 |
| Caterpillar
branded tin. |
 |
 |
| Good blade
height. |
 |
| Nice grille
behind the cab. |
|
|
 |
| The winch. |
 |
| View inside
with the roof off. |
 |
| On site. |
 |
| Blade set
straight. |
|
The Caterpillar D7E in pipeline configuration has an
operating weight of around 26 tonnes. In this
configuration it has a rear winch fitted.
Packaging
The model comes in first class packaging. There is
an outer shipping carton which contains a tin which is
protected by a nylon bag. The tin is high quality
and includes pictures and details about the real
machine.
The review model had no missing parts or defects.
An instruction sheet describes how to install the
operator and a mini
catalogue of the Diecast Masters range is included.
Two spare fixing screws are included.
Detail
The underside has some detailing within the casting.
The metal tracks are nicely detailed with bolt heads.
The track frames do not have working rollers and the
drive sprocket is plastic with a slightly off colour match.
The cab structure is metal
with a plastic roof, and there are plastic grab rails.
Inside the cab the detailing is very good, with the Cat
logo on the seat back. A separate operator is in
the usual Diecast Masters style.
Behind the cab there is a nice grille and also a plastic
access ladder. The winch is mainly modelled in
metal other than the winch cover. Hydraulic hoses
are included.
At the front the engine cover has grille details formed
by graphics and the exhaust and air intake are plastic.
The front grille is plastic and it looks good.
The metal dozing blade has wear plates detailed at the
bottom. There are hydraulic line
running to all cylinders. The blade frame is
secured by black screws so they stand out a little, but
that has been done as they are designed to be easily
removable.
Features
The tracks roll very easily in the hand and are
spring-loaded.
The operator can be installed or removed by detaching
the roof, and this gives good display options.
The winch can be rotated.
The blade can be raised and lowered and the mechanism is
reasonably stiff. There is no usable tilt
function. Out of the box the blade is angled
to one side, but by undoing a screw on each side the
blade can be repositioned to straight or angled in the
opposite direction. However, the blade is not
removable.
Quality
It is a good quality model with a high metal content.
The paint is good and the graphics are sharp.
Price
It is good value.
Overall
This is an interesting variation of a Caterpillar
track-type tractor, and it is enhanced by the adjustable
blade angle and removable operator. It would be
nice if a future model has a removable blade for
transport displays.
Footnotes
The model first appeared in August 2018.
|
|
|
|
 |
| Angled blade. |
 |
| Decent metal
tracks. |
 |
| Underneath. |
|
|
 |
| Greilles are
formed by graphics.
|
 |
| Profile view. |
 |
| Operator in the
cab. |
 |
| At work. |
|
