Hello all! I have a question for M blade operators. I have 10 years experience on blades and recently I got chosen to run a prototype m3 for cat at my company. I really like the machine but the forward and rearward visibility is horrible! I don't know what all the changes are from a m2, are I've only ever ran 140g/h and 14g/h. I do finish work and I've almost smashed water valves and manholes I also drove right over a sewer riser didn't even see it! And its hard to miss a 4" green pipe sticking out of the ground 3'. Just wondering what others thoughts are.
I had quite a bit of experience on a 140M prototype in Phoenix. The last M I operated was on the I10 corridor widening project in Tucson for Keiwitt/Sundt was a 14. I found that my operating style was to aggressive for both and I kept locking up the steering whence I would have to reboot the machine. I didn't like the rear visibility on either machine. I found the front visibility very good to the board but horrible on the horizon and those high mounted ape hanger lights were of very little help to me at night as they would illuminate everything and you could not see the shadows of humps or low spots out ahead of you. I did notice that they have a lower slung longhorn looking light bar on some of the machines. The major bitch I have with M models is the ergonomics of the controls. It feels very unnatural to me to thumb the functions on the right stick. If you are right handed, your right brain will get quite a workout cause all of the steering functions except left hoist are on the left as I recall except for steering functions. What I did like is the way the circle is set up and shimmed, it was easy to cinch down your circle brass (plastic) and keep you machine tight. I would love to see that set up on an H model SII and when I buy my next blade it will be an H SII and I will buy a new M circle for it and install it. I loved the power and the ergonomics of the way the switches in the cab were set up. I loved how quiet it was. Once I settled down and stopped "thinking" about what function did what I was able to manuever it quite well. For help in operating it, I would say, go slow. It is a very touchy machine. Possibly try leaning in and out around your boxes etc. with the wheel lean and off of curb until you get familiar with the joystick for the fine steering. I had massive problems feathering the steering, the slightest move was usually too much or i would forget to move center and keep turning or when moving to center i would oversteer in the opposite direction.
If my memory serves me correctly... CAT offered an optional camera to help with this problem. I will stick will the Global H model myself.:usa
Yea, backup cameras. Some people are eventually going to get hurt, and OSHA will ban the M Series like it did the Gradall. If you remember, the Gradall had a BLIND SPOT that got many a grade checker and rubber necker hurt or killed. The are still legal for agencies not regulated by OSHA. Ain't nothing quite like a Gradall for digging/cleaning ditches, hence a lot of state and county governments still have them in the U.S. CAT continues to attempt to get it's new baby to breath on it's own, but it's a lost cause IMHO. CAT has completely flubbed the dub with the M Series. It would do well to offer the H as an alternative purchase option. There is lots of new heavy grader iron on the market today with Deere, Volvo and Komatsu, some of which may be economic in place of CAT and may not evidence problems CAT is having with joy stick steering and now, related to steering, rear visibility. When it comes to highway construction, frankly I would not have a CAT M Series on the job for safety reasons if it was up to me. Which it ain't. :Banghead
I have operated machines that had worse visibility. How ever, if you had the opportunity to get an ACE owner operator on your job, and what he owned was a M model, would you want him off the job cause you didn't trust the machine he was operating?
My objection is to the M Model, not the operators. I believe CAT has recognized a significant safety deficiency with this machine. Hence, the camera option. It ought to be mandatory, and the first time some hand is killed in a backup event, the manufacturer will be mounting cameras on for free at the advice of it's corporate attorneys. Engineering should have initiated that already, but they are too intent at the moment on saving their stillborn baby to think straight. Also, you will never see a true ACE hand on an M, because it just can't be done like it can on the previous designs.
When did they ban the Gradall? I'd better let a few contractors I know that still use them that they had better make them scarce!
M Series Graders are just the ducks nuts. I like them so much that if a job didnt have one for me to run I'll go elsewhere. Sure, they got a couple of things that bug you, I hated the door post being in the way of sight to the blade heel, but am used to that now. Vision to the rear is a bit ordinary on them all. The secret here is to be aware of your surrounds at all times as with any machine. The whereabouts of man on the ground, services, hubs, grade pegs, other plant n machinery in your mind at all times. It does take a while to pick up the feel for the steering like some of the guys say so go slow and take your time. Cat have done themselves proud with this model as far as operators are concerned. My present 14M has 3600hrs and previous one 6500 with only minor repair/alteration bugs to both. The M Series is here to stay guys so get used to them, take your time.
It's always been the same all through out the history of equipment and dirt. I've heard old timers talk about the steam shovel and chain drive Mack's versus mules and slip scrapers, cables versus juice, knuckle busters versus juice, linkages and valves versus electronic over juice. It's simple, the human being does not like change!!!, someday someone will gripe over some new fangled rig versus the good 'Ol M series grader. Embrace it, learn it, love it, be passionate about it. I own an old cable hoe and LOVE it, my favorite grader is any G, but the M's are pretty nice too, it's all in how you look at it. Me personally the only real problem I got is the visibility ain't that good to the heal when runnin a tight circle, and even that isn't the end of the world.
I disagree with that. A true ACE hand will be an ace on whatever machine he is on. If he hasn't got it down after a few days at the wheel, sticks, or whatever makes it go, he is not truly an ace hand, but more of a one trick pony. The only thing consistant in the dirt business is that there will be a different machine out to do it, and the old hands will usually hate it while the young guns will be out to show them how much better the new toy is. The best operator is the one that gets the most out of whatever machine he has to work with, safely, and without tearing it up.
durtmuvr, pabear52, bigshow, and jdofmemi excellent post's. Truth to every word of them :thumbsup
durtmvr, After a cursory search, I cannot find anything documenting OSHA ever outlawed the Gradall. Might be an old wives tale. This certainly supports Gradall is still in action with OSHA-governed contractors: http://www.gradall.com/case_histories/index.php?show=90 Back to the M Series, compromising the operator's rear sighting ability is simply unacceptable. Sh*t happens no matter how good we are. The G was duck nuts. Still is, when you can find one.