 |
| Caterpillar branded
box. |
 |
 |
| Large
counterweight at the rear. |
 |
| Detail
underneath. Front drive shaft is not run to the
pivot point. |
 |
| No hoses crossing the
pivot point but there are excellent small warning graphics. |
 |
| Cab detail is
reasonable. |
 |
| Bucket detached
for transport. |
 |
| A good
transport load. |
|
 Comment on this model.
The Caterpillar 972K wheel loader has an operating
weight of around 26 tonnes
and bucket capacities of 2.9 - 9.9m³.
Packaging
The model comes in a
Caterpillar-branded box style with windows. It
is enclosed within a one-piece plastic holder that pops
open to release the model.
The review model had no missing
parts or defects.
The box includes a small card which has some
information about the real machine and a nice photo.
Detail
The underside has some detailing with the rear axle
modelled and the transmission to the front axle is
truncated. Nice quality rubber tyres with
a good tread pattern are mounted on wheels with detailed
plastic exterior faces and simple inside faces.
The engine cover has good cast grilles in the sides and
top although they are indentations rather than holes.
As a compromise the arrays are completely painted rather
than just the holes. The rear grille has silvered
lights and the CAT logo. There is a towing hitch and
the pin is visible being modelled within the casting.
It features a larger counterweight than the similar
966K model.
The walkways around the cab have a non-slip texture and
the metal handrails are very good. The cab is detailed
with wipers front and back, and the mirror and light
assemblies are plastic as is the aerial on the roof.
The interior has the controls modelled although the main
joystick looks
too small. There is a CAT logo on
the seat back.
There are excellent sharp warning graphics below the cab
and at the pivot point but there are no hydraulic hoses
and the front axle drive shaft is not modelled.
The loader arm with the Z-bar linkages is modelled well
with very thin hoses running to the ram jacket, and
decent detail in the metal parts. The rivets in the
loader arm are quite large and visible although they are
touched up with paint which improves it a little.
The material handling bucket has good detailing on the
outside.
Features
The wheels roll well with each pair of tyres fixed to a
common axle. The rear axle is able to oscillate
significantly and the front axle is fixed.
The model steers across the pivot point and the overall
steering angle is very good.
The loader arm lifts the bucket to a realistic height
and can hold most poses although not all. Both the tipping
angle and the carrying angle is slightly shallow.
Although not mentioned as a feature on the box the
bucket is removable by removing the locking pin.
Quality
This is a solid and generally well made model with a high metal content.
The paint finish is generally very good and the graphics are sharp.
Price
It is reasonable value for the quality offered.
Overall
This wheel loader model from Tonkin is optically similar
to the 966K wheel loader but with an amended
counterweight at the rear. The removable bucket is a nice
feature and overall the model is highly recommended.
Footnotes
The model was announced in 2013 and was available from
February 2014.
|
|
|
|
 |
| Big bucket. |
 |
| Side grille is
formed within the casting but is solid rather than
holes. |
 |
| Rivets in the
loader arm are large but painted. |
 |
| Good bucket
height.
|
 |
| Profile view. |
 |
| At work. |
 |
| Loading an
East
Dump Truck. |
|
