Cat Motor Graders, 12F 89H ,,,,and Cat14E 72G

What would be correct can be determined if you post the s/n's.

Hi, D6Pete.
I would imagine that both would have the 3306 engine and the 14E would be turbo-ed. The 14E was a heavier version of the 12F, by about 2 1/2 tons, although it was made for some years before the 12F. As I understand it, here in DowNunder, we went straight from the last of the rigid framed Cat 12Es, the 'slope-cab' 17K series here, to the 12G series. I have never seen a 12F here, only a whole ONE 112F and that was over in Western Australia in about 1969.

Both the 12F and the 14E had the hydraulic-boosted gear controls with the blade lift gears on either side of the front of the frame above the front wheels instead of being mounted on the front face of the cab. The 14E would likely have a 13-foot blade where all the 12s that I ever encountered all had 12-foot blades.

Just my 0.02 - and all from memory as I don't have the libraries that Old Magnet and others have for references.

It seems that that Ritchie Wiki info is way out ,often wrong to me !! .. The 72G is 72G659

Correct information is hard to find. Seems one source makes a statement and others just copy so you can't rely on any one source.

Best I can find is 72G659 is a 1969 machine
Engine is a D333cT, power shift @ 150hp
Has power boost brakes and steering.
Has improved multi disc clutch controls s/n 72G583-up
Weight = 31,600 lbs.
72G1341-up (1973) changes to 3306 (3N) engine.
Series produced from 1969-1973, 1,599 units produced.

Hi, Old Magnet.
That wouldn't be the earliest series of 14E, would it? I seem to remember several of them on the Mount Newman Iron Ore rail project in 1968-69 and I started on that job in March, 1968. One of them was placed with our rock excavation crew for doing haul roads and other odd jobs. Trouble being, on night shift, for a month at a time, you could never find the grader or the operator during working hours. That behavior eventually got that guy FIRED.

That same guy liked to raise people's eyebrows by telling them he had 62 brothers and sisters, all with the one mother - he was raised in a Catholic orphanage and 'mother' was the Mother Superior.

Just my 0.02.

I show the 14E 99G as the first "E" model (1965) then 14E 12K series (1967), then the 72G. Doesn't seem to be much logic to the model designation numbers.

Hi, Old Magnet.
Logic????????????????? In Cat serial numbers????????????? When you find some, please let us know. One of only 2 instances of any sort of logic that comes to mind is still pretty ILL-logical - the D8 prefixes from 13A to 68A - and even that shoots itself in the 'fundamental orifice' like a duck in flight with all the gaps between the chosen numbers.

The other instance was the 'U' series machines, although I never could figure out why the D8 was the 2U and then they went back to 4-5U for the D2s up to 8-9U for the D6s and then left the D7s out in the cold. And 'they only did that for one range of models. Otherwise they're all over the place like fly droppings. It's like trying to follow 'political logic' - you'll go nuts trying to figure it out.

Just my 0.02.

Like what ya said about pollies Deas !! .. There is plenty in this country should be "out the gate"" to put it mildly !! .. regards pete .. I may keep looking for a reasonable $ price 12G ..Cat grader ,,instead of the 14E,,I think they also have disc brakes !! so much better !!

Hi, D6Pete.
If my understanding is 'kee-wrecked', the 'G' series did come with oil bath disc brakes from the start. The 12Gs were a pretty solid machine and capable of some pretty heavy work with little trouble, so long as one respected the fact that there were NOT a heavy grader as such. If you want a 'heavy' grader, I think there is still an O&K G350 kicking around here in DowNunder - 42 tons, 380 HP, 20-foot blade. I operated it for a while up in Hervey Bay. It was impressive - not a Cat 24, but impressive just the same.

The 120G and 130G were both a little lighter than the 12G and both had 4-banger turbo-ed engines where the 12G was a naturally aspirated 6-banger. then you jump to the 140G and the 14G, and then the 16G. I have operated them all at various times and my picks would be the 12G and the 140G for most general grader work.

Just my 0.02.