mitsubishi excavator

[ruston bucyrus]

did mitsubishi make excavators or was it cat that made it for theam

[Julian]

did mitsubishi make excavators our was it cat that made it for theam

Hi, yes they did, I have a Mitsubishi MM20 mini digger with a Mitsubishi K3D engine. Cat badged them up for sale in the UK, but mine is a grey import and I don't think Mitsy ever imported to the UK directly but could well be wrong with that!

Julian.

[European A]

I have heard the Caterpillar excavators from the first 300 Series are engineered by Mitsubishi in Japan. I don't know really.
I think the Cat/Mitsubishi joint venture dates back from the 60s when Mitsubishi built track loaders under Cat licence. Nowadays Mitsubishi provides Cat with the technology for the AC drive mounted on the bigger dump trucks.
In the eighties Mitsubishi excavators were Cat badged as you said. They looked a bit like Eder excavators (quite squared). I think they formed the E Series of Cat. They produced a model bigger than the 245. In Europe Cat dealers let some customers test Mitsubishi excavators in the latest 80s or earliest 90s (I don't remember).

[BulldozerD11]

I have heard the Caterpillar excavators from the first 300 Series are engineered by Mitsubishi in Japan. I don't know really.
I think the Cat/Mitsubishi joint venture dates back from the 60s when Mitsubishi built track loaders under Cat licence. Nowadays Mitsubishi provides Cat with the technology for the AC drive mounted on the bigger dump trucks.
In the eighties Mitsubishi excavators were Cat badged as you said. They looked a bit like Eder excavators (quite squared). I think they formed the E Series of Cat. They produced a model bigger than the 245. In Europe Cat dealers let some customers test Mitsubishi excavators in the latest 80s or earliest 90s (I don't remember).

They also had a JV for Forklifts were Mitsubishi built them under license in Japan and eventual took control of the design as well.

Cat started the jv with Mitusbishi to get round import regulations by manufacturing CAT designed machines in Japan in the 1960's - Tracked loader, crawlers and wheeled loaders.

Excavators were E series from E70 to E650 from 1987

Info from Cat Chronicle by Eric C Orlemann.

Dave

[Julian]

Here's (my) little Mitsubishi excavator:



Julian.

[Martyn Henley]

Does this look familiar

mitusho.JPG

Martyn

[IBH]

In 2008 CAT acquired the shares in did not already own in Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi from Mitsubishi and Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi became Caterpillar Japan Ltd, who's website has a timeline (in English) including a photo of an E200B excavator:
http://japan.cat.com/cda/layout?m=220582&x=7

If you look round the Caterpillar Japan website there are additional products on offer including mini-wheel loader, micro excavators (<1tonne), and mobile crushers & recycling equipment thats cetainly not available in Europe.

[BulldozerD11]

In 2008 CAT acquired the shares in did not already own in Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi from Mitsubishi and Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi became Caterpillar Japan Ltd, who's website has a timeline (in English) including a photo of an E200B excavator:
http://japan.cat.com/cda/layout?m=220582&x=7

If you look round the Caterpillar Japan website there are additional products on offer including mini-wheel loader, micro excavators (<1tonne), and mobile crushers & recycling equipment thats cetainly not available in Europe.

IBH - my Cat book was published before then so thanks for update.

Dave

[BulldozerD11]

Does this look familiar

mitusho.JPG

Martyn

Very

Got a photo (real) of a Mitsubishi machine some were just got to track it down in one of several boxes of photos.

Dave

[European A]

Martyn,
The MS580 reminds me the Cat 245, spacially the upperstructure but I think most of the components are different. The boom has that typical "rounded" shape and like the bucket design shares shapes from Japanese excavators in the early 80s (Hitachi, Komatsu,...). Tha cab is very squared but it has another window by the door. There is a small aisle behind the cab and the counterweight is more prominent and not rounded. Anyway and overall it looks quite Caterpillar.

BulldozerD11, that's one of my favourite books. Very complete.

IBH, thanks for the updated information.