Archive for August, 2008
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
Komatsu offers unique range of industrial equipment related to construction, mining, earthmoving and utility equipment across New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia. Komatsu offers wide range of new and used Komatsu equipment and other popular brands.
Komatsu is specialised in designing, manufacturing and supplying of extensive range of equipment needed for construction, quarrying, mining and other related industries. Komatsu products have unique features like ecot3 low-emission, HydrauMind hydraulic technology and low fuel consumption engine variety.
The new equipment offered by Komatsu includes Crushers, Backhoe Loaders, Dump Trucks – Rigid, Dump Trucks – Articulated, Dozers – Crawler Loaders, Dozers – Wheeled, Excavators, Skidsteer Loaders, Face Shovels and Wheel Loaders.
Komatsu offered wide range of used construction equipment that are traded or purchased with in New Zealand or Australia and low-hour equipment from international markets. Komatsu provides used equipment along with appraisals, machine details, pricing and condition reports. Extensive range of used equipment from various makes are available from Komatsu which includes JCB, Valmet, Bobcat, Timberjack, Terex, Caterpillar, Case, Komatsu, Wabco, Hitachi, Kubota, Sumitomo, Terex, Yanmar and to name but a few.
Posted in construction equipment | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
B.C.’s forest safety ombudsman says the provincial government should introduce a certification program for log haulers, to ensure that only trained, qualified people are driving the big trucks.
Roger Harris said companies are so short of log truck drivers, they’re hiring people they would never have considered in the past.
He said the employers call it “putting meat in the seat.”
In his first report, released Wednesday, Harris recommends that the B.C. Forest Safety Council work with the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to develop a provincewide certification program.
“If the new truck drivers of the future are going to be coming directly off the street, we can’t be having them just run through a basic Class 1 and find themselves on the top of a mountain the next day.
“We need to make sure that, depending on the application of the trucks they’re going to drive, they’re actually trained to the competency that gets them there.”
Harris is a former logging contractor and Liberal MLA.
He was hired as forest safety ombudsman because of the record number of deaths in the industry in B.C. in 2005.
The death toll dropped last year, but Harris said there is still a crisis in recruiting and training forest workers, which is reflected in the title of his report, “Not Out of the Woods.”
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
Do you find yourself day-dreaming about camping and vacationing with a recreational vehicle? Traveling with your home is a great experience. Vacations with your family are so much better when you have an RV. No more camping in tents, no more sweating in the heat, and no more uncomfortable nights in sleeping bags on the ground. A Tiffin RV is a wonderful choice that can give you all of the above and much more.
Look for a reputable dealer that offers a variety of choices. Models range in both amenities and price. Your RV dealer can help you with every aspect of your purchase. Imagine going to visit family, and not having to worry about someone being put out of their bed so that you will have a place to sleep. Simply find an RV park in the area, and make a reservation.
Traveling through the mountains in a recreational vehicle is a great experience. Most of the best vacation and camping spots are aware that many of their visitors are traveling in RVs. Finding a park to stay in will be an easy task. When you vacation in an RV, you don’t have to worry about eating out. This is particularly important for anyone that is health conscious, or has special dietary needs, and is watching what they eat. Simply stock your RV’s fridge and pantry with the items that you want, and they will all be right there, available to you no matter where you go. Camping in the mountains could not be easier.
RVs can be as simple or as extravagant as you desire. You will find that they can be ordered with all of the frills or just the bare necessities. Your RV dealer will help you customize your new Tiffin RV to meet your particular specifications. You will enjoy traveling in your new vehicle, and taking vacations will be something that you will look forward to more than ever. When you and your family roam the country in your home on wheels, you will have unexpected adventures, make new friends, and enjoy experiences that will never be forgotten.
Posted in RV | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
Manufactured by Honda in July of 1972, the two-door sedan Honda Civic was small and compact yet filled with vast interior space. Rated as Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year for 1980, the Civic achieved status on Car and Driver magazine’s annual Ten Best lists six time from 1985 to 1996. At the 2006 North American International Auto show (NAIAS) Car of the Year awards, the Civic took home the North American Car of the Year title. The first-year civic came with an estimated 50 horsepower, and a 1,169 cc inline four-cylinder engine. Weighing only about 1,500 pounds, the Civic came with 0.71 horsepower per cubic inch. The Civic came with a transverse engine, and 1169 cc engine with front wheel drive and a wheelbase of 220 cm. Sold as either a four-speed manual or two speed, this classic car typically came with a A radio, heater, plastic trim, painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap and two-speed wipers. Eventually becoming more luxurious, the updated Civic comes with satellite-linked navigation, power lock and windows and as a six-speed manual.
Before 1973, Honda was better known for producing motorcycles than vehicles. It was the arrival of the Civic that turned around the Honda opinion and its predilection for vehicle production. Achieving more than 40 mpg on the highway, this small car had room for four passengers. Available in either a 3-door hatchback or a sedan version, this vehicles were identical except for their rear options. The sedan offered a small vertical panel that opened and provided access to the ‘trunk’. Arriving with standard options such as power front disc brakes, reclining bucket seats, woodgrain-accented dashboard and vinyl seating, the options were minimal butincluded air conditioning, automatic transmission, rear wipers (in the hatchback) and radial tires. The hatchback also included a fold-down rear seat, cloth upholstery and an AM radio. Honda Civic’s have always represented dependability and a good value for the price. At a base price of around $2,200, the Civc was considered to be practical and ecconomical without any pretenses.
Nearly two years after its release, the engine expanded to 1,237 cc and available horsepower when from 50 to 52. The bumpers on the Civic also grew longer along with its overall length to 146.9 inches to meet the 5-mph bumper impact standard. A design that promoted cleaner and more efficient combustion, the CVCC (Controlled Vortex Combustion Chamber) was introduced in 1975 and eliminated the need for a catalytic convertor or unleaded fuel to meet emission standards. This new engine offered 53-horsepower displaced 1, 499 cc. In 1975 a manual 5-speed manual gear box also became available at the same time as the Civic station wagon was released. The station wagon measured an overall length of 160 inches and had a wheelbase of 89.9 inches and came with the new CVCC engine. In this same year, Civic sales ranked a whopping 100,000 units. An year later, Ford Motors also released its series of vehicles to counter the competition in that segment.
With an increase of the CVCC engine to 60 horsepower, 1978 models had new black grilles, new turn signals and rear-facing hood vents. The 1980 Civic came with a sleek body that had an increased wheelbase at 88.6 inches for the Hatchback and 91.3 inches for the wagon. At the same time, the ‘sedan’ version was no longer produced. In 1981, a four-door sedan was introduced, and at the same time the rudimentary two-speed unit was replaced by a more modern three-speed automatic. The following year the five-speed ‘FE’ (Fuel Economy) was released and achieved 41 mpg in the city, and 55 mpg on the highway. Updated features included rectangular headlamps and black bumpers. In 1984 the Civic began to expand in size, and also became more advanced and sophisticated in terms of design. A new 1.5 liter-engine with 12 valves and 76 horsepower came on the newly released Civic.
Civic’s strong reputation as a reliable and dependable vehicle continued through the years. Popularity for Honda vehicles continued to rise and their annual sales topped 200,000.
Posted in cars | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
The increase in forest road grades on the coast of British Columbia has led to hauling safety concerns. FPInnovations – Feric Division initiated a study in 2003 in cooperation with WorkSafeBC and the forest industry to investigate this issue and develop guidelines for hauling on these steep grades. This study is summarized in Feric Advantage Report 8(5). The guidelines presented in this report are intended specifically for coastal log trucks which carry significantly higher payloads than trucks hauling off-highway loads. Descent guidelines for highway trucks will be developed in the future.
In 2005, WorkSafeBC issued an official guideline (G 26.2-2), which separates hauling requirements into two categories: grades less than 18%, and grades greater than 18%. This separation was based on the assumption that reasonably maintained equipment is designed for grades up to 18%, which is the maximum allowable grade specified in the BC Ministry of Forests Engineering Guidebook. On grades above 18%, a risk assessment must be conducted prior to hauling on these grades and a safe descent procedure with specific conditions for haul suspension must be developed.
A spreadsheet lookup tool incorporating Feric’s research has been developed to assist the forest industry when conducting risk assessments on grades greater than 18%. This tool provides recommended maximum payloads and speeds for specified road conditions (traction levels, grade, length of grade).
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
Komatsu (コマツ) (TYO: 6301) is a Japanese company that manufactures construction, mining, military and concrete equipment, industry machinery such as press machines, lasers, and thermoelectric modules.[1]
Its headquarters is at 2-3-6, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Its name was taken after the current city of Komatsu, Ishikawa at the company’s foundation there in 1917. Its main plants are located in the city. Komatsu makes the largest bulldozer in the world, the D575.
Komatsu Iron Works was started by Takeuchi Mining Industry as a subsidiary to make industrial tools for the parent company. Komatsu eventually became large enough to sell to the public, and was spun off on 1921-05-13 as Komatsu Ltd.
Komatsu produced its first agricultural tractor prototype in 1931. Through the 1930s, Komatsu also produced military tractors for the Japanese military, used bulldozers, tanks and howitzers. After World War II, Komatsu added non-militarybulldozers and forklifts to its line of equipment. Its growth as a company was aided by the strong demand for its bulldozer during Japan’s post-war reconstruction in the 1950s. By 1957 was advanced enough technologically that all of its models were also using Komatsu equipments.
Komatsu began exporting its products in the 1960s, looking to counteract the postwar image of Japanese products as being cheap and poorly made, and entered the U.S. market in July 1967, taking on Caterpillar, the world’s largest bulldozer maker, in its home market, under the leadership of President Yashinari Kawai. Komatsu did so under the rallying cry “Maru-C”, translating into English as “encircle Caterpillar” (in the context of Go (board game) encircling an opponent results in capture of their territory).
Komatsu and Dresser Industries established Komatsu Dresser to make mining tractors and related equipment. This 50–50 ownership lasted from September 1988 to August 1994, when Komatsu bought out Dresser’s share, and Komatsu’s mining products were consolidated under the name Komatsu Mining Systems in 1997. To prevent brand name confusion during corporate changes, the name “Haulpak” is used for the product line Komatsu began with Dresser.
Posted in construction equipment | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
As the economy has weakened and defaults have occurred at all levels, lenders Have put themselves into a very difficult position how to do business. On one hand, the lender has taken back tremendous amounts of repossessions due to default of payments or non-compliance of terms with the lease. The lessee can’t afford to make payments when the revenue base isn’t there and the costs of doing business has sky rocketed. The lessee has either walked away from his obligation to pay the lender or the lender has taken back the acquisition. Either way, everybody is a loser and the future looks no brighter.
The lender must recondition these repossessed items and either re-lease them or auction them off at a discount. This isn’t a good scenario because the lender is losing time and dollars on every repossession. As this problem has leveraged itself, it has put some lenders into financial crisis. At the present time, some lenders have had to reevaluate their financial models and make dramatic changes.
The following are some types of work trucks and construction equipment:
Dump trucks, bucket trucks, day cabs, concrete and cement trucks, boom trucks, water and vacuum trucks, articulated trucks, garbage trucks, tow trucks, excavators, bulldozers, forklifts, concrete equipment, concrete pumps, forestry equipment, backhoes, etc.
Posted in construction equipment | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
A truck dealer in Staffordshire has expressed disbelief that the DVLA issued a new log book for a truck stolen from its site which was then offered for sale on the internet.
Stuart Wolstenholme, manager of West Pennine Trucks, says the Scania 124 6×2 tractor unit was also put through an annual test after it was stolen from its forecourt in Stoke-on-Trent in April. By chance he spotted it for sale on the internet auction site eBay six months later.
Wolstenholme says the police have told him someone has been arrested for the theft: “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing… that someone was that stupid. I have had trucks stolen before and always got them back. I had a feeling we would see it again.”
Wolstenholme is not impressed that the DVLA issued a log truck for a stolen vehicle, but a DVLA spokeswoman says this is not unusual: “The police have asked the DVLA to issue registration documents in respect of vehicles known to be stolen in order not to alert the criminals applying for the document, who will simply then dispose of the vehicle immediately.
“The police have, however, recently revisited this decision and asked the DVLA to suppress the registration document for 30 days on such applications while they make enquiries,” she adds. “This change should be implemented by the end of this year.”
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Monday, August 4th, 2008
ATV’s, are small motor vehicles with large tires used of transportation or racing across off-road terrain. All Terrain Vehicles are controlled with motorcycle hand controls. The ATV’s are a fun and exciting way to experience the wilderness, and can be a useful means of transportation in rural settings. The ATV has gained huge popularity because of its versatility.So there are many different types of ATV’s nowadays from companies such as Honda, Polaris, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Arctic Cat.There is a variety of models and varying engine sizes for the different outdoor activities like racing, hunting and camping.
So you’ve just purchased your all terrain vehicle and now need some ATV accessories. Since ATV’s have a reputation as being dangerous, thing to purchase will be protective equipment. Just like operating a motorcycle or bike, riding an ATV requires you use proper protective gear.So the very first thing should be to get a proper helmet and be sure to wear proper eye protection too. The next thing to think about is some protective clothing , so be sure to wear boots and gloves to protect your hands and feet while operating the ATV - it’s an absolute must for any rider.
Another great accessory for your ATV could be a saddle bag which will allow you to carry all your cargo while you take your ATV on hunting trips or just to have some outdoor fun. Most off-road riders will eventually get stuck in the mud or need any help . For a serious ATV rider, a winch is a necessity. The winch cable can be fastened around a nearby tree, and it will pull the vehicle toward the tree.
Posted in ATVs | No Comments »
Monday, August 4th, 2008
Lustrous and elegant, the new 2007 Jaguar XKR concept also has been finally unveiled. The two-door convertible and four-seater coupe XKR represents the latest technology in lightweight vehicle structure of future Jaguar vehicles. It also shows off fine design and efficient performance. The Jaguar XKR truly offers its occupants nothing but a smooth and sporty driving experience.
Ian Callum, Jaguar’s Director or Design states: “We talk at Jaguar of how our new generation of models are ‘beautiful, fast cars’. It’s a phrase that ideally sums up our brand and can be applied to every car we design. We were extremely proud of the reaction to the new XK when it was unveiled last year - it is as beautiful as you would expect a Jaguar sports car to be. Now, the new XKR has a look that emphasizes the ‘fast’ aspect of our design statement. The ‘powerline’ that runs from the front wheel through the cabin area and into the car’s rear haunches remains, and we have added to that latent feeling of power by adding some strong performance features such as the vents that signify the potent supercharger and the stunning new alloys that fill the wheel arches and give the car real purpose.”The Jaguar XKR convertible is considered as the most potent model in the Jaguar family. Like other XK Jaguar models, the new XKR also provides modern technology features like the aluminum monocoque body structure. The unique front bumper design showcases the sporty side of Jaguar models. The Jaguar XKR is equipped with the supercharged V-8 4.2-liter engine and the high-class calibration six-speed automatic transmission that helps the driver to have a nice drift on the road. The up-rated 420 HP that produces an amount of 413 pounds of torque shows the improved performance of the new XKR. The improvement in power and torque of the XKR is obtained because of the latest additions on the engine components. For the very first time, Jaguar manufacturers equipped the new XKR with the Variable Inlet Camshaft Timing System. This added system helps the engine to adjust in various situations depending on the speed and the volume of load.Interior features of the new Jaguar XKR include the high-class sport-designed seats and a spacious cabin that will surely offer a comfortable ride for its occupants. An easy to use instrument panel and a clear dashboard area also provide efficiency in driving. The new 2007 Jaguar XKR is remarkably a true and elegant sports car.
Posted in cars | No Comments »
