DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Page 15
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• cm has driven Fodens powered by each of the new engines. Our first an longest outing was in a version powered by the Caterpillar C12 430, running at 4' tonnes, and it was immediately obvious that this engine means business. Even al full weight the rev counter needle hurtles around the dial as though the clutch is slipping. The green sector runs from 1,200-1,700rpm.
On the flattish Cheshire roads the splitter function of the Eaton RTSO 14316A was superfluous. Attempts to run at the 40mph limit in 8H dropped the need1( out of the green sector, so in the interests of good practice we mostly ran in 8L But even at 1,000rpm, the engine was ready, willing and able to work.
While the C12, with just 1.000km under its sump, wasn't yet totally smooth, il displayed a gruff nature that underlined its appetite to get on with the job. When we joined the M6 for a short, gently climbing section, the truck was sitting or the limiter in no time flat and felt fully capable of running at 44 tonnes.
Our spell with the Cummins option was rather shorter—a dozen or so miles with an ISM 410. Unfortunately a true comparison wasn't possible, as the 410 was only freighted up to 37 tonnes, but it performed strongly with a smooth spread of power delivery which left us in no doubt of its ability to haul 41 tonnes.
The specific fuel consumption chart for the 410 indicates that it should be capable of excellent fuel economy, and leaves us looking forward to carrying out a full roadtest in the near future.