The Cat® 586C Site Prep Tractor is a multi-purpose, heavy-duty machine with the muscle to run power-hungry mulchers and brushcutters. Applications include land management, residential/commercial development, right-of-way construction and maintenance, wetlands and wildlife habitat management, plantation reclamation and management, and clearing for flood control and firebreaks.
This tractor is often working in hot, dry and dusty environments, so one of its biggest advantages is that it runs cool and doesn't collect debris. The high capacity cooling system and on-demand reversing fan keep the machine running cool. The oversized, hydraulically driven fan spins at a slower speed overall and only turns as fast as needed to maintain proper hydraulic and engine temperatures. In colder weather or when the machine is first started, for example, the fan spins more slowly to conserve power and fuel and reduce noise.
The machine is segmented into separate compartments that are pressurized to prevent debris from entering. The pressurized airflow also keeps electronics, sensors and other key components cool during long workdays.
HJM Forest Resource Management, LLC, in DeKalb, Miss., ran a pilot machine to provide feedback when the tractor’s design was being fine tuned. One of the company principals, Jimmy Wayne McGowen, reported that the radiator and air filter stayed clean and the pressurized engine compartment kept debris out. “We have to blow out our older machines like crazy,” McGowen says. “We don’t have to with this machine. That’s a big thing for us, because we were spending a lot of downtime keeping our older tractors up.”
He also says he never saw the hydraulic oil temperature get to medium even on 41°C (105°F) workdays. “The cooler your machine runs, the better it’s going to perform and the longer it’s going to last,” he said.
