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| Conrad box.
|
 |
 |
| Parked up. |
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| Smooth body
lines.
|
 |
| Tracks are
extended. |
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| Debris guard on
the windscreen. |
 |
| Hydraulic
hoses. |
 |
| Large bucket. |
 |
| Tracks
retracted. |
|
Link-Belt
Excavators is an American manufacturer which was
formed in 1999 but the history of the company reaches
back to 1880. Link-Belt's main markets are North and
South America.
In 2007 the X2 series of excavators was launched. The
800 X2 excavator is a large machine that weighs in at
over 80 tonnes.
The model is derived from the earlier Conrad model 2912 which
was the Case CX800 Excavator.
Packaging
The model comes in a Conrad branded box and it is
unusual that it is not Link-Belt branded.
There is no information about the real machine.
There were no defects or missing parts on the review
model.
The model is complete out of the box with no assembly to
do.
Detail
This is a heavy model. The tracks are metal and
are mounted on very sturdy track frames which have solid
non-functioning rollers. There is little detail
underneath the model.
The body is a metal casting bearing the model number
2912. The body casting has a variety of detail
such as hatch handles and the grilles are represented by
graphics. Metal handrails and ladders surround the
body, although on the cab side they appear different to
the Link-Belt documentation for the machine.
The metal cab has internal detailing and a plastic
debris guard with lights covers the windscreen.
The boom is a large metal casting with hydraulic pipes
detailed, and hydraulic hoses run into the body from the
boom foot. Small rubber lights are attached on either
side of the boom. The main boom cylinders have plastic
jackets with an excellent colour match to the metal
parts. Brass rivets form the majority of the
connections and painted ones would have looked better.
There are more hoses running from the boom to the arm,
and the large metal bucket is nicely made with good
teeth.
Features
The metal tracks roll very well on a rough surface, and
have spring loaded idlers to maintain the tension and
facilitate removal.
The track frames are extendible and can be extended for
use when the machine is working, and retracted to reduce
the transport width. The range of extension on the
model appears wider than that indicated by Link-Belt
documentation.
The model rotates well and the boom and arm have a
realistic range of movement, with the cylinders being
stiff enough to hold any pose.
The bucket has a full range of movement also.
Quality
This is a very heavy and strong model with a very high
metal content.
The paint finish is high quality and the graphics are
sharp.
Price
This is a fairly expensive excavator model which
reflects its size and large metal content.
Overall
In some respects this model does not have the detail of
other modern models probably because it is based in part
on older castings. However it looks good and there
is no doubting its strength. It is recommended.
Footnotes
The model first appeared at the Intermat Exhibition in
April 2012.
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|
|
|
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| The parts in
the box. |
 |
|
Reach is good. |
 |
| There are some
differences between the model and the prototype on the
cab side.
|
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| Grille on the
side is formed by graphics. |
 |
| Very good
colour match for the boom cylinders. |
 |
| Underneath. |
 |
| Pipes and hoses
on the boom. |
 |
| Realistic range
of movement. |
 |
| Very wide track
extension. |
|
