I'll keep my eyes open for the plastic auger scraper, but I'm curious how you came to choose the Kaelble SL30 for a project. Could it be that the design is somewhat 'Michiganesque'?

Hi Brian,

great news hearing from your SL 30 project!

So I just compared the tires of the SL26 and the SL30. Both were equipped with 26.5-25 EM as standard, the SL30 had an option for 29.5-25 EM. Tires on a CAT 627 F or G are 33.25-29 EM, so I think they are far too big. Judging from the KAELBLE datasheets you can start with the standard kibri-tires. And I think that is what catches the special look of the SL30: A massive loading arm device and rather big hood on the back rolling on rather small tires.

If you have any questions on the SL30 let me know.

Cheers
Max

Thanks ! That's the one I'm building. I'll use the sl26 as a starting point. So far I have the loader arms, bucket and linkage built. I can use the sl26 cab. Trying to find the meaty tires shown on the kibri picture.. this loader has been on my mind for 25 years at least !

Brian, great to see some 1/87 modeling on DHS!
I remember seeing the SL30 in the catalogs as well. Just went back to my Walthers library and found it in the 1993 edition.
Definitely two different loaders. Like Mr. Scholz said, tires look the same height. By looking at ladder. Hard to tell if the SL30 are a tad wider maybe.
Keep us posted.

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We rally round the family, with a pocket full of shells.....

http://www.baumaschinenbilder.de/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=104223

Hi Brian,

yeah, FatCatGotHot, thats me. If you need a better resolution scan so you can read the measurements, let me know. Cool how you used the cab size for according scale! And cool to see such interest in Kaelble machines. They combined Swabian ingenuity, stubborness and craftmensship.

Cheers
Max

Brian I have an 1/87 Liebheer 974 excavator (Kibri) if you want it, it is built. I have only one 1/87 scale model and this is it, looks so lonely sitting on the shelf by itself. It would probably look a lot better next to a big loader, I probably have the original box for it also, if you want it it’s yours.
Steve

Looking on this picture your theory of the SL26 kibri boxart seems to be spot on, Brian. It really looks like a SL26 front an and the SL30 rear.

Last year I was able to talk to the former head of development for wheelloaders who was involved in the SL35 and SL30 programm. Ever since, KAELBLE relied on paralellogramm lift arms for the bucket. To achieve considerable break out forces, they choose high horsepower and high pressure layout. Combined withwell thought up design and high manufacturing quality, KAELBLE loaders fitted a market niche by offering up to 30% more horsepower than competitor machines.

KAELBLE loaders have - despite the production was stopped back in 2004 - up until now a very good reputation. They offered a experiencend operator the ablity to bring high performance and are very popular in sand and gravel pits or in quarry reclaiming work. And still, the paralellogramm lift arms - thoug offering less breakout force then Z-linkage - could easily lift the rear axle of KAELBLE of the ground. Also, this kinematics were popular for log grapples etc.

The concept of the KAELBLE wheelloaders reached it limits in severe quarry work. Such applications where you need steel over muscle. So KAELBLE decided to finally developpe their own Z-bar linkage machines in the 1980ies and thats why their lifting arms have a somewhat exaggerated appearance. Going down this road, the management underrated the money needed for developpement. So the very massive SL35 was downrated to the SL 30.

Some pretty decent pics of the mean SL35 and the SL30 you can find here: KAELBLE historie and prototypes


Cheers
Max