Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/268240
machine matters | continued In addition to two DPF exchang- es in the fi rst fi ve years, Komatsu CARE covers scheduled factory maintenance for the fi rst three years or 2,000 hours. Tier 4 mod- els (interim and fi nal) also get a 50-point inspection. "Used equip- ment doesn't offer this value," says Bruce Boebel, senior product manager of tracked products for Komatsu America. "An extended warranty or maintenance con- tract can usually be added to the purchase of a used excavator, but this added cost reduces the price advantage to buying used." Link-Belt's 250X3, a Tier 4 Interim machine, has the same service inter- vals and uses the same fl uids and fi lters as the Tier 3 model 240X2 it replaces. Gradall has one crawler ex- cavator in this size class, the 24.7-metric-ton XL5200 III. With a 153-horsepower engine, it's not yet required to meet Tier 4 regulations, so Gradall is skipping the whole Tier 4 Interim phase. "We'll go to Tier 4 Final across the board when the time comes," says Bill Thomas, vice president of excavator prod- ucts. "Customers have told us there's no value to them in taking a two-step approach to reach Tier 4 Final." When used makes sense So is there a time where buying used makes sense? "Yes," says Kent Pelligrini, Caterpillar excavator marketing specialist, "depending on the demand for the machine. Working where there's a lesser duty cycle, such as loading crushed rock, or anytime there are very low hours of use in a year, such as utility work, a used machine may work well." And Tier 3 models were still solid performers. "The 270D and ZX270 are fast, strong, and reli- able," says Hendry. The cab was one of the biggest in the industry and had the most foot room. If a low-hour machine is the right choice for a customer, the 270D and ZX270 are excellent options." But in some applications, buying new is the only option that makes sense, says Pelligrini. "In a demand- ing job where up-time is critical in meeting production targets, new is the right choice." That's also true in applications where the excavator is the primary mover of material in a job where annual hourly usage is high. "With jobs requiring 2,000 to 5,000 hours per year, customers need to start with a low-hour ma- chine," Pelligrini says, and new is as low-hour as you can get.