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Caterpillar
branded tin. |
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Parked up. |
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Some detailing
under the body. |
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High detail on
the top of the body. |
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On the road. |
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Maximum depth
of dig is not realistic. |
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At work. |
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Electric cable
to the work light is highlighted. |
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The Caterpillar 330 Next Generation Hydraulic
Excavator is a machine in the popular 30 tonne class.
It is used
for earthmoving, roadwork, and material handling operations.
Packaging
The model comes in excellent 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.
A mini
catalogue of the Diecast Masters range is included. A
simple instruction sheet describes how the operator can
be inserted in the cab, and a tool is provided for the
purpose.
Detail
The undercarriage is mainly metal with a plastic
baseplate. The tracks are metal with triple
grouser shoes. They are mounted on decent track
frames with static rollers, and there are a couple of
tiny graphics on each frame.
The cab has got
a plastic mirror and the wiper is formed within the cab
structure. There is a metal grab rail and the
plastic roof has a window. Inside the
detail is very good with Cat on the seatback and also on
the left control console. There is also a graphic
on the side cab window. An operator
wearing bright high visibility clothing can be fixed in
the cab.
The body has highlighted panel handles and
the side grille is formed by graphics. The
new-style Cat
graphics are very sharp and there are some tiny warning
signs. On top the engine cover is plastic with
more graphics used as grilles. The colour match on
the engine cover is slightly off to the metal parts.
There are textured walkway surfaces and the handrails
are metal with a plastic mirror.
The boom and stick have been modelled with the plastic
insert on one side rather than the underside, but the
colour match is excellent.
Soft hydraulic lines run to the boom and silvered
connectors are modelled. More pipes and hoses run to the
stick and again the connectors are modelled.
Electric cables to the work lights are highlighted in
black. Rivets on the boom, stick and tools are painted
and there are small graphics on the stick.
The metal bucket is a nice casting with sharp teeth.
Features
The tracks roll easily, and they are mounted on
spring-loaded idlers to maintain tension.
It rotates well.
The boom and stick have a good range of movement, and
the bucket movement is reasonably good too. The
ability to dig at depth is compromised with significant
amount of the ram pistons unable to be retracted..
The operator can be installed in the cab for when the
model is posed digging, or the cab can be empty to
represent the machine being parked up or transported.
Quality
It is a robust model with a high metal content.
The paint is good and the graphics are sharp.
Price
It is reasonable value.
Overall
The model is beautifully presented as usual for models
in Diecast Masters Highline Series. The detailing
is very nice, and the functionality is very good other
than lowering the boom to the maximum.
Footnotes
The model became available in May 2020.
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The contents of
the tin. |
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Sharp Cat
logos. |
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The grilles are
formed of graphics. |
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Decent bucket.
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Profile view. |
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Overall
appearance is convincing. |
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Poses well in
transport mode. |
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On site. |
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