How do you know when to buy a new loader?

Raymond Walsh in conjunction with William Adams

We look at what is new in technology, manufacturers tend to update models every 5 years or so, for this reason we like to wait for the latest model and features to be released which requires the heads up from suppliers who usually know well in advance of a new model release. If we are going out to
buy something new we like to get the advantages of the latest technology and efficiencies.

Walsh Ballarat Quarries tend to buy one new machine at a time and cycle older machines into secondary or backup roles like most quarries. This usually means that we dispose of the oldest loader from our fleet when the new one arrives.

The five year buying cycle generally equates to around 10,000 or 12,000 hours of operation between updating our loaders which is a good time to look at new models and rebuild the older machine for a second life.

Technology can change a lot in five years so to be operating 15 and 20 year old machines in your front line customer sales areas is not good for business, the service you provide, image perceived by customers and the operations efficiency and safety are improved when you run the latest machines.

Speed and visibility are important with a sales loader as they are travelling around multiple stockpiles loading sales. We also look at the ideal pass match for truck loading and capability to blend and perform load and carry work.

Truck and trailer body size combinations have increased over the years so we need to consider the long term when we buy a loader that may be in our fleet for 10-15 years. It does require a little crystal ball gazing but we need to consider what the future requirements might be.

Regulations on safety and emissions are also important considerations. These days safety considerations such as visibility, noise levels, operator comfort and access are an important part of the selection process.

There is an increased need to be environmentally conscious and active which can include everything from planning your quarry so that it is visually aesthetic to buying equipment that meets the latest or even future emissions standards.

Diesel engine emissions are here to stay and with the introduction of Tier 3 a whole new range of engines and technology are required to comply.

We generally rent our new machines for six months with an offer to buy an ex rental unit, it allows us to try the new machine over an extended period before we buy. While we like to demo new models on our sites, a day or a few hours to demo a machine is often not enough to get a full understanding of how the machine will perform and what we are buying so renting first gives us peace of mind that the machine will do the job and gain some confidence in its performance and reliability.

This is also a good financial option as the rent can be fully expensed to the business and the amount to finance is reduced.

Skills required for maintaining and repairing equipment have to be kept up to date and this is sometimes difficult when it is not our core business. More and more businesses are becoming reliant on suppliers to provide the expertise of qualified people.

The fact that we may be liable if things go wrong through the use of non-suitably trained people has changed the way we look at doing things.

We can’t be the experts on everything these days and have the qualifications kept up to date so we have to rely on qualified contractor trades people to do the job. Which at the end of the day is usually more efficient and reduces your risk.

Our new Caterpillar 972H sales loader at Dunnstown is serviced for 4,800 hours by William Adams as part of the 3748 support agreement and we can generally get this done when it suits us as the service trucks operate seven days per week. This agreement also has 48 hour downtime backup support, total machine warranty to 6000 hours if you continue the services beyond the 4800 hours and guaranteed response times. It enables Walsh Ballarat Quarries to have a clear owning and operating cost up front which gives us peace of mind.

Raymond Walsh
Walsh Ballarat Quarries

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