We are considering purchasing a used Cat 120M2 to upgrade to gps system grading. Would appreciate any and all comments recommendations on Cat 120 or other grader to incorporate a gps system. We do light commerical site work, currently have a JD 570A and use a bobcat laser controlled grader attachemnt to grader single plane areas. Thanks for your input. Steve
Can't comment on the use of the machine or the gps application. However the electronics on all M-Series graders was updated to address all sorts of issues on what seemed to be an almost monthly basis up until quite recently. If you have a particular machine in mind I would suggest having someone with Cat ET to pull a Product Status Report (PSR) which will list the installed software on all the electronic controls. If you post that information plus the machine Serial Number it can be determined if the machine you're interested in has the latest & greatest.
Thank you Nige. I posted the incorrect model grader. The correct model is a 2011 12M serial number CAT0012MCB9F01075. Thanks again.
120M or 12M, the same comment about software updates applies to both models. A 2011 machine would have had lots of software updates over the years. A brief look on the system confirms my thinking. Maybe not ALL of the articles listed below apply to the machine you are considering purchasing, but I'd bet money at least half of them will.
Thanks again Nige
I’m shopping to upgrade graders as well, my legacy work horse 73 12G (no longer shifting 4,5,6) and 90’s model Champs are starting to grow gremlins. I’m pretty much looking for all out reliability more than anything. I am trying to learn the ins/out of the M series and the Deere G/GP and that just looks like a nightmare! Nige, when your machine needs an update the dealer has to come upload the software correct?
It’s not a nightmare at all. Takes probably 30 minutes to do and once it’s done and you know what P/N you have in each of the five ECMs all you have to do to keep current is contact the dealer once a year or so, tell them what P/Ns you have and ask if there are any updates. In fact once you know what you have you could ask here and get the same info.
Don't forget you have to pay for those updates along with travel time, mileage, miscellaneous hardware and environmental charges. Also keep in mind that you have to be the one who keeps track of all that stuff. Your dealer will never contact you about them unless it involves a safety issue like steering or brakes. Sometimes they won't even do that.