Ozark County Commissioners consider grader bids, ultimately choose John Deere 770GP

Representatives from John Deere and Fabick-Cat attended this week’s meeting to learn the commissioners’ choice in their purchase of a new grader for the county’s Road and Bridge Department. 

The commissioners ran a legal notice in the Times for two weeks soliciting bids on the cost of either a Caterpillar 140 or 770GP John Deere or comparable unit to replace an older grader the county owns. The bid deadline was set for July 6. 

At last week’s meeting, the commissioners opened two bids from the companies but decided to table the final decision about which grader to purchase until this week’s meeting, allowing them time to read through and consider the offers. 

Two bids were received:

Fabick-Cat’s price for the Caterpillar 140 was $274,623.02, and the company was prepared to give the county $96,350 for the trade-in on an old grader, meaning the county would owe a total of $178,273.02 after trade-in. 

John Deere’s bid for the 770GP was $288,495, and the company was prepared to give the county a $129,000 trade-in value for the old grader, meaning the county would owe a total of $159,495. John Deere also submitted a cheaper second bid for the smaller 670GP grader. 

The new grader will be part of the equipment for Eastern District Commissioner Gary Collins’ crew, so the other two commissioners mostly left the decision up to him. 

“I’m going to make a motion to buy the 770 John Deere grader,” Collins said. 

The other commissioners voted, and all agreed to purchase the machine. 

Western District Commissioner Layne Nance, who wore his Fabick-Cat ballcap to the meeting, said he likes Caterpillar machinery, but he understands the benefit of a John Deere in this situation. 

“I’m partial to a Cat because I run a Cat, and I just like the Cat,” Nance said, referring to his career as a county equipment operator before he was elected commissioner. “But I’m also about common sense too, and they’re offering a . . . kind of a new deal that Cat hasn’t come up with yet. And I like that idea a lot, plus almost $19,000 less money for basically comparable machines.”

Nance was referring to John Deere’s new Premium Circle with an integrated slip clutch offered on the company’s new G-Series and GP-series machines. 

“By eliminating the circle-wear inserts and need for adjustment or replacement, customers will benefit from reduced parts and labor costs while still maintaining an accurate grade,” according to the John Deere website. “The secret to Deere’s Premium Circle is its fully sealed bearing, pinion, and circle teeth that are protected from dirt and debris. The only maintenance required is grease every 500 hours. In addition, the Premium Circle’s gearbox oil only needs to be changed every 4,000 hours instead of 2,000 hours. By contrast, a Standard Circle takes far longer to service, meaning more down time instead of productivity. The wear inserts in a Standard Circle must be replaced or shimmed every so often in order to compensate for wear. Restoring the circle’s tightness is critical to maintaining its accuracy and preventing damage. The result is more time in the shop for a grader with a Standard Circle, and less time on the job.”

“In five years’ time, that’ll save some money right there,” Nance said. 

“They had that guarantee on them. So the people buying them know that that circle isn’t going to be wore, or egg shaped,” Collins said.  

Collins says he currently has five graders in his arsenal for the eastern side of Ozark County, and all the machines are John Deeres. Nance said he has four graders for the western side of the county, two John Deere and two Caterpillar graders. 

The John Deere representative said it would take 45 to 60 days to receive the grader, which will be made in Dubuque, Iowa. 

The commissioners asked both representatives if they had guaranteed buy-back or guaranteed trade-in values on future equipment purchases, but both reps said the companies have discontinued those programs with the newer equipment. 

The commissioners say there will likely be another bid notice in the future for the financing side of the grader.