Kobelco SK380XDLC-10 Tracked Excavator

Presented here is the asian spec 1:50th scale Kobelco SK380XDLC-10 which has been produced by Motorart and utilises some of the tooling from the SK350LC-10 including the body and cabin with a number of differences also noticed.

The cabin interior is finished in a light grey colour with a dark seat and armrests which incorporate the joystick hand controls with levers also fitted for the track controls. The hydraulic safety cut-off has been modelled but is missing the red handle colouring. The windows are clearly glazed with printing used for the window seals with a front fitted screen wiper.

This version is fitted with a roof protection panel and also a small protective panel covering the botton part of the front window. While this is a nice feature, it would have been better is a perforated mesh could have been used, rather than a solid piece of plastic which does spoil the effect. Behind the cabin in the service area, raised anti-slip mats do not have any highlighting.

The safety railing leading to the upper service area is produced of metal and only has one safety mirror fitted unlike with the SK350LC that has two although there is a mirror fitted to the grab rail integrated into the cab frame.

The grills on the sides of the body have an inset slotted pattern which is highlighted well with black printing, and the standard of the paint finish and graphic printing is very high throughout although the panel handles have not been highlighted.

The track frames are different castings to the SK350LC-10 with a more substantial design and a pair of upper rollers which are more defined. The tensioned idler frames press against the track chain to keep it taut, while allowing it to rotate well. The pads are of a triple grouser design and even here, tiny bolt heads are visible.

Hydraulic lines have been added, including grey coloured flexible lines between boom and stick to simulate armoured lines. For this version, there are no auxiliary lines replicated and the shorter length stick is fitted with a larger toothed bucket with wear strip and side cutter detailing.

The model is a good addition to the quickly growing range and shares some of the tooling with the European spec SK350LC-10 which is also available from the Kobelco fanshop. The models are shown side-by-side to show the differences between them.