Equipment World Digital Magazine
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inches. An optional quick-attach and 12 gallon-per-minute hydrau- lic circuit allows the use of com- mon skid steer attachments on the front of the Model 601. While factory-installed options are available, it's often the dealer who's tasked with finding solu- tions to customers' needs. Basic Equipment graders are sometimes used for levee work involving extreme side slopes. Counter- weights help the grader resist roll-over in these conditions. And, because the 601 is hydro- static drive with no mechanical coupling between the engine and the drive, the company has mounted the entire engine as- sembly on a pivot so it remains upright on these side slopes and doesn't starve the sump of oil. While Berry Tractor and Equip- ment mostly sells Komatsu grad- ers, they also offer Mauldin Pav- ing equipment, including graders. Part of Berry Tractor's offering is the Handy Hitch Profile Pack- er/Roller, a pneumatic-tire unit that uses hydraulic downforce to compact soil behind the grader. For customers whose graders are spec'ed with grade control, Berry Tractor will piggyback a second- ary hydraulic controller to allow electrohydraulic (EH) functional- ity for use with those systems, while retaining non-EH feel and control for the operator. Jon Berry, Berry Tractor com- pany president, says telematics use is mixed among his custom- ers, with private contractors using it the least and governmental agencies using it the most. "Our company helps customers, even those with a single grader, to get the most from telematics, and one way to do that is to improve their service procedures," he says. Steve Sanders with Berry Trac- tor also cites the complexity of modern equipment as a key reason for customers to under- stand and use the capabilities of telematics. "We used to say, 'This isn't rocket science.' But now it kind of is," he says. Telematics help ensure service is done effi- ciently, on even the most sophis- ticated machines. And the benefit of that so- phistication is a more versatile machine. Beyond being able to move more dirt due to power increases, modern graders can move dirt with greater precision. "Machine guidance technology al- lows motor graders to go beyond flat surfaces." says Bauer. "They can effectively work on complex slopes. This is pushing graders into more technical grading appli- cations, such as golf courses and landscaping." EquipmentWorld.com | December 2016 29 Untitled-25 1 11/16/16 9:58 AM