I bought a cat 277b today. Looks to be in much better shape than I was expecting for the price. Hopefully I can get everything done this summer and sell the backhoe before I go broke. I also got a good deal on a rock & brush bucket with grapples for it. Only thing I found wrong with it is a sticky throttle. It does have the full ASV track system, complete with 18inch wide tracks that have 6.5 ft on the ground. 3.1psi of ground pressure.
CUT vs CTL
- Thread starter Zigblazer
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Keep an eye on those ASV tracks. They are plastic and a lot of guys have problems with them. Depends what you run in I guess but rocks tear them up. There is a big price difference in the ASV and steel tracks. Cat abandoned them do to problems.
TSO
Elite Member
That is not correct. CAT still uses them, same as ASV does. They are Kevlar reinforced and last longer, under proper conditions, than typical CTL tracks do.
Like already stated... Using them on rocks will tear them up faster than dirt.
I thought they had quit using them but maybe not. I have some friends with a lot of tracked machines and they had nothing but problems with the ASV undercarriage. They said it rode super smooth but didn't last. They switched to the steel models and problems went away. I have four rubber tracked machines all with steel and they are pretty darn reliable. I have another friend who has three ASV branded rubber tracked machines and they have served him well but he stays in dirt.
TSO
Elite Member
Yes that's exactly why CAT offers two track models now... If it ends in "7" it's an ASV undercarriage, if it ends in "9" it's a steel undercarriage. For example, the 257 & 259... The ASV system is preferred for folks using it mainly in dirt and soft underfoot, low ground pressure conditions... The steel system (traditional CTL style) for cement, rock, construction site, etc... Conditions.
Right tool for right job...
Thanks for the info. I did look at a lot o options. Other than the few rocks in my mostly sand gravel pit, mine shouldn't see any rock. But it will see a lot of mud and soft ground. I will keep a close eye on it. After this summer I doubt it will get 100 hrs a year. And I always take really good care of my equipment.
Trouble already. Took it off the trailer Saturday and a minute later it died completely, no response from anything, trapping me inside. I went out the back window, found the ign fuse blown. After replacing it, a couple times, and moving harnesses around the engine, I finally got it going and into the shop. Found and repaired the rubbed wiring in the main engine harness. Took it out to pressure wash it. After I started it to take it back into the shop. Let it run a couple minutes, and started to pull it in and it died. This time electronics still worked, and it would crank, but not start. After much work, I got it back into the shop and will check it out tomorrow. Nothing goes as it should in my life.
Dang I hate to hear that and hope it was a fluke. In my experience people trade in heavy equipment either on a fixed schedule or when it starts to give problems. My backhoe can from a company that buys new ones every three years regardless as they like to keep a new fleet. I hope you didn't get someone's turd. I bought a used skid steer once and less than 75 hours later I had to replace the engine. I either buy new or something I know the history on.
I assume that it was traded in for reasons other than problems. It was a construction company and they traded in three 277bs at the same time. From what I can tell they took very good care of them. Oil change every 200 hours, fixed every functionality problem that came up. Not any comfort problems, but I expect that.
TSO
Elite Member
Fuel pump fuse or wiring? Can you hear the fuel pump making noise when you turn the key halfway?
