Tough looking CAT 320clu

Had a trip around the parking lot at Whistler BC to see what was about (the wife loved it ) and came across this really well specced up 320clu.
I honestly thought it was a 315, due to the shorter tail and very narrow track pads.
It looks built for the job, but yet again that Thumb/quick hitch had me scratching my head coming from the UK.
I am going to start a thread for you all to post a pic of the ultimate 'Thumb/Pin Grabber hitch' combination that could actually tempt a few UK users to give them a go.
The set up here looks very strong but just too bulky and agricultural with no ability to turn the bucket around to be accepted by UK users.

I bet this will girl will climb on them grousers though!

You took her to BC and still you are taking pics of machines?
How much was she rolling her eyes at you?:drinkup

I had to give in to some retail therapy to get them pics, It would have been cheaper to hire it for a day!

There is a Kobelco Blade runner working on the slopes and I have been determined to get some pics (preferably a couple of minutes in the seat!) However everytime I mention it I get a response like this

Eddie

you he for the olympics welcome to BC. you might have seen my 350 when you where coming in to land

Just finishing off our second week, back home friday but would have loved to see the Olympics.

I am sorry I missed your immaculate 350 only I'm a nervously flyer and it's strictly eyes closes and cheeks clenched for take off and landings!

You make sure you park her with the boom well down friday!

Eddie.

no problemlast year i was between the run ways where that big load of concrete is crushing . and before that i was doing a job just out side the airport and the mound i was siting on was high enough that they could see us on the landing radar , that was kinda funny them pulling up and telling us to not boom up on the front of the mound. but dont worry your in good hands . next time you vist give us the heads up and i will show you some of our gear .

You like 320CLU's here's mine with 36" tripples and the hydraulic Q/A

we have a 320 like that where i work, its a sweet machine, its got almost 7000 hrs on it and still looks brand new, i like zero tail swing machines like that

gasfield315c said:

we have a 320 like that where i work, its a sweet machine, its got almost 7000 hrs on it and still looks brand new, i like zero tail swing machines like that

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Don't you mean reduced tail swing?

Expatracer that is the second kind offer this week to view a machine in BC.
I'll be starting Heavy Equipment Vacation Tours next!

I am uncertain if we get the 320 in LU version in the UK, but they are certainly a handy bit of kit by the way CRAFT seems to be putting his to good use.

I would imagine it would make a really good base for an LGP conversion, and on 4ft pads would be virtually zero tail swing.
Does anyone know if there is a 'D' version out?

Eddiebackblade said:

...Does anyone know if there is a 'D' version out?

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Yes, there is a 'D' version, but they changed the name to 320D LRR.

http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=308573&x=7

I'd love to have one if only I could afford it

Hello England ! ...ya I try to use it as much as I can but with way our economy has been going this past year and a half we don't see many hours .....but as previously posted it is a really sweet machine .... this one with the 36" pads only has an 8" overhang past the tracks ..... my first reduced tail swing was a 430 Bobcat mini excavator and never again will buy one that is not ZTS/ZHS ...... for a 200 class machine this ex is a heavy puppy at 53,000 #'s and has more Hp than a 200 as well the specs are impressive ...... had a really bad experience a few years ago with my Cat 312 and after that I swore never again .....the 320 is at 8" and the 312 is at 24" of tail .... I'll see if I can find a pic that shows what I meant by bad ....if you're looking at the pic closely you'll figure it out what happened ...... I'll give you a clue it's a lot steeper than you think !

tracking parallel to close to excavation, and sidewall gave away?

I can't figure out how you got those tracks in that position??

CRAFT you simlply cannot get away with throwing in a picture like that and a half explaination!
We want a full confession and All the pictures!

They obviously haven't sold many of the 'D' versions because a picture usually turns up here really quick.

I am homeward bound from beautiful BC tomorrow, and still scratching my head over the 'Thumb/Quick hitch ' set ups over here.
The 'Thumbs' look great, but the hitches are nothing short of ugly.
Anyone got a really neat one that integrates with a 'Pin Grabber'?

did it somehow slide down that mound?

792DLC said:

Don't you mean reduced tail swing?

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sorry, same thing you know what i mean
:beatsme

excav8r said:

did it somehow slide down that mound?

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this makes sense, but still whats that got to do with its tail swing?

how did that happen? I'm very curious
Was the machine alright after that tip?

"K"......... Here we go ! ..... The Red thing is a Hydrant top of the hill, 10' behind that is a 4" sewer clean-out ..... down from that on the left is bruised trees from trying to swing ...... we were digging a 6' deep sewer line backwards down the hill ....... there was a guy in the trench laying the pipe and was told NOT to get to close to me .... it was starting to get dark, the guy started to rush ..... I had to back-up some more, there was a 4' drop behind me, I tried to swing and couldn't (trees) ..... straightened out a bit and moved back a bit and away we went skidding/sliding over ice compact snow ..... over the bank ..... sommersaulted ...... couldn't drop the boom, would have killed the guy in the trench, couldn't swing around and stop myself so I hung on. Thanx to the strict Forestry cab guarding regs, the only damage was the stick cyl and rod were bent bad, a couple of the Lexan windows popped out, and cause the machine was on its side over night the engine hydraulic'd ...... sent the cly out to Finnings shop for a re/re of the tube and rod, it was gone for three days, and in that time we put the windows back in, cracked the injectors rolled the engine over by hand bar, pushed the oil out ...... hit the key and it ran .... cyl came back connected it up and went back to finish off the system ....BUT not before the flunky in the trench got big crap for pushing instead of watching .......AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY .....as Paul Harvey used to say ....lol