I'm looking to get some to pull codes in Cat equipment and for Cummins engines. The more I look the worse it gets. I'm leaning towards China copys. I need to very little but would sure be helpful.
I own the Texa on road and off highway software and it can pull codes for CAT but shows only basic sensor readouts. It works ok for cummins engines but I honestly don't use it as much as I thought I would. CAT ET is really the only software that works for CAT engines (in my experience). I have heard good things about the Autel CV Maxis but haven't used one personally. I did purchase a Chinese knockoff of the Nexiq and the first time I plugged it into a socket I heard a pop and that was it! Maybe others have had luck with them but mine let the smoke out
If all you want to do is pull codes, most of the machines built in the last ten years have ways to access that on the monitor panels in the machines. Lap tops in the main, are being used for calibrations, some very serious troubleshooting and installing operating file updates. With the advent of telematics, even that use will fade away in the not distant future. It's the dealerships that seem to be keeping the access information away from end users. I do what I can to get the information out on specific machines but my time is usually tied to revenue and access to specific machines is limited. You can check out my YouTube channel and see if I have posted videos on how to access a variety of Cat and Komatsu machines. If you don't see what you need, contact me and I'll try to find a similar machine and do another video. I'm adding to the list all the time. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZtvgWG-EtmGZhvtMeBMEQ Good Luck!