I still see negative comments about the m graders. I think they are a great machine.I have over 5300 hours on my 14m and i have had very few problems with the machine.I had a 14g and 2 14hs before this 14m but this m is a much better machine.when working heavy windrows the front end on the m doesn't slide like the h,it has more power (70 hp in 3rd gear) and the cab is very quiet.The joysticks make mutiple functions very easy as compared to the h.As for older operarors I was over 50 when I got the 14m and the first week I had it I was cutting shoulder lines.The first mile I did was slower than with the h but it wasn't long before I prefered the m over the h.Cat has been very good with updates.One update slowed the steering about 30% and the latest update I have slowed the steering again at higher speeds, and I also have the new software which allows you to select different settings for blade control fine -normal-coarse.This is a great feature that makes the m even better.If you have a chance to run an m don't hesitate accept technolgy or be left behind.
Well said grader09. I've worked with graders all the way from a 212 Cat to today's M Series and now train opertors. Every advancement took some time to get used to (remember hydraulics?). Anything that makes my work day easier I'm all for and I think Cat has done it here. I know and meet operators all the time who at first were nervous about the controls but after a bit of time would never give them up. Haven't met one guy who would go back happily. The control issue always comes up but the entire machine is well built and thought out.
Where I work they just bought a new 16M with GPS. The operator loves it he said it only took less then a day to get used to it. I will try to get some pics of it, right now it is on a different job.
I had the privilage to run a 12M for about a month while our H was in the shop and I loved it. It only took me about an hour to learn the controls. My bossman got in it for about five minutes and got pissed. He toldme to get in it a I better learn it fast. Our company owns three if these, but they seem to stay on other jobs, so maybe I will get the chance to run one soon again. Side view: Right before dark: Cab view:
Honestly, I can't say that all multi-function operations are easier with the M than they were with the H. Extending your reach to the right with blade and circle sideshift, and clockwise circle rotation is still difficult for me. It's hard (for me) to hold the right stick tight enough to circle and sideshift, and still be able to get my thumb up to sideshift the circle. Articulation and steering work together very well. I love my 140M AWD, and when I can get the machine to do what I want without having to think about how to do it, then the transformation will be complete. With the G and H series, it seems like there were things that you wanted to do, but you were limited by how fast you could move your hands from control lever to steering. That problem is now history. The straight frame button and mini-joystick control for the snow wing should really help operators get going again after making a tight corner on a slippery township road. We have been given a great machine, and it is up to us to try to use it to it's full potential.
Here are some 16M's building road in Alberta. They could move a pile of dirt in a hurry. The operators caught onto these machines quickly and were doing very good work with the new graders.
I was curious about the update for the blade control. Sounds like the best update I've heard about for these machines. Was that an aftermarket purchase by the machine owner or is that a free update from the Cat mechanic's laptop software? I've been asking for blade speed control for years now. this must be a newer update?
The update is from the cat mechanic's laptop software.I was told by the cat mechanic in our area they were trying a few machines to see how the operators responded to the controls.I talked to the cat mechanic last week and he told me he was installing the software in all the machines he services. I sure like mine
I took this picture of a 140M that a paving contractor working for us is using. The operator wasn't around and the machine was locked up. I was really hoping to give it a try or if nothing else play around with the controls. I did get to rub up against it a bit though
We received a letter from our dealer letting us know about some safety updates for my 140M AWD. Steering, transmission, and parking brake improvements/updates. It should be done sometime this week, so I'll let you know how it goes. Hour meter hit 300 today, almost half of them are mine, and I'm getting more comfortable with it every day. Watching for hose and wiring rubs, but not finding too many. Fuel consumption is about 1-1.5 GPH less than my 143H, doing about the same type of work. Cab is super quiet, and the A/C works well enough to freeze your...knees.
good to see they have slowed the hydraulics down ,was one of my dislikes about the m. down here in oz our machines a built in brazil not in usa.we have poor bulit quailty paint, cracking in welds, hoses rubbing ,poor door sealing on cab doors.I think electric over hydraulic is not the way to go with graders as it takes one of your senses away (feel).Not trying to upset any one here, but all the pictures i have seen of the m's working are doing basic work.Try using the joysticks when trimming to string line or triming crushed rock against curb and you will start to see the downfall of electric over hydraulic control(lack of feel)
The M's work well in finish applications as well. May not be the first hour, but most operators catch on fast. The operator in the first picture is grading a new street in Salt Lake City. The 140M is a rental, which the operator has taken to like a duck to water. He wants to keep it and thinks Cat should have invented the controls 10 years ago.
Hi curbslayer, I don't know if you have tried an m with the new update for blade control but I find it a big improvement.
My 140M AWD is made in USA. Weld quality, paint, hose and wire routing all look good. It was a low hour rental return, spending it's first 150 hours in SD plowing snow, I suppose. Working it hard in warm weather brought out a few o-ring failures, one close enough to the radiator area to give it an oil fog job. The circle sideshift cylinder had a defective weld at it's base, and leaked enough to fly up on the RH door while roading. Moving the blade sideshift cylinder to the left side is GREAT if you had trouble bumping into your wing post, but it is a real PAIN when you are running 14'+2' and try to narrow up for highway travel. The head of the pin on the end of the sideshift cylinder matches up almost perfectly with the bottom left step. I will take some of the blame, OK, all of the blame, because it didn't do it until I moved it to gain a little more reach out to the right shoulder. I may build another pin, with all of the needed retaining parts between the cylinder rod bracket and the moldboard, which should keep me from snagging the step. Outside rearview mirror brackets seem just a few inches too short for a good crossover view out back. Still think this is a great machine, just pointing out a few things I have noticed. Others may not have problems with any of these. I try to eliminate the cause of my headaches, then I don't have to treat them later.
m grader: Grader4me, are you saying you were in a rut ... with that grader?... :lmao OCR...
no not yet but it would be a huge improvement,
it sounds like the usa built machines are built alot better then the brazil machines we are getting and cats alot better with upgrades in usa
yes the m can do finish work but what i've found and what other operators who have had more seat time then me in m's have said,that the h is a better and easier machine to operate in final trim work. i'm not trying to run the m's into the ground here they do have some good ideas ,the cab is so quiet and has a good view to the moulboard,the ajustment of blade shims, extra weight/hp,the artic back to straight button and circle pad replacement very easy now.With cat only offering joystick controls alot of contractors/owner operators who only brought cat have changed brands.I think cat should of offered two opions(john deere g series) and did more testing before release and they would of held they market share.
What kind of guy do you think I am? I only take this grader stuff so far...:tong It is a good lookin machine though..makes an old fashion grader guy think and do crazy things.... if you're meaning the same kind of rut I think you are.. OCR..get your mind out of the gutter for gods sake, Squizzy is going to get the wrong impression of me again lol.
m grader: :falldownlaugh Well... First one... click on it. lol Or... Second one... click on it. lol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rut ) My mind was not in a gutter... it was in a rut... LOL And... I wasn't the guy who said... "I did get to rub up against it a bit though" ... :lmao Uh... where's that thread???... I think I need to investigate that one a little... LOL OCR... You know which one I'm mean'n... You'd better go to town... I'm think'n you've been out in the woods to long... lol, lol.
m grader: :falldownlaugh OMG... I didn't join in time, missed most of that thread... what a lost opportunity... :Banghead Although, maybe it's best I did miss most of it... :ban I understand now though, Grader4me... ... ... LOL Yeah, OCR has OCD... :tong... lol That was a great thread though... some of the posts were amazing, in fact, absolutely brilliant... :thumbsup Thanks Squizzy. OCR...
Glad you enjoyed it... Don't you have a bed to go to?:cool2
m grader: Why of course I do, and I'm going right now... :tong OCR...
Awesome!!! I am a retired Finish Blade hand and I saw one of these on the corner by my house . I love the visibility of the machine. The slope on the engine compartment allows better visibility to see ground men and others. I would love to run one of these Blades. Having run everything from a 12 E to the H-Series my hands and fingers would get a workout on the days when I worked overtime hours . The repetitive movements can take its toll on your joints after a number of years in the form of Carpal tunnel . I like the idea of simplifying the steering without a steering wheel. I always felt that the steering wheel got in the way . The only thing I can think of to caution about the front wheel drive configuration is not to have a heavy foot while articulating because I have seen more than one blade hand turn their rig over by doing just that . Easy does it ! Control is more important than speed.
My 140M AWD received its updates this week. Slowing down the steering cylinder response in relation to the joystick movement above 23-24 mph makes for a much more relaxed trip to the jobsite. Having three speed/sensitivity options in controlling the blade should make a variety of jobs easier. Coarse for knocking down truck piles and other rough work, medium for maintenance blading, and fine for asphalt patching or matching curbs. I have been ripping and blading a wet clay roadbed, trying to dry it out and firm it up, and have had a minor(?) problem with my trans temp hitting 216 degrees. Oil coolers look clean, but may still have a very light coat of oil from o-ring blowout last month that may be hurting airflow. It does seem like the extra weight of the M series could use a few more horses under the hood, as long as the supporting systems could handle it. Give me a C-9 in my 140M, keep it cool, and watch the dirt fly.
Gave her a try!! Had a chance to try this machine out today. WOWWW!!!! What a rig! It was always in the back of my mind if an old time grader guy could catch on to the joysticks etc. Well I'm here to tell you in one word...Yes! I was in it for 15 minutes and believe me its simple. I absolutely loved it. So easy, as every control function is where you would expect it to be, if that explains it. I'd almost give up what I'm doing now if one was offered to me..almost.. Now I can say this..hats off to Cat for a great design..I came close to peeing in my pants...
I agree with Curb Slayer. Australian 16m's have managed to drive the price of H's up by $100,000.The mine where I work has two with about 4000 hrs on them. They have both had transmission and diff problems plus innumerable electrical problems. One is in the shop right now for leaking tandem box's. I run a 140h for a private contractor but did an hours training on one when they were new. The Cat trainer guy warned everyone not to lift the circle up to the stops and then turn it. Seems the draw bar will warp and you'll get a nice buttercurl of steel off the top of the circle. How good is that?l
My hourmeter is now over 700 on my 140M AWD. C7 engine was replaced (as an update, nothing wrong with the C7) by a C9 at about 625 hours. Plowing snow in 7th is a blast! You have enough torque to accellerate through snow that would have had my 143H grabbing for a lower gear. The visibility to the moldboard and behind the wing/post area is much better than the G or H. Steering with the stick is no problem. I am glad that I had almost 500 hours to get to know my machine before the snow season. We were running at -25F, and my hydraulics and steering were all behaving properly. The 0-20 synthetic hydraulic oil is the real deal, no need to thin it with kerosene or anything else. There is a warning light that tells you that the steering oil is cold, and that you should shift to a lower gear, but I don't think they really mean it. The machine does develop a little hop at the top of 7th, around 19 or 20mph, but it goes away quickly if you back down to 15 for a few seconds. HVAC system works very well, once you get all of your vents pointed where they need to be. Washer/wipers work well, but I don't use them any more than needed. It is a very nice machine, and the hours fly by without taking too much out of you as an operator. With all of that, there are also a few things that are not perfect. The inching pedal works fine when the trans is cold, but after it gets up to temp, it acts as an on/off switch, which makes it tough to clean up around railroad crossings, and other solid, blade grabbing objects. The glass panel in the left door caught a small stone from a passing truck, and within two or three door closings, the cracks formed a giant "T" across the entire glass. It was replaced while in the shop for the engine swap, but now the new window has similar cracks, this time without being started by any rock chips. The hydraulic connections on the steering cylinders are now on the back side, vulnerable to snags by trees that your dozer attachment didn't quite shear off. I also worry about the fuel tank, just behind the cab. This area can sometimes build up with snow, and depending on snow temperature cycles- cold in the morning, warm in the afternoon, and then freezing solid again after sunset, you may just articulate a huge chunk of icey snow right through your tank and fittings. Regular articulation will probably minimize the chance of this, but it still makes me wonder. Lots of winter left, and I'm glad I have a good machine to spend my time with. smoothoperator...flying with one wing.
I have a 140M w/ 16ft. moldboard and rear ripper. Our county got 3 of these (only mine has the ripper). They range from approx.600-1000 hrs. I've been operating motor graders for 25yrs. The other operators (of the M's) have less time (one has 17yrs not sure about the other). We are all experiencing various problems with our machines, but one of the common problems is handling. We normally plow snow at 20+ mph.(usually 24 in the H) with the wing which would put us in 7th gear. The steering is just too squirrely in 7th, so we're down in 6th (14mph at full throttle). That's quite a drop in production in a 9-10hr day!! Four guys came out from our dealer group...the sales rep, the service manager, a demo operator, and a fellow from corporate office (not sure if he was an engineer or what, but seemed to specialize in the M's). The last two "drove" the machines and made sure they had all the updates and declared them to be "just fine" and working the way they should be. Neither of them had implements on the ground to add any side draft, etc. Their advice was to be "more relaxed" on the stick and it will improve. Anyone else with these issues??? I can't believe all three of us are having trouble "getting used to" the stick!!
Same here. Five 14M and a 14H. The H leave the others in the dust,or should I say powder. The operators have the same complaints about not being able to maintain adequate control when winging. They have tried different combos (articulation, tilt, etc). They all have about 4,000 hrs on these machines and these guys are not rookies (4 of them over 20 years).
My 140M AWD C9 also carries a rear ripper, front dozer attachment w/carbide bits, 14' + 2' LH ext. The extension stays on until the cuts get bad, and I need to use my v-plow. Most of my plowing and winging is done in 7th gear. The problem that we run in to when running any faster than 20-21mph (the top of 7th) is excessive bounce when hitting those annoying hard little drifts, and problems with snow plugging air filters, which can lead to pre-cleaner plastic tube meltdown, and, if carried a little further, turbocharger oil seal failure, and runaway engine caused by engine oil sucked into the intake system. I have a few high banks that I have winged in 7th and 8th, low and high side of banked curves, and haven't had any more trouble controlling my M than I ever did with my 143H. I think I do have a tendency to over-correct while trying to pull out, away from a heavy wing cut, but I am learning not to get carried away with the M's fast steering. The extra weight and power makes me a little greedy sometimes, laying the wing in deeper than I probably should. Almost 600 hours in the seat of this machine, and I can now comfortably meet traffic on a 26' bridge while traveling in 8th, wing up and 16' of blade in normal carry position. I can still jump back into a G or H and do the job, but I would miss the visibility to the blade and wing, power, comfort, and extra features of the M-series. smoothoperator...my thoughts, right or wrong
Spent 25 minutes on a 140m and i want more time on one
Yes, that's significant over a couple days!!! Our roads are crooked and hilly. I run 1400rpm in 7th or wide open throttle in sixth which is 14mph with our 770D. My friend runs his 140M at 10mph. After a few days the difference in productivity is huge.
As I mentioned earlier I run at 14mph and my friend runs at 10mph. I build up a lot of snow dust and ice on and under the rear of the machine. His 140M builds up very little. Took me a while to understand he's going so much slower he doesn't create much dust.
This is my third year plowing with the 14m. I do most of the plowing between 16 and 20 mph 7th gear as I did with the 14 h. I don,t have a problem steering the machine. If I had to chose between a new 14h and 14m it would be the 14m.yust my opinion.
Don't get me wrong, the 140M has a lot of nice features, but I would still choose a brand new 140H. What I gained in visibility in front, I lost out the back!! There's no substitute for being able to look back at your work once in a while (the mirrors are good but not that good)!! Wing visibility is not good in either machine, but maybe would be better in the M if we could keep the windows clear and we have tried everything. The dealer guys said they have had lots of complaints on this and they are working on an outgoing vent system because the cabs are too tight. I can't lift and lower my wing while turning or extending the blade (separate controls at my right hand). I could do this in the H to work around a mailbox without hardly slowing down or having to go back and clean up. There's more but I'll stop there. I hope I get comfortable with it before my third year. Ten hour day today felt like fifteen.
Ya....like you would know about plowing snow..... Funny the things you find by g00gling an alias or email adress.... blacklisted, spammer...... Oh well.
Long days, short nights, broken parts, warning lights. My 140M suffered severe ice buildup in the area of the two articulation angle sending units (or whatever you want to call them), located within the lower rear frame. The first thing I noticed was failure of the return to straight frame feature. Inconvenient, especially after you have been using it for every corner you take. Next, I lose the ability to shift above 6th gear. Not good, but you can live with it when the snow is heavy and you spend most of the day plowing really heavy stuff. I finished up with my plowing, and had a chance to get into the shop, and wash out all of the ice. I found the two little rods that hook from the front frame to the sensors, broken and bent. Non-stock items at our dealer, so my quick fix for a few hours of snow plowing was to take a couple of pieces of welding rod with 90 degree bends and install them in place of the broken parts. I have been starting my plowing day at 6 or 7a.m. and running until 9:30 or 10:30p.m. Parking in the warm shop has been enough to turn the snow into ice, but not enough to turn the ice into water. I had been aiming a big box fan at the machine overnight, but the fan croaked, and I didn't realize how important the air circulation was to the thawing of the ice in the nooks and crannies of the machine. Live and learn, I guess. Fuel consumption has been running just under 7.5GPH, even when using AWD. I am very comfortable and relaxed while operating the M, the only problem being my 50 year old knees feeling like hamburger after 14 hours of bouncing around on the throne. It is a good thing to love your job. smoothoperator
Yup !!! Same thing here...I suggest keeping a couple of spare rods. Sucks when you have to wait 5 days for the dealer to get them in. I got caught that way too...
Do you know what the cause is for not shifting above 6th ?? I haven't had either of these problems yet, but I'll be watching for that ice buildup.
Safety feature built into the M's keep you from going too fast while aticulated beyond what they think is a safe limit. Losing the signals from the sensors must put it into a default mode, keeping the speed down to 6th gear max. smoothoperator
We've had a 16M at our mine now for about a year......We haven't had much luck with it. Granted, it's working 24/7 ( when it's not in the shop...) in a hard rock mine, maintaining heavy haul truck roads through Alaska seasons, but unless we are topping a road with gravel, or scratching smooth, slick ramps, all our blading is done in first gear at about half throttle. We've been through 1 engine, 2 trannies, the circle and blade have been replaced once, and head aches upon head aches of electrical problems. When it runs, it's fantastic! The controls and cab are comfortable, and once you get used to it, feel farely natral. But this fancy new fangled machine doesn't seem to stand up to the tipical abuse that our equipment endures due to the nature of a hard rock mine. Our 16H's have been serving us well for several years, and our 16G's before that. Maybe the first one we got our hands on turned out to be the lemon of the lot....lol.
Well since you cant start a new thread in here I'll share some pictures of the one I am running. I will say that I love them. One of the Best inventions Caterpillar has ever had. http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo132/kman9090/14M.jpg