John Deere CT322/CT332: tipping loads, attachment hydraulics and service

CT322/CT332 capacity figures describe loads, not angles

The original Deere brochure identifies 6,400 and 9,200 pounds as tipping loads. They are not degrees of tilt. Its rated operating capacities are lower and use a stated fraction of tipping load, with separate rows for the two rating conventions.

A buyer comparing pallet work should first match that convention and the installed attachment; the full tipping-load figure is not a working payload.

Bucket shape changes another result. Deere prints different breakout forces for the heavy-duty foundry bucket and the construction bucket. The stronger figure does not describe every bucket attached to that loader.

Reach at dumping also has separate bucket entries, so measuring a fitted bucket is useful before deciding whether the machine will load the intended truck.

The engine comparison separates gross from net output. The net test includes the air cleaner, exhaust, alternator and cooling fan; the gross rating excludes the fan. Those two columns should not be combined into an unexplained power range.

The CT322 uses a four-cylinder PowerTech engine, while the CT332's detailed engine table specifies five cylinders. Match that table and the engine plate when sourcing parts; the brochure's condensed standard-equipment list contains a shared four-cylinder description.

Attachment delivery and the equipment behind the controls

The standard auxiliary flow differs between these loaders, and each offers an additional high-flow package. Coupler pressure is specified separately for each model. For a hydraulic tool, establish both the fitted flow package and the applicable pressure before comparing it with the tool's requirements.

A universal attachment mount does not establish hydraulic suitability.

Power-operated Quik-Tatch and hydraulic bucket self-leveling are optional equipment. They should be demonstrated independently of normal boom and bucket movement. The brochure also places optional electrohydraulic joysticks in the CT332 column; it does not establish that every CT322 has that control package.

A switch or indicator label is insufficient proof that an option is installed and working.

Service access and shutdown observations

The hydraulic cooler swings out at the rear door, and the operator station pivots for deeper service access. Inspect for debris behind the cooler as well as on its exposed face. The brochure's extended engine-oil interval is conditional on the specified Deere oil and filter; it is not permission to extend an unknown previous owner's service schedule.

An automatic protection system monitors engine-oil pressure and fluid temperatures, gives an audible warning and can stop the machine. If a used loader shuts down during a demonstration, retain the displayed code and warning conditions before restarting it. The presence system can also apply the parking brake when the seat belt is released or the operator leaves the seat.

Those are different events, and bypassing an interlock does not diagnose either one.