version.
all our cat documentation for the 307 is in english, in fact it's in english for all cat branded machines I ever come in contact with.
I'll agree with you, I know for sure the 307C is a domestic Cat. And I think your correct that there were standard domestic 307 as well as Asian market versions. I'd say the serial number will determine which is which. I wasn't sure how the E70B was connected to the 307, now I know, I only knew a lot of the parts are the same. You've shown you know your Cat. As for the post from Per Ericksson, All your Cat 307 documents may be in English, but Cat did in fact make a 307 Asian market machine with the manuals in Kanji Japanese, I have one at the shop. As for all Cat branded machine having an English manual, try finding one for a Cat branded 307SSR. I haven't found one yet. But I have one at the shop in Kanji, and a lot of the part numbers are Mitsubishi numbers, others have the typical Cat number. If you call your local Cat dealer to order one of the Mitsu numbers, it won't come up in the standard parts look up. He has to go into the parts search for Cat branded products under the Mitsu product line, find the part number, then convert it to the equivilent Cat number to order the part.
I had a 307b for a year or 2 , it was a good digger. lots of power for size but not a lot of reech. yes it is mostly mitsubishi ,but cat cab etc. when i got cat oil filters for it they were in cat box but mitsubishi filters! wood own one agin tho, went well.