 | | The box. |  |  | | Embossed Caterpillar name on the counterweight. |  | | Hoses on the boom foot. |  | | Perforated body roof. |  | | Opening doors reveal a good engine. |  | | Good track and sprocket details. |  | | Hoses on the boom. |  | | Nice grille on the side. |  | | Loading a DAF CF85 Tipper. |
| The Caterpillar 245 was a machine in the 60 tonne weight class. It was introduced in 1974 and was manufactured in the USA and Belgium. Some 4000 units were made up until production ended in 1988.
This version of the model is a backhoe excavator.
Packaging
The packaging is of a high standard with an outer cardboard box containing a presentation box wrapped in tissue. Inside, the model is contained within polystyrene trays and has its own tissue wrapping. There was a minor lose hydraulic hose on the review model and no missing parts.
There is no information about the real machine or the model, and there is no assembly required.
Detail
The tracks are wide for low ground pressure and are very good quality consisting of individual metal pads. They are mounted on good frames which have working rollers on the top, and the drive sprockets are cast well.
The body has good detail within the casting including panels and handles, and a fine gauge radiator grille. Metal grab rails surround the roof which has a perforated mesh surface allowing some inner detail to be seen, and the exhaust pipe is metal. Inside the body is a detailed plastic engine. Along the sides are some stepping platforms and these are extremely fine gauge mesh. At the rear the Caterpillar name is impressively embossed on the counterweight.
The cab is simple outside as per the original. The interior detail is good with accurate looking levers and pedals, and console controls.
The boom has hydraulic pipes within the casting and lights mounted on each side. The stick has some plate reinforcement at the pivot point although this is a little obscured by thick paint, and there is a protection plate over the connections to the bucket cylinder. All the cylinders have hydraulic hoses and the cylinder jackets are very good with nice details. The rivets used on the model are painted and unobtrusive.
The bucket is a metal casting with the teeth simply detailed.
Features
The tracks roll reasonably smoothly and the idler wheels are spring loaded so removing the tracks is easy.
The model rotates well, and the boom and stick have a good range of movement with the hydraulics being stiff so any pose can be held.
The bucket can be positioned within a wide range of movement.
At the rear of the body two panels open providing access to the engine bay.
Quality
This is a high quality model with some fine casting details. There is little plastic used and the colour match on the hydraulic cylinder jackets is excellent. The small graphics used are sharp.
Price
The price reflects the high quality of the model.
Overall
This is a fine model of the Caterpillar 245 by CCM. It is a good combination of detail and features and is highly recommended to any Caterpillar model collector.
Footnotes
This model was introduced in 2010 in a run of 1250 models. A version was also made in a front shovel configuration.
|
| |
|  | | Profile view. |  | | The 245 is a big machine. |  | | Engine is visible underneath. |  | | Very nice detail inside the cab. |  | | 'They are spread wide open'. |  | | Good perforated ledge runs both sides. |  | | Bucket teeth are fairly simple. |  | | Silvered lights under the cab. |  | | A big machine compared to a tipper truck. |  | | At rest after a hard day's work. |
|
