Computer scan tool

[Khyren]

Greetings. Semi new to this forum. Long time reader, first time poster... I have finally gotten trough to my boss and he has realized that having a proper scan tool is needed. Most of the stuff is Cat. 2 2019 Kenworth's with Cat engines, 1997 Ford dump truck with a 3604, and then there's the equipment... As of this week, all but one will be Cat. The oddball is a 2008 Bucher Rolba 1500 snow blower with an Iveco 442hp engine and it has some oddball 30 pin or so connector that only has 4 actual pins in it... What is the best-ish scan tool for this fleet to where I can pull codes, read some sensor data, and maybe even read the stuff on our Ford work trucks? $500-ish is full go, $1500 is a hard maybe, and anything over $2000 is right out. We aren't against buying used if it will work. I know it's hard wanting a swiss army knife for this but it's what I have to work with. At least we only have one backhoe to fill that hole.

 

[Nige]

Sounds from that list as though you need a customer version of Cat Electronic Technician (ET). It would need software loaded on a laptop (initial purchase price + annual license fee) plus hardware in the form of a Communication Adapter which would be a one-time purchase.
Ask your local dealer for pricing but make sure you're sitting down first.
Thing is if you pay a minimum 4-hour job @ $150/hr for a dealer tech to do your electronic diagnostic work, the tooling only has to be used maybe 3 times in the first year alone to cover the cost. After the first year the only cost is the annual license fee, so probably anything more than once a year and you would be saving. A thought - price it over 3 years and see how it pans out regarding how many service calls a year it takes to break even.

 

[Bls repair]

Also figure machine downtime waiting for dealer service to get there .

 

[Mike L]

Not trying to **** in your Cheerios but if $2000 is out of the question, you’re pretty much out of luck as far as anything decent goes. I’ve got a blue point scanner that does heavy trucks and passenger vehicles that cost me $1200 back in 2012. It will read codes and some data but will not connect to any equipment.

 

[Nige]

Also figure machine downtime waiting for dealer service to get there .

Good point. How much is it costing you while the machine is parked.? Add that into your calculations as well based on how long you usually wait on average for a dealer tech to turn up from the time you call.

 

[Mbar]

I’ve got a Texa system. For on road cats it’s pretty in depth. Still holds it’s on with the off road side. It will get you a broad range of coverage but as mike stated this stuff isn’t cheap. Are your new kw trucks gliders to have cats in them

 

[dieseldog5.9]

Anyone have experience with an outfit called diesel laptops?

A friend of mine spent big money on J-Pro, sent it out for some cat programming, not sure how it holds against others, but he had over 10k into the system. He passed this summer so I can't ask how well it works, but j-pro has a yearly subscription.

I am also shopping for scanner, but as an independent need different coverage.

 

[Nige]

Anyone have experience with an outfit called diesel laptops?

That name particular came up a couple of times before. Here is one of the threads.........

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/diesel-laptops-scam.74907/

 

[Khyren]

I will have to let my boss know. As for the KW's being gliders, I haven't heard that term before so I will have to look into it. The new Cat 950GC got here Friday. It seems that it will be good for what we do in the winter but not so certain about what we do in the summer. It only has a 4 yard bucket as compared to the 4.5 that the Volvo it is replacing had. The 950 is also a lot slower and the tranny shifts very slow. This only leaves three units that have over 1500 hours on them. I forgot about the 1998 New Holland grader being an oddball in the fleet as well. As far as getting the dealer to come out, this is the reason why the Volvo was replaced. He spent almost $15k in dealer call outs not to mention down time. West Yellowstone is 2 hours from anything so when the dealer comes, it is basically a $2k minimum. Being as most everything has a 2000 hour warranty on it now, our need for a dealer call out for anything on those units is on them. However, the 928G and the 320E LL RR, and the New Holland dashes are lit up like Christmas trees. With the Cat ET, would I be able to do a power up rate on it? We were going to get that done at it's first service but they wanted $2500 to do that because it was under warranty. This forum has been a great help in me getting things running faster and cheaper. Thanks in advance guys.

 

[Blocker in MS]

I have not gotten any heavy duty truck or off road data tools from Diesel Laptops, but have purchased the programming and data link for my Ford F-550. I would definitely recommend them as far as sales and service. I just have never had experience with their other software, so that does not help you much.

 

[Johan5]

Both the CAT Caterpillar ET Diagnostic Tool and the JPRO Professional Truck Diagnostic Scan Tool are popular diagnostic tools for heavy-duty trucks. Here are some key differences between the two:

1. Compatibility: The CAT Caterpillar ET Diagnostic Tool is specifically designed for Caterpillar engines, while the JPRO Professional Truck Diagnostic Scan Tool is compatible with a wide range of heavy-duty trucks, including Freightliner, International, Volvo, and more.
2. Features: The CAT Caterpillar ET Diagnostic Tool offers advanced diagnostic features such as engine parameter programming, while the JPRO Professional Truck Diagnostic Scan Tool offers features such as bi-directional testing and ABS brake system diagnostics.
3. Ease of use: The CAT Caterpillar ET Diagnostic Tool is known for its user-friendly interface, while the JPRO Professional Truck Diagnostic Scan Tool may require more technical knowledge to operate.

Ultimately, the choice between these two tools will depend on your specific needs and the type of heavy-duty trucks you work with.