Dart 600C Documentary 

I am always amazed to see equipment of this vintage still in service. Says a lot for simplicity. I doubt the overly complex, computerized equipment made today will be on the job in 30 years. Thanks for another great video.

Hi from Portugal Thank you for this documentary. Since I was 6, 8 years old , I've never forgot this machine loading Wabco and Euclid trucks in a quarry in Sines, Portugal where was built a seaport. I never forgot the unic features of it. Greetings and all the best

Had no idea dart loaders even existed, thanks for taking the time to share! Any chance of getting some mine tours, I assume you visit different pits frequently. Not only are we fascinated by the equipment, but also the massive holes that it has created.

I've been waiting for the day for you to do a video on one of these for years, Thank you!

This is such a unique piece of equipment. Thanks for the walk around on this cool machine and keep the content coming, I truly enjoy listening to the commentary, but I’m a tractor nerd, so equipment of any kind is my happy place.

Johnson&Morgan had an early 600 working at their Moshannon job. It came there new in the late seventies or early eighties. I remember it well because of the offset cab. Not sure what ever happened to it. It was either sold or retired on that job. It was cool to watch working. Thank You for this great documentary.

@PAmining No doubt one of the coolest loaders of all time, like you said. The Dart 600 was a very powerful machine as well. That 875 horsepower rating always gets my attention.The Dart 600 was only a few tons heavier than the Cat 992C,but had a power advantage of 185 horsepower. The 600 also featured a rock bucket 2.5 cubic yards bigger than the 992C.With that said, my guess is the majority of contractors purchased the Cat 992C due to the incredible product support and logistics system that Caterpillar developed. I wasn’t aware that Unit Rig manufactured the Dart 600 series up to 1994.Thanks for another informative and entertaining video production.

First time I’ve ever heard of this brand, thanks for sharing! And great style on commentary!

When I was little, my uncle worked as an operator / mechanic in an iron mine in northern Norway. He'd sometimes bring me along on the job since he knew I was interested in heavy machinery. At the entrance of the mine there were three pieces of decommissioned machinery serving as a display of sorts. A big Lectra Haul dump truck, some old Bucyrus cable shovel, and a Dart 600. The dart always interested me the most since it was not only the biggest, but also the strangest wheel loader I'd ever seen, with its small pistons sitting on top of the loader arm, and the offset cab. My uncle never worked on that loader so he couldn't tell me too much about it, and over the years since, I've often tried to look up information on it, but it turns out to be a fairly rare and obscure machine, so anything of note is hard to come by. The first time I ever found a youtube video of one was that old video Vantagetes made where he walked around and made fun of one over six years ago, and in that video he mentioned that you were working on a video featuring a Dart loader, and I've been looking forward to that ever since, since you go way more indepth and actually explain and talk more about the machine than Vantagetes did in his trash talk video. Thanks for uploading this!

Amazing how the axle reduction gears allow for such a small drive shaft in relation to the size of the rest of the machine. Love the videos, Justin! Keep up the good work!

Wow, was just reminiscing over some of Your 4600/2400 videos(My favs.) and this showed up. Was surprised to see one of these old units still in existence. Pretty fine looking machine for its age and was evidently well cared for. A couple company’s I’ve worked for over the years had a couple, but Was one of the very few machines that I never operated. I had no idea of all the “features” built into this machine! Thanks again “Justin” . Hope I got the name correct.

Another great documentary 👍👍👍

I’ve never heard of Dart before. Very innovative. Thank you for an informative video.

Wooow what a kool dart machine never seen before, but that's awesome and I'll catch ya on the next one

Incredible .. equipment works quickly and easily .. steady ..! Greetings from traditional Indonesian gold prospector ❤️🇮🇩🌼🌺⚒️⛏️👍👍👍

Always a great watch here and well executed.

At the time we had many of those at the Steel plant. Now we have Komatsu WA800 and WA900 with the same Offset cabin as the Dart. As a mecanic it's a nice machine to work on

We had these loaders at a Uranium mine in Wyoming in 1980. We also had Dart 100 ton belly dump trucks, with a 50 ton pup trailer.

That’s a very innovative design. Cool machine.

Thanks for the post Justin. Another cool find. 😎

A brutally strong dinosaur. Thanks!

Very cool. Kinda reminds me of all the underground equipment I've operated with that offset cab

I drove one of these for a couple of years at oaky creek coal mine in Queensland australia

wonderfully detailed as always. You are a great presenter.

These were a unque design to say the least! Only large loader built with the offset cab. Seems like they were trying to replicate other loading tools of the time ie: shovels. Operators who ran them said they were great to see out of with that offset cab. A very large loader when they came out as they had 50% more capacity than the 992s of the time. Not so well known is that Dart made an electric version of these to compete with the large LeTourneaus. It was the model DE620 with two electric motors, one going into each differential. Another great video PA of a very rare machine!

That’s a very unique loader that seems to have been ahead of it’s time!!…it’s too bad they didn’t make more of them because they seem to a great deal of forethought and engineering put into them!..from what I know, their trucks were no different and performed quite well!!…love the vids my friend!!..you are extremely knowledgeable about any equipment but especially the old gear which I’m most interested in!!!..keep it up!..

Love that Steering Wheel on the Dart Loader, it seems like these days equipment names get bought and sold, I think some of the Unit Rig equipment might be manufactured under CAT possibly especially with Haul Trucks.

Really cool Justin Thank ya! I never heard of them But pretty neat how they were designed Hoping to see Tyler’s mine around Ligonier over Thanksgiving!

That’s wild. It sounds like Dart had some very good ideas.

Nicely done

Cool looking old loader

innovations that the other manufacturers never picked up on

Good video. Thank you.

Now that is something very cool and different..

Very interesting

The offset cab is worth the price of admission alone. Instead of having to 'look through the boom and bucket' during loading you can actually see everything. Really nice feature. Is this old loader still in operation or has it been "parked"? Thanks for another excellent video.

Read about them and seen photos, but never seen one in as much detail at this. Ahead of there time. How successful were they i don't know Great video thanks.

We had one of these at Paraburdoo mine west Australia 1970

Thanks, Pal and I never Darted but I bet it was a big bear with the 16V in it. Thanks again and Blessings!

Awesome

My farther operated a Dart loader in the 70’s, in the coal fields of Eastern Ky. A very odd duck it was with the off set cab.

Interesting machine. Seems like it was kinda the top of the line in it's day.

Offset cab and an ejector bucket option? I think Dart's engineers took some heavy inspiration from underground LHDs. All it's missing is side seating!

OK so I have a couple of questions but first of all I need to clarify something. I am a totally blind person, so these questions are related to what the loader actually looks like.. first of all is the cab narrow like an excavator cab or is it wide like a wheel loader cab, and is it on the left or right side of the machine?

What is the bigger loader parked beside it

Is that old tandem drive dump truckstill around from one of your videos from around 6 ish years ago

Does the other Dart in the video get used anymore or is it a parts machine? Looks a little worse for wear. This one appears to see some action from time to time, looks to well maintained to be retired

Hey, I didn’t happen to see how that machine shifted into gears, did it have a gear selector or something?

Now this vehicle will not pass the California emission standards so with the cab being all set, is it more beneficial than having the cab in the middle?

PAMINING for president 2024

Looks like a well thought out design. I suppose they aren’t made any more. Too bad

somebody got new boots.

We had four of these things in northern Canada in the mod 1980s, had the Cummins engine and Clark transmission, the rest was complete junk. Dry shoe brakes, boom nitrogen was removed after we couldn't keep nitrogen in it at -35. Hosing and electrical was the worst, downtime was the worst of all equipment

Got to love them old big heavy equipment If I could I would buy that sob just to play with it lol

That machine still in use?

I really like the narration even if it sounds like it's coming from a speak n spell

The right side of the cab looks treacherous!

What a iron dinosaur.

It would take a guy a minute to get used to that machine.

Very insteresrting machine. Unfortunatly disappear for the typicol without brains business men, Terex best know, as example

probably not as good as LeTourneau ? also rather confusing I though the company became KW Dart ?

I ran one of these at a rock quarry in cave in rock illinois it was a horse we also had Komatsu wa 800 loaders

This narrator, what a goon

You cannot beat A CAT