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1:25th scale CAT 375L excavator

The pictures are indeed of the new edition. It is far from the quality we would expect from a mass producer however it is what is available and still an improvement on the previous batch. At the end of the day, I will be very happy to have one of these sitting on my shelf.

Rowan.

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1:25th scale CAT 375L excavator

Hi Folk Thanks for posting the pics Rowan not a problem you posting them. im chuffed with the model and to put a few people right the build quality is excellent.
Paul A

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Take it to the limit and then just a bit more

rare ss and RowanH,

It's great to see that there really are superdozers with rippers. Thanks for posting the photos!

Hi Art,

I'll try and clear up a couple of your questions.

White metal is typically one of the metals that make up the group of metals that are light to white in their natural colour. It can also be an alloy of metals which show similar characteristics to the afore mentioned group. The most common of these metals are usually lead, zinc, and tin. Depending on the base metal, and the different metals used in an alloy, they can range from very soft, to actually quite hard.

Diecast is a term that refers to the die casting process. It is not actually a metal in itself, but the process in which certain metals are cast. One of the most common base metals used in die casting alloys is zinc. The different alloys often contain aluminum and copper as well as zinc. Basically, most diecasting for model parts is done with white metal alloys.

The confusion is created when people use white metal to describe one type of metal, typically tin or lead based alloys, and diecast to describe another type, usually based on a zinc alloy. Either alloy can show properties that can make them weak or brittle. Typically, most zinc based alloys will tend to be more brittle, but generally stronger, and most tin or lead based alloys will be more malleable, but not as strong.

If the correct alloy is used for any casting process, and is suitable for the parts being cast, it can exhibit properties that will stand up to it's intended use just fine. The question is, have the correct alloys been used for the 575 dozer models, and have they been cast correctly? While lead and tin based alloys are generally softer and more forgiving, zinc based can be cast at too low a temperature, or cooled too quickly, which tends to make them brittle and porous.

Confused yet? Yeah, I understand.

I'm assuming I'm one of the "few people" your refer to? Therefore I offer my personal opinion on the matter. Free speech isn't dead yet, but is on the terminal list I firmly believe.

If you are happy with the model, that's all that matters! For me, it still needs a lot of work before I will ever buy one and is simply a matter of personal preference. As long as you're not trying to spend my money, I don't care what you buy.

Taking a single photo from all that Rowan posted of your model, these are some of the things that keep me from purchasing:



Overall; just look at all the dirt in the paint (too many flecks to circle) and the extremely poor decals? At this price point, I'm not buying one.

Specifics;

I; I'm not sure if this is a glue blob or the failure to finish the cylinder sleeve properly.

II; Klaus must have lost his template when putting this one together. Look at the disfigurement of the railing because of the mounting points being askew? I don't think there is a 90 degree angle anywhere in that mess.

III; Is a little filler putty and some paint too much to ask?

IV; I think we can add hair in the paint now?

I could go further with some of the other photos, but am confident I've made my point with just this one.

I would love to get a 575, but the quality looks like Joal while the price looks like EMD.

It's good to read that you have no issues with your model! I was only commenting on what I saw in the photos, and let me reiterate that looking at them from a distance is a very different perspective. Knowing there are "good" ones out there, I'll keep looking!

Like RowanH, I have always been fascinated with this dozer. The Alcoa livery, plus all of the updates makes it a beautiful model. The decals on the model keep it from being top tier, but I'm looking forward to adding it to my mining collection.

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Get life bro, your not the Forum Police!