So, since pretty much no one here has seen this, let the bashing begin.
Looks awesome! Looks like the rear is an old 988 and is the front a Champion 100T? Very interesting.
How cool that would be to run!!
Best word I can think of...BIG!
I like the track frame and chains on the back of the blade to support the side shifting. Definitely an original out side the box creation. I like it. :drinkup:usa
Any production advantages over a cat 24? I'm surprised it doesn't have a newer cab for the 1 piece windshield.
Im not sure who Ronnie is,but I'd sure like to find a link to more info on his grader!
Here it is in action. [video=youtube;cjGIzuKJQMg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjGIzuKJQMg[/video]
What are the spec's on this monster? I must have missed the back story
You and me both.
Here's a link to more pics. Can't find any info yet though. http://www.socalearthmovers.com/gallery256.html
What the heck is it? Says CAT but it doesn't look CAT. Front almost looked like new production while the rear end looks dated. No drawbar but a push type instead. I've only seen that on some compact graders. I'm stumped but one thing is for sure....its BIG!
I been trying to figure out the point of this beast also? seems like a real dozer and a real blade would be more efficient?
Don't worry fella's it is a CAT 25m And ir will be a copy of some other machine How long is it since Cat built an original, they Usually build Copy Cats No Offence intended
Thats so cool Mark ELB Group - Industrial Equipment
Check the suspension out on the tandems.
wow, thats pretty crazy.. it's almost as good as the scraper-grader
Brian, It's a one off machine built by Brent Engineering out of Irvine California. Ron is the owner of the company and the designer of this beast. You can bet he's put some thought into this and has plans for it. It's built out of Cat 988B, 834B, 836B, 235C, D10N, and 657B parts.
Looks like a hot ticket to do knock down and compaction with a spread of 100 to 150 ton belly dumps. Another neat toy from a master of the one off machine.
wow... I am going to have to do some digging on this one..
Ok so what's the story behind the scraper-grader? Never heard about that one. That is one impressive machine. Some questions and comments I had. 1. When looking at the machine right from the side I noticed that the distance between the front and back wheels is not as much as a 24. I also noticed a HUGE butt, lots of tail swing. Is there a reason why didn't mount the wheels farther back? 2. Any idea the HP on this baby? Alco lists this machine being made out of a 988B, 834B, 836B, 235C, D10N, and 657B. Is there any of those machines that would have an engine of bigger HP than a 24H? Or is there two engines under that hood. It looks like there might be room. That hood is big enough to play football on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3CuK74v2Mw&feature=related
Just a guess here on the power, but it looks like the drive train is mostly 988B/834B/836B style, so it probably has the 3408 at around 400 horse. Watching the video makes me think the 400 HP sounds about right as well.
Ronni what size tires? Around 1980 I was going to buy Jerry Miller's Dad's old Caterpillar 16 stiff neck and rebuild it, put a rear engine out of a 657B model 460 horse which bolted right up then put bigger tires on it, add a 4' extension, being an old finish blade hand from back in the late 60's thought it would compete with the 16G's, the only difference it wouldn't bend in the middle, haveing run the stiff necks slopeing I thought it might work. I liked the old controls on the F model blades, and the operators compartment was very comfortable visibility wise. I have never liked cabs on equiptment, thought it had to many blind spots for potential problems, and I always liked sitting out in the open winter or summer. Have you run the Cat 24's yet? How tall is the molboard on the blade in the photo.
Now appearing in calgary I found the 25m here in Calgary today, on the southern half of the Stony trail. it wasnt working, getting some repairs ( bet its a mechanics nightmare, is this part from a 988,815,657, or what?) i managed to snap a few picts, bit ill try to get somemore tommorrow.
it has to have more then 400hp for that size of blade?
If it only had around 400hp it would have to be a 22 or 23M coz isn"t the 24 rated at 500hp. My guess is the D10N bit is probably the engine turned up to around 600hp. Just my guesstimate. Cheers RDG.
When you hear it in the video and you know what a 988B sounds like from being around them and i have had a minute or 2 around them it sounds exactly the same, now flame away as you will at that comment but the facts are a 988B ran 375HP from memory and the highest HP a 3408 ran in a machine was the 631D at 450HP so i am guessing she is tuned up a bit but not over 500 or anything like that. Who is to say that Ron has not modified the trans and/or diff ratios and is pulling all the speed and torques he needs with the std 988B 375HP? This would go a long ways to helping driveline life if he did not have to chanel any more power than is necessary through it. RDG, the numbering thing really is not a guide as Ron has just given it a number and in the scheme of the Cat world it does not reference anything because it is not a Cat product, sure it is derived from plenty of Peoria and a few other places best items but i don,t even think the blade is 25 ft wide, could be wrong though as i would not be that rude and run a tape across it when i went to his workshop in April and he was well into it. No doubt it will have some teething problems and they will get ironed out, pretty refreshing really to see this sort of ingenuity in this day and age.
i cant watch the video it says i need prmission from owner
Looks like a good scraper support/haul road machine. Bigger than a 16 and still easily transportable. Heres another one of his creations I think, bottom of the gallery.... http://www.socalearthmovers.com/gallery257.html
A very interesting grader!!! Here another links to photos from this gallery: http://www.socalearthmovers.com/gallery256.html http://www.socalearthmovers.com/gallery255.html I'm looking for informations, the weight, horsepower etc....
Does anybody know something more about this grader, dates like horsepower, weight etc?
I have find now a picture, first I thought, looks the same like 25M, but thats a different one I think: http://i78.servimg.com/u/f78/11/79/83/52/img_2016.jpg The tank is here on the left site between the tandem.... and 25 M has a tank on the right site.... are there two ones from this type???
That's the same machine as the other pictures. The 25M is sitting at his yard in Edmonton, as in the last picture.
Did they change the yellow box between the backwheels in the other site? In the yard it is on the left site and the other pictures on the right site.
That is not the same box. It looks like something added on later. Maybe it needed extra batteries to start in the frozen wastelands The other side had what looks to be the hydraulic reservoir, and it looks like a narrowed version of the 988's original tank. I am sure it is still there, though we can't see that side in the recent photo from Edmonton.
Wow, the video is online again, a very interesting big grader, it makes so much fun to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb4T9F8kEO0 At the 5 minute you see it in action, can move lots of earth
Find a video from the S18G too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeJ7ZG4GFVc
I have finde a small picture from the 18G: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=571334366354450&set=o.160685117431050&type=3
Sad end for this nice 25M https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155219874935421&set=gm.1930497917233035&type=3&theater
Saw one post from someone who had worked on or around it who said it was eat up with structural cracks and never would stay together for long.
Does anyone know if their S 18G Grader still in use?