Higher production from caterpillar’s new wheeled loaders

178 Caterpillar claims its latest 966M and 972M wheeled loader variants offer increased performance than the earlier models they replace. The new 966M, 966M XE, 972M and 972M XE wheeled loaders are powered by Tier 4 Final compliant diesels featuring proven electronic, fuel, air and aftertreatment components.  The sophisticated XE introduced with the 966K XE is retained in the 966M XE while the new 972M XE joins the product line and offers similar features. The XE technology reduced fuel consumption by some 25%, simplifies operation with a two-pedal design and provides high performance. The 966M and 972M powertrains have been improved with the addition of lock-up clutch torque converters. Rugged planetary transmissions also improve fuel economy.

These models are commonly used in heavy construction applications where poor underfoot conditions make traction difficult. The new disc-type differential locks improve tractive ability in these applications and deliver increased productivity.

The 966M, 966M XE, 972M and 972M XE hydraulic systems also have significant design changes. A new ride control system has two accumulators, increasing productivity and operator efficiency. New hydraulic implement pumps continuously and automatically balance hydraulic loads with machine performance.

The new Caterpillar Production Measurement option is integrated in the touch screen display and provides payload information. The machines are powered by C9.3 diesels with the engine in the 966M and 966M XE rated at 206kW and depending on specification these weigh from 22.5-25.7tonnes while they are available with buckets from 2.55-9.41m3. The 972M and 972M XE feature C9.3 diesel rated at 223kW and have operating weights from 2.42-25.9tonnes while they are offered with buckets from 2.64-10.2m3.%$Linker: 2 Asset <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 2 12692 0 oLinkExternal www.cat.com Caterpillar Website false /EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=12692 false false%>