We've already seen the upcoming CAT 336E (search the forums). I stumbled across images and specs for the upcoming CAT 374D L too today. They are marketing it as the successor to the 365C L. They bumped it up to 476 Net HP and it weighs 72.5 metric tonnes. Apparently it was shown at Bauma 2010. Photos attached
It's up on the cat website too.
Lol, that's kinda funny as there are still a few 375's around. Probably pretty close in weight as well horsepower.
Hmm... I found the French press release first, and it showed a different weight than the English one. The English press release says that it's 70.7 metric tonnes. Here's the English press release http://www.cat.com/cda/files/2110201/7/87PR10%20374D%20HEX.doc
let the big dog eat....nice looking machine
And maybe not slower than growing rocks. Q. How do you dry paint on a 375? A. Put on coats between cycles.
do you mean 385?
nice, lol
Cat made a 375 in the 90s, Was a strong machine but a slow old dog. The New 374 is an updated 365.
Call me stupid but what are extra pedals for in the first pic? I hope I don't sound like the guy my boss brought me in the late 80's and said he was an experienced truck driver. We got in the ol' Mack R model and the first thing he said was "Why does this truck have two gas pedals?"
i love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The pedal on the extreme right is a straight travel pedal (equivalent to tying the two middle pedals together). I don't know about the extreme right pedal; maybe another straight travel pedal? I can't see any reason to add a second redundant pedal though, so I don't know.
The extra pedals might mean the machine has a tool control system.
It has plumbing for a thumb or breaker or what ever on the stick I would think one pedle is for that cause some people like the control on the floor
So are they beefing up the 345 now? Is it just me or does it seem weird to have a jump like that? 336-345. 9 ton of difference. 345-374.....30 ton difference. 374-385... 9 ton difference. Does this seem weird to anyone other than me?
glad your around to piont things like this out alex
Yup it kinda confuses me too. What's next call the 385 a 405? lol
A 385 really should be a 395, and a 345 a 355, thats more realistic based on weight.
cat 374 This is all nonsense, I am sorry cat fell in line with all the asian manufacturers. The older numbers had nothing wrong with them, no specific meaning other than smaller the number smaller the machine. And odd numbers were track hoes and even were rubber tire rigs. I even like the old hoes better, take out the useless computer and mode designations, and there was nothing wrong with manual throttle cables either.:usa
Whatever get in line with everybody else same goes for Liebherr. Besides Cat excavators are Japanese designed anyway they haven't been a truly American designed excavator since the 200 series and that series was probably the best they ever produced. Except for the 3208 engine in the 225.
They don't design them in North America anymore? What happened to the engineers on this side of the planet? I know that Mitsubishi designed the bulk of the Exx0 machines, and that the mitsubishi guys contribute in the design of the Japanese variants of the excavators but I thought that the American built variants are still mostly American designed. Edit: Hmm... I did some more reading. http://japan.cat.com/cda/layout?m=220582&x=7 "CAT 300 family hydraulic excavator "REGA" with worldwide common specifications was newly released. Design Center Building, a new base for development and design of hydraulic excavators, was completed in Akashi." Their micro wheel loaders 901-903 also appear to be Japanese designed. So what, if any, design is done in the US for their excavators and any of their products in general? Are their engines designed in the US? Are their other products (everything from ADTs to Wheel Loaders) designed in the US or Japan?
Well one thing you have to realize is Caterpillar is an international company, what they sell in North America is only a part of what is sold all across the world. There probably is still a lot of equipment that is designed in the 'States' especially with things like Mining sized machinery such as rock trucks, and loaders. But I do know for a fact that a lot of they're excavators are designed and built in Japan. For example they're 320 series excavators had the Japanese import sticker right by where the boom connects to the machine, and with the new 320 D-series excavators the engine from what I understand is actually a Perkins Diesel. Which is also why it doesn't start as good in the winter as the 'B' and 'C' series machines at least in my experience. lol The only thing I like about Cat excavators nowadays is the cab they're pretty hard to beat.
Its a shame, I think were all in agreement in the fact that cat hoes arent premium excavators anymore . I honestly believe all todays rigs are so simillar that it takes a lot of the proffessionalism out of the occupation. Years ago you were either a cat man, koehring man, drott man or whatever you were u sed to running. Cat, I still believe makes the best loaders (track definitely) dozers and scrapers. Backhoes are very good but not head and shoulders above any one else.::drinkup
I have no experience with D series cat hoes, so I can't comment on them. I like the C series hoes - they have nice cabs and good engines, and they seem otherwise on par with Deeretachi. The B series CATs are alright - good engine and cab, but slightly inferior to JD/Hitachi/Komatsu in terms of hydraulic smoothness and precision. The 3xx(a) machines (the original 300 series hoes) were IMHO a bit ahead of their time, with nice cabs and good engines as usual, and good smoothness compared to the competition of their time. All these machines seemed to be fairly nice, and would be my hoes of choice. I do prefer the smooth feel of the JD xx0LC machines over that of B series cats (but I prefer the power of the cats over the somewhat weaker feeling Hitachi EXxxx-5 machines). The C series cats caught up to the competition in that respect. I also have a hunch that the American built 300 series machines are better than their Japanese built counterparts, but I can't say for sure. Now for the 200 series... hmm... I don't have much experience with them, but from what little I've seen... Very solid, simple and reliable. Keeps on going as long as you want it to. Controls are only as smooth as you are and combined functions feel awkward. Terrible placement of the ignition key slot (just had to point that out ). Interesting machines all in all. Oh, and I loved the catwalks and the ability to easily walk across the counterweight and get anywhere on the machines. It was great fun conquering every corner of mount 245 I don't have much experience with newer CAT loaders, but I am very satisfied with my IT18F, and have had good luck with their older ones too.
This thread has begun to ignore a few aspects -- part of the reason all American excavators now have some Japanese design influence is that the 80s killed American designs. One of the biggest differences between our country and Japan is that we have wide open spaces and little restriction of space as a result: in Japan, everything is crammed together a whole lot tighter. You simply could get a 225 into Japanese construction sites. By the late 80s, there weren't that many survivors of the recession, and then those who did (Cat, Deere, Case, namely) didn't have excavator lines that were all that strong. Komatsu and Hitachi, on the other hand, had begun eating away at the domestic market share, and things simply had to change -- or the remaining American manufacturers would also disappear. (There's an excellent book on Cat called "Yellow Steel," by William Haycraft, that goes into more detail.) The second thing is that electronics are going to have to play a bigger and bigger role for a variety of reasons. I hate it as much as the next guy, but some of the features that are possible (and productive) today are made possible because of and only because of the connection between hydraulics and electronics. While it might be nice to stay in the 80s where emissions was a non-issue and power was measured in clouds of black smoke, things have changed. There's a lot to be work to be done, but that's part of the reason that manufacturers need your input. You guys know these machines better than anyone else, and the last company to realize that their engineers can't do all the design work alone (specifically, that they need operators' opinions) will fail. If it's Cat, my hope is that they've realized it by now and are using every bit of their energy to summon mechanics, operators, and owners. Finally, there are still products that are designed in the States. Most wheel loader design is still here, as is more track-type tractor design. The smaller machines are jointly-designed with SCM, but the larger machines (D6T and up) are predominantly built up in CAD in Peoria. Excavators are produced all around the world (each region has its own requirements), so there are design centers in several cities -- Grenoble, France; Gosselies, Belgium; Aurora, Illinois; and Akashi, Japan are the current large ones, but the design center is in Akashi -- again, largely because of what happened in the 80s. Skid-steer loaders are still designed in North Carolina; scrapers, graders, and mining trucks are mostly in Decatur. The ADTs are mostly across the Pond in England (remember that Cat bought its way into the ADT market). I'm not trying to start an argument over what's good or bad, but I do believe that given today's challenges and innovation requirements, electronics are going to play a larger and larger role. It'll probably be frustrating for a while as engineers figure out how to iron out electronic bugs, but what electronics make possible will shut out what used to be entirely mechanical (heck consider the D7E...).
I've worked on most excavators built from the late seventies and I have to agree there is no character in any of them anymore. They are pretty much generic. I've coined the phrase built by Japan Inc. I'm pretty sure that Japan took on the excavator design and production at a national level with all the manufacturers sharing designs and components. Much of the early Japanese pump technology was licensed from German and American design. The financing for all this came from the Sumitomo bank with the backing of the Japanese government. The electronic part of the mix is what made them more efficient. The Komatsu package was the first I saw and worked on. It also made the systems last like nothing made in America. Small engine horsepower driving monster pumps that are hydraulically and electronically controlled ensured that everything ran at the max speed and power for the amount of horsepower generated. When the Dash 3 Komatsu hit the shores Cat was still trying to sell 235 and 245 excavators like nothing else existed. Talk about missing the boat. I also agree that the early Cat 300 A and B series excavators were a complete generation behind all the rest but that seems to have changed with the C series. The electronic issues have for the most part gone away with better wiring harnesses and connectors and self diagnostics available in the computer on the machine. The big change between the C and D series machines is going to be the green technology. All have to begin meeting interim Tier 4 regulations this coming January so you will see the crap add ons that burn more fuel and do nothing for the efficiency of the entire machine. Look closely at the size of the engine hood in the photo and imagine why they need all that room. We can design the add ons like no other nation.
I think Cat should have stuck with the B series and not went all electronic on us. This whole emissions thing has gone to far. If the new machines burn more fuel but its cleaner, why not keep the design that was older, but burnt less fuel and produced more. Back in the day something broke down you could usually mickey mouse something together to get going again. Now you can be down for 2-3 days at a time like its nothing. How that is more efficient blows my mind. To make the 345 heavier will be a hassle for us, because now you'll more than likely have to pull the stick, counterweight and bucket to move it. Where as now legally you need to pull the counterweight.
Are you talking about the 2xxB machines or the 3xxB machines? The 2xxB machines were nice, and super reliable, but you can't escape the fact that they're fuel pigs. They also lacked a few niceties like a comfy cab or smooth constantly proportional combined hydraulic functions that are helpful in a modern competitive environment (if you need to work more hours to earn the same, then you'll want a machine that won't tire you after the work's done). IMHO, the 2xxD machines achieved a fairly nice balance between comfort, productivity and reliability. The 3xxB machines were nothing too special. Reasonable reliability, slightly inferior fuel economy for their time, slightly inferior hydraulics for their time. They were computerized, and their computers weren't all that great either. Even though the 3xxC have more computers, I'd still much prefer them over the B machines because they are just as reliable or more so (due to improved computers or connectors maybe?), and are much faster, more accurate, and smoother to run. Not to mention that the Cs do in fact do more work with slightly less fuel than the Bs, despite the emissions stuff. The fuel waste in emissions engines is probably more noticeable in trucks. The cat Cxx engines seem to have implemented the emissions stuff without much loss in fuel economy, and the improved hydraulics in each generation usually makes them more efficient than their predecessors.
I dont agree with you sultan,(respectively of course) the 200 series excavators had exceptional control modulating abilities. I spent many years on them and dont see any better controlability on the 300 series rigs. There are so many unnecessary features on them. It seems to me cat definitely confused motion and progress.:Banghead
You can probably do it pretty well if you're used to the feel of the machines. I've had difficulty say grading with 200 series machines because the feel was different and the controls seemed to directly adjust the control valves by the amount the lever is moved rather than control flow itself as modern computerized machines seem to do. It was probably quite doable (grading with 200 series) with trained hands. It's probably just that I'm not used to the feel of the 200 series, and so I'm rather poor at it when I just jump into a 200 series. For me, the 200 series machines are fun to run (esp. 245s - I've only run one in my life, which was at an auction, but I loved its retro coolness and excellent engine), and bloody unbreakable, but they aren't my machine of choice for doing a full work day. A 300C machine (or any 300 series machine or even a newer Deeretachi) is simply more comfortable and easier to run than a 200 series machine. I'd be fine with a 2xxC or 2xxD though because they have nice seats; comfy seat = happy operator. I'll learn how to control a 200 series machine with some practice. P.S. Is it just me, or were the 200Ds slightly easier to control than the Cs and the Cs slightly easier to control than the Bs and so on? Throw me in a clean, well maintained 235D and I'll be happier than in a brand ne 345D. 235D = comfy seat + easy enough controls. 235Cs are also nice. P.S. 2: Hmm... I seem to be contradicting myself. Lets say that for me: (in order from best to worst) 200D>300C>200C>300AB>200AB Never run a 300D series machine, so I can't comment on them. I'd prefer a 200D machine over a 300C machine due to the 'fun', unique, and reliable nature of the old beasts. My John Deere 200LC is just as good as a CAT 320CL in terms of comfort and controllability. P.S. 3: I forgot to mention mention my other (minor) gripe with 200 series machines - no sunroof makes it hard to keep an eye on overhead power lines.
Cat upgraded the 300 B/C series machines because by the B series they were playing catchup with Hitachi. I can appreciate a cat hoe just as well as anyone else, but even die hard cat guys can admit there are some Deeretachi hoes that can knock the doors off the comparable cat machine. But look at it this way, if you want a 60 ton hoe buy a 600 Komatsu, if you want a 65 ton hoe buy the Deere 650. If you want the memories of the 375 in a new comfier machine buy a 374
The B series machines ran no better than the A machines, and the new Deeretachis of the time period (Hitachi Exx0-5 and deere xx0LC) had much better hydraulics and fuel efficiency than the CAT hoes. But then, CAT threw in a fancy LCD screen in the cab to make them look 10 years ahead of the time :tong. My Deere 200LC is a much better hoe than a 320BL. The only advantage of the CAT is a somewhat more reliable and longer lasting engine. The 300C series were IMHO excellent machines and a great comeback for CAT. The nicest cabs in the industry and solid engines were coupled with excellent hydraulics (as good as Deere C and Hitachi ZXxx0-1) to make thm my favourite modern hoes (among what I've tried). Japanese engined hoes still had better fuel efficiency than CATs though. Is it okay if I admit my all-time favourite big hoe has become the 245, after just 15 minutes of trying one at an auction. They must have put some special sauce into it. The feel of its ancient hydraulics was felt a bit odd at first (hence I has asked about a 245 with what I thought were non functional combined hydraulic functions). However, after trying it a second time, I kinda got the hang of it and then loved it for its simplicity. The wide catwalks and the wide counterweight walkway were also nice. I don't feel fully safe checking the engine on a 235 due to its narrow counterweight depth, but it felt just right on the 245.
It's perfectly alright to admit liking the 245, I spent a few years running them and put lots of hours on them especially when I worked for Sureway Construction where I had to keep up to newer and more modern machines. I ran a number of 245's and some were better than others in respect to the machine's "controllability" when doing fine work like grading sewer and water lines. I talked to one of Sureway's mechanics at the time and he said the "controllability" of the machine had a lot to do with how the hydraulics were set up. There is no doubt that it took a little more experience to be good at running one of these machines than running a newer Deere/Hitachi, or a Komatsu but there was more than a few 20+ year old machines that could hold they're own against the newer iron. I've been back in Winnipeg for about five years now and I honestly have to say I miss running the old 245's, it took me a while to get use to running a little 320 especially when I'm loading tractor trailer dump trucks and cant reach all the way to the front. lol
I know that the B series had computers, but not like these new machines where you have to program if you have a hammer on, grapple, shear etc. I was at the Komatsu dealer the other day for parts and the service manager and I got to talking he said they pulled an injection pump off and had to send it out to Komatsu to have checked out. The local injection pump shop couldn't even take it apart due to the high pressure system. Right now you still see a good amount of older 235s etc around. These new machines won't put up to the abuse they go through on the jobsite. I have a Cat 320B and a Cat 325 B they have 15-18,000 hours run great no problems. These electric valves that are replacing the mechanical valves aren't lasting. A few thousand hours and they start acting up and have to spend $800+ on a new one.
The 374DL does look like a mean unit that could move some serious dirt. You'd hope it would be a whole lot quicker than the old 375. I operated one, they just feel like an old slow machine from the get go.
Cat is just updating there machine models to represent there true operating weight, thats why the seamingly strange models (eg 336, 374 ). The 365c is going out and 374D coming in. Basically the same machine just the Tier 4 and monitor system in the cab will be the big changes. Its about 74 000kg now, so they changed the model number. The 385c model will soon be no longer but the 390D is its replacement
if that is true..awesome..its about time...that was one of my favorite ways to grade back in the day while running a 235, todays hoes with the 2 pedals is a bitch for me as i always seem to push one or another to hard...funny, about 5 years ago i was running a komatsu 750 and a couple well dressed fellows came up and introduced themselves as engineers from Kobelco..they said they (Kobelco) wanted to start making machines of a similar size and took me and my gradechecker to lunch to pick our brains..the 2 things i said you should incorporate into these machines are a single travel pedal for grading..and a camera for the back end
just an awesome machine there!
single travel pedal, camera and an A/C that works past 3,000 hours.
You're not the only one Reddot! I was thinking today that I would gladly change the new hoe I am running for an old 225 because of the travel pedals. I can do the 2 pedals together pretty smoothly, but I still think the 200 series was nicer for that reason.
please re-introduce the 235 dlc. PLEASE! plenty of reach, and counter to match. strong, and smooth with rexroth pumps. comfy, and sweet looking.
something smaller I'm new to this site and didn't find the "test" page for new guys, so I came here. I'm looking for a komatsu PC01 or a similar tiny excavator but can't seem to find one for sale anywhere on the planet. Weight is an issue, so small is good. Any ideas?