GROUND ENGAGING TOOLS

For Cat® loaders and excavators

Caterpillar Adapters and Bucket Tips

®

Cat has bucket tips for all kinds of digging

Picking the right one for your job can pay big dividends.
Examples:
• Lower Replacement Costs, because job-matched tips optimize
wear material
• Longer Wear Life, because the use of special alloy steels and superi-
or heat-treat procedures produces consistent, dependable performance
• Lower Bucket Maintenance Costs, because the right tips
protect bucket edges and reduce loads on bucket/machine
structural components
• Higher Production, because the right tip options assure fast
penetration and quicker, bigger loads in material ranging from sand,
gravel and loam to rocky, hard-packed or frozen materials
• Less Downtime, because bucket edges, corners, sides and tips live
longer with less need to shut down for repair, rebuild or replacement
Caterpillar Bucket Tip Adapters Provide
Different Performance for Different Jobs

Rock Bucket Adapters

Large Offset Medium Offset

Bottom-Strap Two-Strap
Weld-On Adapter Weld-On Adapter
To match varying work conditions, • Provides the largest • Provides best
Caterpillar offers a range of adapters that offset for the most retention in high-
provide varying degrees of tip penetration. aggressive digging impact work
How fast and easily a tooth digs depends on • Thick bottom strap • For general loading,
its offset—that is, the angle at which it pro- provides the greatest where adapter reten-
jects from the base edge. The greater the protection of base tion is a concern
angle, the more aggressively the tooth digs. edge • Protects the base
Offset is measured as the vertical distance • Promotes fast load- edge well
between the front of the base edge and the ing; permits easy, • Available for 966,
front of the tip. complete dumping 980, 988, 990, 992
The amount of offset is determined by the • Available for 910 and 994 Loaders
adapter, since it positions the tooth in rela- through 992 Loaders
tion to the base edge.
The adapters and tips also take most of the
leading impacts. Bolt-on adapters are used
where such impacts are moderate. Weld-on
adapters are used in severe impact
work, or on rock buckets, where adapter
mounting takes the most severe beating.
 GROUND ENGAGING TOOLS

Medium Offset No Offset Medium Offset

Heavy Duty Two-Strap

Two-Strap Flushmount Weld-On
Weld-On Adapter Weld-On Adapter Upsize Adapter
• Thicker to provide • Provides smooth • Provides size-up tip
increased adapter bucket footprint, option without
strength leaving a clean, increasing thickness
• Weld-groove enlarged unrutted work of base edge
for easier welding, surface • Stronger, more
which enhances • Extends tire life protection
adapter retention • Available for 910 • Available for 980,
• Bottom strap is through 992 Loader 988, 990, 992 and
thicker for longer 994 Loaders
wear life and greater
base-edge protection
• Shouldered on bottom
to provide rear tip
protection and
improved retention
• A.R.M. version for
extended adapter
wear life
• Available for 966
through 992 Loaders
Caterpillar Corner Guard
Adapter Systems
The Corner Guard System allows for either Two-Bolt Corner Adapter
tooth or edge-protection options. The tooth • Keeps adapter securely
option uses two-strap, bolt-on center attached; won’t shift in
adapters and left- and right-corner adapters. demanding
When used with optional bolt-on segments, applications
base-edge wear life can increase by as much
• Reduces stress,
as five times.
adding service life in
high-wear applications
Single-Bolt Corner Adapter • Easy to retrofit and convert your old buck-
• Puts wear material under the ets to the two-bolt design with a simple
base edge and on the front welding operation
inside and outside of the
• Available for 916 through 988G
corner
Wheel Loader
• Easy to install,
remove and replace
• Available for 910 through 988F Wheel Center Bolt-On Adapter
Loaders and all Track Loaders • Used in general loading
work, where
leaving a smooth
work surface isn’t
needed
• Provides good base-edge protection
• Easy to install, remove and replace
• Available for 910 through 992 Loaders
 GROUND ENGAGING TOOLS

Excavator
Adapters

All Cat excavator buckets come with two-

strap weld-on adapters. (Ditch-cleaning
buckets come with bare base edge or
bolt-on cutting edge.) The adapters are
designed especially for excavator work, but
they accept the same tips used on Caterpillar
loader buckets.

Optional Larger
Tips and Adapters
Longer Life in Tough Conditions
High impact and highly abrasive conditions
can eat up even the best tips before their
time. Now, you can get relief with Cat larg-
er tip and adapter options. On most buckets,
you just install new adapters and use tips a
size larger than customary. This graph
shows how much more wear material you
get by going a size larger than standard on
the 988 and 330B/345B.

30 14
Wear material in standard-size tips (988/330) 13
Wear material in next-larger-size tips (992/375) 12
25 11
10
Heavy Duty Abrasion

20 9 Kilograms
8
Heavy Duty Long
Pounds

15 7
6
10 5
4
3
5 2
1

Penetration Short Long Heavy Duty Long

Tip Selection Guide

What to Consider When You’re Loader—Loading Application

Choosing Tips High
Bucket tips come in so many different HDP
shapes and sizes, you might think it takes Penetration
Penetration HDP
an expert to pick the right one. Not so.
It can all be reduced to a few HDL
simple guidelines.
HDP HDP
• Impact: the ability to withstand digging Penetration

Impact
and penetrating shocks and high break- HDL HDLL
out forces Long
Long HDA
• Penetration: the ability to penetrate
tough material, when it’s tightly com-
pacted, rocky or frozen HDL HDLL
Long
• Wear Life: the ability to withstand Long HDA
wearing, scouring, and abrasive action
of the material being handled
Low Abrasion High
Choose tips that have the right balance
of these for your work, and you’ll get the
full return from your investment.

All Cat bucket tips are

Penetration Heavy Duty
made from one of two special • Better penetration than Penetration (HDP)
steel alloys: Long • Best combination of
• DH-3™, which resists softening in • Less wear material wear material and
applications that generate high heat penetration
(980G/325B and larger-size bucket • Center rib for strength
tips and all single point sharp tips)
• DH-2™, which is through-hardened
to provide consistently low wear Short
rates throughout the life of the tip • Strong
• Less wear material
Heavy Duty
Long (HDL)
• More wear material and
strength than Long
• Longer and thicker
Long
• General applications
• Good combination of
strength, wear material,
and penetration
 GROUND ENGAGING TOOLS

Excavator—Loading Application Excavator—Trenching Application

High High
Penetration
Penetration Plus
Sharp
Plus Penetration
Penetration Penetration Twin Sharp
Plus Twin Sharp Plus
Penetration
Long Sharp

Penetration Penetration Penetration

Penetration Plus Plus Penetration Plus Penetration
Plus
Impact
Impact

Penetration
HDL Long Life HDL Penetration
Long Long Long Life
Long HDA Long

HDL Penetration HDL Penetration

Long Life Long Long Life
Long
Long HDA Long HDL

Low Abrasion High Low Abrasion High

Heavy Duty Penetration Plus Sharp Twin Sharp

Long Life* (HDLL) • More wear material • Least wear material • More wear material
• ARM applied to resist than Penetration • Short and strong than Sharp or Long
abrasive wear • Resists blunting Sharp
• Penetration improves • Less penetration
with tip wear

Long Sharp
Penetration • More wear material than
Long Life Sharp Wide
Heavy Duty • ARM applied to resist • Longer, "cross-shaped" • Less penetration
Abrasion (HDA) abrasive wear section • Produces smoother cut
• More wear material and • Self-sharpening profile
less penetration
• Wider frontal area

* The Heavy Duty Long Life tips

should be positioned pocket down on
the adapters for maximum wear life.
 GROUND ENGAGING TOOLS

Caterpillar Tip Retention System Heavy

Duty Pin and Retainer Assembly

In some applications, premature pin and

retainer wear can lead to pin “walking,”
which results in bucket-tip loss.
Caterpillar has solved this problem
with a new Heavy Duty Pin and
Retainer Assembly. It is designed for use
where pin and retainer wear is a problem,
retainer spreading occurs due to side
loads, tip retention is critical, or tip life is
very long.

The Heavy Duty Tip

Retention System
• Eliminates retainer rotation
and associated wear
• Maintains retainer clamp force
in abrasive, long Retention Enhancements
tip life or side-load
Several changes in Cat pins and retainers
applications
have increased side-pinned tip retention.
• Compatible with the
Retainer holders align the pin and retainer
standard Cat bucket
during installation. This eliminates any
tip/adapter system
chance of retainer damage.
• Available for a wide range
of Cat Loaders, Excavators Pin diameter has been enlarged for the
and smaller Front 988/235/330 models—increasing
Shovels pin strength by 50%, thus increasing
retention.

Best Tools in the Trade

When you use Cat GET, you’re assured
of top quality. All Cat GET are backed
by the Cat Ground Engaging Tool
warranty. If any GET breaks during
normal operation, at any time, Caterpillar
will replace it free. Combine that
quality and support with the biggest
off-the-shelf stock available and
you see why Caterpillar builds the
best tools in the trade.

www.CAT.com
©2002 Caterpillar
PEHP9011-07 Printed in U.S.A.