How To Choose The Right Cat^® Ground Engaging Tools

• Provide extra protection and longevity for valuable equipment. Having the right bucket and knowing which GET you need for your bucket protects the machine structure from damage, helping to extend its longevity. GET helps absorb impact when it makes contact with the ground, which protects the machine’s internal components from excessive force. A GET system can also indirectly help reduce corrosion-related damage because it acts as a “sacrificial layer” that absorbs wear and tear from abrasive materials. This helps to reduce the exposure of the bucket’s base metal to moisture and corrosive elements.

• Improved productivity and uptime. Increased machine efficiency means less time spent on tasks. When your machine digs faster and easier, you spend less time on each task and reliably meet deadlines or complete them ahead of schedule.

• Lower operating costs. You can expect fewer repair costs when you fit equipment with the right GET for the application and material. GET impact absorption reduces wear on buckets and other components resulting in fewer parts replacements.

How to Choose Cat Ground Engaging Tools

The first step in selecting ground engaging tools is to consider the needs of your typical machine work. Next, determine your highest priorities across jobs.

Do you need to control fuel consumption, save time spent on tasks or protect a valuable machine? Prioritizing your needs will help you determine which GET to choose as you work through each of the selection steps that follow.

Match GET To The Application

According to Tilak Inturi, senior parts and services consultant (GET), “The process starts with the right bucket on the machine for the application. GET won’t compensate for a poor bucket choice. The bucket and GET need to work together to deliver the best solution.”

Matching bucket and GET to the specific task at hand will help deliver maximum efficiency and productivity. Consider the following factors to make the right choices for your next job:

• What type of work will the bucket be performing?

• Will it be used for digging, grading, loading or something else?

• What type of material will the machine be working in?

The answers to these questions will guide you in choosing the right heavy equipment attachments. For example, attachments with general purpose teeth are great for loose soil and aggregates. But if the job involves breaking through hard material, you might need a more aggressive tool like a ripper shank or a heavy-duty bucket tooth.

• Higher fuel consumption from adding components that are larger and heavier than needed.

• Reduced engine and power train life from added stress on the machine.

• Increased operator fatigue from struggling to operate the machine, cab vibration and more time required to complete tasks.

• Increased contact surface. The larger the contact surface, the more stress on the system. This increased resistance requires the machine to work harder, which could result in:
  

  • More fuel consumption
  • Increased time taken to move the material
  • Inefficient penetration, digging or loading

GET Options By Machine

Excavators

Excavators are the most versatile machine on your jobsite. Cat offers a wide range of choices to match your excavator, its bucket, the application and material. Here’s a snapshot you can review with your Cat dealer:

• Four standard bucket styles: general duty, heavy duty, severe duty and extreme duty

• Tips and adapters:
  

  • K Series hammerless system
  • J Series options
  • Four CapSure™ options

• Bucket front edge protection:
  

  • Base edge systems: bolt-on, straight and spade
  • Base Edge End Protection (BEEP)

• Side and edge protection:
  

  • Sidebar protectors, side cutters, half arrows, segments and top covers

Dozers

Dozers move ground on construction sites, residential developments and hundreds of other places. A dozer’s main work tools are a blade and a ripper. The universal blade is curved, wide and tall so that it can carry material. Other blades are flat or shorter, but they all do a similar job: leveling the ground. The ripper loosens the rocky or compact earth, which makes dozing or loading easier.

Options include:

• Cutting edges and end bits

• Sidebar protectors

• Complete ripper systems with tips and shank protectors

Motor Graders

Caterpillar offers various cutting edge options suitable for different applications.

Unique offerings like the Cat GraderBit™ system meet the toughest application needs and are complemented by multiple end bit options. Trust your Cat dealer to offer you solutions that focus on total machine productivity.

• Cutting edges: general duty, through-hardened and Tungsten Carbide tile options

• Cat GraderBit2^™ System

• End bit systems

• Ripper/scarifier systems

Wheel Loaders

Caterpillar offers a complete line of edges, tips, adapters and sidebar protectors for more efficient material handling. For high-wear applications, the mechanically attached wear plate system (MAWPS) offers added protection. The total wear protection line offers weld-on heel shrouds and half-arrow edges to protect the bottom and sides of buckets.

Abrasion Resistant Material (ARM)

Cat abrasion resistant material (ARM) is a coating made of extremely hard tungsten carbide particles. It forms a protective shield over key wear surfaces, making it ideal for high-abrasion, low-to-moderate impact applications. Those include working in granite, broken slag and other abrasive materials that can severely diminish GET wear life.

How To Maintain Your GET

Ground engaging tools do serious heavy lifting, making maintenance a must. Here are a few steps you can take to optimize the lifespan of your GET.

• Prioritize inspections and preventive GET maintenance. Preventive maintenance is important for all equipment and attachments because it helps you maintain superior performance. Regular inspection and maintenance help you address minor complications before they become significant, reducing long-term costs.

• Monitor wear patterns. Uneven wear can indicate an issue with the machine’s operation or alignment.

• Keep detailed GET maintenance logs. Keep regular maintenance records to ensure you schedule preventive maintenance when necessary.

• Balance wear. Regularly rotate and interchange parts to ensure even wear.

• Welding crack repair. If a tool’s welding cracks, it needs immediate repair. Repairing cracks quickly helps prevent further damage so the tool, attachment and machine last longer.

• Clean regularly. Remove dirt, debris and other material frequently to avoid damage.

• Operator training. Incorrect operating technique can lead to excessive wear and damage. Properly training equipment operators on operation and maintenance can extend the life of your GET.

• Know the lifespan of your GET. Ask your Cat dealer about predictive maintenance and technology to help avoid downtime when it’s time to replace your GET. It all depends on the terrain, material and usage for when GET needs to be replaced and how you can maximize the life of your GET.

Still Not Sure Which GET To Choose?

If you have questions about the right GET for your job, consult with your Cat dealer. They can provide expert guidance tailored to selecting the best ground engaging tools for your specific needs.