Geelong-based Newcomb Sand and Soil has been buying Komatsu equipment for the past 10 years, due to its relationship with its local rep, equipment reliability and machine performance.
Currently it owns three Komatsu excavators, a PC50MR-8, a PC200-8 and in mid-July purchased a PC220-8, replacing a WA380-3 wheel loader it had owned for 20 years.
With its head office at Moolap, suburb of Geelong, Newcomb Sand and Soil is a family-owned company, started by Doug and Joy Dunoon in 1973. Joy continues as CEO, with sons Chris as Operations Manager, David as General Manager and daughter Joanne as Administration Manager.
The company prides itself as a one-stop-shop servicing the Geelong and south western Victoria region, as well as the state as a whole, offering recycling services, retail garden supplies, and fine sand supplies, along with plant hire and subcontracting.
Its recycling operations cover asphalt, concrete, brick and soils, while it operates four fine sand pits at Portalington and Inverleigh, along with two retail garden outlets in Newcomb and Torquay.
It provides hourly plant hire and subcontracting services for local councils and contractors in the region, with a complete fleet of equipment covering excavators, graders, scrapers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, trucks and trailers, crushers, screens and other ancillary equipment.
According to Chris Dunoon, Newcomb Sand and Soil bought its first Komatsu unit, a PC50MRX-2, from Komatsu’s Geoff Killury in 2007.
“We went for Komatsu because I liked their reliability and service, plus the local knowledge from the likes of Geoff – his communications with us and focus on relationship. And they’ve all lived up to expectations,” he said.
“So far, the service and support we’ve received has been excellent.” The company’ excavators carry out a range of tasks, including general plant hire work, loading screens at crushing sites, shifting soil from site to site, and loading dump trucks at its sand pits.
“We find the excavators ideal in our sand pits,” said Chris. “Being fine sand, we have to move it in layers.”
The latest Komatsu PC220-8 replaced a 20 tonne unit of another make.
“That machine was well worn, and we needed to replace it.
“We find the Komatsu is better in fuel economy, diagnostics and reliability, plus we know we have that relationship with Geoff and knowing he’ll help us if we have any issues.
“But basically we prefer to go with Komatsu in our excavator fleet,” he said.
“Since it was delivered, we’ve found a huge difference in performance between our previous 20 tonne machine and this 22 tonner. It’s more stable in our sandpit operations, and the all-new electronics make it very efficient.
“We also use the KOMTRAX remote monitoring system, with this and all our other Komatsu machines,” said Chris.
“It’s always good to get that report every month showing us fuel economy, engine hours, idling times and so on. And if a machine is ever stolen, we have that extra peace of mind that it can be tracked.”