MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK

Komatsu machines increase efficiency, productivity for two Texas entities – Parker County and the City of Gainesville Cemetery Division

Each year, the City of Gainesville’s (Texas) Cemetery Division digs approximately 150 graves. A little more than a decade ago it switched from using a backhoe to a compact excavator.

“A backhoe has tires and downriggers, so it’s potentially tearing up a large area,” pointed out Dusty Luton, who leads the division, which includes three other full-time staff members. “We also had to move three headstones to dig a grave. Switching to a compact excavator was an easy choice.”

In late 2018, the Cemetery Division replaced the original machine with a tight-tail-swing Komatsu PC35MR-5 with rubber tracks. The 24.4-horsepower model has an overall width of 5 feet, 9 inches.

“We demoed several brands, and Komatsu clearly stood out,” said Luton. “Our aisles are eight feet wide, so it easily fits within that width and creates minimal ground disturbance. With the PC35, we occasionally have to slide a headstone to the side, but 90 percent of the time we can get right to where we need to be and start excavating. Without the large counterweight, the operator doesn’t have to worry about swinging around and hitting something. It’s the perfect size for the cemetery.”

Along with the excavator, the division purchased an excavator bucket and a “cemetery bucket.” The latter is three feet wide and is shaped with a shallow pan for grave digging. 

“That bucket allows the operator to get the back wall straight,” said Luton. “We use the excavator bucket as needed for jobs such as digging water lines, and we also plumbed it for attachments. Sometimes we need to hammer rock, and the PC35 can do that, too.”

The city worked with Kirby-Smith Machinery Governmental Sales Representative James McDonnell to put the package together. “They were great throughout the entire process,” said Luton. “We love the ease of maintenance on the Komatsu with the flip-up cab, and any parts we need going forward will be through Kirby-Smith.”

Hydrostatic loader fits the bill

Like much of Texas, the population of Parker County is growing. The last census showed that nearly 117,000 people resided in the 910-square-mile area just west of Fort Worth.

The county has four precincts, each responsible for taking care of its own constituency. That includes road maintenance, ditch cleaning and other vital services. Precinct 1 is located in the northeast corner of the county, and with a staff of 16 people it covers roughly 300 miles of gravel, asphalt and concrete roadways.

“Our population is swelling, and we have an abundance of new housing going in,” said Precinct 1 Foreman Joe Brinkley. “Our road maintenance has increased as a result.”

Last year, Precinct 1 replaced an older wheel loader with a new Komatsu WA270-8 equipped with a quick coupler to easily switch from the 3.5-yard bucket to forks and vice versa. It uses the 149-horsepower machine to knock down rock piles during road maintenance, move materials and load trucks at its yard.

“Cost efficiency, meaning getting the most for your money, was a big factor, and the WA270 fits the bill,” said Brinkley. “I worked for a city in this county for many years, and we had one there, so I knew its capabilities.”

Brinkley pointed out that the newer WA270-8 has more power than the loader Precinct 1 replaced, so productivity is better. He and his operators also like the hydrostatic transmission that provides quick travel response and aggressive drive into piles. He appreciates that it delivers dynamic braking that slows the loader when the operator takes his foot off the gas pedal.

“Since we are not constantly riding the brakes, they last longer, which goes back to cost-efficiency,” Brinkley emphasized. “It’s great for inching up to trucks during loading. All around, it’s a great loader.”

Financial incentives from the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) factored into the precinct’s purchase of the WA270-8. TERP’s objective is to help eligible businesses, individuals and local governments replace older machinery with newer units that pollute less and improve air quality, according to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality’s website.

“James and Kirby-Smith were outstanding throughout the process and have continued to be of great service,” said Brinkley. “The loader is covered by Komatsu CARE, so their technicians take care of scheduled services for the first 2,000 hours or three years, which frees up our mechanics to work on other equipment during that time. As busy as we are, that’s a great benefit.”

To learn more about Komatsu CARE go here!

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