- Application/ Operating Weight. – Get the Right Size ! Based on the particular job application or general scope of work that will be required, you need to choose the matching size & operating weight. Underestimating your weight can lead to premature wear of essential components, and lower overall productivity, while overestimating leads to increased capital cost and generally is a waste of fuel. Adding a coupler reduces your excavators leverage and limits the size of bucket you can effectively use. The length of the stick also affects the specifications, with a shorter stick increasing capacity and a longer stick reducing capacity.
- Attachments; Excavators are versatile machines and each weight class has a wide range of jobs it can fulfill. With so many different attachments available an excavator can do just about anything, from having a dozer blade for back grading, to hammering rocks, or having a fully rotating tilt bucket, forks or shears. Job specific attachments are guaranteed to improve productivity, which leads into the essential role of auxiliary hydraulics.
- Hydraulics; If you have requirements for attachments you will need auxiliary hydraulics, and depending on what kind of attachments you run the specifications for the aux. hydraulics need to be suitable for that attachment or it will not work properly. It is always best to at least have some basic auxiliary hydraulics as it adds resale value to your piece of equipment even if you don’t use them all the time. Specialized Attachments require different hydraulic flow rates, multi-functional often require 2 way flow and sometimes additional case drain circuits. Be sure to notify your Komatsu sales representative about your specific machine purposes and they can a recommend what exactly is required for your application.
- Quality over Marketing: Some name brand heavy equipment manufacturers will give you great deals on pricing or try to captivate you by offering preventative maintenance programs or “Power by the Hour”. Remember nothing is free, always consider the overall cost of ownership throughout the life cycle is directly proportional to the quality engineering of the product. If a repair maintenance program is heavily promoted it should make you wonder about the durability factor of that equipment. Every component within a Komatsu Machine is designed and built by Komatsu, not thrown together from hundreds of different vendors. This is very important as it ensures streamlined systems of parts that are designed to work with each other resulting in a longer life with increased performance.
- Excellent After Sales Service: After purchasing a piece heavy equipment, protecting your investment with periodic maintenance is very important to avoid un-planned downtime. All Komatsu Tier 4 Machines come with “Komatsu Care” which is complimentary service for all service intervals up to the 2000hr mark or the first 3 years, including all oil and filter changes.
- Warranty: Every Komatsu comes with 1 Year. Std. full machine Warranty with Unlimited hours. Komatsu extended warranties are worth considering, as they are affordable and cover a wide range of the machine. Typically ESS offers a 3 year / 6000 hour extended powertrain warranty beyond the standard 12 month warranty, but terms can be purchased for almost any combination of time/hours up to 8 years / 12,000 hrs. Plus you can always opt for a Premier warranty which is “bumper to bumper” warranty coverage, at an unbeatable price. Why then is the Komatsu Warranty options so cheap relative to competitors? Because the product confidence is there and it is real!
- Remote monitoring system (GPS) such as KOMTRAX for Komatsu (Paid Or Free): GPS systems are usually built in most of the machines these days. Most manufacturers charge extra this service. KOMTRAX is free for the lifetime of the machine for every Komatsu machine owner. KOMTRAX will help you to know your machine’s performance better and better manage your fleet. Komtrax has been in service for over 15 years which is the longest of any manufacture, it is also the most advanced system and can send you data regarding the machine well beyond its’ GPS location, in fact you can receive service diagnostic data which comes from various engine and hydraulic sensors, fuel burn rates, work modes, attachment usage, idle time and much more. Your Komatsu machines software and firmware can also be updated wirelessly during off working hours ensuring the latest computer and hydraulic control systems are in place and functioning to their highest potential.
- Intelligent Machinery, Do you need it?; The advance of Automatic Grading technology has changed the way companies are getting the job done with quicker completion times, less over- run and accurate finished grade results. Komatsu once again is a leader in this form of technology, with the widest range of equipment with factory integrated “Intelligent Machine” components available in both Excavators and dozers. This technology is typically more useful for dozers however If you are involved with the type of work which requires grade specific qualities such as drainage, site preparation in commercial or residential developments, road building or lengthy ditch work then auto grading tools might very well be a huge benefit for your excavation job duties.
- Undercarriage; Undercarriage accounts for 70% of the overall maintenance cost in a machines lifecycle. So choosing the correct style and servicing them adequately is also very important. The width of your track shoes directly affects the ground pressure (PSI) exerted by the foot print of your machine. If you have a larger track shoe your ground pressure will decrease, which is useful for softer ground, however your traction will decrease and like-wise a narrower track will gain traction but have a higher ground pressure. The ground pressure is such an important factor that Komatsu offers different track frame and track width options to suit your needs. Komatsu also offers the best undercarriage technology in the world with its PLUS undercarriage which stands for Parallel Link Undercarriage System, this system has automatically rotating bushings and will in typical applications last twice as long as conventional undercarriage, especially useful in applications where the Excavator is travelling a lot. Komatsu also offers variable gauge undercarriage whereby both right and left track frames hydraulically extend outwards providing a much larger stable foot print, useful for over the side loading or digging work which is more stressful for the track frame and shoes, and turntable bearing if the stability is not adequate.
- Operator ergonomics; It is recommended to ask your experienced operator/s what features inside the cab that will be helpful and comfortable while operating the machine. Your operator is the one who ultimately gets the job done, therefore a happy operator promotes higher productivity. For example; Komatsu Machines come standard with a pattern change control valve so you can switch between Komatsu & CAT controls. Having an operator start with what they are familiar with helps ensure productivity when stepping into a new and different machine. Komatsu excavators come standard with all the creature comforts including a pressurized cab, floating rubber cab mounts, Air conditioning, Heat, air suspension seats, glass sunroof sliding away front windshield ensuring superior visibility
Call ESS in Ontario for all your Komatsu Equipment needs!
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