ACMOC Model Program?

While on the subject of models, will ACMOC be collaborating with Norscot on any new models and if so what will they be a nd is there a projected release date?

I have to say a D4 or a D8 is pretty unimaginative IMO considering the number of TT models already done, seeing as Cat motor graders are celebrating 80 years at the moment i would have thought something from that line would be appropriate. I think the BOD & Model commitee need to be mindfull of the saturation point in continuing with track type tractors and opening up the offerings each year a bit wider, the 491, DW20 & 456 were a breath of fresh air.

I guess the bigger issue is the funding side of it which has a big bearing on the future of the program.

Either way i will support via purchase what ever is made but i just think we need to look a little beyond track type machines year in year out.

Thanks

Hi, Gavin84W.
From what I have been told, the club currently has a pretty big inventory of past models that have not sold yet. Some past choices have not been quite as successful as hoped. I have suggested to several current BoD members that the current stock be offered to a commercial outlet that deals in models to give a greater public exposure than the club newsletter and web site presently offer. I have had exactly zero feedback on whether or not this idea has been discussed, acted upon, discarded after debate or dismissed out of hand. I would have thought that any idea that had a reasonable chance to reduce the inventory and turn some of the current stock into cash would be nworthy of consideration in the club's current cash-strapped state.

Just my 0.02.

Gavin is correct on the motor grader. Look how many 12"s were made and everyone had one and run it sometime during their career. The DW20 and the pull scraper were a breath of fresh alright. Maybe a blade would be a good choice but built with quality.

Im not on the models committee but nobody there is saying anything so I will. Its not that they are ignoring you, but they have real jobs too.
1st. From what I can read, we are not allowed to make a Cat No. 12 Grader probably because it has been given to someone else. We are limited to certain models but in that group some have already been issued to others.
2nd It may have been a breath of fresh air to some to see the DW20 but in reality it was very bad choice. My first vote as a BoD member was to cut the order in half. (1250) and we still have about 1/3 of those on the shelf. We did the same for the scrapers, the only model made they fit behind fit behind is the DW20, so its pretty clear how many would sell.I'm not sure they are to the break even stage yet. Cutting the order in half is not very profitable because all the design,tooling&manufacturing is only split with 1250 units instead of 2500 (our max aloud), making the profit per unit much smaller. It was a disaster to be honest. If we had made the full 2500 today would not have the money to make any models today.
I would have voted against the Scraper if we hadn't already told the people who bought the DW20 the Scrapers were next,
No.3 The R2 was done to save money on some of the tooling and design from the D2 and was very bad move,as it looks the R2 wil never show a profit as we could see from the Tailseat D2 the D2 was becoming a burnout.
No.4 The reason we are thinking on the D4 is to make a smaller machine. The D8 costs us more then double the cost to make as the D4 because of its size. and as was stated we have a shelf full of big expensive models, that not all can afford.We are try to make something that we can sell for much less,hopefully selling more of them. As all of our models they will be the best quality, but more affordable to more members.
No.5 We do have about 5000 models on the shelf and in most cases those are the profit of those models.They will sell in time as did the D2s. So selling them cheap to a dealer, makes the projected profit for those models go way down. And in the case of the R2,DW20&Scraper we would loose money
We do not want ourselves or dealers to sell our models at a lower price then the people who bought in presales paid. That was wrongly done in the past and not fair to those who paid full price in advance of the lower price. Damagining our presales and integrity
We have a great group on the current models committee and they are working very hard to dig our way out of the very deep hole the past few models have put us in and its not easy to pick a model that we can make and sell 2500 of at a fair price,in a timely manner and its impossable to pick one that all 3000 members agree on. But they are trying very hard!! And I think their choice is going to be the D4D next
Now you can pick this all apart LOL Willie

Thanks for the information Willie. I will purchase the next tractor whether it is a D82U or D4D.

It is tough to figure out what everyone will buy.

I just bought the Dw-20 and scraper along with a d-9 to help you out Willie.-glen

Hi, Willie.
Thanks for the update and the explanations. You have made the situation a lot clearer.

telling like it is, thanks willie.

Tks for the info. It's just to bad it cost so much for the tooling. Just out of being curious, what's Cat's cut?