Caterpillar Multi Terrain Loaders
Five Cat Compact Track Loaders Built for
Multiple Terrains and Multiple Markets
History
Cat is easily one of the world’s most recognizable
manufacturing brands. For more than 75 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been growing and expanding its lines of construction and mining equipment around the globe — not to mention designing and selling a variety of diesel and natural gas engines, gas turbines, electronics, electric power generation systems and even toys and clothing.
Today, Caterpillar sits comfortably as one of the United States’ leading global suppliers and exporters of equipment and products. Cat began limited production of its compact track loader line — the Cat Multi Terrain Loaders — in 2001. Caterpillar also offers other compact equipment, including 10 models of skid steer loaders, five compact wheel loaders and seven mini hydraulic excavators in the compact
construction market. Also of note: Caterpillar owns 500,000 shares of ASV Inc. common stock, bringing Caterpillar ownership of ASV Inc. to 24.9 percent in 2004. ASV Inc. is one of the original manufacturers of compact track loader technology, based in Grand Rapids, Minn. Today, ASV still engineers and manufactures the undercarriages for Caterpillar’s Multi Terrain Loaders.
Products
Caterpillar currently offers five models of Multi Terrain Loaders in its compact equipment line, with horsepower ranges from 57 to 78 net hp.
The five models are the 247B, 257B, 267B, 277B and 287B. Cat Multi Terrain Loaders are attracting a mixture of customers working in a variety of
market segments — from small landscapers and dirt contractors to larger construction companies
with fleets of machines. The United States military has even purchased Cat Multi Terrain Loaders.
Each of these customers is looking for a machine with high tractive effort, low ground pressure
and the ability to work in soft, wet underfoot
conditions. And each of these five Cat models offer their own individual features.
247B
The 247B is Cat’s smallest Multi Terrain Loader. It’s a 57-hp machine with 2.2-L Caterpillar 3024C Turbo diesel engine. The 247B’s 4-cylinder engine offers aggressive
performance and a fast torque curve for the machine’s radial lift-style design. The 247B has a rated operating capacity of 1,950 lbs at 50 percent. This model can utilize a variety of work tools, making it versatile enough to work in a wide range of demanding applications, ranging from loading, grading, material handling, jobsite cleanup and digging. Like all Cat Multi Terrain loaders, the 247B utilizes a
suspended undercarriage that provides a more stable and comfortable operation.
257B
Like the 247B, the 257B is a 57-hp machine, engineered with a Caterpillar 3024C turbo diesel engine. However, it distinguishes itself as a vertical lift compact track loader.
The loader lift arms are purpose-designed to provide a straight load path and a good viewing area to the work tool and sides of the machine. The lift arms are also designed to handle heavy loads without twisting and bending. The 257B vertical lift machine has a rated
operating capacity of 2,310 lbs and offers an optional high-flow package that produces 26 gpm of flow to run complex hydro-mechanical work tools like trenchers, brush hogs and backhoes.
267B
The 267B is Cat’s 70-hp Multi Terrain Loader, suped up with a 3044C DIT diesel engine. It’s a radial lift machine with a rated operating capacity of 2,900 lbs. The 267B (and the 277B below) ride on an undercarriage with two levels of suspension that allows for a smoother ride, greater load retention and less shock transmitted to the frame of the machine. The 267B’s hydraulic pumps are fixed-displacement and provide 22 gal/min. at high idle. Maximum
system pressure for the loader and the standard circuits
are 3,335 psi.
277B
Caterpillar’s 277B is its 78-hp, 3.3-L, radial lift machine with a rated operating capacity of 2,950 lbs. With 81 in. of track on the ground, spread over multiple contact points, the 277B (along with the 267B) exerts an industry leading 3.1 psi of ground pressure, resulting in an extremely light footprint. And like the 267B, hydraulic pumps on the 277B are fixed-displacement pumps and provide 22 gal/min. at high idle. Maximum system pressure for the loader,
powered by a Cat 3044C DIT engine, and the standard
auxiliary circuits are 3,335 psi.
287B
The 287B is Cat’s largest Multi Terrain Loader. Similar to the 277B in horsepower (78 hp), the 287B is engineered as a vertical lift machine with a rated operating capacity of 3,600 lbs. This machine is designed and built for operations in the tough working conditions requiring vertical lifting
capabilities. Hydraulic pumps are fixed-displacement and provide 22 gal/min. at high idle. The 287B is also offered from the factory with Caterpillar’s optional High Flow XPS system rated at 33 gal/min. and 4,060 psi. The heart of the 287B’s power train is the Caterpillar 3044C DIT diesel engine.
Each of these multi terrain loaders comes with a dedicated undercarriage that has a suspension, much like ASV’s Rubber Track Loaders. Caterpillar offers three track models with one level of suspension (the 247B, 257B and 287B), and two models with two levels of suspension (267B and 277B). According to Cat, the most significant difference with its undercarriage and competitive undercarriages is its suspension and drive systems.
Cat’s Multi Terrain Loaders utilize an internal positive drive sprocket in its undercarriage — in concert with an all rubber track that allows the machine to be operated efficiently at high speeds. The Caterpillar design also provides for the
maximum amount of track on the ground through longer track frames and wider tracks, according to company
officials. The result is a low ground pressure — a key benefit for contractors and landscapers who are looking for a tracked loader.
As an example, the Caterpillar 277B has an operating weight of 9,371 lbs, but because its 18-in. tracks have 81 in. of track length on the ground, it only exerts 3.1 psi.
Advice to Buyers
“The first thing to consider is the size of the machine the customer will need,” says Todd Lynnes, commercial marketing manager with Caterpillar. “Are the work areas in confined spaces and will their truck and trailer be able to handle the size of the multi terrain loader? What type of loader arm linkage is needed? Will they be loading trucks and doing a lot of high lifting? If so, they should consider a vertical lift machine such as the 257B or 287B. Does the customer operate high-flow work tools? If they do, they would need to purchase a high-flow machine.”
Contact Info:
Caterpillar Inc.
100 N.E. Adams St.
Peoria, Illinois 61629
Ph: (309) 675-1000
Web: www.caterpillar.com
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