Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/885126
The Throttle Smoothing feature on a Cat CTL minimizes lurching and bucking when using the foot throttle while traveling over rough terrain. The feature monitors speed change demands from the foot pedal, and when extremes in speed commanded from the throttle are detected, Throt- tle Smoothing steps in to modulate the response and deliver steady, even travel speeds. Caterpillar's ride control system is speed sensitive. It activates above a set speed to improve operator comfort and enhance load retention. Drop below that speed and it disen- gages to maximize digging and load placement performance. Bobcat's automatic ride control activates after detecting increased hydraulic lift arm pressure at any speed. The system can also be deac- tivated when hydraulic lift arm pres- sure is reduced, such as when there is no load in the bucket or when the operator turns off the feature for back-dragging. For extreme performance demands, JCB offers the Teleskid. With its tele- scopic boom, the Teleskid provides an 8-foot reach and a lift of over 13 feet. In conventional CTLs, JCB is rolling out two new models, the 210T (radial lift) and 215T (vertical lift), both with 30-gallon-per-minute hy- draulic flow. These are at the lower end of mid-ROC machines with sub-10,000-pound operating weights (specs were not finalized by press time). The goal is to run high-de- mand attachments on smaller ma- chines that better navigate confined worksites. "We're in the midst of a big at- tachments cam- paign," says Randy Tinley of JCB, "and we're adding attachments to the 31 we already of- fer. And we want to offer attach- ments that fit the unique needs of different geo- graphical areas." Tinley says the company is using focus groups of both JCB custom- ers and owners of other equipment brands to help de- fine those needs. By the end of the year, Case Construction Equipment will have rolled out a 74-horsepower CTL that has an ROC that's closer to large-capacity CTLs. Staying under 75 horsepower allows Case to use simpler emis- sions control systems. "With this DOC-only, maintenance-free emis- sions solution, there are no fluids to add, no regeneration and no filters to maintain," says John Dotto, Case brand marketing manager. "Yet the ROC is comparable to a larger frame machine, and customers receive the greater performance they are demanding." If an OEM already offers a ma- chine with a certain level of per- formance, why offer another with similar capacities but less horse- power? "It's about giving contractors a choice," says Dotto. "Not everyone needs a high horsepower engine better suited to running high-capac- ity attachments. Some contractors can get by with a lower horsepower engine that doesn't require higher power, but they need the same rated operating and lifting capacities as higher horsepower machines." For those who do need high horsepower, OEMs are happy to oblige. The latest iteration of the largest Kubota CTL, the SVL90-2s, October 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 18 machine matters | continued The large-frame, radial-lift RT-75 from ASV is de- signed for tough applications, such as forestry and excavation. Standard features include 18-inch-wide tracks, high-capacity cooling and dual-level suspension that suspends both the tracks and wheels. The optional Forestry package adds metal guarding and an auto-reversing fan. The SVL75-2 from Kubota features available high-flow hydraulics with 29.3 gallons per minute at 3,185 psi. The turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine is rated at 74.3 gross horsepower. ROC is 2,300 pounds at 35 percent and bucket breakout force is 6,204 pounds. Standard track width is 12.6 inches; a 15-inch-wide track option is available.