 | | Eurovia 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. |  | | Loading Eurovia tippers. |  | | Removable bucket. |  | | Poses well with other Eurovia models. |
|  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.
This model is in the colours of SNEH Matériaux, the quarrying and materials arm of Eurovia France. It is part of the VINCI Group.
Packaging
The model comes in a Eurovia-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.
There is no information about the real machine.
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 and would have been better if they were black. The rear grille has silvered lights and the SNEH Matériaux logo. There is a towing hitch and the pin is visible being modelled within the casting.
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 a pose. Both the tipping angle and the carrying angle is slightly shallow.
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 Eurovia-style graphics are good but not perfect.
Price
It is reasonable value for a limited edition.
Overall
It is good to see a Caterpillar model in company colours, and this one looks good and poses well with other models in the same colours. The removable bucket is a nice feature too.
Footnotes
The model was was available from December 2014 from the VINCI webshop in a limited run of 300 models. A white version of the model (not in company colours) was also produced as model 10005-02.
|
|  | |
|  | | Big bucket. |  | | Side grille is formed within the casting but is solid rather than holes. |  | | Decent bucket height. |  | | Big rivet holes in the loader arm but the paint disguises them. |  | | Profile view. | |
|
|
