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Alberta, Canada | Never run an 1845, but we've demoed two of the new Case, 445 & 445CT, as well as running an 85XT a few years ago. Few days later demoed the Cat, forget the model, either 257B or 277B, no comparison. I use to like wheels, but after trying tracks, there's no comparison with that either. They feel like two totally different machines. Only downside of the tracks, is that they're slower, and wider. Oh, and they're not as much fun. They're not as ideal if you're in really tight spaces, but that is the only benefit of wheels.
I'll set the scene of the Case demos... We had a huge stockpile of dirt and rocks out in a field behind the buildsite, which was still just a big concrete hole in the ground. It POURED that day, and the previous day. The tracked machine had no problems getting up to where we were demoing, but we could barely get the wheeled one up, the road was so slippery. Then to try and get them up the stockpile, onto the landing where the tracked excavator had it's perch. We had the tracked one up and down it, and 5 of us were playing with it for an hour. Then they brought the wheeled one as well. Both of the representatives from Case told us it wouldn't make it at all. It was impossible. Well, that was meaning enough to try, right? First 2 guys that tried got most of the way up, then it turned on it's own will and slid all the way down sideways. Myself, and later my dad were able to make it up to the landing, much to the astonishment of the Case guys. We brought both machines up to the landing, then tried to climb up the rest of the way, which was about a 4-foot steep climb onto a loose level, filled with ditches, it was simply where the articulated dumptrucks had left their final piles. Also note, the trucks had to be towed up with a dozer. The wheeled one was eager to climb, but kept trying to tip over on it's back. The tracked one had no issues, and climbed up with little effort. It also did well crawling over the water filled ditches left in between the piles up top. Coming down off the stock pile, the wheeled one would not stop. Once it was over the edge, it would slide down no matter which way it was facing, even trying to reverse back up the pile, it would only slow it's decent. Whereas the tracked one, where you put it, it stayed. There were no worries about tipping. It allowed bigger loads, less ground disturbance, and all round more power and stability. Plus, there was no such thing as a bump.
Didn't get one as we went for a Cat 953C (Big track loader), but if we do get a skid steer, it'll be tracked, and it'll be a Case.
Good Luck
-Josh | |
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cat 257 tracked skid steer
