Caterpillar VPS-35
Maintenance schedule, common problems & OEM parts breakdown
The Caterpillar VPS-35 is a passive, mechanical demolition shear work tool, not a self-propelled machine. Built on Verachtert engineering and sold under Cat's V-prefix demolition/scrap tool line, it carries no engine, ECM, or onboard hydraulic system — jaw actuation draws entirely on the carrier machine's boom or stick hydraulic cylinder. Jaw opening runs near 345 mm (13.6 in) and tool operating weight near 1.2 t (2,650 lb), sized for material handlers and telehandlers in the 15-32 t (33,000-70,500 lb) class — Cat has not published an independent Specalog confirming these figures, so verify with your dealer before matching the tool to a carrier. Documented host-machine fitment covers the TH580B telehandler and the W330B, W345B Series II and W345C wheeled material handler platforms, mounted via a dedicated stick or boom bracket sized to the carrier rather than a universal quick coupler. It sits alongside sibling tools in the same family, the smaller VPC-30 mechanical pulverizer and the larger VPC-50/VPC-60 pulverizers and VPS-45 shear, sharing bolts, seals, and mounting hardware across the line.
Cat has not published a documented generational split for the VPS-35 itself. Unlike some related pulverizer siblings where an engine-tier or bushing-scheme change is catalogued, no distinct VPS-35 series or running change has surfaced in available parts or service literature, and no confirmed serial-prefix range exists to anchor one. What is documented is family-wide parts commonality: shared bolts, lip seals, and bracket hardware across VPC-30, VPC-50/60, and VPS-45 point to a common Verachtert-era design generation rather than a Cat-specific redesign partway through production. In the used and parts market the VPS-35 shows up as an entry point into material-handler-class demolition shearing, valued for the wear parts (tips, edges, pins, bushings) it shares with its siblings rather than for standalone factory documentation. Buyers and shops sourcing this tool should expect to lean on a dealer or the carrier's own service network rather than a published Specalog when verifying fitment or ordering parts.
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.
Caterpillar VPS-35 specifications
Engine
| Power source | None. The VPS-35 is a passive, excavator-mounted mechanical shear with no onboard engine, ECM, or fault codes. Jaw actuation draws on the host excavator's own hydraulic circuit rather than a dedicated power unit on the attachment. |
Weights
| Operating weight | Not published in any available spec sheet or dealer catalog for this exact model. Verify current weight with your Cat dealer before matching this shear to a carrier's lift/hydraulic rating. |
| Shipping weight | Not documented publicly. |
Dimensions
| Transport length/width/height | Not documented publicly. |
| Jaw geometry | Not documented publicly. Parts data show upper and lower jaw assemblies, a link group, and a mounting/bracket group typical of a straight (non-rotating) mechanical shear, but no published throat depth, jaw opening, or blade-length figures could be confirmed. |
Performance
| Cutting force / jaw opening force | Not published in any available source. As a mechanical shear, cutting force depends on the carrier's hydraulic supply rather than an attachment-rated figure, but no manufacturer figure could be confirmed. |
Service capacities (summary)
| Fluid capacities | Not applicable in the conventional sense. The attachment has no independent fuel tank, engine oil, or cooling system; jaw actuation runs off the carrier excavator's own hydraulic reservoir and fluid, so there is no attachment-specific service capacity to publish. |
Values vary by configuration, region, and serial range — confirm against your machine before planning transport or lifts.
VPS-35 fluids & capacities
| System | Capacity | Recommended fluid |
|---|---|---|
| Engine crankcase (with filter) | Not applicable — VPS-35 has no engine | Not applicable |
| Cooling system | Not applicable — no engine, no coolant circuit | Not applicable |
| Fuel tank | Not applicable — no engine, no fuel system | Not applicable |
| Transmission/powertrain | Not applicable — VPS-35 has no powertrain of its own | Not applicable |
| Final drives | Not applicable — no final drives on this work tool | Not applicable |
| Hydraulic system and tank | Not applicable — the shear runs off the carrier excavator's hydraulic system; it carries no oil reservoir of its own | Follow the carrier machine's own hydraulic oil spec (varies by host excavator) |
| Axles/differentials | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Grease (jaw pins and bushings) | Spec only — no charge volume published; apply until fresh grease purges at each fitting per service interval | Cat Multipurpose Grease with Moly (Cat MPGM). Standard multipurpose grease with 3-5% molybdenum disulfide, suited to shock-loaded pin joints. No separate cold/hot-climate viscosity split is called out for this grease grade. |
Capacities are refill values from factory literature — always fill to the dipstick/sight gauge, not the number.
Caterpillar VPS-35 maintenance schedule
| Service interval | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Every 50 h |
|
| Every 250 h |
|
| Every 500 h |
|
| Every 1,000 h |
|
| Every 2,000 h |
|
| Every 4,000 h |
|
Servicing the VPS-35 beyond the schedule
Predictive Maintenance & Wear Monitoring
The VPS-35 carries no engine or onboard hydraulics to sample, so predictive maintenance centers on visual and dimensional tracking instead of fluid analysis. Log cutting-tip and blade-edge thickness at each service interval to chart wear trend rather than wait for a chipped edge. Check pivot pins for early side play, since a slow grease-starvation trend shows up as knock before the pin actually fails. Where the carrier's implement circuit feeds the shear cylinder, route that oil through the carrier's own scheduled analysis program to catch contamination before it reaches the shear's seals.
Corrective & Common Repairs
Most VPS-35 repairs are wear-part swaps, not structural fixes. Bolt-on cutting tips and edges unbolt, flip, or replace once the primary face rounds over or chips; dowels at the tip-to-jaw interface carry the shear load off the bolts, so confirm dowel fit before retorquing. Pivot pins and bushings showing measurable play get pulled and replaced as a set rather than individually, since mismatched wear on old and new parts accelerates failure. Cylinder seal leaks usually trace back to the carrier's own circuit contamination, not a fault in the shear itself.
Overhaul & Rebuild Points
A full jaw rebuild becomes worthwhile once tip and edge wear runs past regrind tolerance or the jaw casting shows stress cracking near the apex, where cutting force concentrates most. Pin bores worn oversized need weld-and-rebore repair rather than an oversized pin, to keep bushing clearance within spec. Rebuild pivot bushings as a full set, since one fresh bushing against worn mates just relocates the play elsewhere. Recheck mounting bracket welds and bolt-hole elongation at overhaul; a bracket sized wrong for the carrier fatigues faster than the jaw itself does.
Seasonal & Environment Servicing
Cold-weather demolition work calls for Cat Multipurpose Grease with Moly to stay workable at the pivot pins; a stiffened grease that won't purge fully at low temperature leaves the bushing under-lubricated exactly when shock loads are highest. Wet or corrosive demolition sites, concrete slurry, rebar dust, standing water, accelerate corrosion on exposed pin surfaces and bracket welds, so increase greasing frequency and rinse debris from the jaw throat and pivot area after each shift. Store the tool with jaws closed and pins freshly greased when idle for extended periods to limit surface rust.
VPS-35 attachments & work tools
Product family
VPS-35 sits in Cat's V-prefix demolition/scrap tool line built on Verachtert engineering for wheeled material handlers and telehandlers. It shares its mounting hardware and several wear parts with sibling tools in the same family — the smaller VPC-30 mechanical pulverizer and the larger VPC-50/VPC-60 pulverizers and VPS-45 shear — so parts commonality across the family is a selling point, not spec bleed between different tools.
Host machine class
Documented fitment (via cross-model hardware listings, not a standalone Specalog) covers the TH580B telehandler and the W330B, W345B Series II and W345C wheeled material handlers. It is not documented for crawler excavators — stay within the wheeled material-handler/telehandler class rather than assuming excavator stick-mount fitment.
Size class and capacity
Jaw opening is about 345 mm with a tool operating weight near 1.2 t, matched to carriers in roughly the 15-32 t class. That places it below Cat's excavator-mount mobile shears (the smallest of that separate line, the S305, is already a 240 mm-opening, ~0.6 t tool for skid steers and mini-excavators) — the VPS-35 is a purpose-built material-handler tool, not a rebadged excavator shear.
Mounting and bracket
Fits via a dedicated stick or boom bracket sized to the host material handler/telehandler, not a universal pin-grabber quick coupler. Cat's practice on this weight class of mechanical/hydro-mechanical grapples, shears and pulverizers is a shared welded mounting plate across tools of the same carrier weight class, which speeds tool changes but ties the bracket to a specific machine size — confirm bracket compatibility for the exact host machine and prefix with your dealer.
Rotation and grapple circuit
On the W345B Series II material handler platform this tool class draws from the machine's dedicated rotate circuit — about 38 L/min (10 gpm) through a separate gear pump with a fully adjustable control valve, feeding up to roughly 20 690 kPa (3000 psi). The adjustable valve lets the dealer tune flow to the tool's own rotation requirement rather than running it at a fixed factory setting.
Implement hydraulic circuit
Cutting/clamping power comes off the carrier's main implement circuit, rated up to about 34 340 kPa (4980 psi) on the W345B Series II platform. Cat does not publish a standalone relief-pressure or flow spec for the VPS-35 tool itself — verify the exact cutting-circuit requirement with your dealer before ordering a field hydraulic kit.
Guarding and cab protection
For this class of scrap and demolition work Cat offers a factory/dealer-installed cab guard system providing top and front operator protection, plus a front-window rain protector, as options on the host material handler. These guards are recommended wherever falling or flying debris is a risk, matching Cat's general falling-object-guard guidance for its mechanical shear line.
Configuration notes
Material handler carriers in this class are typically ordered with a two-piece Cat material-handling front, a raised cab riser for downward visibility over scrap piles, and a hydraulically driven generator/magnet option as a separate work tool alongside grapples and shears — the VPS-35 shares the machine's rotate and implement circuits with these other tool options rather than needing a fully separate hydraulic system.
All VPS-35 assemblies by section
Every catalogued assembly group for the Caterpillar VPS-35. Open an assembly to preview the parts inside — full OEM part numbers are available in Heavy Parts AI.
Frame And Body
169-8896 Housing Gp-Shear
| 15***21 | Lockwasher | 8 |
| 16***41 | Bushing | 2 |
| 16***96 | Housing Group-Shear | 1 |
169-7166 Housing Gp-Shear
| 15***21 | Lockwasher | 8 |
| 16***73 | Jaw As-Lower | 1 |
| 16***55 | Bushing | 2 |
170-8288 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***38 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***88 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***97 | Link Group | 1 |
184-3511 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***38 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***02 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 18***00 | Link Group | 1 |
170-8275 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***54 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***75 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***77 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
170-8287 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***53 | Link Group | 1 |
| 16***54 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***87 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
170-8289 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***38 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***89 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***98 | Link Group | 1 |
170-8290 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***38 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***90 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***99 | Link Group | 1 |
170-8286 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***71 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 16***69 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***86 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
169-8897 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***37 | Link Group | 1 |
| 16***38 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 16***97 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
169-4910 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***71 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 16***10 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 16***69 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
184-9823 Mounting Gp-Shear
| 16***38 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***03 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 18***20 | Link Group | 1 |
Service Equipment And Supplies
169-7168 Kit-Maintenance
| 16***86 | Shim; (1-mm Thk) | 2 |
| 16***88 | Shim; (1.5-mm Thk) | 2 |
| 16***72 | Shim; (1-mm Thk) | 2 |
169-8898 Kit-Maintenance
| 16***86 | Shim; (1-mm Thk) | 2 |
| 16***88 | Shim; (1.5-mm Thk) | 1 |
| 16***74 | Shim; (0.5-mm Thk) | 6 |
177-3831 Plate & Film Gp
| 14***36 | Film-Warning; (Flying Debris) | 2 |
| 14***69 | Film-Warning; (Alert) | 3 |
| 14***70 | Film-Warning; (Read Omm) | 3 |
177-3830 Plate & Film Gp
| 14***36 | Film-Warning; (Flying Debris) | 2 |
| 14***69 | Film-Warning; (Alert) | 3 |
| 14***70 | Film-Warning; (Read Omm) | 3 |
Work Tool Arrangement
177-3802 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 17***89 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***02 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***96 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
189-2895 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 18***11 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 18***95 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***96 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
177-3796 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 17***86 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***96 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***95 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
177-3797 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 17***87 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***97 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***95 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
177-3795 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 17***75 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***95 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***95 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
177-3794 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 16***10 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***94 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***95 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
177-3803 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 17***90 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***03 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***96 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
189-2896 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 18***23 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 18***96 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***96 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
177-3800 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 16***97 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***00 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***96 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
177-3801 Shear Ar-Mechanical
| 17***88 | Mounting Group-Shear | 1 |
| 17***01 | Shear Ar-Mechanical | 1 |
| 20***96 | Shear Group-Mechanical | 1 |
Work Tools
169-3154 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 1 |
| 16***92 | Pin | 1 |
| 16***54 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
170-8303 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 16***01 | Pin; (590 mm) | 1 |
| 17***03 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***08 | Bracket As | 1 |
169-3438 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 2 |
| 16***38 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 16***56 | Bracket As | 1 |
169-3071 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 1 |
| 16***71 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 16***91 | Bracket As | 1 |
170-8301 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 16***01 | Pin; (590 mm) | 1 |
| 17***01 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***06 | Bracket As | 1 |
170-8302 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 16***01 | Pin; (590 mm) | 1 |
| 17***02 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***07 | Bracket As | 1 |
169-8899 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 16***99 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 16***00 | Bracket As | 1 |
| 16***01 | Pin; (590 mm) | 1 |
169-7169 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 16***69 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 16***71 | Bracket As | 1 |
| 16***73 | Pin; (501 mm) | 1 |
170-8277 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 16***73 | Pin; (501 mm) | 1 |
| 17***77 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***79 | Bracket As | 1 |
170-8300 Bracket Gp-Mounting
| 16***73 | Pin; (501 mm) | 1 |
| 17***00 | Bracket Group-Mounting | 1 |
| 17***05 | Bracket As | 1 |
169-7177 Edge Gp-Cutting
| 14***87 | Screw-Flat Head | 2 |
| 14***75 | Bolt; (M20x2.5x75-Thd) | 6 |
| 16***85 | Edge-Cutting | 4 |
169-8904 Edge Gp-Cutting
| 14***98 | Screw-Flat Head; (M20x2.5x90-mm) | 6 |
| 14***87 | Screw-Flat Head | 3 |
| 16***85 | Edge-Cutting | 1 |
184-3500 Link Gp
| 08***79 | Bearing; (Sleeve) | 2 |
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 16***87 | Bushing | 2 |
169-3437 Link Gp
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 16***87 | Bushing | 2 |
| 16***37 | Link Group | 1 |
170-8278 Link Gp
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 09***54 | Seal; (Id=79.85mm) | 4 |
| 16***58 | Bushing; (50mm) | 2 |
184-9820 Link Gp
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 14***47 | Bearing-Sleeve | 2 |
| 16***87 | Bushing | 2 |
170-8296 Link Gp
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 09***54 | Seal; (Id=79.85mm) | 4 |
| 16***58 | Bushing; (50mm) | 2 |
170-8299 Link Gp
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 14***47 | Bearing-Sleeve | 2 |
| 16***87 | Bushing | 2 |
170-8297 Link Gp
| 08***48 | Bearing-Sleeve; (120mm Lg) | 2 |
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 16***87 | Bushing | 2 |
170-8298 Link Gp
| 08***48 | Bearing-Sleeve; (120mm Lg) | 2 |
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 16***87 | Bushing | 2 |
169-3153 Link Gp
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 16***53 | Link Group | 1 |
| 16***57 | Link As | 1 |
169-7170 Link Gp
| 09***48 | Nipple, Grease | 3 |
| 09***54 | Seal; (Id=79.85mm) | 4 |
| 16***58 | Bushing; (50mm) | 2 |
202-5296 Shear Gp-Mechanical
| 16***96 | Housing Group-Shear | 1 |
| 16***98 | Kit-Maintenance | 1 |
| 17***31 | Plate & Film Group | 1 |
202-5295 Shear Gp-Mechanical
| 16***66 | Housing Group-Shear | 1 |
| 16***68 | Kit-Maintenance | 1 |
| 17***30 | Plate & Film Group | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
What powers the Caterpillar VPS-35 shear?
Nothing onboard. The VPS-35 has no engine, ECM, or hydraulic pump of its own. It is a passive work tool that mounts to a carrier material handler or telehandler and draws jaw-closing force entirely from that carrier's boom or stick hydraulic cylinder and implement circuit.
What is the operating weight of the VPS-35?
Cat has not published an official operating weight for the VPS-35. It runs near 1.2 t (about 2,650 lb), sized for carriers in the 15-32 t class, but the figure is not confirmed by a Cat Specalog — verify it against your specific unit before matching the tool to a carrier's lift rating.
What replaced the Caterpillar VPS-35?
No publicly documented successor exists for the VPS-35. It sits in the same V-prefix family as the larger VPS-45 shear and the VPC-30/VPC-50/VPC-60 pulverizers, sharing mounting hardware and wear parts, but none of those is documented as a direct replacement. Treat the VPS-35 as its own current listing until a dealer confirms otherwise.
What VPS-35 owners discuss
How do the jaws wear on a VPS-35 over normal demolition use?
What causes pin and bushing wear on the jaw pivots, and how is it prevented?
Are the cutting tips/edges replaceable, or does the whole jaw need to come off?
Does the VPS-35 fit any carrier excavator, or is bracket selection critical?
What hydraulic issues show up since the shear has no cylinder or pump of its own?
What should a buyer inspect on a used VPS-35 before purchase?
Compiled from owner and technician discussions across the industry — experiences vary by serial range and machine history.
Need a specific VPS-35 part?
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