Cat 200 series machines

[Nick Drew]

Hi all,

In this thread I thought it would be a good idea to discuss & recall the great 200 series excavators which if my memory serves me right were first introduced by Cat in 1972.

Many of these great old excavators are still working today!! a real credit to there build quality.

Here are a few pics of some that I have worked on....

Nick.

[Ross]

Nice pics

Ive worked on 245s in the past, Not bad machines.

Ross

[RichardJW~]

Out of interest whats key the differences between the 215, 215B, 215C & 215D?

[Nick Drew]

Out of interest whats key the differences between the 215, 215B, 215C & 215D?

Hi Rich,

I cannot give a definate answer on this this one Anyone else know ???

Nick

[Niklas Eriksson]

I know, they have diffrent letters after the numbers...

[Ross]

I cannot give a definate answer on this this one

Me neither.

I assume the C,D machines are just a polished version of the original.

Ross

[Holger]

Cat 215 B 16,8to: Cat 3304 63 kW
Cat 215 BLC 17,7to: Cat 3116 82 kW
Cat 215 DLC 20,5to: Cat 3304 DIT 96 kW

A Cat 215 Serie C is not known. But I found pictures ...

[D2 Robert Knighton]

The CAT 200 series machines were in my mind the best machines of there day here is a 245 at Ketton cement working weekend in 2005 it belongs to Merriman

[IBH]

Are these weights correct:
215-20 tonnes
225- 25 tonnes
235- 40 tonnes
245- 75 tonnes.

[CBR954]

Wonderful.
The old 200 series Caterpillar excavators were IMHO superb.
Good performance and easy to work on.
That 245 in the above photographs looks spot on.
I was told by a Caterpillar excavator guy from Gosselies in Belgium that the decision to introduce the 300 series excavator was quite significantly driven by other excavator manufacturers machines that were controlled by ECM and had electronic monitor panels.
If the market at the time was not going in that direction then Caterpillar would have restyled the 200 series i.e rounded it off to look more modern, fitted an air conditioned cab, limited the electronics on the machine, maybe still even used a hand throttle and cable, and put it out like that.
I am sure it was not as simple a desision as that but it did show that they thought there was still life in the basic design as it was.
Yes the weights of the machines as listed are about right. The 245 just about topped 75 tonne in face shovel configuration i think.