Mine Machinery: Caterpillar 994K

In this Mine Machinery series, we are taking a closer look at pieces of equipment that keep the buckets full, trucks loaded and nearby power stations firing at our Callide Mine. Here we take a closer look at our ‘money maker’ – the Caterpillar 994K. 

We purchased the 994K in 2022 after retiring an older model of the same machine, which had notched up an incredible 100,000 hours of trouble-free work at Callide Mine since being introduced in 1993. 

The 994K is a serious wheel loader, with 1739hp – 500 more than the model we replaced – and an operating weight of 240t. 

We even specified ours with a massive 40 cubic metre bucket, which allows us to move 150% more material without increasing carbon emissions, compared with the unit it replaced. 

“There’s a huge difference in payload. It used to take us 10 buckets to load a Cat 789 truck on the ROM. The new 994K, we can do that in four,” said Batchfire Resources Superintendent Mobile – Engineering and Maintenance Daniel Boal. 

The new 994K also takes safety to another level at Callide Mine, offering improved access, visibility, and reducing tailpipe emissions – improving air quality and keeping our mine site safe.  

You have to see the 994K working to appreciate how epic it is – so check out the video of it operating at Callide Mine below! 

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