The Caterpillar 345C L is a large hydraulic excavator from the 300 series. Its number is often read as horsepower, but in Caterpillar’s naming the last two digits give the machine’s weight in metric tonnes; that the engine also makes 345 hp is a coincidence.
Caterpillar 345C L at a glance
| Type | large hydraulic excavator |
|---|---|
| Generation | C, with a long undercarriage |
| Engine | Caterpillar C13 ACERT, six cylinders |
| Net flywheel power | 345 hp (257 kW) |
| Net power to ISO 9249 | 345 hp (257 kW) |
| Net power to SAE J1349 | 349 hp (257 kW) |
| Operating weight | 99,150 lb (44,970 kg) with the long undercarriage |
| Maximum digging depth | 29.3 ft (8.9 m) |
| Maximum reach at ground level | 42.5 ft (13.0 m) |
| Bucket | up to 5 yd³ (3.8 m³), nominal weight 3,880 lb (1,760 kg) |
| Bucket digging force | 39,300 lbf (175 kN) |
| Naming | the last two digits give the weight in tonnes; 345 is not the horsepower |
The English Wikipedia article covers the 345C L only; other versions of the 345 are not described there.
History of the Caterpillar 345C L
A number that is not horsepower
Caterpillar names its excavators so that the last two digits of the model number give the machine’s weight in metric tonnes. The 345C L weighs about 45 tonnes, and the fact that its engine also produces 345 hp is a coincidence that the English Wikipedia article on the model points out. The C marks the generation and the L the long undercarriage; the 345C L belongs to the 300 series, which Caterpillar still produces.
The machine in figures
The C13 ACERT is a six-cylinder engine rated at 345 hp (257 kW) net at the flywheel, the same figure under ISO 9249 and EEC 80/1269 and 349 hp under SAE J1349. With the long undercarriage the machine weighs 99,150 lb, or 44,970 kg. It reaches 42.5 ft at ground level, digs to 29.3 ft and takes a bucket of up to 5 cubic yards; the bucket itself has a nominal weight of 3,880 lb and a digging force of 39,300 lbf.
Design and features
- C13 ACERT engine: six cylinders, 345 hp (257 kW) net at the flywheel.
- Long undercarriage: the L in the name; the quoted operating weight is 44,970 kg.
- Deep digging: 8.9 m below ground and 13.0 m of reach at ground level.
- Large bucket: up to 3.8 m³ with a digging force of 175 kN.
Caterpillar 345C L versions
- 345C L: the machine described on this page, on the long undercarriage.
- Bucket sizes: up to 5 yd³ (3.8 m³), with a nominal bucket weight of 3,880 lb (1,760 kg).
- 300 series: the family of Caterpillar excavators to which the 345C L belongs.
The 345C L is the large machine above the Caterpillar 313 and works the same sites as the company’s wheel loaders, such as the 930G; more machines are in the Caterpillar collection.
Sources
- Caterpillar 345C L, English Wikipedia: engine, weights, digging figures, bucket, naming convention
