I've been off the grid for a while, so it was a surprise to me when I found these on the CAT website. At my last count, the M Series was the only model CAT grader in production. Thank God the company has come to it's senses: http://www.cat.com/en_ZA/products/new/equipment/motor-graders/k-series-motor-graders.html
K Series are available for operation in "Less Regulated Countries" (fuel-wise) which means that you won't be seeing them in North America any time soon because the engines don't conform to EPA TIER 4 emissions, I think they are only TIER 2 compliant.
It is only avaliable in "development" countries, as the previus H series have been.
I appreciate the clarification, gentlemen. Thanks.
I wish they would make the K series machines available in the states think cat would be better off offering both machines ik of a lot of townships around here have had the H series and brough a deer because they offer a machine with a steering wheel I think cat screwed up going to the joystick controlls that's my opion anyway.
As long as you have the EPA you can kiss goodbye any ideas of having a TIER 2 machine in the Continental US.
Petty sure he means the old style controls. There's absolutely no reason they couldn't update the K series to current tier standards if they wanted to.
CAT140M, You are 100% correct in your assessment of the M Series. A real POS, IMHO. I would love to see the sales volume tallies by year for Deere,Volvo and CAT. My guess is CAT is loosing grader market share fast. But that's just my idle speculation.
We just got a brand new 140M on our job yesterday. It's the first time that I've sat in one or seen one up close for that matter. I was blading within 10 minutes with no demo (or a safety person, huh how'd I do that)? I spent a couple of hours on it and I like it. I can't remember where all the functions are on the sticks when I need them, but I'm gaining on it. I think I'll have it all down in a couple of more days. I take that back, I did watch Cat's propaganda video on You Tube about the M series on the day before I got on it. We always have the 12E 99E sitting at the ready if it goes down. The blade is still shiny from Friday morning.
We just got a brand new 140M on our job yesterday. It's the first time that I've sat in one or seen one up close for that matter. I was blading within 10 minutes with no demo (or a safety person, huh how'd I do that)? I spent a couple of hours on it and I like it. I can't remember where all the functions are on the sticks when I need them, but I'm gaining on it. I think I'll have it all down in a couple of more days. I take that back, I did watch Cat's propaganda video on You Tube about the M series on the day before I got on it. We always have the 12E 99E sitting at the ready if it goes down. The blade is still shiny from Friday morning.
From the people I have talked to, once they run the M, most seem to like it. There are always those who don't like change. I do think that Cat would be wise to offer both. I know they have lost a lot of sales by not offering a steering wheel.
Personally, I like John Deere's Grade Pro system the best. The traditional antler rack (sort of, but not really), but at your fingertips. With fingertip steering for when you are blading, or a small steering wheel for roading. But that's another thread all together.
I've run a M series blade for about 4 yrs now probably put 2000 hrs on one I grade for 4 townships in my area who own there own machine one Twp has the M and the other twps have the regualr rack style controlls I can do a lot better job with the regular rack controlls and steering wheel then I can with the M Ik they brag up 78% less had movement then with the rack controlls there right it's easier with joystick controlls but if ya know what your doing on rack controls its just as easy. I got to run a new 772GP deer this spring for a month and I really liked that machine I've ben a cat guy all my life when my other Twp decides to trade my H in I'm going with the Deer never thought I'd say tha.
If our two 12M graders are anything to go by, the best upgrade for the M series would be a box of beer, a deckchair, 20 litres of diesel, a match then just sit there and watch them burn. The damn things spend more time parked up with electrical faults, cracked exhaust manifolds, cracked frames and one even blew an engine at well under 1000 hours. It actually got to the point where the previous contractor's 12H machines were hired back while ours were being repaired. How could CAT get it so wrong? Deere, Komatsu and Volvo must be rubbing their hands together.
Burn, Baby, Burn IMHO on M Series graders. Wonder how those Komatsus coming along. Word on the early ones were you could see them wear out on a daily basis. Nice looking machines, however, if they got the metal right. Komatsu made some darn good trackhoes back then, so the company was capable of good product.
It's just how Cat does business these days. They come up with a halfway decent idea, and use your time and money to make it work better. Eventually, they may even get it to work well.........maybe.
Brian, it's how they've been doing it for the last 25 years ........ As regards our 16Ms there were 4 major issues with them. 1. Cracking cab door glass. Fixed using the update to zip-in windows. 2. Premature thrust washer wear in tandem axles. Fixed using an updated thrust washer and retainer plate system. 3. Steering alarms caused by wear in the mounting plate on the front axle for the inner pin on the steering cylinders. A fix is in place using a different mounting plate but to soon to tell if it's good although initial signs are promising. 4. Premature #2 clutch transmission failures. The "fix" is a different piston and associated iron in the transmission clutches. Our transmissions were failing at 5-6,000 hours. They are now up to 8,000+ with the fix in place but we don't yet know if they will go to the 12,000 PCR life we have as a target. Our 16M fleet is now all past 20,000 hours and currently going gangbusters.
Komatsu has never made a decent grader yet. I don't see them starting now.
Come to think of it, I don't see Komatsu graders around anymore. It's all M Series machines around here, and most of them stay parked with no operator is sight. A T.L. James mechanic told me once that most H Series graders need a transmission overhaul around 7,000 hours. If anybody knew graders, it was T.L. James, once the largest road builder in the Southern U.S.
H-series graders were very prone to failing transmissions as a result of parking brake abuse by the operator, either through driving off before the air had chance to fully pressurize in the morning or by hitting the park brake before the machine came to a full stop as he rushed for his coffee & donuts ........... either way the particles produced by the burned-up park brake would kill the transmission clutches. In conjunction with some users in other parts of the world we came up with a modification (not factory-approved I hasten to add, but that didn't stop us) to the air system that cross-links the park brake and service brake circuits. Until the air is up to pressure the service brakes are applied in addition to the park brake and the machine won't move, if the operator applies the park brake with the machine still moving he gets a shock as the service brakes apply as well, usually resulting in him wiping his nose off the inside of the windshield. They only do it once........ Be warned, the modification puts a premium on air compressor efficiency and it needs a leak-free air system or the brakes will be applying constantly when the air pressure drops.
Nige... Your still one smart cookie... I starting operating a 140M about six months ago.. I like parts of it and some I dont like. If I had my way I would not have a twisting joystick. I'd have two slider buttons on the left side for the wheel lean and articulation and one on the left side for the circle turn. If working a tight corner you have too many things going on with the left hand. No problem going down the road and steering after some practice. I also think there should be a way to adjust the slow speed steering for working close quarters if grading beside a curb it is easy to get to close to it. But then again I have only been running it part time. I'm the only operator but been too much Dozer work. Things are easier each time even for this old fart.
Radrock, don't hold you breath waiting for improved steering for the M Series. CAT has worked on the problem since day one, and done innumerable software changes on machines in service. It's not adding up. CAT probably won't say so, but it appears to me the M Series was designed for GPS controlled steering and it ain't happening. That'll be the day when roving satellites in the sky can effectively triangulate(while moving) all the input from up there and down here.
I'm sure there won't be anything soon. It is still nice to have a new shinny machine. I try not to let any of it bother me. One more year and I can pull the plug. I'll just turn up the radio and just relax in that machine for awhile. Let the young uns worry about it haha
We had 4 each 16M in Russia and those were ones of the very first in this series. First two winters were just nightmare :Banghead (it was 8 years ago) Operators do like them very much, but not the mechanics. Anyway - as far as I know there were several updates over the years regarding electrical issues and sensors. We running currently 2 in West Africa and they are not causing much troubles (at least not as much as we had in 2007-2009). Someone might say it is because of the climate (it was very cold in where we worked in Russia), but I heard those first 16Ms were nightmare in hot climate as well.
Hi! Was this one a CAT update? Could you share media number or some reference? I replied in another thread that we had torsional coupling failure and ruined transmission, but we got it covered by warranty (after quite a battle of course). Thanks in advance! Dima
A lot depends on the machine Serial Number(s). Our first 2 machines were in the B9H005xx Serial Number range. There was a huge package of upgrades to these machines (including the transmission #2 clutch and the torsional coupler). Each of our graders was in the dealer's shop for 3 weeks to get the upgrades which involved the grader being pretty much stripped down to the chassis and rebuilt from the ground up. Later machines had many if not all of these upgrades done during production. The only upgrades that came separately after the major upgrade program were the new front axle steering cylinder bracket, the thrust washer/retainer plate system for the tandems, and the zip-in windows to replace the glued-in glass for the doors.
Ok, thanks! Our machines are R9H prefix. I know about torsional couper, but haven't heard about # clutch. Thanks anyway! Dima
If you want to drop me a PM with the Serial Numbers I can probably find something. Our last machine (of 4) was an R9H prefix, S/N 400-odd IIRC.