Caterpillar VHS-30

The Caterpillar VHS-30 is a passive, excavator-mounted hydraulic demolition and scrap shear built for Cat by Verachtert, sized for carrier excavators in the 15 to 25 t class. It carries no engine, ECM, or onboard hydraulic reservoir of its own: the jaw cylinder and 360-degree rotator draw entirely from the carrier's auxiliary hydraulic circuit, so its powertrain is whatever excavator it is mounted on. Two production series exist: a base-series VHS-30 built roughly 1996 to 2005 at an operating weight near 1.8 t (3,968 lb) with a 450 mm (17.7 in) jaw opening, and a later VHS-30/3 built roughly 2009 to 2012 at approximately 1.9 t (4,189 lb) with a 409 mm (16.1 in) jaw opening, 459 mm (18.1 in) jaw depth, and 3,706 kN throat cutting force. Both series ship as a fixed pin-on work tool with a mounting bracket for boom- or stick-mount installation, and the bracket pattern also accepts quick-coupler brackets so the shear can be swapped with buckets or other tools without repinning. It sits as the second-smallest member of the VHS-10/30/40/50/60/70 shear family, one size up from the VHS-10 and several sizes below the VHS-60/VHS-70 units built for excavators well past 60 t.

Across its two generations the VHS-30 tightened jaw opening and geometry while raising throat cutting force, following the same pattern Caterpillar applied across the wider VHS, VHC, and VHP Verachtert-built work-tool lines during that era. The /3-generation redesign shares its core dimensions closely with Caterpillar's current S320B in the Mobile Scrap & Demolition Shears lineup, which points to the VHS-30/3 as a direct forerunner of today's S-series before Cat consolidated the shear range under the S305 through S385C badges. Caterpillar no longer sells a VHS-30; the model line was replaced by the S-series shears, leaving used VHS-30 and VHS-30/3 units in circulation as a lower-cost option for scrap yards and demolition contractors pairing an older excavator with a proven jaw design. Parts support runs through the shared VHS10-70 parts-manual family rather than a VHS-30-specific catalog, so buyers and shops sourcing pins, bushings, blades, or seal kits should confirm generation, base series or /3, before ordering, since dimensions and wear-part fit differ between the two.

Below: full specifications, fluids & capacities, the factory service schedule, common service parts, verified fault codes, what owners discuss, attachment guidance, the complete assembly directory, and a serial-number reference. Complete parts lists with full OEM part numbers, exploded diagrams, quantities, and fitment data are available free in Heavy Parts AI.