HI. MY NAME IS STATHIS AND I AM FROM GREECE. SORRY BUT MY ENGLISH IS NOT THE BEST. I HAVE 4 QUARRIES IN GREECE AND I WANT TO BUY A TRUCK LOADER. I AM BETWEEN CAT 955L 8Y and CAT 953 (1984 model). I DONT HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE ON TRUCK LOADERS. I HAVE MANY WHEEL LOADERS (CAT 966C(1970) - CAT 950C (1980) - CAT 980C (1982) - INTERNATIONAL 530B - KAELBLE SL18B BUT NO TRUCK LOADER. THE LOADER IS GOING TO LOAD ROCK IN TRUCKS. I KNOW THAT CAT 955L IS TOO SLOW AND CAT 953 IS FASTER (HYDROSTATIC). WHICH MACHINE IS BETTER FOR QUARRIES? I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD TELL ME YOUR OPINION.
First off, stop yelling and turn off the caps. Secondly, why, specifically, are you looking for a track loader for a quarry? Seems most folks prefer a wheel loader for quarry work. What about budget? 955L will be cheaper to buy just due to age, but will likely need more work. I went through a similar decision process and ended up with a 955K because that was what was available in my price range. Dollar for dollar (Euro for Euro in your case) I'd have bought a 953, but that would have been a very long wait.
I have never seen a track loader in a rock quarry used to load trucks , all the way back to 1982. Only benefit I can see would be leveling or pushing up piles but I am not a quarry person. I've seen lots of wheel loaders , the local quarry puts about 3000 hrs a year on a wheel loader.
The reason i want to take a truck loader is simple. Cat 953 width to outside of tracks is 2180mm (7.2 ft in.) and cat 955l 2160mm (7.1 ft in.) I can load them on my dump trucks. So i can go from one quarry to another and i dont need to pay transport for wheel loaders all the time (250 Euros - 500 Euros 268 USD - 537 USD). I found cat 953 (1983) 8.400 hr. 11.500 Euros (12.368 USD). And cat 955l (1980) 6.000 hr 8000 Euros (8.604 USD). Can they work on a quarry (unlevel ground) ??? Or the ground must be totaly straight??? Thank you.
Track loaders are absolutely a horrible ride on rock. And the wear on the machine will be great on the rock. I would see if I could try one for a week or so before I bought one. I would rather have the 953 hands down if you do get one.
Ok. 953. Thank you all for your replies. Since i take it i will post some photos.
A reading this again , do you have to load your own dump truck at the quarry? It would make better sense to have a track loader if your going to load your own truck and use it for other jobs.
I load my own dump trucks at the quarry. This is why i need a truck loader. So i can move the truck loader from one quarry to another. The quarrys are far away from crushers. I use for extraction hydraulic excavators (O&K RH 12 with hydraulic breaker Daemo dmb 230 and Liebherr R912 with hydraulic breaker Daaemo dmb 180).