Mark and Andrew Thompson, who run Thompson Brothers Earthmoving, based at Balliang, near Bacchus Marsh, northwest of Melbourne are finding significant benefits in increased productivity and uptime, lower fuel consumption and fewer issues finding operators by changing to an ADT/excavator operation.
The company, which was previously operated by their father, specialises in landfill and wastewater project constructions, along with golf course and housing developments. Operating throughout Victoria, the company does a lot of work for local councils and water authorities.
Komatsu equipment owned by the company includes a PC400-5 with 20,000 hours, a D65P dozer, plus a recently delivered PC270-8, two HM300-1 articulated dump trucks and two HM300-2s.
Mark said the company was in the process of getting out of scrapers, and moving to excavator/ADT combinations - and Komatsu Corporate Finance was a major factor in making the switch easier.
"Peter Johnson of Komatsu Finance has been excellent, very easy to deal with - and he gives us very competitive rates for our finance," he said.
"He's very quick to get things done - he doesn't stand on ceremony, and when he says he'll get back to you, he does."
Thompson Brothers has financed its four ADTs and the PC270-8 through Komatsu Finance.
"These Komatsu machines are the first ADTs we've bought," said Mark. "My brother Andy and I grew up with scrapers and dozers; we've always been committed scraper men, and we wouldn't be told there was a better way."
"Then when I went to pick up our new PC270-8 from Geoff Killury at Komatsu, he showed me a new HM300 ADT. I was really impressed with the build quality and the way it was put together, so we bought it as well."
"We trialled it on a project down near the Mornington Peninsula, and we went so well there that we bought another three," said Mark.
"We find the dump trucks are so much more versatile, and the fuel savings are substantial; we also find it much easier to get people to drive ADTs, compared with scraper drivers."
Currently all Thompson Brothers' Komatsu artics are working at Yarrawonga.
"The ground water there is at 2 m, and they can easily handle the wet underfoot conditions - unlike scrapers," he said.
"We are saving a considerable amount of fuel in switching from scrapers to ADTs, plus we are more productive, because we can continue working in the rain - so they are working every day. With the scrapers, if you get a sniff of rain, you have to park them up."
Mark has also been impressed with the level of support from Komatsu Australia - and the company's flexible approach.
"Komatsu's backup has been very good; when we were down at the Mornington Peninsula, the fellows at Traralgon branch certainly looked after us," he said.
"We also find the Komatsu people very flexible."
"We have a local mechanic we use for all our repairs and maintenance - Rod Rankin of Drysdale Diesel Services. Komatsu has allowed him to do our day-to-day warranty stuff, instead of insisting that they come out and do it."
"It's been great for us that they are happy to work with Rod, to ensure that our machines are working all the time," Mark said.
"We've found with other suppliers that they won't allow your mechanics to work on a machine if it's a warranty-related issue, so this been a great advantage in dealing with Komatsu."
"Their priority is always to sort something out quickly and trust Rod to solve the problem, rather than going through a long set of procedures and holding everything up," he said.