Efficiency and class are the cornerstones of what John Deere is known for – its dozers and graders are a prime example of this. Operator and Director at East Pilbara Earthmoving, Nathan Moule, discusses his John Deere fleet and what it brings to even the toughest of sites.
With 180 years of experience behind them, John Deere knows a thing or two about what works for its customers, and the development and design of its construction equipment is no exception.
The 670G/GP Motor Grader and 1050K Dozer are two of John Deere’s machines that exemplify efficiency and power in action.
Operator and Director at East Pilbara Earthmoving, Nathan Moule has been in the earthmoving industry for over 20 years, and, like John Deere, he knows machines.
“The idea to start East Pilbara Earthmoving came from the want to do my own thing,” he says.
“Working for other companies prior to starting up East Pilbara Earthmoving, I knew I would do the best job on my own, so that’s when I made the decision to start. Now we’ve been working mostly in remote areas of Western Australia since 2012.”
John Deere machines have been in East Pilbara Earthmoving’s repertoire since the beginning. The first machine Moule ever owned was a John Deere grader. He says the fleet has grown from there.
“We work out in remote desert areas with very sandy terrain, so we needed a machine that could handle tough conditions. That’s where the 670G came along,” he says.
“The 670G grader doesn’t struggle one bit with the sandy and dusty environment. Where other machines would usually get bogged down, this piece of equipment powers across the top of it.”
John Deere’s 670G/GP Motor Grader is a Tandem Drive with a max net power of 235 horsepower. The Grade Pro (GP) option provides standard features such as cross slope, return to straight, lever steering, and choice between fingertip or joystick controls. Moule says these specifics combined are no match for the tough conditions they experience each day.
“Working in the dust means we can’t always see that well, but the 670G grader has fuel running through the hydraulics meaning the operator can feel where the blade is. This makes our lives a whole lot easier,” he says.
Another member of Moule’s fleet is the 1050K Dozer – John Deere’s biggest dozer.
The 1050K is one of John Deere’s most durable dozers. With its new suspended double-bogie undercarriage that can absorb vibrations caused by rough operating conditions, Moule says the machine has always been a standout.
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“85 per cent of the work that we do with the 1050K Dozer is exploration work in very rocky areas,” he says.
“For this work you need a specific type of machine, the previous ones we were using just weren’t cutting it. What really drew me to the John Deere dozer was how much power they have on the ground.
“When cutting into side hills and pushing out gravel, you need 100 per cent power on your tracks all the time – this is exactly what John Deere had to offer.”
Both the 670G/GP Motor Grader and the 1050K Dozer are powerful and reliable machines, but the consistency in performance doesn’t stop there.
This John Deere equipment is also designed for easy and accessible maintenance, which Moule says is a great feature, especially to maximise uptime.
“The mechanics we work with who service our John Deere machines are always commenting on how easy they are to maintain,” he says.
“The serviceability of all the John Deere products is something that really stands out. If anything does need to be fixed, our mechanics can get in and out quickly with the least amount of down time. A great feature if you rely on your machinery as heavily as we do.”
Not only this, Moule says, but the machines have proven themselves in the extreme heat.
“I’ve never had a John Deere machine overheat, even in the intense conditions we have up in Western Australia,” he says.
“Temperature can get up to 50 plus degrees Celsius, and when you’re working long hours, you can appreciate not having to constantly get out and check if the equipment is handling it.
“It’s also great having a comfortable cab and powerful air conditioning to get you through the day.”
Moule says from the beginning, John Deere’s machinery has stood up against the rest. But it’s really the relationship with the company and its WA dealer, AFGRI Equipment, that keeps him going back.
“John Deere and AFGRI have always provided support when we’ve needed it,” he says.
“Because we are such a remote company, its important to us that if anything goes wrong with a machine, or we need something replaced/fixed quickly, we have someone to talk to that understands the urgency and that can help us in the most efficient way possible.
“Both companies have built a strong and reliable relationship with us, they always go above and beyond whenever we need something – whether it is maintenance
or equipment wise.”
According to Moule, John Deere equipment has continued to help East Pilbara Earthmoving get the job done right. He says the aim is to keep this momentum going.
“All of us at East Pilbara Earthmoving live and work on site up here in WA, so we have a lot of pride in what we do,” he says.
“Our main goal is always to do the best that we can, and we know with the ongoing support from John Deere and AFGRI Equipment, we can do our best work for the community and beyond.”
To check out the range of John Deere construction equipment, visit www.deere.com.au
This article was originally published in the June edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.