Bid List: Making the Grade

makingAll with the touch of a single button
The G-Series Grade Pro motor graders from Deere feature industry-standard pattern fingertip controls, located on the armrest, as well as lever steering and a steering wheel for operators who prefer traditional steering. The units in the series are all grade-control ready and can accept Trimble or Topcon grade-control systems. The single-button cross-slope control is noteworthy, a feature that enables operators to select a desired slope and maintain it with a single blade lift lever. All G-Series graders have keyless start with multiple security codes to control whom is able to access the graders, and a programmable auto-shutdown for fuel saving

The machines are equipped with the Deere PowerTech Plus 9.0-liter, high-torque Tier 3 engines and standard variable horsepower. The rear axles feature automatic differential lock, and a hydraulic clutch-style differential lock can be engaged on the go.

Three of the six new G-Series models have six-wheel drive rather than tandem drive, resulting in a 30-percent increase in tractive effort. Six-wheel-drive units also have a precision mode for ultra-low speed operations and steering compensation to help pull the machine through a turn. These models are the 672G, 772G and 872G.

Seven choices and a joystick, too
Caterpillar’s seven-model lineup of its M-Series line of motor graders features 30 percent new content, most notably a joystick-operated electro-hydraulic control system, which replaces as many as 15 levers and a steering wheel. According to Cat, the pair of three-axis joysticks reduce operator arm and hand movements by as much as 78 percent The new graders include about 30 percent new content. New features include dynamic styling that opens up sight lines, easy adjustment of the drawbar, circle and moldboard (DCM), a high-torque all-wheel-drive system, enhanced power management, and emissions-compliant Cat C-Series engines with ACERT technology.Changes to the moldboard retention system and the slide rail wear inserts make moldboard service much easier by eliminating the need for shims. The bi-directional slide rail shoes allow adjustment up and down as well as fore and aft, an adjustment that eliminates moldboard chatter. Models in the series include the 120M, 12M, 140M, 160M, 14M, 16M and 24M. Operating weights in the series range from 29,000 pounds to 145,000 pounds; horsepower ranges from 125 horsepower to 500 horsepower; and blade length ranges from 12 feet to 23 feet. The 120M, 140M and 160M offer an all-wheel-drive option for improved traction and sidedraft control for added steering. 

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Horsepower does matter
Case Construction Equipment has upgraded its 800 Series motor grader line. The Tier III-certified engines are electronically controlled and fueled through a high-pressure common rail fuel-injection system. This provides responsive engine control, greater fuel efficiency and a cleaner burn, according to Case.The entire improved motor grader line features increased horsepower. The 845 DHP (dual horsepower) maintains the horsepower range required to meet the demands of fine-grading applications, while also providing an increase of 14 percent for tough conditions. The 865 VHP (variable horsepower), the most popular machine in the Case motor grader lineup, delivers an increased 205 net horsepower.

The largest Case motor grader, the 885, features a fully electronically controlled Cummins engine. One-piece hoods in the motor grader line provide complete access to the engine. Batteries swing out in both machines for accessibility, and temperature-controlled reversing fan purges materials from coolers. Other changes include a steering column that’s more adjustable, and low-effort control levers are grouped closer together and extended for increased operator control. All Case motor graders are equipped with a front articulation joint to provide better visibility to the moldboard.  Write 63 on Reader Service Card.

Turbocharged for production
The G900 Series Motor Graders from Volvo Construction Equipment has the industry’s first 11-speed grader transmission — 11 speed forward, six-speed reverse. According to Volvo, this feature provides more useful gear ratios within the typical working speed — it provides for the lowest gear in the industry for doing super fine grade work at the lowest speed. In 11th gear, the series provides the fastest on-highway travel speed at 31 mph. All models in the series can reach this speed, as much as 5 mph or 6 mph as competitive units, according to Volvo. The models — G930, G940, G946, G960. G970, G976 and G990 — range in operating weight from about 34,830 with the G930 to the G990, weighing in at 48,720.The machines also feature three drive systems: four-wheel tandem; six-wheel drive, and a “Creep Mode,” a hydrostatic front-wheel only drive system.Write 61 on Reader Service Card.

The fast and furious grader
The G900 Series Motor Graders from Volvo Construction Equipment has the industry’s first 11-speed grader transmission — 11 speed forward, six-speed reverse. According to Volvo, this feature provides more useful gear ratios within the typical working speed — it provides for the lowest gear in the industry for doing super fine grade work at the lowest speed. In 11th gear, the series provides the fastest on-highway travel speed at 31 mph. All models in the series can reach this speed, as much as 5 mph or 6 mph as competitive units, according to Volvo. The models — G930, G940, G946, G960. G970, G976 and G990 — range in operating weight from about 34,830 with the G930 to the G990, weighing in at 48,720.The machines also feature three drive systems: four-wheel tandem; six-wheel drive, and a “Creep Mode,” a hydrostatic front-wheel only drive systemWrite 61 on Reader Service Card. 

Small machine, big impact
The C110 C Series production-class motor grader from Champion may be small, but it’s mighty with the tightest turning radius in its class, according to Champion. The 120-horsepower is an articulated tandem drive machine with an operating weight of 23,500 pounds and 431 foot-pounds of torque. Equipped with a six-cylinder Cummins QSB6.7 Tier 3 engine, conventional direct drive Funk DF150 Powershift 8 forward — 4 reverse transmission and gear-driven NAF tandems, the grader has a fully sequential, direct drive, powershift transmission. The frame front is a single tubular axle frame with internal gussets and overlapping plate. The rear frame is a full-perimeter welded frame that permits modular powertrain mounting for ease of servicing and to make it simpler to mount attachments.