I am about to purchase a quarry front excavator. I'm undecided between the CAT 350 and the Volvo EC480DL. I also have a good proposal from Doosan DX490LC, but... I'm looking for strong equipment, with reasonable consumption and a good production capacity. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these devices? Which would you choose?
It depends on who has the better service program. How much inventory are they going to carry to keep your machine running? The last thing you want to hear is, "ok, we'll order it, should be here in 3 weeks." Are their service techs knowledgeable and experienced? Ask other consumers in your area. How was their experience with the service members. Finally, cost of ownership. Add up the cost of the regular maintenance items and estimated labor associated with each level of service. Huge difference between a 500 hour service and a 2000 hr service. What about emissions? Are they required in your area? If so, what about those replacement parts as there are maintenance items associated with aftertreatment as well. I would look at service schedule out to 8000 hours. That's almost 3.5 years of single shift work. Compare each. If it were me, with those choices, I would go Volvo only because I am familiar with the product. Cat has earned a reputation for longevity and strength. I wish you luck in your decision. Lastly machines don't run on sales agreements. You need maintenance and service to carry you through. Without maintenance by a knowledgeable tech, perhaps backed up by routine oil sampling, you're just hoping nothing happens. A good tech will point out parts and components requiring attention before they become catastrophic. Good luck.