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Cat nomenclature

Angry Mike

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Sep 29, 2022
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Wyoming
So ive been wondering, when it comes to CAT how do they arrive at their model numbers ex. 226, 259, 279. All product lines not just skid steers?
 

Tones

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Ubique
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Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
Apart from dozers and graders the last 2 digits are capacity for scrapers, weight for excavators and hp for skidsteers. Back in the day dozers were hp but that has since changed. As for the other machines Cat makes I have no idea
 

Mobiltech

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Self employed Heavy duty mechanic
I am still amazed at the people who buy a D6M and think it should have the power of a D6R. Now that is confusing.
 

CM1995

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Running what I brung and taking what I win
I am still amazed at the people who buy a D6M and think it should have the power of a D6R. Now that is confusing.

One of the reason's I read that Cat changed the model #'s to better represent the size. For a while Cat got carried away with a D6K, D6N and D6R on the roster which are all very different tractors.

Now our new D3 is the replacement for our older D5G. Interesting thing is the D3 is larger than our D5G.
 

Welder Dave

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Is the new D3 the smallest Cat dozer now? Wondering if there isn't enough market for smaller dozers since CTL's kind of fill the gap. Also curious if the Case Minotaur will be popular and other manufacturers will make similar machines.
 

OzDozer

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Perth, Western Australia.
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Semi-Retired ..
Cat now make a D1, D2 and D3 to replace all the previous models that wore bigger numbers. Confusion is the name of the game, keep the customers guessing as to what size tractor they've got on site.
Kind of like how Cat jumped the models up in numbers in previous decades. D6 became D7, D7 became D8, D8 became D9, D9 became D10. I can't keep up with the numbers now, I simply look at HP and operating weight.

https://www.equipmentworld.com/equi...d2-and-d3-make-up-revamped-small-dozer-lineup
 

CM1995

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Running what I brung and taking what I win
Is the new D3 the smallest Cat dozer now? Wondering if there isn't enough market for smaller dozers since CTL's kind of fill the gap. Also curious if the Case Minotaur will be popular and other manufacturers will make similar machines.

As OZ said the D1 is the smallest.

IMO a CTL is no comparison to a small dozer for shear torque pushing. We have 2 - 279D's that we rack the hours up on doing all sorts of things but when it comes to pushing and cutting they are no match for either our D5G or next Gen D3.
 

Welder Dave

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Canada
As OZ said the D1 is the smallest.

IMO a CTL is no comparison to a small dozer for shear torque pushing. We have 2 - 279D's that we rack the hours up on doing all sorts of things but when it comes to pushing and cutting they are no match for either our D5G or next Gen D3.
That makes sense. A skid steer can run circles around my track loader for spreading material and some landscaping jobs but digging and loading clay not even close.
 

JD955SC

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Mar 13, 2011
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The South
Is the new D3 the smallest Cat dozer now? Wondering if there isn't enough market for smaller dozers since CTL's kind of fill the gap. Also curious if the Case Minotaur will be popular and other manufacturers will make similar machines.

Flat track hydrostatic machines
D3K2=D1
D4K2=D2
D5K2=D3
D6K2=D4

high track powerShift
D6N=D5

“traditional” type dozers, high track, powerShift
D6T=D6
Also now we have a D6 XE which is the D6 but a diesel electric power train.

And so forth on up for the medium and large dozers. The D7 is back, the D7E flat track diesel electric drivetrain dozer is no more.

yes it’s confusing for us because now when my boss tells me I have a D5 coming in on the lowboy is it a D5K or a new generation D6N?

and the suffixes are gone, no idea what will replace them not that it was ever much rhyme or reason for me
 

CM1995

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Can you get diff steer on the new D5? Never was a fan of fingertip.
 

CM1995

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All D6Ns I have encountered were diff steer with a tiller control and same for the new D5s.

Yeah the '06 D6N we had was diff steer and can't remember if that was an option. The D5N's were fingertip IIRC.
 

Truck Shop

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WWW.
Funny-just talking about this with someone-and people think truck models are difficult to remember.
 

Welder Dave

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Canada
Yeah the '06 D6N we had was diff steer and can't remember if that was an option. The D5N's were fingertip IIRC.
I think diff. steer was an option. I remember RB auction fliers would list diff. steer on some D6N's but not all of them. I think the public works manager for the county said their 2004 D6N had the optional diff. steer too because he said they also demoed a JD and said it couldn't do anything with a blade full of dirt but the diff. steer was much better. I think it was a fairly expensive option though.
 

Angry Mike

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Sep 29, 2022
Messages
57
Location
Wyoming
Apart from dozers and graders the last 2 digits are capacity for scrapers, weight for excavators and hp for skidsteers. Back in the day dozers were hp but that has since changed. As for the other machines Cat makes I have no idea
 

AzIron

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Jun 14, 2016
Messages
1,547
Location
Az
Any idea on the backhoe line?
Now there is a mental exercise
To my knowledge no representation was given to HP or weight with backhoes

The 416 was for the most part the flag ship machine there were not a lot of 426 made in comparison so that size was dropped for the most part at the d series launch when the 420s came out and at the time that was to differentiate from wabble sticks to pilot controls

That said cat never abandoned the 416 it was made with wabble sticks up till the f series then it was made with pilots the 416 currently is a lower powered 420 with a little less weight then the 415 came along as the budget machine and no def
 
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