KOMATSU MACHINES PERFORMING FOR ALBANY

Reliable service from a W60 Wheel Loader

A South-Western Australia-based earthmoving contractor has a fleet of older Komatsu including a W60 loader dating back to 1985, plus a couple of dozers which are a similar age and which are continuing to perform reliably nearly 30 years after their manufacture.

Albany Industrial Services, based at Albany on the Lower Great Southern Coast of Western Australia, carries out a range of civil, roadworks and earthworks constructions, including bulk excavations, asphalting and curbing, for clients throughout the region.

It also runs a couple of gravel pits and a sand pit.

The company was started by Tony Genovese who purchased the W60 originally and today is run by his sons Joe and Frank.

"That W60 was one of the first loaders we got in, and it was used on a lot of our excavation and site works although more recently we've used it mainly as a loader in the depot to handle material such as gravel and sand," said Joe.

He said the loader has performed reliably throughout its life.

"We've never had any major issues with it at all, apart from the tyre changes and minor things like fuel blockages but mechanically, it has run really well.

"It's now sort of retired and one of our Komatsu WA180-3s has taken its place so it's just been used as a yard loader.

"Probably the only issue with it is that unlike modern loaders, the cab articulates with the bucket, rather than the bucket articulating in front of you, and that took a bit of getting used to," Joe said.

In addition to the W60, Albany Industrial Services also owns a D41 and D53 dozer, dating back to about the same period as the loader.

"Again, they don't do as much work as they used to, but we still use them on jobs when we need them," he said.

"Really we do have quite a fleet of mature Komatsu equipment, but it just goes to show that they are reliable and they will keep going if you look after them and that's what we've done."

Newer equipment owned by the company includes a D85 dozer, three Komatsu WA180-3 loaders, a WA420-3 Loader and a WA200PZ-6 tool carrier purchased in 2009 its most recent purchase.

"If we were looking to buy new equipment, we would probably stick with Komatsu," said Joe.

"Value for money is what we look for, and we get that with Komatsu. Some of our equipment is really getting on in age now, and we are still getting a really good run from it.

"So why wouldn't you keep using something that is going well?"

"We find the service and support from Komatsu is pretty good, considering that we are a country town, and it's pretty remote down this way," he said.

"If anything major goes wrong with the machines, Komatsu is down here pretty quickly if we need something done by one of the boys.

"There is always someone around from Komatsu that you can get hold of to get down here and fix it plus we also get good support from local businesses for other issues such as hydraulics and electrical," said Joe.