 | | Conrad box. |  |  | | Parked up. |  | | Smooth body lines. |  | | Tracks are extended. |  | | 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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|  | | The parts in the box. |  | | Reach is good. |  | | There are some differences between the model and the prototype on the cab side. |  | | 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. |
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