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Link Belts: Good/Bad?

bobcat ron

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Nov 25, 2007
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843
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Abbistan, B.C.
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playing with the new 247 MTL
Anything wrong with the new (06-08) Link Belts? My brother wants to try one out to replace an older 320CLU and there aren't any that I know of around here.
 

dayexco

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May 21, 2005
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south dakota
we have a case/link belt/sumitomo....it's a case, 210...it's a freakin hot rod, we absolutely love the machine
 

Dozerboy

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Jan 18, 2006
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TX
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Oh ya LB is second only to JD IMO. The only issue I have seen with them is the top rollers tend to bend/ break off I don't know how wide spread that problem is but I have seen it a few times.
 

CascadeScaper

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Feb 27, 2005
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Lynnwood, WA
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2nd year Operating Engineer Apprentice
I knew a guy that had 1 Sumitomo, 1 Linkbelt, and a Case excavator. He said they never really gave him many problems, but they were all older, nothing new like you're looking at. You're not going to make your bro toot the Cat horn anymore Ron?
 

bobcat ron

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Abbistan, B.C.
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playing with the new 247 MTL
No, he runs away from Cat and I walked right in and "bent over" for them!!!

But seriously though, LB is $23,000 cheaper than Cat for the same machine, Cat will give him $12,000 more for trade in but the Cats are thirsty on fuel, so LB will save $1200 in fuel and over $1000 per month on payments, Cat's finance is higher, LB's is lower with less payments and better warranty-that was a red flag to me, they seem to have a longer warranty, up to 7 years whereas Cat only has a max. of 5 years.
 

jperfect

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Mar 5, 2007
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50
Location
novi,mi
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operator digging mainline
im not a link belt fan. but i have ran link belt / case (same thing). i dont think that they have the power that a cat or komatsu have. and i thought they are light in the rear.:bash
 

xcavate77

Active Member
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Dec 18, 2007
Messages
38
Location
Iowa
I agree jperfect LB are light in the rear. Its hard to dig a level hole when you have to put dirt under the front end in order to keep from getting motion sickness
 

CascadeScaper

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No, he runs away from Cat and I walked right in and "bent over" for them!!!

Hahaha, you do suffer from "OCD". If we had to buy another fullsize excavator, it would more than likely be Deere/Hitachi or Komatsu. I've run a buddy's ZX120 a bit, I really like it, but I've never run a Komatsu and would like to give one a try. Has your bro looked into Komatsu? I hear their presence in BC is pretty good.
 
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dayexco

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May 21, 2005
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south dakota
I agree jperfect LB are light in the rear. Its hard to dig a level hole when you have to put dirt under the front end in order to keep from getting motion sickness


our 210 case isn't that way a bit, it plays with our 7000 lbs trench box. not tippy at all.
 

bobcat ron

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Abbistan, B.C.
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playing with the new 247 MTL
Hahaha, you do suffer from "OCD". If we had to buy another fullsize excavator, it would more than likely be Deere/Hitachi or Komatsu. I've run a buddy's ZX120 a bit, I really like it, but I've never run a Komatsu and would like to give one a try. Has your bro looked into Komatsu? I hear their presence in BC is pretty good.

I asked him about that his response was....."forget that, their joysticks are way too long"........I think he is one of those "Kumagusta" crowd people.

Personally, I like Komatsu, my old man has 2 PC-60's from '91 and '92 both approaching the 10,000 hour mark and even a local Hitachi nut from town just switched over, I even fell in love with their PC27UU after my dad bought the Hitachi 27, Komatsu knows how to make a big cab for a little machine.
 

John C.

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Jun 11, 2007
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Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
I've worked on most all excavators but don't really want to inject an opinion about specific makes and their operating characteristics.

I do have a comment on the warranty time period and fuel usage reports. Machine warranties are made on an operating hour and age basis. Typically an extended warranty might be two year or five thousand hours. If someone is giving you seven years of warranty I would look very carefully for the limiting statements in the contract. It might be seven years or three thousand hours, which ever comes first. Typical construction sees about a thousand hours of use per year on small excavators. Your seven year warranty could be gone in three years.

Many times there are also limiting conditions that apply. Maybe you have to buy the manufacturers lubricants and filters or sign on for their maintenance program. Make sure all the salesman's claims are in the purchase contract and compare apples to apples between manufacturers.

I assume you haven't run the Link-Belt or you wouldn't be asking for the advice. So where are the numbers for fuel economy coming from? Link-Belt is a catalog engineered machine just like almost everyone else. They only make the frame, implements and piping. The engine, pumps and components are all made by someone else and there are really only minor differences between any one's machine now days. The only real way to get better fuel economy now is to cut back on performance. So check the claims carefully. Check the statement to see if the machine has to be in a general or light mode to get that claimed advantage.

I always like to set up a purchase with incentives and penalties for venders I haven't used before. They have to give me the same or better than I already have. They should be willing to risk loosing something if their claims come up short.
 

coopers

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Jan 1, 2005
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Western Washington
Hahaha, you do suffer from "OCD". If we had to buy another fullsize excavator, it would more than likely be Deere/Hitachi or Komatsu. I've run a buddy's ZX120 a bit, I really like it, but I've never run a Komatsu and would like to give one a try. Has your bro looked into Komatsu? I hear their presence in BC is pretty good.

I remember playing around in a pc200, the newer one (don't know Komatsu very well) and it was pretty damn nice. The inside was pretty neat.

Blake
WA
 

Dozerboy

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our 210 case isn't that way a bit, it plays with our 7000 lbs trench box. not tippy at all.

X2 I've ran up to 80 ton LBs and none of them where any more tippy that the others.
 

tylermckee

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Jan 9, 2006
Messages
768
Location
washington
ive ran and older well worn out 5800Q (450), with 15,000 hours and it seemed like it would have been a great machine in its day. it used 10 gallons of oil a day and was missing a few bottom rollers. :eek: still had plenty of power it was still able to tear apart the heavy duty rock bucket it had on it, very stable. i really liked the room in the cab.
 

ror76a

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Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
211
Location
Michigan
for your consideration

Just from comparing specs on a 320D to a 210X2...

They are very closely matched on stick/bucket forces, but when you compare bucket sizes the linkbelt only rates a 1.31 CY bucket up to 2700lbs/yd, but the cat rates a 1.53 CY bucket up to 3000 lbs/yd, both with 9'8" sticks. I don't know if the linkbelt is any faster to make up for it, or if it would even matter, (or if the machines are under or over rated in these specs), but it would lead me to believe that the cat could move a little more material per hour, even if it burns more fuel. I have also herd that the cat D series is a lot better on fuel, have not had a chance to find out for my self though.

It would not make up for the higher price of the cat, but performance (fuel) wise, they may not be that far apart. It would be best to get the two machines side by side (equiped the same) and find out.:D

On a side note, how much fuel/hr is he getting with his 320 now?
 
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bobcat ron

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Abbistan, B.C.
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playing with the new 247 MTL
The 320CLU that will be traded off is an absolute slug on fuel, 1 tank goes empty in 12 hours, but it will go 2 days @ 8 hours each running at throttle 8, but the last bit is barely making it if I don't idle in between truck waiting times when doing ditch cleaning.
 

EZ TRBO

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Jul 21, 2007
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USA
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Aggregate Utility, Maintence Welder
I myself have never really spent a lot of time in any older LB's, we rented a number throughout the years cause it was cheaper than CAT rent and only have the most time on the new long fronts(240X2). For a machine I would be running day in and day out though I would myself still go for the CAT(and I'm not footing the bill anymoe). But I have had good luck with the Lb's i've ran.

Trbo
 

drewtam

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Nov 13, 2007
Messages
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Location
Illinois
The 320CLU that will be traded off is an absolute slug on fuel, 1 tank goes empty in 12 hours, but it will go 2 days @ 8 hours each running at throttle 8, but the last bit is barely making it if I don't idle in between truck waiting times when doing ditch cleaning.

The 320C and the early 320Ds used the mechanical 3066 engine. The new 320Ds use the C6.4 with Cat's ACERT technology for tier 3 emissions. The fuel economy is supposed to have improved significantly. Anybody have experience with these new ones?
 
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