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| Weathered
Series box. |
 |
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| Tyre tracks on
the base. |
|
|
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| Weathering on
the backhoe. |
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| Good pose with
the hammer alongside. |
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| No dust flying! |
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| Additional
tools. |
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| Underneath |
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The Caterpillar 420F2 IT Backhoe Loader weighs around 11 tonnes
and it can dig to a depth of
4.4m.
This model is one of Diecast Masters 'Weathered' Series.
Packaging
The model comes in an outer shipping carton which
contains a hinged box which is
protected by a sleeve. The inside of the lid includes
a photo of the real machine.
The review model had no defects or missing parts.
The only shortfall is instructions for how
to fit the various tools supplied. There is no
information about the real machine.
Detail
A heavy resin base is provided and it has a nameplate
with a unique serial number. The surface has tyre
tracks, some vegetation and an excavated trench.
Underneath, the chassis has some detail within the
casting. The rubber tyres have a good tread
pattern and they are mounted on detailed wheels.
The outside has weathering applied to the tyres and
wheels.
The backhoe is large and mirrors the real machine and
the bucket has decent teeth. The connection rivets
are painted and are reasonably discrete. The stabilisers are
metal but they cannot quite be posed
retracted far enough in transport mode.
The cab is good with a windscreen wiper and beacon
light, and thin metal grab rails. There is an
operator in the cab. The windows have a dirty
appearance although the swept path of the wipers is also
dirty.
The engine cover is metal and the radiator grille is
good and there is a sharp Cat graphic on top.
The front loader looks good with
painted connections and
sharp model number graphics. The metal
bucket is decent and has weathering applied. The
backhoe also has weathering but there are no hydraulic
hoses detailed.
A number of additional tools are provided. The
hammer has a metal body with a plastic drill bit, and
the material arm is metal. The auger is plastic.
A set of forks is a mix of metal and plastic.
The model is intended to be posed on the base with the
backhoe in a working position. However, the
operator is fixed looking forward so it is not quite
right.
Features
The steering mechanism works with a very limited
range of movement is. The front axle oscillates so it can be posed as if on rough terrain.
At the rear, the stabilisers pull down into position,
but cannot lower far enough to raise the rear wheels off the ground.
The backhoe has a reasonable range of movement overall,
with the cylinders being stiff enough to hold a pose.
The stick is also extendible.
At the front, the loader mechanism works well but the
range of movement is limited at the upper end so the
bucket cannot be held as high as the real machine.
There are quick hitch arrangements front and rear and
the various supplied tools are easily attached.
The front bucket opens clamshell style however the
tipping angle is very good but the carry angle is very
limited.
The material arm is telescopic and can be opened out.
Quality
It is mainly a metal model
and is of good quality. The resin base is high
quality.
The weathering paint effect is applied well and it is
subtle rather than heavy. The graphics are sharp.
Price
It is reasonable value overall.
Overall
This is an interesting model to look at with the
weathering and resin base, although the forward facing
operator detracts a bit. The additional tools give
flexibility.
Footnotes
The model first appeared in late 2023. It was made in a
run of 1250 models.
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| Weathered
shovel and wheels. |
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| No hydraulic
hoses on the backhoe. |
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| Operator is
fixed in position and is not removable. |
|
|
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| Resin base is
heavy.
|
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| Profile view. |
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| Backhoe raised. |
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