I've searched all over for comparisons and have not found anything. So, I'm hoping you guys can help me out on an upcoming purchase. Currently, I own a Cat 277B. I've had this machine for about 4 years now. I've dealt with all the track issues like everyone else. It's expensive and frustrating, but I feel that the production I have been able to get with this machine offsets the maintenance costs. These machines definitely have their place on the job site. Here in California, where most grading is done with a skip loader in areas where you can't fit a blade. I have slowly converted over to using my 277 in place of my skip loader. It's just flat out faster, and can get into almost anywhere on the site. Now, I'm wanting to replace this machine, along with purchasing another smaller machine to be able to fit into more confined areas where the larger machines can't go. I use these machines for grading dirt, base rock and even for small asphalt paving jobs. And now for my question, which machines, in your experiences, would fit my company better. A Cat 7 Series or the steel 9 Series?
Ctl.
Chevy VS Ford, which oil brand is better, What dog breed is the best companion. You're asking a loaded question that in all honesty you'll know the answer better then anyone else. I personally like the MTL, but as you can see another here likes the CTL
Well that's what I was trying to stay away from. I'm assuming, each track configuration has it's intended work environments. I know with my 277B, if I was just using it for landscaping, I could get a little longer life out of the undercarriage. But, since I use it primarily for grading, placing and grading base rock, on paved streets placing asphalt & occasional concrete/asphalt demo it's pretty hard on the machines undercarriage. So my question is more of, which machine would have less maintenance costs. I'm assuming CTL, but is the additional ground pressure worth it? Maybe I need to do the smart thing and rent a CTL for a week and see for myself, but I honestly hate giving money away on rental. I'm just looking for some honest input from operators who have had substantial time on both machines.
I had a Cat287B for the last 10 years or so and I loved the way it operated. I used it for landscape construction, septic installs, and an occasional house site excavation, basically a little bit of everything. I used it for spreading crushed stone quite a bit and it really wasnt a problem as long as you didnt let the stone fall into the undercarriage. I never had to replace the tracks but did replace some idler and boggie wheels and some seals on the boggie assemblies. I was the only operator of that machine and that is the main reason the undercarriage lasted. The things I did not like about it was it seemed to blow ALOT of hydraulic lines, mostly due to poor hose routing and it is not a 10 min job to replace any line on that machine, most lines took a lot of work to get to and the better part of the day to replace by yourself. The biggest disappointment to me though was the lack of support my Cat dealer, after I purchased the machine they were non existent and offered little to no help when asked. That being said, I traded the Cat in late this spring and got myself a Kubota SVL90. I have to say I have yet to miss the Cat. Obviously anything new seems great, plus 10 years of Technowledgy goes a long way, but it certainly seems like everything is put together much better, the routing of the hydraulic lines seems better and a lot easier to access, and the cab is leaps and bounds better. As far as operation goes, I really don't have any complaints, other than the track pattern does more damage to the lawns. The breakout of the bucket is better, it lifts more, and lifts higher. The ride doesn't seem any worse than the Cat was, but that may be different for you being that the 277 has a more complex suspended undercarriage since the boggies oscillate as well. All in all I think that a CTL may cost a little less in maintainance than an MTL. In the end the dealer and parts support need to be there for you if you do run into a jam.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and thoughts. This is exactly the information I'm looking for. I'm not opposed to other brands, but my local Cat dealer is pretty good to us, so I would like to stick with them.
Again, I loved the 287B, I should also add that I got a trade price from my Cat dealer 2 years ago, so the machine had about 1400 hrs then and they offered me 14000, to me that was laughable, considering 2 years and 400 hrs later I got 22000 for it with no haggling. So much for my cat dealer showing me the love. From what I've seen, the new Cats are very nice as well, I'm not a fan of the EH controls though.
I agree with the trade in values Cat seems to come up. I would never even consider trading a machine in to our Cat Dealer. You could get more at a Ritchie Bros auction then what they want to give.
MTL's don't resell well. Research Iron Planet and RB and you will see that other than near new, the seller is taking a real beating. There certainly are a place for that undercarriage, but I think what most people find is that a CTL (or any color) will replace an MTL easily without the maintenance issues. If you think the costs of the maintenance of an MTL are worth it, you will feel really good about a CTL. They are quiet and the smooth ride are nice, no question, but is it worth the cost when a CTL is not near as finicky about where you work it and costs a fraction of an MTL in upkeep.
Has anyone on here used a CTL on a site where your crossing back and forth over concrete flatwork? I do a lot of site grading on school sites. After the flatwork is poured, I have to come back in and back the new concrete and touch up landscaping areas. I've noticed that a MTL is around 4.0 psi and a CTL is 6.0 psi. Seems like that's a pretty big difference in the sense of ground pressure. I'm thinking it might be beneficial for me to have a smaller MTL and a large CTL to fit my needs...
How green will the flatwork be? If it was over a month old, I don't think either would be an issue if you're careful at the edges.
The earliest would be 2-3 weeks.
The MTL perhaps has an advantage going over curbs and the edges of flatwork. The MTL will flex reducing the point load at the contact point of the concrete. The CTL may have a considerably higher psi at the contact point depending on if you have a roller under the track where you went over the concrete at. Once the machine is on flat concrete, I agree neither is an issue, both put down less PSI than the average man walking across the concrete.