Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/489028
Performance: Overall score 8.9 out of 10 All of our reviewers but one said the 336E L has met their expectations, and then some, in terms of perfor- mance. Tied for the highest-rated aspects of performance were swing speed/torque, bucket breakout force, dump height and reach, all with a score of 9.3. Among the areas of concern for our reviewers were lift over side at 8.4, fuel efficiency at 8.3 and nighttime lighting at 8.0, "The machine is equipped with a back-up camera, but no light on the counterweight to see at night-making all jobs with laborers on the ground very dangerous," noted one reviewer. "Two lights on the counterweight can avoid the time and expense of a light tower every night shift." Keith Brinson, the shop superintendent at J.B. Cox- well Contracting in Jacksonville, Florida, says while his operators like the machine, performance hasn't met the firm's expectations, though he may be zeroing in on an explanation for that. Brinson said each of the company's four 336 E Ls are equipped with the longer stick option. "We do a lot of pipe laying and with the shorter swing radius than on the older model machines we have, some of the operators are complaining about some tipsiness in (the 336E L)," he says. "Plus, with the longer stick, we've lost some of the lifting capacity." Brinson says the company isn't dissatisfied with the machine and wants to get a 336E L with a medium stick to be sure that the loss in performance is solely due to the longer stick. "Right now we have some heavy storm drains that we're doing so we're really testing the limits of the lifting capacity. And right now, according to the ma- chines' chart, they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. They're performing pretty close to as advertised." When it comes to performance, Cunningham says the 336E L is unparalleled. "There's nothing else around here that will run with it," he says. "We're in Richmond County, Georgia, doing a highway project right now and the company we're working with is strictly Komatsu. I told one of their operators to get in the 336E L and as soon as he got out he said he wanted one." Cunningham said the machine's only downsides are its regen time and fuel consumption. "It has to regenerate and all that garbage and when it does, it burns a little bit more fuel. I try to regen mine during lunch, because if you don't do that, by the end of the day it's regenerat- ing and you're trying to leave," he says. "And if you get down to a quarter of a tank and this thing starts trying to regen, you better go ahead and call a fuel truck." Operator features: Overall score 8.8 out of 10 When it comes to making the operator comfortable and productive, our reviewers gave the 336E L high praise. However, a common complaint about rear and side vis- ibility brought the overall score in this category down a bit. "In a mid-size machine, contractors often need work done in confined spaces such as between fixed objects or near traffic," one reviewer explains. "In an industry defined by safety (rather) than performance, the 336 is, what I feel, a step backwards as far as visual awareness. The previ- ous 40-ton machines allowed for better sight of immediate surroundings. Blind spots have been increased on the 336 making the machine more dangerous to operate." Another reviewer agrees, noting, "Operator visibility is very important. I think the blind spots need to be reduced to at least the previous generation 40-ton models. Line of sight is safer than a back up monitor." Cunningham, on the other hand, had nothing but praise for the cab. "The cab on the Es, compared to the Ds, is 100 percent better. The seat is 100 percent better, they've done something different with the air condi- tioning and it's better. The comfort of the whole cab is better," he says. April 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 32 Rate the serviceability of your Cat 336E L: Rating Access to daily service points 9.1 Access to scheduled service points 9.0 Fuel capacity 9.6 Ease of radiator clean out 8.7 Serviceability overall score (out of 10): 9.1 Rate the performance of your Cat 336E L: Rating Fuel efficiency 8.3 Hydraulic horsepower 9.1 Swing speed, torque 9.3 Reverse swing dampening 8.9 Bucket breakout force 9.3 Dig depth 9.1 Dump height 9.3 Reach 9.3 Lift over side 8.4 Lift over end 9.1 Stability 8.9 Cycle times/productivity 9.1 Emissions system/regens 8.7 Nighttime lighting 8.0 Coupler, work tool changes 8.9 Performance overall score (out of 10): 8.9 reader reviews | continued