An interesting Cat 345BL

[mcc1075]

I received a new computer for Christmas and I was going through my old one and I found these pics. This 345BL is owned and operated by A. Ananstasio and Sons in New Haven, CT. It operates at there C&D volume reduction facility, loading railcars. As you can see in the pics, it is mounted on a pedestal. Cat told them as soon as they mounted it, they voided all warranties. This machine has high hours as it operates 12 to 14 hours per day. My company hauls over 100 tons from our jobs to this facility per day.

 

[special tool]

Wonder what they did with the bottom?

 

[mcc1075]

I believe the bottom is still there on site, I will take a look next time I am up there.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

Hopefully it's held up if its warranty is gone?

 

[mcc1075]

The machine has had its share of problems over the years that it has been in service. It works in a very dusty environment, and for awhile it was having alot of overheating problems. If you notice on the operators side of the machine, they cut in a large vent in the tins for cooling purposes, and I believe they put also fan inside the door.

 

[bigblueox]

at least they'll never scratch the counter weight!

 

[cat 385]

I'm trying to figure out why they took the tracks off in the first place...:beatsme am i missing something?

 

[special tool]

I'm trying to figure out why they took the tracks off in the first place...:beatsme am i missing something?

Ifn you're gonna be havin knuckleheads up there on Monday morning....well they might get to walking.

 

[joispoi]

True, but it would have cost less to build a lower pedestal, leave the tracks on the machine, disconnnect the final drives and chain down the undercarriage. The would have kept their warranty and it's a nice option to be able to put a machine onto a trailer and send it to a proper garage when it needs service.

I have to say, it looks like a clean setup the way they did it, though. I think it would annoy me not to be able to inch over for that one piece that's juuust out of reach.

 

[Gavin84w]

Why would the warranty be voided for having it sit perfectly level the whole of its life versus some of the angles, uneven floors and various other places operators work em?

 

[mcc1075]

I am not quite sure as to the exact reason the warranty was voided, but that is what I have been told many times over.

 

[mascas]

we have, let me rephrase that, HAD a few 345 cats in our scrap yard...Had alot of problems with them.
As for the warranty we installed a cat generator in a semi trailer for a control room and cat voided our warranty.

 

[rustyjames]

It's possible that one reason the warranty was voided because being mounted like that; especially if it's rigid, must be hard on the turn-table bearing. More so if the operator ain't smooth.

 

[EZ TRBO]

was thinking the same thing rusty....now if you are trying to lift to much, instead of the machine comming up on the backside, lifting the tracks off the ground all the weight and pressure is going into the bolts on the ped.

Trbo

 

[rustyjames]

I'm also thinking about that environment for the operator with all that dust and diesel fumes.

 

[mcc1075]

The machine's warranty was voided due to the way they mounted it on the pedestal. This machine takes a beating for many hours per day, and it has had its share of break downs. I took these pics a few years ago, and you should see the machine today, it is beat up, and tired. They have since put a landfill type machine with sheepfoot wheels into the building to help crush up the debris and help move the stuff around. As for the environment, it is very dusty as you can imagine, and I know the machine was overheating alot. I don't get up there much any more, but next time I do, I will new pics.