Construction World February 2022

COVER STORY

POWER. PERFORMANCE. UPTIME. In March 2021 John Deere announced the expansion of its construction line-up to 18 countries in Southern and Western Africa. In addition to the John Deere machines, customers in these markets have access to product support through the world-renowned John Deere dealer network. Upon introduction John Deere focused on the 21-ton E210 excavator in its excavator offering. It is now actively marketing the E300 LC, a 30-ton mid-sized excavator. ConstructionWorld spoke to Griffiths Makgate, John Deere’s Construction and Forestry Sales Manager: Africa and Middle East about this excavator’s performance, uptime and cost of ownership, but also about John Deere’s pledge to assist customers to keep machines running.

The seven-inch touch-screen monitor provides the operator with quick access to the machine’s features, functions and diagnostics.

The 30 ton E300 LC is a general construction machine that is ideal for applications including quarrying, contracting, mining and general construction.

J ohn Deere has been building products for 185 years and its construction equipment is respected all over the world because it offers optimal uptime, productivity and low daily operating costs. When John Deere introduced its line of construction machines locally in 2021, “we focused on the E210 excavator as this is where the market was – market share wise,” Makgate explains. “The introduction of machines was calculated so that the market was not swamped as we wanted to focus on each of the customer segments, and give the right amount of focus to a specific customer segment,” he says. “The 30 ton E300 LC is a general construction machine that is ideal for applications including quarrying,

contracting, mining and general construction,” he says. “The E300 LC falls in between a small contractor type of machine and semi-mining and fits into this segment because the bucket can be removed and fitted with different types of attachments,” says Makgate. The heavier nature of the machine makes it even more effective. “The E300 LC has a 2,9 m low reach. It is offered in a short and long carriage – the latter gives more stability on the machine as the undercarriage is slightly longer. It is a good machine for a contractor moving between different construction applications,” he adds. The E300 LC is equipped with 6,8 litre four cylinder John Deere PowerTech Plus engine as opposed to the E210 which