Hi Guys, new to the forum. Im an owner operator in Australia. I have always had WABCO elevating scrapers, and im keen to know more about the 615c II. Any idea on the pros and cons of the 615, and other pertinent information....a dealer here in Aus said theyre still making them, but ive been to the CAT website.....looks like they stopped making them. Thanks Jim
Yeah. I just looked at the Cat directory and they do not show a 615 or a 651 in the line up anymore. I was never keen on the 615. They were too small in some applications, too big in others, kinda like a D7. I see a very few around here, but more 623's than anything else. I suspect that Cat cut both models because they were not selling well compared to the others. But parts will be available for a long time as well as service.
They are popular here, alot of paving outfits have them as they can double as a clean up machine I guess they were dropped form production like the 633 because of sales and are so close in size to the 613. Quality and parts are not a problem , I would not be afraid to own one if I needed that size machine. The 623 will move material cheaper if you have bulk dirt, all depends on your operation.
615c 11 hello jim ,i have a spec sheet in pdf file if you would like a copy ,my email is in my profile ,2.5 mb if you have b/b connection ,bruce oz
The 615C’s are great scrapers. The big difference between the Series I/II’s and the Series III’s is primarily the control sensitivity (and Tier upgrades). The III’s are very sensitive, which makes them better for finish grading applications. I really like the 615 and 613 scrapers on finish grading crews because of their maneuverability. I’ve done a lot more finish scraper work with 623’s, and prefer them due to their additional size (they can pick up more windrows and transition more material without needing to load/unload). But in many situations (parking lots, single lane road widening) the 613/615’s reign because they can make a pass and turn around at the end of the pass, while a 623 would require driving down to a turnaround and then returning. Or they can easily maneuver around the obstacles in a parking lot where a 623 would be like a bull in a china shop. A skilled operator can whip a 613/615 around in some tight quarters. The 615C was dropped after the series III, because it was cannibalizing the 613 market so much; CAT had a hard time justifying the production of both scrapers. The replacement machine is the 613G. The machine debuted at Conexpo ’08. The new G’s are plumbed for GPS, and have an upgraded flight design for better loading ability. Surfer-joe: “I just looked at the Cat directory and they do not show a 615 or a 651 in the line up anymore.” According to one of the wheel-tractor scrapers reps from CAT, there are a fully developed set of plans for a 651G. If demand for the machine were to grow (which there is possibility), than they will go into production. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Yeah, Cat did this with the 651 back in the eighties when things were so slow. I had some in New Jersey that were sorta custom produced and then the market picked up again and they were a regular item for a few years. That 613G sure looks different from the one I ran in Denver around 1971. I didn't have a cab of any kind nor any type of a cushion hitch. They were one of the hardest riding critters I ever saddled. Most as bad as a Model D LeTourneau.
Hi Guys, Thanks for your input there. I was wondering what happened to the 615cII on the website. I am tossing up whether to purchase one or not. I like my WABCO's but theyre getting on. Bruce, i have the 615 pdf file thanks. Any thoughts on known problems with the 615c? Appreciate your help, Jim
Here is a couple of pics of the scraper we sold about three years ago. We had this machine for about three years total and had pretty good luck with it. Granted this is an older model than what your looking at. We found this size of machine to be very handy. We could finish and haul muck all in the same day. The only real problem I remember was that the machine was always under powered. Maybe it was do to it's age I'm not sure. I've never run another 615 so I have nothing to compare it to. That being said, pulling a long general slope would slow the machine down drastically. Good Luck to you.
thanks Joe Dirt, great pics, i did have a go at an early model 615, i thought it was good too. For my fellow Australian bretheren, any ideas what a 615 is getting per hour. Just a ball park figure is what im after. Ive never had a 13m machine before, and 50% of my work is on hourly hire.I have my 8.4m machine for small jobs, and the 20m machine for the bulk work. Thanks for all your input. Jim
I can't help wondering why you see Rome open bowl conversions done on 615's and International 412's. And just who/what market the 611 was aimed at? They didn't hang around long either. I am not sure, was the 611 based on the 613 or 615? Alan627b
According to the manufacturers plate on the last 615c II I ran the 611 was the same machine. Always made me wonder why there was no double barrel based off of that size machine. The company I worked for did a lot of 7 acre or less jobs. Most of the time we were using Terex Ts14s, most of which were older than me. As for your 615cII. Good machine, the ones I have ran were light on hours, most of the time they were new-1000 hours. Of course being new machines, judging reliability is hard. Never had any problems other than a few little electrical glitches. Seems to be common with new Cat scrapers. Had a good amount of power. Long grades, and soft ground always seem to make the machine slow. Not that its under powered. Just cant put the power to the ground effectively. No different than any of our dinosaur Deere 762 and 862s in that aspect
Cat 613's 613's - Never did like them much - very hard riding and not too good at picking up topsoil, especially damp topsoil. You couldn't duck walk them out of a hole either, had to jack up the tractor with the bowl & turn 90 degrees & hope you found some hard ground. Our Michigan 110-15's & Wabco 111A's were way better in the topsoil and much harder to get stuck. I didn't find the 111A too hard riding. At least you were between the wheels rather than perched on top of one.:my2c
That 613g looks like a nice machine we have a 1972 613a and a 1979 613b we use daily i do have to say i enjoy running the old beasts they just take a licking and keep on ticking
613's How about the 613 cab? It was designed for a midget, I hate riding sidesaddle! Elevator needs more guts too. I looked at the one on display at Conexpo, at least they finally got the cab right. alan627b
Ive had a 101F and a 101G, they both ride pretty well, never had a go at a 111A, but theyre ok. What is the 613G retailing at in the US? Anyone know? Jim
613A was a horrible rough ride...always thought them underpowered as well. (sorry for the thread drift).
I noticed on the CAT website, they dont advertise the 613G. Must not be in production yet. I also rang a CAT dealer here in Australia who said he still has a new 615c series II order form for CAT, he didnt know they had stopped production. Cheers Jim
615c II I operated a 615c for a while building a landfill. Primarily, the scraper was used to obtain dirt from a borrow pit and use that dirt to build the roads for the landfill. One of the biggest problems i experienced with this scraper was maintaing a high enough RPM to keep the elevator going. Normally this isn't a problem (only "scraping the surface of the dirt), but when I had a short run to fill up on, multiple passes were necessary b/c it just couldn't power digging too deep. Then again, it is called a SCRAPER lol... Also, working with clay can be very frustrating when filling. In this case, the elevator is almost useless and the majority of the work has to be done with just the cutter. Working around other pieces of equipment (Another 615, a 613, a D6, and a Kobelco Trachoe) isn't as difficult as you might expect with the right operator. Maneuvering was a sinch and the road gear (6) moved along at around 26-29mph with a full load - plenty if you have a ways to go with the dirt. Differential lock is a big plus on this machine if there's ANY chance of the tires slipping. I've operated a 615 that didn't have one and it makes enough of a difference that if you get one used, make sure it works! *Note - It uses a LOT of air so it's not a good idea to use it the entire pass; try to anitcipate when you need and only use it then. I believe the tank is approx. 120 gals. Running this machine hard for 10 hours will use the greater majority of that tank