TOP TEN FROM TOP CAT

It is rumoured that some competitors think of Caterpillar as a 'sleeping giant'. But I am here to tell you that only the 'giant' part of that description is correct! When a manufacturer shows you 10 new models at a stroke (and tells you there are more to come in 10 days' time) then you know that you're talking with a company which means business.

COSA (Caterpillar Overseas SA) markets Caterpillar kit from its base in Geneva and it is responsible for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It isn't Peoria and it shows. The Cat staff here are mostly European by birth and global in outlook. There's no room for jingoism - not when you build kit in Belgium, France, England and Germany.

Biggest (in size) of the new models is the D9R which replaces the D9N. It follows the Hi-Drive concept but has more power, more torque (44% more to be precise), load-sensing hydraulics and a better cab with suspension seating. As if that wasn't enough, the U-blade capacity is up by 14%. You can now have differential steer too, it is the biggest of Cat's current dozer line-up to offer it.

Also new on the dozer front is the D6H variation on the XL theme first launched at Grenoble just three years ago. The new wide gauge model fills the gap between XL and LGP (Low Ground Pressure) models in the Cat range.

It is designed for use in very soft ground and is claimed to offer a 22% increase in productivity over the standard D6H XL under such conditions. That is a mighty jump and has been achieved with very little increase in horsepower. Although the standard steering system is by traditional clutches/brakes, there is a differential steering option here as well. The old Catskinners would turn in their graves if they knew!

Staying with the grousered fraternity there is also the new 963B track loader. It is more powerful, faster and heavier than its predecessor. Six cylinders replace four, so power and torque are up and the bucket is bigger by 25%. It is now 2.45m3 for the GP (General Purpose) and a full 2m3 for the Multi-Purpose type. Tracked loaders may not be the current top sellers in the UK but they are popular in the rest of the world.

Motor graders show a similar pattern - they are fairly rare here but loved globally. So Cat has introduced the 'H' series to follow the trail blazed for 20 years by the mighty 'G'. First up is the 160H which introduces a new class of machine as well as the new series.

It is a 15,586kg machine wielding a 3.66m blade via eight forward gears and six reverse. All are selected electronically for maximum smoothness in shifting patterns. The entire machine is powered by a 149kW, six-cylinder Cat diesel featuring an Engine Power Management System for more oomph in the higher gears (4-8) and better economy in the lower range (1-3). The cab is bigger, more comfortable, aircon is standard and it is quieter too.

Wheeled loaders were not left out, the 924F (plus the IT24F) and the 938F have arrived to carry on the success story achieved by the bigger F-Series models. More power, bigger buckets and more efficient hydraulics are complemented by less noise and less stress on the operator. The new models bring the advantages of a Cat wheeled loader operation further down the size range.

But the biggest success story for Cat in recent years must have been the 300 Series of hydraulic excavators. Here, no less than four new models have been introduced. The series was introduced just three years ago with intention of just five models. Now it is already up to 10 and there could well be more.

New for now are the 307, 315, 317 and the 322. The 307 replaces the E70B and is claimed to be more than a 'big mini'. It is a 'proper excavator' with a small footprint that doesn't occupy a lot of space. But it doesn't have Maestro, the electronic power management system used on the larger models. Cat claims that this is too costly in this class.

The 315/317 are different, they are designed to 'fill the gaps' in the burgeoning range. Cat insists that each is 'built without compromise' and key assemblies are purpose-designed for each class of machine.

The 322 is similarly targeted and slots in between the 320-325 models. This 'aiming at niches' is something Cat is becoming very good at. Certainly it has played its part in the success of the 300 Series with more than 6,000 shipped since the initial launch.

Last up, but by no means least, is Cat's new D250E, the 6x6 adt that takes up where the D250D left off.

It is a 22.8t payload machine with more power (up by 22% to 194kW) and up to 55% more torque than the outgoing unit. This is thanks to the 3306 engine replacing the 3116.

The transmission incorporates the EPTC II electronically-controlled automatic shift facility to give a top speed capability of 51km/hour which is 10% up on the D250D. But it still doesn't have an automatic transmission as favoured by the competition. Six-wheel self-cleaning discs take care of braking but a hydraulic retarder is an option as well.

After all these years, Caterpillar is still 'the one to watch'.