Construction World August 2023

shifting of gears. “Productivity starts with the comfort inside the machine,” says Makgate. “This ensures that the operator can function for hours as the air suspension seat and air conditioning, that comes standard in cabs across the range of graders, enable this.” Maximal productivity is also achieved by the precision that John Deere graders offers as it enables the operator to achieve accuracy sooner with less time spent going forwards and backwards to achieve levels and finish. “The tolerances of the circle in the A frame are quite small and accurate, so the productivity of John Deere machines also begins from the mechanics of the grading components,” says Makgate. Choose how you work Makgate says that customers choose the grader that best suits the production at hand. “The choice depends on the material to be moved, general application of what the grader is purchased for and the width of the blade.” John Deere has various models in its motor grader line-up ranging from the 620 G/GP grader which is more of a maintenance grader, then 670 G/GP, the 770 G/GP and the 870 G/GP. The latter is the biggest machine on offer and used for major infrastructure projects where precision is key. “John Deere also offers six-wheel drives. It's the same model, but with a two at the end (622, 672, 772 and 872). We also offer graders at the higher end in terms of technology and spec. It's the same model but with GradePro options (the GP at the end),” explains Makgate. He says that the lead time with highly configured machines can be up to six months as they are sourced from either Brazil or the USA, but that those machines that have standard specs are normally in stock locally. Of these, Makgate says that the 620G & 670 G/GP are the most popular models. “They can be configurated with a 12 or 14 foot blade.” Keeping downtime down For Makgate capability is not only about the physical machine that a customer buys. “John Deere’s capability is intricately linked to its footprint. If anything fails, it is vital to access that machine, no matter where it is working. We can easily reach a machine through our dealer network which is spread across the country,” he says. John Deere is supported in Southern Africa by AFGRI Equipment, Mascor and Senwes Equipment. These are well known names in the farming community, but since 2021 also delivers dedicated sales and service to the construction customer. If a machine is sold to a customer by a certain branch, that branch has to have the special tools available to service the motor graders.. There is also a standard list of parts that the branch needs to keep in stock and if it does not have the part

EXPERIENCE A DEMO John Deere dealers in South Africa are running a demo programme to assist potential customers that want to buy a new motor grader. If a customer wants to experience a machine they are invited to request a demo model through AFGRI Equipment, Mascor and Senwes Equipment. Easy servicing is possible as the parts that need to be worked on are easily exposed by opening the side covers. “The tandem drive’s filters, engine oil, transmission, hydarulic and fuel filters are easily accessible. On John Deere graders, tandem drives are filtered,” Makgate adds.  at point of need, the secondary plan is to get it from the closest branch, failing which it can be sourced from the Regional Parts distribution (RDC) in Kempton Park. “Our after-sales support entails having technicians who can service the graders. This is backed by having spare parts available. If the technician encounters a problem that they cannot resolve, a technical adviser will investigate a solution. These advisors have access to a global system and can get a solution to resolve a problem in real time, 24 hours a day,” says Makgate.

23 CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2023