24 000 HOURS WITHOUT A REBUILD - A testimony to Cat backhoe durability

For any plant hire company, it’s a given that machine performance and business success are integral, especially at the onset during those first initial months and years in operation.
It’s a statement well-supported by Rustenburg based concern, Terrarex Equipment Hire, which secured its first major contract following the acquisition of a second-hand Cat 428B backhoe loader (BHL) back in 2004. Given minor restoration, this unit was subsequently deployed on a year-long project, with Terrarex’s scope of works entailing the establishment of infrastructure services on a major housing development.

Rapid business expansion subsequently led to Terrarex’s further acquisition of a Cat 416C unit and then a Cat 424D, both used machines, followed by the purchase of a new 416D, and more recently in January 2009 a new Cat 422E. This equipment fleet complements Terrarex’s Cat 226B skid steer line-up, as well as its allied wheel loader and tipper truck capability.

Now, seven years and counting since the business first started, Rudolf Jansen van Vuuren, owner of Terrarex Equipment Hire, says that Caterpillar’s backhoes remain the definitive machines in their class, and have put his company “on the map”, a statement that is well supported by the extraordinary hours achieved on Terrarex’s BHL units.

“Let’s start with our Cat 416D,” says Jansen van Vuuren, summing up the confidence he has in terms of backhoe delivery. “Generally, in industry, the expected lifespan of this unit before rebuild is approximately 8 000 hours. By comparison, our 416D has already done more than 24 000 hours without any significant mechanical intervention, which I can attribute to good maintenance practices, the employment of highly trained operators, and, of course, the durability of Caterpillar technology.”

Helping to build the world’s infrastructure for generations, the year 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the Cat backhoe, the first unit – a Cat 416A – having rolled off the production line in Leicester, England in September 1985. Since then, more than 250 000 units have been sold worldwide and Cat backhoes are now an inseparable part of the construction landscape.

The most popular models in the local market are the Cat 416E (equipped with centre pivot configuration) and Cat 428E (with side shift). Both ideally suited for either building or civils applications, the Cat 416E and Cat 428E weigh in at an operating weight of 6 792kg and 7 570kg respectively. In South Africa, the Cat 428E remains the best selling model.

“Technological advancements over time have included the development of the industry’s first true excavator style boom, which remains a signature trademark of the Cat backhoe,” explains Barloworld Equipment product & application specialist, Desigen Naicker. (Barloworld Equipment is the exclusive Caterpillar dealer in southern Africa.)

“Coupled with this, production capabilities have been further enhanced by the development of a 205 degree rotation bucket linkage: the high degree of rotation enabling deeper vertical wall excavation, which simplifies trenching tasks, thus in turn increasing productivity. Meanwhile, overall durability on the E-series is further enhanced by industry leading hydraulic and electrical components, plus heavy duty linkages and structures.”

Today’s latest generation E-Series models come equipped with features that include pilot controls and load sensing hydraulics, where the variable flow system senses the work demand and adjusts the flow and pressure to match it. Essentially, what this means is the achievement of high bucket dig forces whatever the engine speed, providing excellent control, whilst reducing fuel consumption, an area where Cat’s backhoes remain the class leaders.

Rudolf Jansen van Vuuren (right) owner of Terrarex Equipment Hire together with the operator of his Cat 416D, which has already done more than 24 000 hours without any significant mechanical intervention.