 |
| Caterpillar branded
box. |
 |
 |
| Rear engine
grilles would have looked better with black paint to
represent perforations. |
 |
| Excellent
bucket height. |
 |
| Plastic element
under the cab is a little off colour. |
 |
| Painted rivets
and hooked piston. |
 |
| Carrying sand. |
|
 Comment on this model.
The Caterpillar 980K has an operating weight of around
31 tonnes and bucket capacities of 4 - 12m³.
This model is in a material handling configuration with appropriate
tyres and bucket.
Packaging
The model comes in a Caterpillar box style with windows and it is fixed to the plastic base with
tightly wound ties.
The review model had no missing
parts, and there is no assembly to perform.
The box has no information about the real machine,
but some of the features of the model are described.
Detail
Looking underneath the main transmission is represented
simply and there is a plastic plate at the rear end.
The rubber tyres have a deep tread pattern and
they are mounted on detailed plastic wheels which are
slightly off colour.
The cab is detailed with wipers front and back, mirrors
and grab rails all modelled in plastic. Interior
detail is good. Plastic ladders lead up to the cab
and there are soft but nicely thin plastic handrails.
On the left hand side an off-colour plastic plate
includes a filler cap. Walking surfaces are
textured.
Under the cab the steering pistons are visible
as is the drive shaft to the front axle.
The engine cover has the grilles detailed within the
casting although they are not true perforations so they
do not stand out as much as those on the real machine.
At the rear the slatted grille is good and painted
lights enhance the look.
The front axle arrangement looks fine and the black mud
flaps are metal. Plastic lights are mounted on
each side.
The Z-bar Linkage for raising the bucket is modelled
well. The pistons controlling the bucket are
hooked bars which would be alright except that they are
on the large size so they stand out somewhat. On
the plus side the
connection rivets have painted heads so they are not
obvious.
The bucket is a nice casting.
Features
The wheels roll well although there is no oscillation of
the rear axle.
The model steers across the pivot point but the range of
movement is not as much as the real machine.
The range of movement on the loader arms and bucket is
very good with a realistic tipping angle.
Quality
The overall quality is good with a robust model being
the result.
The paint finish is very good but the colour match of
some plastic parts is a little off. The graphics are
sharp.
Price
It is a little pricey.
Overall
Another pleasant version of the 980K with some
reasonable functionality and detailing.
Footnotes
The model was released in 2013 and was also available in
a 'rock' configuration as
model 55296.
|
|
|
|
 |
| Bucket shaped
for sand and similar materials. |
 |
| Rear end grille
is fine and painted lights adds detail. |
 |
| Simple
underneath. |
 |
| Detailed cab.
|
 |
| Profile view. |
 |
| Standing with
the rock version
on the right. |
 |
| Loaded on a
Drake Trailer |
|
