Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/548484
August 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 40 MACHINE OPTIONS Rating Light counterweight (7,937 pounds) 9.5 One additional rearview camera 8.0 9-foot, 7 inch arm assembly 9.5 9-foot, 7 inch HD arm assembly 8.7 9-foot, 7 inch HD arm with piping 8.5 18-foot, 8-inch boom assembly 9.0 18-foot, 8-inch HD arm with piping 9.3 Full front cab guard, OPG Level 2 10.0 Bolt-on top guard, OPG Level 2 10.0 Lower front window guard 8.8 High pressure in line hydraulic filters 8.8 Hydraulic control unit, one actuator 9.3 Rain visor 8.7 Revolving frame undercover, heavy duty 9.0 Shoes, triple grouser, 28-inches 9.7 Straight travel pedal 10.0 Track roller guards, full length 9.0 Front working light, one additional 9.5 Grade control systems 9.0 Hydraulic couplers 9.5 Hydraulic kits, field installed 9.0 PSM thumbs 9.7 Rockland thumbs 10.0 Vandalism protection with storage box 9.7 TOTAL 9.3 Machine description I ntroduced about three years ago, the Komatsu PC210LC-10 re- placed the dash-8 model and features a new travel motor and final drive assemblies for increased drawbar pull and steering and slope climbing performance. A 158-horsepower engine with a hydraulically actuated variable geometry turbocharger powers the unit. The operating weight is 48,950 pounds to 52,036 pounds and the bucket capacity is 0.66 to 1.57 cubic yards. What the company calls an "arm-quick" return circuit puts some pep in your cycle times. A joystick pushbutton "Power Max" feature cranks up the breakout force for 8.5 seconds when a knockout punch is needed. Maximum arm crowd force and bucket digging force are both up 7 percent from the dash-8 models. Komatsu claims a 10-percent fuel economy improvement over the dash-8 models, thanks primarily to improvements in the hydraulic system. The hydraulic system is closed center and load sensing with large displacement and high flow output. A heated, air-suspension seat comes standard. An in-cab moni- tor offers expanded functionality, including an attachment control screen that lets you name and set hydraulic parameters for up to 10 different attachments. The monitor will also alert the operator when oil and filter replacements are due. Komtrax equipment monitoring comes standard and lets you access the machine's telematics data from any internet con- nected device. reader reviews | continued A look at our reviewers For more details on individual reviews go to equipmentworld.com/reviews. W e found our 10 reviewers through Randall-Reilly's Equipment Data Associates division, which tracks financed purchases of construction equipment, and verified each reviewer had a Komatsu PC210LC-10. In total, our reviewers put more than 14,844 hours on their ma- chines; hours ranged from 547 to 3,100, with an average of 1,484 hours. All reviewers bought their machines between 2013 and 2015. All reviews were reported anonymously, except when we received permission to use the reviewer's name. OPERATOR FEATURES Rating Cab size, roominess 9.2 Controls, ease of use 9.2 Ease of entry and exit 9.0 Standard seat: comfort, ergonomics 9.2 Visibility forward 9.2 Visibility rear and sides 9.0 Dash displays, instrumentation panel 9.1 In-cab storage 9.0 Foot room 9.2 TOTAL 9.1 Operator Features 9.1 out of 10 In terms of an overall score, our reviewers seem to ap- preciate the PC210LC-10's comfort. But when it comes to being inside a machine all day it's easy to spot areas for improvement and the individual components to this category certainly bear that out. "I could nitpick that there's not much room for a lunch- box behind the seat," Solsma says. Indeed, the machine's in-cab storage score of 9 was tied for the lowest among all operator features. (Ease of entry and exit along with visibility rear and sides scored a 9 as well.) For the most part though, our reviewers agree with Nelson who says, "The cab is very comfortable and quiet." with the Rockland thumbs, straight travel pedal, full front cab guard (OPG Level 2) and bolt-on top guard (OPG Level 2) all receiving perfect scores. Solsma notes his machine is equipped with a hydrau- lic thumb. "I've got a hydraulic thumb on it and I really like that thumb. It comes in handy a lot," he says."