In mid-November, Shire of Esperance took delivery of a new Komatsu D85EX-15EO dozer, making the purchase decision based on value for money, and the service and support it has received from Komatsu with other machines.

Based in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia about 400 km south of Kalgoorlie, the main industry in the Shire is farming, and it has a significant network of unsealed roads. The primary application for the new Komatsu dozer is winning limestone-sourced material from council owned gravel pits for road construction, said Craig Shearer, the shire’s workshop supervisor.

“We use the dozer for stripping vegetation and surface material, then ripping and pushing the limestone gravel for road base and sacrificial materials,” he said. “In opting for the D85, we’ve upped the weight by 6 or 7 tonnes compared with our previous dozer, as well as increased the horsepower, so it’s just fantastic.

“We’ve gone from about 1100 cu m a day with the previous machine to around 1500-1600 cu m, and because of the increased weight, we don’t have to do so much ripping,” said Craig. “And when we are ripping, it’s got a really good ripping action with the variable pitch on it. The operator and supervisor really enjoy working with this machine, so it’s going really well for us.”

Craig said an important element in the Shire’s decision to go with the Komatsu dozer is due to the experience it had with a Komatsu GD555-5 grader it bought in 2015.

“We’ve had really good service, support and availability with that machine. Komatsu offers a very good warranty for the first three years – no one else seems to match it – plus it was very good dollar value.

“Originally, we had that machine doing road construction, resheeting, and so on, and we’ve now put it into maintenance works. ”Komatsu’s three-year Komplimentary Maintenance offering was a big reason why the Shire opted for the Komatsu dozer this time around.

“That’s a big part of why we went with Komatsu; it really helps us in terms of value for money,” said Craig. Komatsu’s maintenance people also work with the Shire to minimise inconvenience for scheduled servicing.

“Their nearest workshop to us is in Kalgoorlie, which is about 400km from here, but it works really well for us. “They are happy to do all our scheduled servicing on a Saturday or Sunday when the machines are not being used, so we have no downtime. And because of the two-year warranty, we are not being charged for travel, filters or other parts.

“We’ve been very happy with Komatsu’s service,” Craig said. “They are constantly checking that we are happy with the machine, asking how it’s going, and their people really know their stuff, which makes them great to deal with.”

Source: Komatsu