First M to Norway?

[Motor Grader]

Got my hands on a 120M

Had the opportunity to take a spin around in a new 120M down in Charleston, SC. Didn't get to put the blade in the ground but still was able to feel how the thing moved around. Have to be honest and say it was pretty cool moving a piece of iron that big at that speed with only joysticks. It did make me a little nervous when I had to manuver between 2 cars and a trailer to get it out in the open. You find yourself looking for the wheel. I got it in 4th gear and really torqued on the steering stick to see how it reacted. Have to say it was more comfortable below 4th gear. Not sure if I want to hit 25mph and have to make an evasive manuver. It shifted really smooth but I still don't like the air brakes. Have to say that underneath all that crap that it seems they have their act together. Outside though, its got to be the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I know it looks tough from a distance but up close it looks like 8 people designed it without ever talking to each other. Switches all over the freaking cab and brackets, hoses, fittings, wires all over the exterior. Its just not a clean grader and you feel like if you get too close something is gonna snag your clothes and carry you for a ride. We (Champion) or any other manufacturer in the US would never get away with such crap hanging all over our graders. Hope I didn't step on any CAT tails out there but thats just one person's opinion. We decided to back up off of the whole joystick idea for now. Have a feeling CAT is gonna sink a few more million in this before its perfected. Then we will see what they came up with.

 

[keerym]

Might want to do a little more homework. None of the M's have air brakes. They are all hydraulic brakes now. Also, steering becomes less sensitive starting in 5th gear to make it easier to handle at higher speeds.

 

[VeePlow]

Good year AS-3A
http://www.goodyearotr.com/cfmx/web/otr/tire-selector/detailresults.cfm?tireid=733

You sure? We've had a few 14M's and 140M's through our shop lately and they all came with Michelin XSNOPLUS tires. They sure look like the tires in your picture...

http://http://earthmover.webmichelin.com/na_eng/Tires/XSNOPLUS/Index.html

 

[roadrunner]

Yeah those are SnoplusX not Goodyear.Anyone run those Goodyear snow tires?What are they like?We run Snoplus now finally and will never go back to Bridgestone if We can help it.Bridgestone were good for the first year with hardly any grader bounce. Then gradually got worse ever year after.Seemed like the sidewalls were getting weak?

 

[roadrunner]

Veeplow;I like your avatar, what size of Timberjack is that veeplow on?I sure bet she will push snow!

 

[VeePlow]

Veeplow;I like your avatar, what size of Timberjack is that veeplow on?I sure bet she will push snow!

Roadrunner.. that is actually an extremely old photo of a Clark 880B.

 

[Grader4me]

Welcome to the forum VeePlow! Hummmm wasn't I talking to you somewhere before?:drinkup

 

[VeePlow]

Hummmm wasn't I talking to you somewhere before?:drinkup

....small internet! :canada

 

[MKTEF]

Got a phone today from one of our grader operators.

He is trained and prepared for duty if we need him, but workes by a sivilian firm.
We discussed the M for half an hour.
He had had his ass in the 160M pictured here.
His conclusion where theese:
- Sticks move to long, u will get fysical problems with your armwrists.
- To feely on the wheelstearing in high speed.
- Its to easy to get false movements when u move one function. The other one tend to move also.
- Difficult to do fine grading, lift is difficult to controll.
- To many buttons and stuff on the joysticks.
- Power in the engine is gone.

He stated that our Volvo's with the Svab system is a bether one than the M.

Both he and the daily operator where disapointed with the M.
They had high exseptations and was disapointed.
Our guy stated that Cat had a way to go before it was as good as Vammas on the view from the seat...

 

[sdPete]

M Cat

REPLY M GRADER

Got a phone today from one of our grader operators.

He is trained and prepared for duty if we need him, but workes by a sivilian firm.
We discussed the M for half an hour.
He had had his ass in the 160M pictured here.
His conclusion where theese:
- Sticks move to long, u will get fysical problems with your armwrists.

******
This will be normal until driver learns the machine. First times of operating driver can be tense then he hurts at end of day. After some learning driver can relax pain will go away. This was my experience.
******

- To feely on the wheelstearing in high speed.

*******
Experienced drivers have no advantage learning to steer an M grader. The method of control is not the same as other machines. The steering does work fine it takes some hours to learn the small movement of the joystick for high speed driving. It is like new programming for your brain.
*******


- Its to easy to get false movements when u move one function. The other one tend to move also.
- Difficult to do fine grading, lift is difficult to controll.
- To many buttons and stuff on the joysticks.
- Power in the engine is gone.

******
These things sound like driver who needs to operate machine some more and learn to run it better. Drivers with many years experience think Cat M grader is too much change and think negative. The hard part is when they find out they might have been wrong and figure out the M grader is good. Old grader drivers had to work hard to learn to run the older machines it took some time to learn all the levers. If they work as hard to learn to run an M grader they will do fine.
*******

He stated that our Volvo's with the Svab system is a bether one than the M.

Both he and the daily operator where disapointed with the M.
They had high exseptations and was disapointed.
Our guy stated that Cat had a way to go before it was as good as Vammas on the view from the seat...

 

[Randy Krieg]

The Learning Curve

:thumbsup sdPete; Good analogy. I know people (can't call them operators) who have been on E, F, G & H Series for years and still can’t operate them. Some will catch on and others will be left behind. That’s the way it always has been and that’s the way it always will be.

I still learn new tricks every year and this season will be my 35th. It’s an amazing machine limited only by the matter between your ears! :dizzy

Regards, Randy

 

[MKTEF]

Maybee...

This operator spent 6 weeks in our joystick Volvo G976.
He complained on some of the problems known with the 900 series, but not any on the joystick system.(Things that changed with the V5.0 software)

He started with 2 days of education from me on the complete Volvo grader and had noe problem learning that joystick system in a couple of hours....

And you should keep in mind that theese drivers are familiar with joystick and tinted glass graders from many years back.
Vammas has had theese systems for years.

And when u get new equipment u always compare to the things u know from before.
So Scandinavian grader operators will have a complete different background to comment on the M's.

I am only the messanger from the operators, has yet not had the opportunity to test the M.

 

[roadrunner]

:thumbsup sdPete; Good analogy. I know people (can't call them operators) who have been on E, F, G & H Series for years and still can’t operate them. Some will catch on and others will be left behind. That’s the way it always has been and that’s the way it always will be.

I still learn new tricks every year and this season will be my 35th. It’s an amazing machine limited only by the matter between your ears! :dizzy

Regards, Randy

Randy, what do you do with your M? Do you snowplow,construction,road maintenence? Just wondering because I have heard issues with the M steering at high speeds especially in winter?
Glad to hear you like the sticks, I still am waitng for Cat to bring aM out to demo!