Category Archives: Komatsu

The top heavy equipment brands and their offerings for construction and mining operations

Construction and mining industries are a backbone of the global economy, and the use of heavy equipment is an essential aspect of these operations. The heavy equipment industry has grown significantly over the years, and today, there are numerous brands that offer a wide range of products for construction and mining applications. Here are some of the top heavy equipment brands and their offerings for construction and mining operations.

  1. Caterpillar (CAT) – Caterpillar is a well-established brand in the heavy equipment industry, and their products are known for their durability, reliability, and efficiency. Caterpillar offers a wide range of products including bulldozers, excavators, loaders, graders, and more. Their products are used in both construction and mining applications and are widely recognized for their high quality and performance.
  2. Komatsu – Komatsu is a leading brand in the heavy equipment industry and is known for producing innovative and high-quality products. They offer a comprehensive range of products for construction and mining operations, including bulldozers, excavators, loaders, and dump trucks. Their products are designed to provide maximum performance, efficiency, and reliability in tough operating conditions.
  3. Hitachi Construction Machinery – Hitachi is another well-known brand in the heavy equipment industry and is recognized for producing high-quality products for construction and mining operations. Their product portfolio includes hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, bulldozers, and dump trucks, among others. Hitachi is also known for their commitment to sustainability and is continuously working to reduce the environmental impact of their products.
  4. Liebherr – Liebherr is a leading brand in the heavy equipment industry, known for producing high-quality products for construction and mining operations. Their product portfolio includes a wide range of cranes, excavators, loaders, and more. Liebherr is known for their innovation and technology, and their products are designed to provide maximum performance and efficiency in the toughest operating conditions.
  5. John Deere – John Deere is a well-known brand in the heavy equipment industry and is recognized for producing durable and reliable products. They offer a comprehensive range of products for construction and mining operations, including backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, and more. Their products are known for their high performance, efficiency, and versatility, making them ideal for use in various construction and mining applications.

In conclusion, there are numerous brands in the heavy equipment industry that offer a wide range of products for construction and mining operations. These brands are known for their durability, reliability, and efficiency, and their products are designed to provide maximum performance and efficiency in tough operating conditions. When choosing heavy equipment for construction or mining operations, it is essential to consider the brand reputation and product offerings to ensure that you get the best equipment for your needs.

Hensley Buckets for a Komatsu WA800 Wheel Loader for Sale

Heavy Equipment Guy in a Large Wheel Loader Bucket
Heavy Equipment Guy

We have a couple big Hensley Buckets for Sale at Star Tractor. These buckets fit on a Komatsu WA800 Wheel Loader. I will include with the pictures the dimension of the buckets in the image.

Stock # XB-386 For $25,000.00 USD

Stock #XB-387 for $25,000.00 USD

As I statement above both these buckets are for sale for $25,000.00 each. Call us at 817-733-3799 or https://www.startractor.com Below is a video of them.

Buying excavators that save on fuel can be a good investment

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While setting up a construction company, the owner has to go through a lot of financial hurdles and often finds it difficult to sustain with the given resources. On top of that, when he sees that the heavy equipment he is using are consuming more fuel than he has anticipated that becomes more of a financial burden on him and he then seeks for ways and means to combat the issue. Well, once you already have equipment that consumes more fuel, there is hardly anything you can do to set that off. You either have to continue with the same equipment till it completely wears off or you can sell that machine and buy a new one that is reasonable and economical as far as fuel consumption is concerned. There are many branded companies who are producing equipment that match the overall needs of the client but they may be quite expensive. The next available option would be to go for brands who are not that expensive and yet reliable. If you have this specific requirement, then the best brand would be Komatsu. Komatsu is known for producing reliable machines that are not expensive and ideally fits the budget of every person in the construction arena.

Excavator is one such machine that is required for whatever big or small project you have on hand. Other than this, it is known for consuming more fuel as it has to exert more pressure on the engine to get the work done. However, Komatsu has recently launched PC290LC-11 long arm hydraulic excavator which is designed in such a way that it consumes less fuel at work. The cabin of the operator has also been modified to make things comfortable inside. This new model is a substitute of the older version which is PC290LC-10. The operating weight of the machine is anywhere between 66,359 to 68,122 pounds and in order to provide greater stability and power it is built on a large PC360 undercarriage. Something that is quite imperative in the machine is its long arm and the boom which is powered by Komatsu SAA6D107E-3 engine. The horsepower the engine can give is 196hp which suffice the power it needs to complete the task.

The engine is specially built to reduce emissions by integrating “Selective Catalyst Reduction” and by using “Diesel Exhaust Fluid”. An electronic control system has been included in the engine that has the potential to deal with the airflow rate, supervise the fuel injection, combustion parameters and after treatment functions. Komatsu has also installed a Variable Geometry Turbocharger and an Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve that checks and administers the temperature and air control.

Thick isolation dampers are installed under the excavator’s cabin to control vibration inside the cabin. The engineers have also redesigned the seat with high back and completely adaptable armrests. They have also installed a 7 inch monitor inside the cabin that will permit the operator to change the 6 working modes available in the machine.

Overall, this excavator has been produced keeping in mind many factors benefitting the customers.

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Komatsu has a lot of expectation from the year 2015

The slowdown of the global economy has put many big as well as small companies in the worry zone and many say it will perhaps take a couple of more years for them to see the glory days. So till then they have to do is to conduct business in the normal fashion without taking more risks. Taking risk at this juncture is only going to tarnish the reputation of the company because it is highly unlikely that you may get any high returns by taking unnecessary risks. Therefore, it is prudent that one carry on their businesses with caution as that will help them to conduct their business with impunity. Many big companies have seen a decline in their sales volume and they feel that the global slowdown is the major reason why they have such a low sales figure. Other than this, businesses in some countries have taken the major hit which has impacted the overall sales figure. Many are even pondering if it will be wise enough to wrap up their businesses in countries where they have suffered maximum losses. That will in a way help them cut off some of their losses in the future. They may also consider to lay off few employees for the time being as that will be a way in which they can save some money for taking major financial decisions.

China which has lately emerged as the world leader as far as its economy is concerned has also seen a fall in the construction and mining sector. Komatsu which is one of the largest producers of heavy equipment feels that China is no longer the market leader. Their sales of equipment in China have fallen drastically than they could have ever thought of giving them a shock of their lifetime. Companies like CAT have similar views. Tetsuji Ohashi, the chief Executive Officer of Komatsu, has said in an interview that China is losing its sheen as far as the construction and mining sector is concerned. He even went on to say that China is losing its hold from the economic growth and it is finally scaling down. The sale of Komatsu equipment has dropped noticeably between April and May and there has high chances that it will miss the annual sales target. He also felt that China is experiencing huge delays in the commencement of some construction projects. Alternatively, he also feels that the demand for mining machinery is also declining. This all attributes to the total mess that is happening in that country affecting the business of the company.

He feels that the impact of the situation in China is big and they have to closely monitor the situation before coming down to a conclusion. They just can’t take a decision without forecasting few very important aspects and are optimistic that things will get back to normal in that country. Komatsu sales have declined to almost 20 percent but they have high hopes for 2015. They feel that the year 2015 will at least heal some of their wounds if not turn the table for them.

Loader Backhoe – How Useful Are They in the Construction Industry

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A number of heavy equipments have proved their utility in the construction business but there are certain equipments which are of utter importance and without which it is unimaginable to work in this industry. Out of those few, we would be discussing about Loader Backhoe, also known as a digger or simply “Backhoe”. Let us first understand what exactly it is. A Loader Backhoe is ideally a heavy equipment that has a tractor with a built-in bucket in the front and a backhoe at the rear. The backhoe loaders are not very big in size which is why they are quite versatile on the fields and is often seen as one of the best equipment in small sized construction projects. However, that doesn’t lessen its importance in bigger projects and may carry equal weight as far as the performance is concerned.
The Backhoe Loader was invented by Joseph Cyrill Bamford in the UK in 1953. During those days, heavy equipments were not multi-functional and one type of machine was made to do just one work. Somehow the idea of multi-tasking stuck Joseph’s mind and he removed the tractor from his barn and tried to install a shovel in the front and a backhoe in the rear of his tractor. He found this idea to be very interesting and thought that people who are into agriculture will find this very helpful. This is how after giving some final touches to his craft, he started to manufacture more and more of these machines. Though few external appliances are added on the tractor, still the equipment is not called a tractor but a loader backhoe as it gives altogether a different look to the machine. This equipment is popularly known as “JCB” in the UK. However, back in US, they call it as “Backhoes”.
Backhoe Loaders are of multiple usages but is primarily used to clear snow off the road or to move earth by using the shovel and digging it deep in the earth, take off the mud, fill it in the bucket and dump it in the truck. They are also used for other works such as constructing or demolishing small houses, transportation of materials which are not too huge and heavy in proportion to the machine, excavating earth, paving roads and so on. The attachments built in the machines can be easily replaced if they get faulty. For instance, the bucket can be replaced by grapple or a stump grinder. These attachments are much more powerful that the bucket and may prove to be highly effective in getting the work done.
Some of the buckets are built like a clamshell which helps it to unload the mud quickly. These attachments are the result of those innovative engineers who actually knew the importance of this machine and believed that a bit of innovation will turn out to be very helpful to the consumers.
Just to name a few companies that produce Loader Backhoe are Caterpillar, John Deere, J. C. B. , Hitachi, Volvo etc. This is probably the machine which every construction company irrespective of how big or small their businesses are would like to have with them.

Komatsu Excavator – A Name that All Can Trust On

Before we talk any further on Komatsu Excavator, we first need to understand what an excavator is and what use it is of. An excavator is heavy equipment machine which is mainly used in construction and mining sites and is seen moving earth, layering the land, so on and so forth. The machine seems to have a neck like a giraffe and on top of it; you will find a rectangular bucket which is used to dig the mud using its sharp edged like fingers and after collecting the mud in the bucket, it moves to dump them. This is what an excavator is meant to do. This may sound easy but technically one need to learn a lot of things before they could start working in an excavator. With development in technology, many new changes come up on a regular basis and this is why the operator needs to upgrade his knowledge on operating the machine.

After knowing what an excavator is, let us share some thoughts of the brand that is known to produce one of the best excavators in the globe. We would be talking about Komatsu excavators and how they have managed to make their way to the top.

Komatsu has produced excavators of various models and each one has its own speciality. Not going into the specifics of each model, we would be speaking on the utility and efficiency of the machine and how Komatsu has inched higher making itself a brand in the world market.

Komatsu has developed compact excavators which can be used for many purposes. It’s mainly used for digging the earth and loading it in a truck. This sort of excavator has the potential to function in a confined area as it can swing easily and turn around with comfort. The operator is given a big cabin which is also known as “house of the operator”. The cabin is quite spacious which allows the operator to freely move himself inside the cabin and do his work with absolutely no difficulty.

The engine provided in the Komatsu excavator is diesel powered and it helps to drive the travel motor and the hydraulic pump. Hydraulic pressure is generated when the hydraulic oil which is inside the hydraulic pump sends out the oil to a cylinder that finally moves the excavator. The levers located inside the cabin allow the operator to do back breaking work with ease. Komatsu engineers have taken special care while designing the different parts of the machine. They wanted to ensure that the operators do not experience any difficulty in performing their duties and the most laborious work is done with extreme ease.

It is noteworthy that the work equipment of the excavator which is the long neck it has is quite similar to a human arm. It allows the machine to move itself just the way a human moves his arm to do his work. In this case, one can remove the bucket and attach some other equipment to perform a various other work. This makes the machine multifunctional and one doesn’t require any other machine to get the work done.

Komatsu is working hard to bring further changes in its machines by adding new technologies and making it user friendly.

History of Komatsu Equipment

Komatsu equipment are said to be the most trusted and reliable equipment and perhaps this is why after Caterpillar, they are the second largest producer of construction equipment in the world. The company makes more than 70% of its income by selling equipments pertaining to mining and construction. The equipment they sell comprises of hydraulic excavators, bulldozers, motor graders, dump trucks etc. Thus, Komatsu are into almost all heavy equipments. However, they have not limited themselves to manufacturing construction equipments. They also have their hands in producing electronic items like silicon wafers and polycrystalline silicon. They seem to earn around 7% of their revenue by producing these electronic items. Thus Komatsu are multi producers and have their hands on ample of stuffs which prove them as market leaders as far as construction and mining equipments are concerned.

Komatsu came into existence in the year 1921, when the ironworks parted their ways from the mining company and thus formed a new company. The founder of Komatsu was Tashiro Shiraishi who was an engineer by profession and also became the first president of the company until 1925. During his tenure, the company became a major producer of pumps and equipment tools. As a matter of fact, Tashiro Shiraishi gave the company the much needed momentum and drove it to a stable position form where it accelerated and became a mighty business house.

The saga of its growth can be easily analyzed by the number of workers that kept on increasing on a constant basis. The number of employees had risen dramatically from 121 in 1921 to 742 in 1929 which is a big achievement in itself. It particularly depicts the fact that employees working in the company were happy and the work culture that the company formed only helped its employees to grow.

In 1960, Komatsu equipments were in huge demand especially during the Vietnam War and it expanded like a jet. During the end of the decade, it introduced a new radio-controlled bulldozer which was termed to be a major achievement. At that time, they had Caterpillar as their major competitor and they chalked out many plan to surpass them. They keenly started monitoring the performance of Caterpillar and laid their strategies with the view to outshine them in the near future. Their way of strategizing the work and setting up priorities helped them a long way in achieving their goals and becoming a successful company within a short span. They expanded their operations very aggressively and within 20 years they grew from a local producer to a giant exporter and a strong competitor.

It was only in the year 1970 that the company started its first direct investment in USA. Soon after that, operations in other foreign lands began and in the year 1975, it started manufacturing bulldozers in Brazil making it the first production of construction equipment outside its homeland. Since then, there has been no looking back for Komatsu and slowly it expanded its operations in many other foreign countries. Komatsu has no longer been a domestic name. It has now been transformed and has become a symbol of quality, reliability and efficiency.