Ran a Cat 287C today

[Lawnworks]

I ran a Cat 287C for a few minutes today. I subbed a guy out to pull some trees off an embankment and haul them off for me. My Cat 248 might have been sitting in the ditch upside down if I tried it. Anyways, I talked him into letting me run it a bit. This thing was nicer than my wife's duramax. 6 air vents blowing, radio/CD, sealed cab... and it felt much bigger inside than my 248. The undercarriage looked much more open to me... The rollers looked easy to service... I don't know if that is a C change or not. It did not have steal rollers though. Also, it did seem like the machine was not as responsive as my 248. The guy that owned it felt the same way... said he couldn't flick the bucket like he could on his 246. I am really seeing no advantage to having an open cab. My next Cat will be enclosed if I am running it.

I have mixed emotions on the tracks. It did spectacular on the slope hauling up trees, but he put a gouge in the brand new tracks down to the belt about 1.5" wide and about 14" long. I witnessed a few very choice words when he showed me that!

Here is a pic of the bank.

[AWJ Services]

From that picture the bank would be no problem for most any CTL.

[Lawnworks]

From that picture the bank would be no problem for most any CTL.

I agree... I think it was too much for my wheeled unit... or maybe I just don't have the balls.

[AWJ Services]

I agree that a wheeled unit would take a different approach.
Did you actually push the trees over stumps and all or just cut and drag them out?

[Lawnworks]

I cut them w/ the help of the CTL pushing... it was on a major roadway and they were leaning the wrong way.

[AWJ Services]

I understand.
A rope and a machine up top would have worked as well.
I would have dug them and pushed them over with my excavator.
They are much easier too control that way.

I have had trees kick back while cutting and pushing with my CTL.
I always tilt the bucket down and use it too shield the cab.

[Lawnworks]

The only problem w/ digging them is more debris to haul away... I left the stumps. The rope would have been much safer... the last two were a little uncomfortable.

[AWJ Services]

Thats true.
Another trick I learned is too cut the tree 60% through and use the machine too push it the way I want and break the tree.
It controls the kick back especially on hills.

[Junior M]

that would have been no problem with the T190 me and my dad rent....... in fact our first job with it i think we were goin up steeper hills than that..........

I will post some pics if i can find them and figure out how.........

[Nelson M Martin]

Yesturday i drove my first 287C loaded. It was one nice ride and a cool machine to run.i used it to push some pitrun gravel. For traction and power the T300 and 287C were very comparable. Note i compared on the same job site and with the same bucket and the same material
I am used to the ridgid under carriage of the Bobcat so it was little tricky to keep grade with the 287C. But i wasnt running the machine long and all machines need some getting used to for final grading

[bobcat_ron]

Yesturday i drove my first 287C loaded. It was one nice ride and a cool machine to run.i used it to push some pitrun gravel. For traction and power the T300 and 287C were very comparable. Note i compared on the same job site and with the same bucket and the same material
I am used to the ridgid under carriage of the Bobcat so it was little tricky to keep grade with the 287C. But i wasnt running the machine long and all machines need some getting used to for final grading


It took me a little longer to get used to final grading with my Cat too, their bucket bottoms do not sit flat on the ground like Bobcat's do, but once you get used to it, you'll see why that is an advantage!

[Lawnworks]

It took me a little longer to get used to final grading with my Cat too, their bucket bottoms do not sit flat on the ground like Bobcat's do, but once you get used to it, you'll see why that is an advantage!

Hey Ron, is there an update for the slow response on some of the C-machines?

[bobcat_ron]

The Cat boys can flash the system from what I have been learning, it quickens the response time in the computer, but I wonder if the machine that you ran has the AMICS system in it and that's it's not set to it's potential?

[iron peddler]

ron is correct, it can be re-flashed, but it is tough to find the happy medium....factory says if you have amics setting 2 is the same as the b series speed, i am not seeing that, but i will say the current speed is helping with guys that have never run pilots.....i was not a fan of the switch to eh, but i understand the reasons why.

[Lawnworks]

Got-r-did.

[bobcat_ron]

I'd love to have the AMICS in my machine, it would make fine grading so much easier and less twitchy, but I don't want another repeat lesson of electronics and vibrations.

[AWJ Services]

Got-r-did.

Nice job.

I love taking trees down.
I just pulled about 150 + pines out of a back yard last month.

[Canon Landscaping]

This is what happened last time we used our ctl to push on a tree while we cut it. The guy running it could of just turned the machine 90 degrees and the tree would of missed it. He jumped out and almost got killed and totaled the machine.

[Junior M]

I hope he lost his job after that one..........

did you have insurance?

[Junior M]

ok this is probably goin to be a stupid question but what thread was it that a guy said he was selling his cat MTL back to the dealership cuz of the all the problems? I dont remember and i cant seem to find it...... i know it was in another thread we were talkn bout the controls and he said something like they were taking his.....

hahahahahaha man i am STUPID!!!!!cant even find a thread!!

[AWJ Services]

This is what happened last time we used our ctl to push on a tree while we cut it. The guy running it could of just turned the machine 90 degrees and the tree would of missed it. He jumped out and almost got killed and totaled the machine.

That is the very reason I hate too cut the tree and use the machine too guide it.
I would rather dig the the tree and push it over with the root ball attached.
They fall very slowly and controllably.
Tree kickbacks have caused a fair amount of physical injury.

[bobcat_ron]

The hydraulic oil in that Deere must have been pretty damn warm to get the cylinder to bend like that, when they get that far, they just snap, but WOW!!!