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A Cat® 836K Landfill Compactor Success Story
Turning push into shove with Cat® 836K Landfill Compactors
Learn how Cat® 836K Landfill Compactors are boosting efficiency in Smith County, Tennessee.
On a given day at the Smith County landfill, a solid waste disposal facility tucked in middle Tennessee, director Jonny Lee can expect up to 750 tons of municipal, construction and demolition waste to be delivered, hauled in by as many as 100 trucks.
Managing a continuous, high-volume flow of waste is a challenge. Fortunately, though, Lee found a solution to improve efficiency and compaction, while extending the operational life of the landfill.
Heeding the advice of colleagues at nearby landfills, Lee contacted his local Cat® dealer, Thompson Machinery. After a thorough site evaluation, equipment experts at Thompson recommended a Cat 836K Landfill Compactor, the largest and heaviest landfill compactor in the Cat product line.
Because of the 836K’s superior efficiency, Smith County landfill’s compaction rate has increased 29%.
“This new Cat 836K has made a night-and-day difference,” Lee said. “We found the 836K was a better-sized match for our operation, all the way around. It helped us to be more efficient in our daily operation, by getting it done in a reasonable time. My operators weren’t having to run 10 or 12 hours a day. We got it back down to eight hours a day. To be honest, that machine was a blessing to us,” Lee explained.
“The Cat compactor makes my job a whole lot easier,” Lee said.
Lee expects that improved compaction rates will extend the projected operating life of landfill cells by a year or more, netting significant additional revenue per unit of space.
Improved fuel economy and more.
Lee says the landfill has realized a 10% reduction in fuel consumption with the 836K compared to the previously operated machine.
“The Cat compactor makes my job a whole lot easier and it extends the life of the landfill, making daily operation a lot smoother, too. The employees aren’t stressed out anymore.
“Once the operator spreads the waste over the target area, he’ll make three passes and it’s done. With our prior machine, we were running five to six passes, yet still weren’t achieving the density we’re getting with the three passes on the 836K,” he said.
Lee uses the 836K to doze and compact the waste in three-foot layers. At day’s end, the 836K and/or the Cat 963K Waste Handlers spread six inches of cover material.
Meet The Fleet
In addition to the 836K Landfill Compactor, Smith County owns two Cat 963K Waste Handler track loaders, a 320 excavator and two Cat articulated haul trucks—a 725 and 730.
“The Cat 963K Waste Handler we purchased in 2014 and the difference it made led us to purchase another one in 2017,” Lee noted. “It’s just an all-around good machine because it’s like a Swiss army knife—we can do the bank excavation and the spreading and the compaction with it. It’s a multi-purpose machine.”
“The Cat articulated trucks have made a big difference hauling our dirt,” Lee adds. “Several years ago, we used dump trucks and they were very limited as to where they could operate. For instance, we had an inch and one-half of rain over a weekend but on Monday we were still able to move dirt.
“Because we have those articulated trucks, the 725 and the 730, we were able to get in there, back in the trash and we were able to place our cover with them.”
The 836K at Smith County is currently leased with an option to purchase. The county will consider a purchase at the end of the lease based on the machine’s performance, according to Lee.
Lee’s strong background in service and equipment maintenance has instilled a key operating philosophy at the landfill and sets a high standard for everyone to follow. When an operator arrives first thing in the morning, he has a detailed checklist on the machine he must go through.
“It’s a preventative maintenance thing for us here at Smith County,” he said. “All of our operators walk around their machines to carefully inspect them before and after their shifts every day. I know firsthand how important this daily inspection is.
“It’s what must be done to ensure you’re taking care of the machines and taking care of the county’s investment at the same time.”
Convenient leasing options with Caterpillar.
Smith County bought their heavy equipment outright for several years but now opts for convenient leasing.
“That way we have options to turn it in after 36 months if we need to and we can maintain a new fleet of equipment. With our newer fleet, we achieve a significant uptime improvement compared to what we achieved in the past,” said Lee.
Gold (more like yellow) standard dealer support.
To reduce maintenance costs, Smith County landfill selected the preventative maintenance (PM) program with certified Cat dealer, Thompson Machinery. The program has not only cut down on everyday upkeep responsibilities for Smith County, but also offers more comprehensive support, such as the 1,000-hour service, free of charge.
“I didn’t think it would make that big of a difference, but it did,” Lee noted.
Parts delivery is efficient, too. Lee has said that if the landfill places an order by early afternoon, their parts are in a nearby drop box by 7:30 a.m. the next day.
“We’ve had good service out here because of the Cat parts availability,” Lee explained. “It’s a blessing that you can call one day and have the parts in the box the next morning. Even with special orders coming out of Atlanta, we receive the parts overnight.”
And Thompson services what they sell. Each machine delivery is accompanied by a team of heavy equipment experts to guide new owners through operating features, ensuring that they’re able to maximize productivity.
“They will go through the machine and walk you through it step-by-step. And they’ll stay with you when we’re putting it in the trash or dirt and operating it. I think the biggest thing with Thompson is the excellent service and outstanding parts availability that we receive,” Lee concluded.
“If we’re out here working on something and my maintenance guy gets into an area he’s not 100 percent up to speed on, he can actually talk to one of Thompson’s guys and they’ll help walk him through it—and that says a whole lot.”
