Project Minotaur Comes Alive As CASE Officially Introduces DL550B Compact Dozer Loader

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The DL550B supports auxiliary hydraulic options that exceed any of the CTLs in the current CASE lineup—up to 40 gallons per minute at 4,100psi. (Photo courtesy of CASE.)

First shown to the public at CONEXPO 2017 as “Project Minotaur,” CASE Construction will be releasing the two-in-one dozer loader combo with the footprint of a CTL (compact track loader). The DL550B, as it is now known, features a chassis-integrated C-frame, as well as the six-way blade of a dozer to handle both grading and loading applications. By attaching the C-frame directly into the chassis and primary coupler of the DL550B, CASE says the machine provides the stability and smooth operating plane of a small dozer and ensures that all operating power and stress is channeled through the chassis instead of the attachment coupler and arms of the machine.

Core Features

The DL550B weighs in at 18,000 pounds (8,165 kilograms) and operates at 114 horsepower (85 kilowatts). As a loader, the DL500B features a rated operating capacity of 5,500 lbs (2,495 kg) at 50% tipping load. Transitioning to CTL-style operation is easy: The operator simply hydraulically detaches the C-frame and blade to match up with a bucket, forks, or hundreds of other attachments available for skid steers and CTLs. CASE standard attachment is a 1.25-cubic-yard (0.95-cubic-meter) bucket, available with either a cutting edge or SmartFit teeth system. It is also available with an optional fully integrated ripper and is compatible with heavy-duty attachments for site clearing and finish grading.

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The DL550B features a true dozer-style undercarriage for optimal dozing performance and is available in either steel or rubber track configurations. (Photo courtesy of CASE.)

Operates Like A Skid Steer

Electro-hydraulic dozer joysticks control movement and attachments. Forward and reverse travel and steering are controlled with the left hand, while boom and bucket controls are manipulated by the right hand when operating in CTL mode. Those same right-hand controls operate the lift, angle, and tilt functions of the six-way blade when in dozer mode. Popular CASE dozer features such as blade shake, as well as manual pitch adjustment, are also incorporated.

CASE plans on taking orders for the DL550B in Q4 2020 with units arriving in 2021.

Source: CASE