December 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com
22
machine matters
|
by Richard Ries
Some machines are exciting because of the array of features,
applications and attachments they support. Motor graders…
not so much. They do one thing. They move dirt. So, how do
OEMs build excitement for these one-dimensional machines?
By making them better at doing that one thing.
MOTOR GRADERS
GET BETTER AT
ONE THING
It's almost universally true that Tier 4 Final engines
provide better fuel effi ciency than Tier 4 Interim and
earlier engines. The Tier 4 Final Komatsu GD655-6 has
the same peak gross horsepower as the Tier 3 GD655-5 it
replaces (221 horsepower), but Komatsu estimates a fuel
savings of 5 percent in Power mode and 15 percent in Eco
mode. This is on top of the 20 percent fuel savings the -5
model provided over its predecessor, the GD655-3.
