Randy Krieg
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2007
- Messages
- 260
- Location
- Arizona
- Occupation
- Test Pilot/Operator @ Caterpillar's Tucson Proving
Just home for my 2 weeks R&R and thought I would let those interested know how this unit is handling the extreme cold. The machine is being used to build and maintain Iceroads on Chevron’s White Hills Project. This project is located approximately 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the interior of Alaska.
Overall performance of the machine has been very good. We still have some steering control warnings to deal with, anytime the temperatures or wind chills start getting down around -40 degrees you can set the “Lose of Steering Control” alarm off by simply attempting to steer quickly. Due to extremely cold oil it is easy to out run the positioning sensors in the steering cylinders with the Joystick. Due to 2 -12 hour shifts and the 2 week on 2 week off schedule three other operators and I operate the machine. We all have varying opinions on the machine. I personally enjoy it very much for the type of work we are doing right now. It is very user friendly and extremely comfortable. I still believe they should have extended the mainframe another foot (between the cab and lift cylinder mounts) and gotten the moldboard out from under the cab. We have an 18 foot moldboard and with that the G’s were too short, the H’s were too short and now the M’s are still too short. I would also like to see 5 more degrees of articulation. I would gladly give up a little turning radius for some steeper moldboard angles and still see the heal of the moldboard.
Here are a few shots of a blow closing in on me. At times it gets so bad you can barely see the ripper bar in the rear view mirror. This is when you start praying that you don’t run out of fuel. 50 to 70 below wind chills, you wouldn’t last long.
Overall performance of the machine has been very good. We still have some steering control warnings to deal with, anytime the temperatures or wind chills start getting down around -40 degrees you can set the “Lose of Steering Control” alarm off by simply attempting to steer quickly. Due to extremely cold oil it is easy to out run the positioning sensors in the steering cylinders with the Joystick. Due to 2 -12 hour shifts and the 2 week on 2 week off schedule three other operators and I operate the machine. We all have varying opinions on the machine. I personally enjoy it very much for the type of work we are doing right now. It is very user friendly and extremely comfortable. I still believe they should have extended the mainframe another foot (between the cab and lift cylinder mounts) and gotten the moldboard out from under the cab. We have an 18 foot moldboard and with that the G’s were too short, the H’s were too short and now the M’s are still too short. I would also like to see 5 more degrees of articulation. I would gladly give up a little turning radius for some steeper moldboard angles and still see the heal of the moldboard.
Here are a few shots of a blow closing in on me. At times it gets so bad you can barely see the ripper bar in the rear view mirror. This is when you start praying that you don’t run out of fuel. 50 to 70 below wind chills, you wouldn’t last long.
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