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John Deere 85D VS Caterpillar 308E

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DirtMerchant

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Had the pleasure of running both of these hoes for a couple weeks a piece about six months ago. Thought I'd post some videos and photos of both for comparison. I know most of you guys are sub the 6T if not 4T catergory, but I thought it might interest a few of you anyways.

First a Comparison Photo of the two contenders.

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Now the test was conducted in the following way:

The Job. 4 kms (2.5miles) of live water main replacement (lots of blue brute) through a 30+ year old subdivision, two schools and 1 park. Replacement of the main as well as the water line right to the city shut off for each house on the property line. Asphalt was cut, then removed and trenching was done through this mine field. Tasks for the excavators included but were not limited too, removal of asphalt, excavation, loading of dump trucks, lifting valve chambers, steel road plates, pipe, fittings, hydrants, etc. Which Brings us to excavator number 1.

The John Deere 85D

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The Caterpillar 308E

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I've run out of time to do a write up, I'll finish this later with my thoughts on both machines and some real world data. Here's some Cat Video for the mean time.


 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
They have 5 225d's all purchased over the last year and will have the first 245 Deere when it makes land fall. I also finished digging an entire month ahead of schedule. They do ok.
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#4 ·
Sounds like it would be quite the job. I have an 85D but haven't even spent 15 minutes running it. Operator says it's a great machine, has about 400 or so hours on it now. Does the top Window on the cat open or is it stationary like the deere?
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#5 ·
Very cool, can't wait to hear your thoughts we are going to be renting a 308 soon for a job and have been thinking about one in this class for a while to fill with gap between our 5k mini and the 315d. Really interested in the lifting ability and truck loading
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#8 ·
personally i have run deere and cat mini excavators i have a few hundred hours on a deere 50zts and a cat 305 both newer machines and some large excavators and i do not see or feel much of a difference other than i like the deere controls and cab much more
 
#10 ·
we are coming up on two months rental into our 308e with thumb and long stick with coupler, the most impressive aspect is the trenching production compared to our 5ton minis and the least impressive is the lifting ability where it runs out of power long before it runs out of stability over the blade. It is however a very productive machine for trenching and loading triaxles as we have experienced. We still have not decided if we are going to do the purchase option, it is a big $ increase over a 5-5.5ton mini.
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#11 ·
Here's a 75D I used a few weeks back. First time I've used a hoe this size. It's either been a 12,000 lbs mini or a 120 and up. Liked it. Would be nice to try an 85 size soon but I liked the boom attached to the side like a normal excavator and short of special order the 85's don't come that way standard. That's why I'm curious about any feedback on the 85 size hoes.

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#13 ·
Hi everyone, I don't get to get on here much anymore,just to busy.Things are well.but I saw this post and had to jump in. I just bought a Deere 75g with pin grabber,pro-link thumb and a disk mulcher.I demoed a cat 308e2 and was not to inpressed .the machine has no swing power,wouldn't swing a 1300 lbs concrete block on a 15% slope,and was light in rear end. Demoed a Deere 75g and in same spot would swing a 2200 lbs concrete block at idle in eco mode,and hold it up at full reach(was petty light in rear end).the cab is night and day different between the two,cat is petty crude(radio behind seat,hour meter under seat,and very rattly.I did like the montier in the cat,you can change aux flows,pin grabber.)will follow up with pics when I get her,some time in November.
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#14 ·
lumberjack1986 said:
The thumb on that 75D looks rather thin... did it hold up alright?
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It was a rental and as usual they put that cheap crap on. I did not have to use it as it was a brief excavation only job. When I purchase a machine it will never have crap like that on it. :)

This is my ideal set up and it is for sale about 2 hours south of me but not ready quite yet to drop money on a machine.

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#16 ·
lumberjack1986 said:
I do wish my KX057 had a pro link thumb, and the stock thumb sucks, there's no hook or volume to it with a bucket.
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Yeah I didn't like kubota's thumbs on the kx057 predecessor and now they're even more pathetic. PSM is not cheap but they make good stuff.
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