comparison between crawler loaders which is the best

[barracane]

I state that in my part we still use the legendary fiat allis the fl10 is popular and widespread like bicycles, now manufacturers have remained the noble Caterpillar, the German and sophisticated Liebherr, and the legendary John Deere, which I know for agricultural machinery, I believe that currently on the market there are no other manufacturers. in your opinion currently which would be the best and the most reliable who would win the challenge, thanks greetings to all.

 

[BillybobLockwood]

Mornin!
Cat C series track loaders are probably the best ever built. Cat D and K series need a complete hydrostatic rebuild at 8-10k hours, to avoid catastrophic damage. Deere track loaders are incredibly durable and powerful, yet clunky and lack operator comforts. I don't have much experience with liebherr, but a close friend has a new one, and has engine issues from day one.

I'd Buy a c series Cat, a next gen cat, or a Deere. In that order.

 

[V8Druid]

you want one of these ..... https://www.milweb.net/webvert/a6447/103253

 

[Bri963]

If I was an owner, a Cat B series 943 or 953, the servo controls in the 963 were awful. If I was an operator, D or K 953 or 963. I had a 963 D on test that failed the implement pump quite early, but generally The C series didn’t have as good a rep as the B’s over here. Going back in time, I liked the IH 100B for a small machine, or any 941, 951, 955.

 

[Bri963]

you want one of these ..... https://www.milweb.net/webvert/a6447/103253
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Can’t imagine the reach and height would have been anything special.

 

[Smiffy]

Can’t imagine the reach and height would have been anything special.

You'll be alright working in Croydon though

 

[craig]

A sad looking 951c

 

[Bri963]

They’ve had the newness off the grousers.

 

[barracane]

when I was a child, a company that built artesian wells had a small crawler John Deere, from Liebherr I saw some cranes for hire, caterpillar I remember the 941, 950, 953 955, clearly the fiat allis in my area are the queen there are some exemplary species in the countryside for agricultural work

-John_Deere-350

 

[barracane]

you want one of these ..... https://www.milweb.net/webvert/a6447/103253
View attachment 39440

bestial I would need for hunting to go to mushroom woods or the countryside, you can find me one at a good price what vehicle is it?

Ferdinandea (Calabria) - Wikipedia

it.wikipedia.org

I would like to offer you my condolences for the death of your beloved Queen ELIZABETH, I hope that his son Carlo is mature enough to fill the role and the position, however I was sincerely nice I hope that from up there he protects his beloved subjects, heartfelt condolences. greetings to all.

 

[Bri963]

bestial I would need for hunting to go to mushroom woods or the countryside, you can find me one at a good price what vehicle is it?

View attachment 39472View attachment 39473View attachment 39474

Ferdinandea (Calabria) - Wikipedia

it.wikipedia.org

I would like to offer you my condolences for the death of your beloved Queen ELIZABETH, I hope that his son Carlo is mature enough to fill the role and the position, however I was sincerely nice I hope that from up there he protects his beloved subjects, heartfelt condolences. greetings to all.


View attachment 39475

Thanks for those kind words, Barracane.

 

[Old Operator]

The John Deere 350 could be bought in 3 builds, as a traditional 'hand master clutch' unit (as the IH B100 layout), as a direct drive F-N-R shuttle power clutch (keeping the hand steering levers & foot brakes), or as a feet only steer with a centre pedal that applied both brakes without de clutching either track. I also think I saw a later Deere shovel on tv (USA build) with short (powered) hand steering levers to the left of the seat (as the style of the IH 125B)
European Deere crawlers were built in Manheim Germany till about '84. I gather Neuson now make mini diggers in this factory. I have some info in an old Classic Plant magazine, If I can set up a scanner I could share? Would there be legal issues in me publishing it on here?

MF 200 & 300 used a similar shuttle clutch system (can be seen on YouTube) - not sure if any had an 'inching pedal' to say climb onto low loaders - or if this was built into the lever, or did you use both steering clutches for inching, as I was taught on say a B100. Deere & somewhat MF were rare in my area, but I think they would have been worth a look, as the Japanese thought torque converters wasteful & out of place on 100 Hp or less crawlers. It was mainly IH, Cat, Case locally with the odd TM crawler.

 

[Bri963]

I operated a 100B with the steering levers on the left. It still had separate brakes and I don’t think the clutches were power assisted. I never had any issues inching the B100’s on the main clutch. That’s the beauty of the hystat machines, you have so much fine control that you can balance a 963 on the middle two rollers and put it on a wagon as Smoothly as anyone can load a 360. Newer Power shift cats you need to drag on the brake pedal to do the same trick.

 

[6feetdown]

Can’t imagine the reach and height would have been anything special.

Who needs reach just flatten it

 

[Old Operator]

Re the B100 & similar dry main clutches, I think if the plate had at some time become hot & buckled it became juddery - It also might depend on how well the main clutch was adjusted / linkage lubricated. I could never get a definitive answer on how to inch - advice was from plant manager & ex fitter who leant towards Cat, he said he liked powershift but give him the hand steering every time for this reason. Some 941's had levers - some foot steer only.
Re the MF crawlers - the 244 was actually built by a firm called Agusta of Italy (& possibly the 200?) I think some others possibly Landini?
Later the MF 400 & 600 were rebadged Hanomags. I swear the 100B/125B / TD8B levers were short & easy to pull because they operated a valve to a slave cyl - this cyl operated the steering clutch. This idea was taken to its conclusion by others with foot steer - first movement of pedal operated the valve as above, further movement manually applied the band brake. it is all about the strength in an operators arm/leg. Very small machines such as the IH T340 could get away with a manual lever first releasing the steer clutch, then applying a brake. Thus it could have a foot pedal main clutch. Another pedal applied both brakes.

 

[Bri963]

You could inch a power shift 941 on the centre brake pedal, which applied both steering brakes. Everything ran in oil. All of the Cat loaders that I operated only the power shift models had pedal steer.

 

[barracane]

some photos of some rare specimens thanks.

 

[Old Operator]

Regarding the inching, this was said to me in '79 in an era of Taskers / Karrimore goose neck low loader trailers with knock out back axles, because of the work involved in removing the axle, Drotts etc were always side loaded up 3 sleepers. This meant the machine would have to pivot on the low loader.
I only saw the axle removed twice, once for a 19RB, once for a D6. I do not know if these trailers now exist, the last one I saw had unloaded a steam tractor at a rally.

 

[V8Druid]

Regarding the inching, this was said to me in '79 in an era of Taskers / Karrimore goose neck low loader trailers with knock out back axles, because of the work involved in removing the axle, Drotts etc were always side loaded up 3 sleepers. This meant the machine would have to pivot on the low loader.
I only saw the axle removed twice, once for a 19RB, once for a D6. I do not know if these trailers now exist, the last one I saw had unloaded a steam tractor at a rally.

friend of mine used to move his steam roller on a knock out .... he's in his 80s now and has sold his pride and joy ... lost heart after losing his missus

 

[Bri963]

The last muckshift outfit I worked for had a Nooteboom 80 tonner.mostly the driver would drop the deck flat on the floor and we’d side load. Excavators, dozers, Drotts, even sideloaded a duck once. The swan neck only came off for the dumpers. I’ve only loaded over the side once in the last twenty years, nowadays drivers are a bit more precious about their paint.

My dad worked on a farm and they had a knockout axle low loader Behind a tractor for moving all of the farmcrawlers (up to D6) round the farm. He said the only time they knocked the axle out it was a nightmare to get back so that was the last time it came out. Our farm manager had been on Diamond T and Antars in the army and they had the same problem. He reckoned he’d seen a Centurion side loaded more than once. I saw my dad move a TD18 from one part of the farm to the other, along a public road, with the tractor sideways across the trailer. He had more faith in the brakes than I would have had.