This month’s appraisal machine: A John Deere 670B grader formerly owned by a shire council.
Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising a grader MANY people are wary of motor graders because they appear so large and complicated. So firstly, let’s understand exactly what a motor grader is designed to do. A grader is a device which uses a combination of weight and horsepower to cut material to grade, either dir ectly under the machine or to the side (batter position) — a bit like a dozer blade does, but a grader is mor e sophisticated and capable of the finest adjustments. Like all wheeled equipment, graders have an engine, transmission and final drive surr ounded by the “Meccano set” of the frame and the thing that makes graders unique — the “A” frame or “T” frame which supports the tur n circle and grader blade. For the purpose of this article, we appraised a John Deer e model 670B, manufactured in 1987, with 14,000 operating hours and complete with air conditioned, low pr ofile ROPS cabin, 3.65 m mouldboard and r ear-mounted rippers. The owner was a shir e council; asking price $55,000. The initial impr ession was of good appearance, in accord with the indicated hours. Ther e were signs of r eaMAY 1998
Don Shewring, of used equipment specialist Consolidated Crane & Tractor, continues with our “non-mechanic’s” guide to appraising used equipment: in this case, a motor grader. By working your way through the points in this article, you’ll have a good guide to what a used piece of gear is worth — whether it’s your own, or one you’re considering buying. sonable periodic maintenance and r epair practices. All up, a well-maintained machine in good operating order , with pr omising indications of giving its next owner a good run for his money. Let’s now have a look at the machine. Remember our main criteria in these appraisals: 1 We haven’t got all day — allow an hour (a fitter’s appraisal will take about four hours plus travelling time) 2 What we need to know quickly is what is serviceable, what isn’t and how much to fix 3 Normal wear and tear is acceptable, for example 50% worn out, meaning 50% life remaining, is quite okay
in the world of used equipment.
The static inspection Like playing a golf shot, address the machine in the prescribed manner. For a very good r eason, I start the appraisal at the serial number plate using a pr epared check sheet. It is most important that we get the correct serial number and, ar med with that, we can consult r eference books or check with the dealer for the actual year of manufactur e. We now move ar ound the machine, taking note of tyr e size (ar e they relugged or r ecapped?) and condition, damaged or missing panels, doors, etc,
THE EARTHMOVER AND CIVIL CONTRACTOR GRADERS
Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising a grader condition of blade, lift rams, cir cle, circle drive, cir cle wear pads, “A” frame, “A” frame bearing, fr ont axle including wheel lean bearings and rams, fr ont axle stubs, wheel rims. Moving back down the other side, open engine inspection doors and check batteries, fluid levels, radiator , etc. Inspect and make notes on all attachments if fitted — scarifier , rearmounted ripper/scarifier, front
pushblock, front bulldozer blade, etc. We believe the best r esult is obtained by mentally sectionalising the machine and examining each section thor oughly before going on to the next.
Operator’s cabin Is it ROPS (most important), is it low profile (which is considered advantageous in today’s market)? Sitting in the seat, check its opera-
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tion. This is “the of fice”, so everything must be as good as it can be. Check the controls, gauges, switches, air conditioning if fitted, wipers, lights, doors and glass condition. Now, sitting comfortably, start the engine.
Engine During our static inspection, we would have pulled the dipstick, inspected the engine oil, water level, etc. This reveals whether it is old, smelly or has water present, which indicates major problems. We should inquir e as to the machine’s maintenance and service history. Who has been carrying out the services — the manufactur er, dealer or someone else? Ar e the service invoices available for inspection? Bring the engine to operating temperature, check all gauges, check for bubbles in the radiator and for excessive “breathing” from the crankcase breather. All ar e signs of major pr oblems. Generally, if an engine has 10,000 hours or mor e, a r ebuild is on the cards. Buying a grader with a wor n engine is not too big a deal pr ovided you allow for it in the price. If you buy a grader with an excessively wor n engine, allow $7000 to $10,000 to fully recondition it and you will be close to the mark. Those who buy used equipment at a saving and expect “as new” per formance or component life ar e unrealistic. Rule of thumb: if visual inspection gives the unit a clean bill of health, it starts easily and runs sweetly with no faults and doesn’t have major oil leaks, it’s usually okay, given the excellent reliability of moder n engines.
Transmission and driveline Because a lot of today’s graders have up to eight-speed transmissions and generally perform their work in one or two ranges, you must test all ranges. A road test is best, but an in-yard test will suffice. Run the grader thr ough all ranges.
MAY 1998
THE EARTHMOVER AND CIVIL CONTRACTOR GRADERS
Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising a grader We are looking for indications of faults, oil leaks, excessive play in drivelines, minimum delay in taking up drive, and signs of cr eep in neutral. A high-pitched whine indicates wor n gears and bearings. Generally if we find faults, we further investigate. Unless faults indicate otherwise, we can’t at this time r ecommend oil sampling or r emoval and splitting of oil filters. This inspection practice entails replacing the filters with new ones and can be expensive. In any case, a smart mover with something to hide would have changed the oil filters. Oil sampling is only r eally effective when it is done over time and can be compared with a pr evious history. If you bought a motor grader with 14,000 hours with an original transmission which operated well and within specifications, you would start scheduled oil sampling and carry out maintenance and r epairs as indicated. At the first opportunity, a set of bearings and seals in the transmission would be a good investment. Look for oil leaks or unusual noises in the differential and tandems. It is gener ally easy to “pull” the tandem inspection covers and have a look inside to check for chain and spr ocket wear. We also check the r ear wheels ar e standing up straight, because if they start to lean inward, it’s a sur e sign of major wear in the axles, bearings or tandem pivot bearings.
Articulation bearing Because of the length and weight of a grader, the arctic bearing, actuating rams and ram anchoring pins get a severe workout. Jack the grader up on the r ear rippers and jiggle the steering wheel to check for wear in this ar ea. On the machine we ar e inspecting, the bottom artic pin is wor n beyond
Step-by-step appraisal
Here’s our bag of tricks — this is a contractor’s briefcase, courtesy of The Earthmover & Civil Contractor. Contents are insect repellent, screw drivers, tape measure, vernier callipers, metal rulers, spanners, extending magnet, a book which tells where the serial number is located on different equipment, and another which shows the year of manufacture for each serial number.
As we continue around the unit, we check the hour metre and the oils in the engine and transmission.
This is just a small thing, but very important. Each time the fuel cap is removed to refill the tank, an amount of this fine dirt falls in. It should have been pressure cleaned away.
Here is that most important item, the serial number plate. Much very necessary information can be gleaned from this, likewise the engine number.
During the start of the walk around inspection, it can be seen that all is neat and tidy and as it should be under the covers.
The batteries are easy to inspect on this particular make and model. They are full of fluid and operating correctly.
The “office”. Make sure it is well kept and presentable, as this is an indication of how the operator treated the unit. This machine is clean and tidy.
What’s this grader worth?
MAY 1998
THE EARTHMOVER AND CIVIL CONTRACTOR GRADERS
The front end steering pins and bushes and axle pivot pins can be checked by jacking the front end up on the ground, as shown in this photo.
Inspection of the underside of the turn circle shows some wear in the turn pinion and circle support pads. Removing shims will do the job for the present, but plan a replacement schedule in the future.
Check all the gauges, switches and controls at the operator’s station.
The pointer coming in from the right of the shot is showing that all the steering and wheel lean pins have recently been replaced. This is a good tight front end. Here’s my trusty little extending magnet, being thrust into the tandem case in search of pieces of metal. The oil is nice and clean and nothing untoward was found.
Visual inspection of the tandem drive chain reveals it to be in good operating order.
Check the articulation joint for wear. In this instance, the bottom bearing has excessive wear and needs a new pin and bush. The hydraulic pump can also be seen at the top of shot. It is clean and dry. MAY 1998
Here’s a trap for young players. Every scarifier tyne is a different length, or bent. Obviously a selection of tynes have been reclaimed from a corner and tossed in to make up the numbers. It will cost around $1200 to have the tynes and tips replaced. Note that the wheels are standing up straight and so are the tandems.
The blade, circle, “A” frame and their attendant mechanisms are the heart and soul of a motor grader and must be kept in good, tight operating order.
Now, this is some decent wear. Note the extending magnet inserted into the wear part on the blade slide. This needs rebuilding. Also note that the seal on the slide ram has been pulled from its housing and is leaking.
Kick the circle out to the side and fully sideshift blade to inspect slides and wear parts, sideshift and blade tilt rams, cutting edges and end bits. Pay special attention that the body of the blade is not worn into the cutting edge bolt holes.
This “A” frame pivot ball has removable shims to take up wear— note that there’s only one more to go. A new pivot bearing will be needed soon.
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Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising a grader allowable limits and will have to be replaced in the near futur e.
Blade, circle, etc It’s important that all the adjustments and wear pads in this area are in good order and adjustment. Put the blade on the gr ound and gently put weight on and of f it to assess wear in blade slide, tilt and cir cle support pads. Turn the cir cle while still lightly on the ground to check wear in cir cle turn pinion. Fully sideshift place to check for blade slide wear and damage to the chrome sideshift r od, cylinder and seal. Wear in the blade lift trunnions can be easily observed at this time. Put the blade on the gr ound and with the transmission r ock the machine backwards and forwards to check for wear in the “A” frame pivot ball.
It can cost $3000 to $4000 to put right the blade, cir cle and support mechanism if it has been let go. Fair wear and tear is okay — it’s when things go past their wear limits that you need to be car eful. You can’t grade pr operly with a sloppy blade and cir cle, and if you can’t grade with a motor grader , it might as well be a sea anchor .
Hydraulics The machine should be put to work for 10 to 15 minutes, with all services being used to ensure the system is warmed. This will indicate any leaks missed in the static inspection. Listen for scr eaming from the hydraulic pump, which indicates excessive wear.
Wheels, tyres and brakes Inspect wheels for damage or cracks
Our spread on pages 60-61 gives you the front-to-back inspection sequence for a motor grader. A bit of experience, some diligence and plain commonsense will ensure that you know what needs fixing on a used unit and you can then negotiate the price accordingly.
So, what’s this grader worth? BY NOW, you should have worked out that the powertrain is in good operational order and that general repairs and maintenance have been good. We think the asking price of $55,000 is fair , providing that the following work is done: Problem Repair estimate New scarifier tynes and tips $1200 New blade $1000 New cutting edges and end tips $600 Sandblast, prime, paint, new decals and detail $3000 Total $5800 So $49,000 “as is” would be a good buy price and worth the money. MAY 1998
during the walk around, likewise tyres. Test the brakes by operating them during the r oad or in-yard test. (Most later model machines have oil-immersed disc brakes which wear very well.)
General points Take a good quantity of photos and make a detailed report. It’s amazing how our memories fail once we leave the machine we last inspected. Good condition in r elation to price is our “aim” when pur chasing a piece of used equipment. But prices for used machinery, unlike those for used cars or trucks, ar e not gover ned by published price guides. However, you can use the asking prices published in Heavy Equipment On-Line (the used equipment insert in this magazine) or the published prices from the Ritchie Br os auctions (also published in this magazine) as a guide. But ultimately the buyer must make his own decision after evaluation of the unit along the guidelines mentioned in this article. Check all welds and fabrications for cracks — which ar e nothing to worry about as long as the corr ect repair procedure is carried out. Much can be lear ned from the over all appearance of the machine. The unit which has been badly maintained will show it in its decr epit appearance, oil leaks, loose bolts, missing or blocked lubricators, missing or damaged covers, blocked radiator or oil cooler , etc. On this particular grader , we elected to have the distributor do an engine compression blow-by test and pr essure test the transmission in all ranges. This is just to give us a bit of comfort in those particular ar eas. The tests cost only $250 and came back within specification, pr oving well worth the expense. One last thing — r emember that any grader worth its salt does 1000-1200 operating hours per year . The grader we are inspecting has done 14,000 hours and is 11 years old. That computes (average 1273 hours per year). Beware the 10-year -old “low-hour”
THE EARTHMOVER AND CIVIL CONTRACTOR GRADERS
Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising a grader continued motor grader. I view the hour meters showing low hours on high year machines with a lot of suspicion. Good grader appraising!
Used equipment condition IN ORDER to communicate regarding used equipment condition, it’s important to be aware of what each condition description really means. Condition Percentage of new Excellent 80-99% Very good 60-80% Good 40-60% Fair 20-40% Poor 0-20%
Special offer
Excellent condition
Would you like: • a reprint of this article and the pictorial appraisal? • a copy of the backhoe appraisal form used by Don Shewring? • a copy of an ownership declaration form? • a copy of an authority to release payout information? Don Shewring will be pleased to send you the infor mation free of charge. To obtain copies, fax or write to Don Shewring at Consolidated Crane & Tractor Pty Ltd, PO Box 632, Albion, Queensland 4010. Fax (07) 3256 3300. State your name, company name, phone and fax number .
Unit is in as-new running order, fully repaired, including major new or rebuilt components as required, and clean. There are no components or attachments missing, inoperative or br oken. Frames and casings ar e sound. Tyres have 80% plus tr ead life r emaining and show no evidence of chunking, spin cuts, or sidewall scuf fs and cuts. Under carriage, including grousers, rails, r ollers, sprockets and idlers, has 80% plus life r emaining. Ground-engaging tools have new or rebuilt wear components. There is no evidence of hydraulic or powertrain oil leaks. Hydraulics do not drift when supporting machine weight. There are no unusual noises or vibrations during operation. Required safety devices ar e properly installed and operational. Unit is usually less than thr ee years old and has less than 3000 operating hours. The only thing better than this is a new unit.
Free valuation If you would like a free valuation of your backhoe, contact Don Shewring at Consolidated Crane & Tractor Pty Ltd, PO Box 632, Albion, Queensland 4010. Phone 018 788 856. Fax (07) 3256 3300. This service is not available over the phone. An infor mation sheet r equesting details about your backhoe will be faxed or posted to you. Return the completed infor mation sheet with photos (if possible), and a “cur rent market valuation” will be faxed or posted to you at no char ge.
DON SHEWRING is managing director of Brisbane-based used equipment specialist Consolidated Crane & Tractor. He has been involved in buying, selling and evaluating used equipment for more than 20 years. You can contact him on phone 018 788 856.
MAY 1998
old and will have done 3000 to 6000 operating hours.
Good condition Halfway through its life, but in good repair. The unit is in running order and clean with no major repairs required. All ground engaging tools ar e installed and operational. Tyres or under carriage have 50% (give or take 10%) life r emaining. No evidence of operator abuse. Frames and casings ar e sound. Ther e are no major leaks and no unusual noises or vibrations during operation. Hydraulics support the machine weight.
Fair condition In running condition, but needs one or more major repairs to be reliable. Some components ar e missing or non-operational. Tyres or under carriage have little life r emaining. Hydraulics may be slow or evidence “drift” under load. Powertrain or hydraulic leaks may be in evidence. Bulldozers and/or rippers show evidence of high use. Frames and casings may be cracked or r epaired.
Poor condition Unit may not run. It could only be operated if repairs were carried out in one or more of the following areas — powertrain, hydraulics, undercarriage, ground engaging tools, frame and other structural components. Major oil leaks.
Very good condition
In conclusion
Used, but not too much. In very good running order, with repairs and rebuilds to major components as required. Cleaned and repainted if necessary. No components or attachments missing. Frames and casings ar e sound. Tyres or under carriage have 60% or better life r emaining. Ground engaging tools have 60% or better life r emaining. No major hydraulic or powertrain oil leaks. Hydraulics do not drift when supporting machine weight. Ther e are no unusual noises or vibrations when operating. Safety devices, if r equired, are fitted and operational. Unit is typically thr ee to five years
Most used equipment fights stem from a misdescription of the “true unit condition”, whether wilfully or through ignorance. The result is the same: conflict. It takes a str ong person to corr ectly describe a unit condition once dollars and greed have enter ed the equation. It is also possible to have a component differ in condition to the unit, for example “unit in excellent condition, bucket only fair”. If you stick to the rules and accurately describe machine condition as outlined, you will not only be within “accepted industry practice”, but we can all compar e apples with apples. — Don Shewring
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Contractor chooses Cat for challenging grading WHEN Robert Portbury won the contract to grade some of the toughest road in Australia, from Port Lincoln to Ceduna in South Australia, he chose a Caterpillar for the job. The Eyre Peninsula r oads are renowned for their ir onstone content and the new grader , specially fitted with accumulators, will have to cover 2500 km of them. In such r emote country, reliability is of paramount consideration. Robert Portbury Constructions, based in Pakenham, V ictoria, has owned 10 Cat graders. The new 12H joins a 140G in the company’s pr esent stable. The unit incorporates the impr ovements made to all Caterpillar’s H series machines. “Adding the turbo has made the machine more useable,” Portbury said. “The transmission is mor e user-friendly and there is a better range of working
Robert Portbury Constructions recently selected a Cat 12H grader for a major road maintenance contract.
gears. And it is so much quieter .” Socrates Cromdos, product specialist at Caterpillar’s Gr owth Industries Division, often hears similar comments
about the new H-Series, which according to Cat, r etains the best attributes of its predecessor, the popular G-Series. He said customer feedback and sur -
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veys have identified the major selection criteria for Caterpillar graders as being: • reliability • serviceability • versatility/productivity/performance • operator comfort and confidence • owning and operating costs • product attachments. Serviceability: large hinged doors give easy access to engine and radiator service points, while removable covers give access to both the front and rear of the radiator. Sampling ports ar e provided for engine, transmission and hydraulic oil samples. Diagnostic tool-connection plugs allow easy checking of the starting-charging system and transmission. Lubrication points for the articulation joint ar e remote-mounted and the lockable battery box cover gives easy access without using tools. Versatility/productivity/performance: the H-Series has a wider range of blade positions due to a longer wheelbase, new blade linkage, longer blade lift and centreshift cylinders and a taller front frame. Blade positioning has been improved. The Proportional Priority Pr essure Compensated [PPPC] hydraulic system is load sensing, designed to pr ovide hydraulic power on demand. It proportions hydraulic flow and ensures all implements can be operated simultaneously, while high per formance Cat engines and the eight-speed electronic transmission give mor e power to the gr ound and a better choice of power to the gr ound/speed combinations for all grading applications, avoiding wheel spin and tyr e wear. Operator comfort and confidence: operator fatigue is a concern, with thousands of control adjustments being made in any working shift. The H Series contr ols provide modulation, system r esponse and pr edictability, with minimal ef fort. Equal hydraulic speeds in both dir ections give more precise implement contr ol. The cab is 60-75% quieter than on the G-Series. Owning and operating costs: Caterpillar says that over the life of the MAY 1998
machine, these can be considerably less than other makes. Product attachments: Caterpillar’s motor grader manufacturing plant at Tullamarine in Victoria is the only plant of its kind in Australia, manufacturing 120Hs, 12Hs and 140Hs. Caterpillar is able to customise graders for customers with locally manufactured attachments which include the recently released front-mounted push blades, spar e tyre carriers, cutting edge, end bit and scarifier shank carriers and various guard and lighting packages. Autoshift has been made standard
on the 140H and optional on the fully imported AWD 143H. This feature gives the operator the option of either manual or automatic shift, with the benefits particularly noticeable when high speed travel is required and wher e maintaining pr ecise grade is not important. Since the series’ intr oduction, seven out of 10 graders sold to municipalities and contractors in Australia have been H-Series graders. Further information: Caterpillar of Australia Ltd, ph (03) 9339 9333, fax (03) 9335 3366.
Mitsubishi improves MG330 performance RECENTLY Mitsubishi Heavy Industries updated its model MG330 by adding an extra 1.5 t of weight to the frame structure, increasing the standard weight of the unit to 15.6 t. Ken Butler, Tutts-Tat Hong pr oduct manager for Mitsubishi graders, said the additional weight was mainly concentrated within the fr ont frame structur e. It considerably enhanced the overall per formance of the MG330 by adding greater blade down pr essure and extra fr ont end weight, he said. Design changes made by Mitsubishi had not changed the appearance of the MG330 in any way, but impr oved its per formance, especially when ripping hard material or carrying out bulk grading work. Since arriving in Australia a couple of months ago, the new MG330 has undergone considerable testing. Comments from operators trialling the grader had been positive, Butler said, adding that compar ed to other makes, the MG330 had the ideal power to weight ratio for a construction grader . Further information: Tutts-Tat Hong, ph 1300 65 8888, fax (02) 9780 7293.
THE EARTHMOVER AND CIVIL CONTRACTOR GRADERS
Three new US-built Komatsu graders NS KOMATSU has launched three new American-built Dash 2C Series graders — the GD530, GD650 and GD670 — all of which have heavier front and rear main frames to provide a change in weight distribution and better balance. As with other Komatsu graders, their blades are designed to work ef fectively in positions the blades of other graders can’t r each. The company described the units as offering class-leading drawbar pull, assisted by a tor que converter which delivers operator-controlled engine torque to the drivetrain when needed. Planetary reduction final drives pr ovide increased drivetrain capacity and tandem drive stability. A patented automatic locking and unlocking dif ferential is standard in all models. The graders ar e powered by Komatsu’s six cylinder dir ect injection turbocharged engines, designed to meet US and Eur opean emission standards. The engines ar e coupled to full powershift electronic transmissions with integral tor que converters.
At the heart of the GD530A-2C is a Komatsu S6D102E-1 engine which pr oduces 113 kW at 2500 rpm. Both the GD650A-2C and GD670A2C use Komatsu’s S6D114E-1, which produces 132 kW and 160 kW r espectively at 2500 rpm. The GD650 also has a variable power feature to incr ease output to 141.7 kW when working in third gear or higher in heavy applications. An electronically controlled left and right-hand side mouldboard float is fitted which allows the Dash 2C models to per form conventional bank sloping, moving material down the slope into the ditch line, and also back sloping, to move material fr om the ditch up the slope. Extra long lift cylinders let the mouldboard reach 990 mm below ground level. The pitch of the blade has a 45° range and the tilt cylinders ar e positioned to keep out of the dirt when the blade is tilted back. A pressure flow-compensated hy-
draulic system is aimed at saving fuel and reducing heat. Its variable displacement piston pump gives instant r esponse, even at low engine speeds, to pr ovide fine grading control by matching gr ound speed control via the tor que converter with the load-sensing hydraulic system. Durability improvements on the new graders include larger capacity tandem drive chains, dif ferential and brake oil cooler and oil filter , and heavier duty drive shaft and universal joints. Fuel tank capacity has been incr eased from 269 to 340 lit. Standard features include heavy duty mouldboard, circle slip clutch, hydraulic accumulator on the cir cle lift and circle sideshift, transmission guard, spare hydraulic valve and lever , factory integrated heater/air conditioner and pressuriser, key function monitoring and alarm system, and a radiator debris screen. Further information: NS Komatsu Australia Pty Ltd, ph (02) 9795 8222, fax (02) 9795 8288. MAY 1998
