Cat 308e CR SB - long stick

[JPSouth]

So after making noise for years that I'd never want anything all that new, I ran across a guy who wants to sell his 2012 Cat 308e CR SB, pre-emissions. I've run a Cat or two here and there, don't know what the suffix letters mean. I've been thinking of moving up one notch in size from my Kubota KX161-2 for awhile, need more reach for irrigation work, loading the 16' box on the L8000, and making addition/foundation digging, brush clearing, light demo more efficient. I also have a reclamation job this year, some road building included, where that extra 50" of reach would come in real handy. Irrigation work I would run a 48" cleanout, tough digging a 24" toothed, dirt/light material 36" smooth lip, stumping a 12" toothed or frost pick, maybe a 36" brush rake.

My time in hoes runs from a 316 Cat on down to a tiny Kubota KX008, but I've never run a long stick before. The one I'm looking at has one, and a bare-bones thumb which isn't ideal for what I'm doing but certainly tolerable. With a little strategic welding, will work fine. It has a 24" trenching bucket with a mechanical quick connect, 18" hybrid tracks and blade. No optional counterweight, unfortunately. He claims the total machine weight is 18,200 pounds.

I'm wondering about over-the-side and general stability with that stick sans counterweight, and how much one of those might cost (what little I've found, think they're about 550 pounds, not sure whether there's any special mounting hardware needed to bolt one up). Guy claims it'll hoist about 4 tons over the blade out to about 12' or so, and says he's never been in a situation where when digging, he thought it felt any more unstable over the tracks than anything else. Which really doesn't say anything, but ...

The hours are right, condition right, price not a screamer but very fair for what's there. Could use opinions about the long stick option. On the surface, I'd love to have it for the reach, but I do work in the mountains, some dicey spots here and there, I'm spoiled with what I have now, 6.5 ton with 24" steel tracks, you can't do much to make it tip over the side unless you're being ignorant. Heard good and bad about the 308, guy I occasionally work with runs a 304 and a 313 and he doesn't have any complaints. I'm not sold on any one color, this one happens to be local and outfitted with 90% of what I'm looking for, and no emissions to worry about. Got a local dealer who's established, but biz is good enough they're lukewarm on small-timers. Which is unfortunately true of most all the dealerships around here - I've been waiting nearly two weeks for a quote on a used ECR88D.

 

[Nige]

Post a Serial Number. Information is available regarding when it was built and how it was configured at that time.
Can't help you with the stability information, sorry.

 

[RTSmith]

I assume you've seen this- https://www.ardenthire.com/file/308e.pdf It has a weight rating for lifting. For what it is worth, I had a 307E2 with a 36" bucket, and loading out heavy clay at full reach it was fine even over the side. Now, with that the 307 stick isn't as long.

 

[Canuck Digger]

I run a 6 ton hitachi with a long stick. Not sure I'd ever go to a std. arm. I also run an over size (7 ton) size bucket on it. Never had a real problem Certainly love the longer reach. It's like having the next size up machine without having one. You do give something up in lift capacity to the bigger machines, but my 60 has more reach than my buddies 75 hitachi.
As long as you're the one mainly running it and know what you're bailing shouldn't be a problem.
I'd assume if cat let it go w/o the extra counterweight it must be good to go as is.

 

[uffex]

Good day JP
Must say I applaud your approach to the problem no so many take the route of safe operation.
Kind regards
Uffex

 

[bigbob]

I own 308e 2 CR, with a Cat thumb and hydraulic coupler. I do have the extra counter weight however. I assume what you are looking at comes with a blade also. Grab a bucket of gravel and check the stability, that would probably be the heaviest material you would handle. Call your local Cat dealer, give them the serial number and get a price on the extra counterweight. I think it just bolts on. I would use the price of the counterweight to see if he would come down on his price. times are a little tougher right now to say the least!

 

[KSSS]

I think just the increase in performance in the CAT compared to what you have now would negate whatever slight trade off there is in a long stick verse a shorter stick. I have always chose long stick when I had choice. The long stick just makes things easier, less repositioning and sometimes its the difference between being able to do the job or not. You also have the choice of downsizing buckets in heavy material that starts throwing you around, typically that happens to me when I get carried away with a clean out bucket. However with a shorter stick, you cant invent more stick (although who wouldn't if they could) you have to dig yourself down which sometimes isn't an option or get some thing that can reach. Considering the stick is almost bare I really don't think you will have a single issue. I am in Eastern Idaho, I assume we chew on the same type of ground, I really doubt you would regret the long stick on that machine even when the ground gets wild, you just adjust to the machine.

 

[JPSouth]

I had a job hauling for a regular customer three weeks ago, he actually had 308CR rented, had the 7' stick, watched it work between runs. It did have the counterweight, and I couldn't see where I'd be bothered even without one. If a guy were doing a big cleanout buckets full of heavy silt or clay, or lifting pretty good sized stuff on a regular basis, I'd definitely install the weight. He offered to let me have some time in the seat, but we were pressed to finish so there wouldn't be an extra day of rental so I politely passed, needed to squeeze in all the material I could before the pit closed that day. Likely there'll be another opportunity.

The machine I was looking at is still available, but I ran into a snag..within three days of the market crash, I lost every job I had lined up for this year, no horizon on whether any would appear again or not, at least this year. In addition, had a decent mine reclamation job, along with helping on a surface operation there, taking place after I got done with local stuff, but it's off too until whatever's going to happen economically starts looking promising again. I'm lucky, as I had a real good year last year, so I think I can squeeze survival out this year, especially if I can pick up a few little jobs. But it's gonna be rice and beans until next spring, and maybe a bit more far as I can see. This is gonna get ugly...