Efficiency—it’s more than a buzzword on farms. It’s what producers strive to achieve at every corner of their business to help rein in the overall cost of production. One area that producers are giving an efficient examination to is the equipment they purchase, like wheel loaders that are tasked with 8-plus hours of feeding a day.
According to John Deere’s solutions marketing manager, Luke Gribble, producers are looking to ensure that the wheel loader is equipped with features that enable it to reach max productivity.
“Knowing that, Deere offers many top-of-the-line features from the factory specifically suited for these types of applications, including dual locking differentials with either manual or automated differential lock, axle cooling capabilities, and Quad-Cool,” Gribble says. “These features allow the machine to perform at its best in all types of ground conditions and keep major components clean and cool so that machines can run efficiently all day long.”
Joel Grimes, a wheel loader market professional with Caterpillar, says dairy producers truly understand ROI and that folds over to the equipment they buy.
“They are what I would consider total lifecycle cost thinkers,” he says, sharing that the three highest operating costs when running a wheel loader is:
- Fuel
- Tires
- The cutting edges on the bucket
“Caterpillar has designed this machine fundamentally different to help the modern dairy farmer,” he says. “For example, to help keep our fuel burn down, we reduced engine speed and sized up pumps that ultimately results is burning less fuel.”
New Technology Must-Haves
Needing to quickly weigh loads to mix numerous batches of feed through the day has made smart technology like Deere’s SmartWeigh and CAT’s Payload features that producers consider a must-have.
“It is crucial to be able to easily and quickly get accurate weights of all the ingredients that are going into a producer’s feed. SmartWeigh is a John Deere designed and supported payload weighing solution that delivers accurate measurements, dynamic weighing capabilities, and is easy to calibrate,” Gribble says.
Grimes points out that CAT Payload can weigh the payloader as it fills, saving a return trip. He also shares that when it comes to serving the equipment, technology gives maintenance reminders that can be displayed in the operator’s choice of language.
“Technology is just working automatically,” Grimes says. “Modern farmers can get cattle fed and go onto the next job quicker.”
Neil Detra, North American product manager for wheel loaders and compact wheel loaders with CASE Construction Equipment, says their SiteWatch technology helps with inefficiencies like idle time.
“SiteWatch helps track utilization, fuel usage and idle time, and it’ll let farmers know if there are any issues,” Detra says. “Utilization reports can help track fuel, which can help understand your idle time and how you can reduce your costs as an owner.”
New Safety Features
CAT is planning to launch their next-generation product that includes a multi-view camera that provides a bird’s eye view to allow operators to see all around them.
“You’ve got an extra eye to help reduce accidents,” Grimes says.
Additionally, they have safety features built in that will bring the machine to a stop if it detects the operator has fallen out of the seat.
Deere’s Advanced Object Detection assists the operator in visualizing the anticipated reversal path of the loader based on its articulation to provide a better line of sight to objects or people that may be directly within that path. A distinctive audible alarm notifies the operator when an object is detected with the beep speed increasing as an object comes closer to the loader.
CASE underscores the importance of safety, as agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations.
“A lot of safety features are in place,” Detra says. “We have high-visibility seatbelts coming out so you can see if the operator is utilizing the seatbelts or not.”
Coordinated by CASE dealers, operator orientation training can be scheduled to go over new equipment, like payloaders and the new technology and safety features they come equipped with.
“Visibility is huge focus for CASE. Wheel loaders have sloping rear hoods, which allow for excellent visibility. In conjunction with backup cameras and backup alarms, these technologies allow for a safer jobsite,” he says.
With the goal of lowering the cost of production, producers understand the importance of carving out time to review what equipment works best in their operations. And, with large dairies putting between 3,000 and 4,000 hours on a payloader annually, producers take a lot into consideration before making that purchase, like technology and safety features that can help them efficiently and safely feed their herd of cows.
