120K Lb Sales Loaders??

[farm_boy]

Can someone please help me understand how this can make financial sense. I recently visited a couple different quarries that were using a 988H/WA600-6 size machine as a sales or load out loader. The main reason was to allow two passing of the 10 cu yd truck/trailer combo's.

Here in lies my question to the group, how can a loader that cost close to twice as much as a 980H/WA600-6/844J/L220E, drinks twice the fuel and has a much higher operating cost be justified to cut one pass on loading a truck.

The only way that I could see was if there were a line of trucks sitting to be loaded for 8-10 hours straight every single day. This is the only way that I could see that one less pass could pay for itself in the long run.

I would think that unless a company was getting at least 95% truck loading utilization out of that loader a much more better solution from a financial point would be to three pass with the next size smaller machine.

Any thoughts on the subject?

 

[Steve Frazier]

Is that the only chore the machine has, loading outbound trucks? The quarries I purchase at also have large loaders but they are assigned other jobs as well. They keep the bins full for the concrete and asphalt plants which keeps them busy when both plants are running. They also move material around the yard when the trucks can't keep up.

I see some bins in the background of one of your photos, perhaps the machine is assigned to keeping them full.

 

[RollOver Pete]

I've done production loading more times than I can remember.
I'd much rather not be a robot and load trucks for 10 hrs straight.
But lucky for me, the word gets out.
From experience, One thing that really matters....I mean makes a HUGE difference is banging them out as fast as you can. 700-800 tph. No spilling or breaking side boards while getting them their max load without putting them over. When there is always a truck there, a single pass or one bucket in each trailer is the only way to get that kind of tonnage. Each bucket needs to load approx. 12.5 tons. It's much easier with a 988 sized machine. A 980G-H will do as long as you have extra ballast in the rear tires. And for the idiots at Granite.....order a truck bucket next time! I worked my tail off to get them their 7000 tons each and every miserable night.
And brother....were my arms tired!

 

[komatsukid]

we have a 988 at work. that machines job is to feed the crusher. we use it to mine the stoney natural banks in our pit because it penetrates the face of the banks better than our 966 and tired old 980. other than that it stays parked because it is a FUEL HOG!

 

[Countryboy]

We currently have 4 980's and 1 988. The 980's main job is loading trucks and keeping the feeders full of rock. The 988 will jump in on either of those chores if we are short a loader or operator. The 988 really excells at loading rail cars. It also keeps the main surge pile pulled down and pushed, whichever the case may be at the time.

The 988 is also a backup loader for the pit incase the 992, 991 or 990 go down. Its really the "jack of all trades" of our quarry, can do everything but not the best for anything. Again, this is what works at our quarry....with my personal preference being a 980 for loading trucks and railcars. That 988 just won't move like those 980's will.

 

[Young James]

I'd like to try a 980 or 988 whenever I get a chance. We have a mostly deere loaders at work, with the exception of a wa-600 for the crusher. We have an 824J for loading trucks or whatnot, and also had a 07 844J for a while, which I might add was a decent loader.