Used Cat 320D or 320D L: will the longer machine suit your site?
Two used Cat excavators can look much the same in a seller’s photos and still need different access arrangements. The undercarriage—the track assembly beneath the body—is the useful starting point for comparing a 320D with a 320D L. Shortlist the standard configuration where access is tight. Consider the longer one where its dimensions and fitted digging equipment suit the job, then let inspected condition and the complete quotation decide.
For work that moves between Malaysian jobs, ask every seller for the serial number, undercarriage, shoe width, boom, stick, bucket and attachments before commissioning an actual transport quotation.
What the “L” changes — and what it does not prove
Caterpillar’s archived Asia-Pacific 320D/320D L Specalog gives useful configuration-level differences. With the same 5.7 m reach boom shown in its dimensional table, the long undercarriage has a 3,650 mm length to the centre of rollers, against 3,265 mm for the standard undercarriage. Track length is 4,455 mm rather than 4,075 mm, and track gauge is 2,380 mm rather than 2,200 mm. Those are meaningful physical differences for access, trailer planning and the working footprint.
The same brochure’s headline weights need more care. Its 20,350 kg standard example has 600 mm shoes; its 21,550 kg long example has 800 mm shoes. That 1,200 kg gap is not a clean measure of the undercarriage alone. It is a reason to obtain the actual machine’s configuration and weight, not a reason to assume every 320D L is exactly 1.2 tonnes heavier.
| Decision | Standard undercarriage in Caterpillar’s dimensional table | Long undercarriage in Caterpillar’s dimensional table | What the buyer should decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track length | 4,075 mm | 4,455 mm | Measure the trailer arrangement and the working area for the exact machine. The long layout adds 380 mm of track length. |
| Track gauge | 2,200 mm | 2,380 mm | Check gates, temporary access and clearance around the work. Do not rely on a photograph to judge width. |
| Transport width with 600 mm shoes | 2,800 mm | 2,980 mm | A 2.9 m access constraint is a practical example: the published long configuration would already exceed it before allowing a safety margin. Confirm the fitted shoes and local transport requirements. |
| Reference operating weight | 20,350 kg with 600 mm shoes | 21,550 kg with 800 mm shoes | Ask the mover to quote the actual machine, bucket, coupler and attachments. The brochure examples are not a weighing certificate. |
| Digging arrangement | The brochure offers several reach boom/stick combinations | The same catalogue also lists long undercarriage combinations | Compare the fitted boom and stick to the job. A 5.7 m reach boom with the 3.9 m stick is listed with 7,580 mm maximum digging depth; the 2.5 m stick version is listed at 6,220 mm. The badge alone does not establish reach. |
These are configurations, not machine measurements. “Cat 320” alone is not enough for a transport or access decision.
Compare the work, not two badges
For trenching or loading work, put the required depth, reach, bucket size and attachment requirement on the same sheet as the seller’s configuration. The brochure’s reach chart illustrates why this matters: the longer 3.9 m stick gives more published depth and ground-level reach than the 2.9 m and 2.5 m choices, while the listed stick digging force is higher for the shorter sticks. That is a configuration trade-off, not a promise about the condition or output of any used machine.
For the 320D L, the stronger case is a machine whose longer undercarriage and fitted work equipment solve a real job requirement without creating an access or delivery problem. For the standard 320D, the stronger case is a site where the smaller published footprint protects access and the attached equipment still meets the job. If both machines have the same work equipment and either footprint works, condition and evidence should break the tie.
A Malaysian asking price is a lead, not a valuation
On 20 September 2026, a Mudah search for Caterpillar 320 displayed a Penang Caterpillar 320D asking RM160,000. This is one visible seller asking price on that date, not a market average, completed transaction, inspection result or proof that the unit remains available. Use it to find questions for a seller, not to set the value of another 320D or 320D L.
Ask for the machine identification plate and a cold-start and operating demonstration arranged under safe conditions. Request service and repair records tied to the serial number, then ask an appropriate independent inspector to separate immediate work from items to monitor. The high-value question is not “which one needs less maintenance?” It is “what evidence shows the undercarriage, hydraulics, engine, structure and fitted work tools are ready for my first job?”
A one-page decision sheet before you negotiate
Put these four lines beside each quotation:
- Job fit: required depth/reach, material, bucket and attachments; seller’s exact boom, stick and bucket.
- Access and delivery: site and gate measurements, shoe width, full machine dimensions, mover’s written scope and price.
- Condition evidence: serial-linked records, inspection findings, included repairs and written warranty or exclusions.
- Ready-to-work cost: asking price, inspection, transport, immediate repairs, attachments and first service. Leave unknown items blank until quoted; zero is not an estimate.
Delay the purchase if the seller will not identify the configuration, permit a suitable inspection or state what is included. The better alternative may be another used unit, a rental quote for the confirmed job, or repairing the current machine while you obtain complete evidence.
Sources and scope
The Caterpillar brochure is a configuration reference, not proof of an individual used machine. Mudah is a seller-claim discovery source. No machine was inspected or tested, and no repair cost or saving is claimed.
Get an Equipment Deal Review
Found an excavator you are considering on Mudah or another marketplace? Send the listing or seller’s quotation, model, year, price, photographs, intended work and any inspection findings to Ing Heng. The team will review the price, asset details, documents and financing fit, then guide your next step with equipment financing. When you are ready to proceed with hire purchase, Ing Heng can arrange a viewing with you.