Get more wood to the landing faster.
The new Cat® D Series Wheel Skidder's were made with you in mind, delivering more productivity at a lower operating cost.
Designed for your work
Cat D Series Skidders were designed and built from the ground up by loggers like you. A small group of contractors and skidder owners came together and helped Cat design features into them based on real life wear and tear.
They voiced their concerns, and we listened.
4.5 years of development and testing with extensive input from loggers and Cat dealers resulted in a series of Skidders that are going to do what customers need them to do. Some faced challenging weather conditions, others sought power, stability and size; everyone came away with a Skidder that would get their job done.
Building on Caterpillar's 40+ years' experience designing and manufacturing skidders, the Cat® D Series Wheel Skidders meet the demands of loggers and keep costs low.
Carey Locke is one of five loggers who helped with the design of the new Cat® D Series Skidders.Tier 4 Final Technology
Where Power Meets Sustainability
Tier 4 Final engines follow U.S. EPA emission standard regulations while meeting your high expectations for reliability, performance, fuel efficiency and component life.
Clean, Efficient Fuel Burn
Caterpillar engineers specify fuel systems based on the power and performance demands for each engine. As a key component of Cat Tier 4 Technology, injection timing precisely controls the fuel injection process, making your fuel last longer.
Fuel Efficiency Leader
Machine integrations provide an additional 12% improvement in fuel economy, or 20% when you leverage Cat Systems integration expertise.
Innovative Air Management
Cat air-management systems optimize airflow and enhance power, efficiency and reliability. We match turbo performance based on engine size and application to rated output for high productivity, excellent fuel efficiency, long life and low operating costs.
Cat NOx Reduction System
The Cat NOx Reduction System (NRS) captures and cools a small quantity of exhaust gas, then routes it back into the combustion chamber where it drives down combustion temperatures and reduces NOx emissions.
What is DEF?
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) is responsible for the sufficient reduction in NOx and its damaging effects to health and the environment.
DEF is a blend of high purity urea and de-ionized water that is injected into exhaust systems in the presence of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst. SCR systems were accommodated into Tier 4 Interim Cat machines with no major redesign involved. Together with DEF, it converts harmful NOx to nitrogen and water.
The result is an 8% fuel economy improvement over Tier 4 Interim (including DEF consumption) and increased power designed for maximum uptime and reduced operating costs over the machine's life cycle.
How much DEF Will I Need?
On Cat products equipped with a SCR system, DEF consumption is approximately 2-3% of fuel consumption depending on the product and application. The DEF tank has a 1:1 fill rate with the fuel tank.
Explore Features
Engine
The Cat C7.1 ACERT™ engine is designed to deliver more power than ever before, while still achieving the highest levels of total fluid efficiency, reliability and durability.
- Uses Diesel Exhaust Fluid to meet Tier 4 emissions standards
- Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) servicing is not required and maintenance costs are minimized
- Fine-tuned to work seamlessly with machine control systems
- Durable design optimized for the demanding work cycles of loggers
HYDRAULICS
Today's job sites demand more of Skidders then delivering harvested trees to the landing.
The new hydraulic system gives the D Series more speed, increased multifunctioning capability and greater lift capacity to drag out those big loads.
- Electrohydraulic grapple, blade and winch controls give you more precision while eliminating hydraulic pilot lines in the cab.
- Cat ToughGuard™ hoses increase hose life in the grapple, arch, boom and across the hitch.
- Increase cycle times by being able to steer, back up and activate arch, boom and grapple functions at the same time.
- Hydraulic system pressure boosts of 15% for the 525D and 535D and 23% for the 545D and 555D, matched to the boom length, increase the lift capacity of the D Series.
Grapple
The 360° continuous rotation grapple features box-section construction and threaded grapple tong pins for maximum strength and harder wear surfaces.
- Grapple tongs are shaped to roll trees up quickly for a fully loaded grapple.
- Tight clamping forces and raised edges on the tongs keep the drag secure during transport while providing extended wear life.
- Tongs have replaceable wear tips and are reinforced internally to support twisting loads.
Cat ARM Seat
Cat Advanced Ride Management (Cat ARM) seat suspension system dampens vibration to improve operator comfort and your bottom line.
- Automatically applies higher damping in rough ground conditions like those found in clear-cut applications and lower damping under smoother conditions, such as well-kept skid trails.
- Immediate response to changing ground conditions means the skidder can be used for longer periods of time without experiencing operator fatigue.
- End stop events are virtually eliminated, reducing accelerations the operator is exposed to by up to 80%.
What Loggers are saying about the New Cat D Series Skidder:
"The power and the hydraulics got my attention. The pulling power,
in general, has been great for our operation. It's also a
very comfortable machine to run."
- Allen Macsemchuk, logging contractor form Kakabeka Falls, ON
"It gets into the steep places that we need to go,
and it's very stable. For us, big is the way to go."
- Reid Lind on the 555D, G R (Mac) Lind Logging Ltd., Princeton, BC
"It's quiet. It's strong. It's very maneuverable and sure-footed.
It moves a loader better than anything we've ever had. It gets about really
well. The power is probably 30% over a 525C. I call the 525C an old workhorse; it's just
about indestructible. This tractor here takes it to a new level."
- Carey Locke on the 525D,
Carey Locke Logging Co., Inc., Alamo, GA