This is a question I get asked a lot with my Landfill Compactor (LFC) efficiency work. There are some things to think about, what are you trying to do on-site, what is a priority, density, productivity or cost, and how is your compactor configured? This is all going to relate to mechanical drive Landfill Compactors, but a lot of it is transferable to hydrostatic machines as well.
First and foremost is fuel consumption. When using a LFC for compaction, you utilise a dozer fleet that lays waste out in uniform layers, and the LFC is just compacting, this has a fuel consumption range around the 62-65lph (16.4-17.2Gal p/hr). Change it up to a LFC pushing waste 50-60% of the time and compacting for the other 40% bumps fuel consumption up to 70-75lph (18.5-19.8Gal p/hr), that’s a 14% increase in fuel consumption!
Compare that to a CAT D8T dozer running at 39lph (10.3 Gal p/hr) in the same spreading application.
Then you factor in the D8T is producing at 2.5times the rate of the compactor, so it more than doubles the amount of waste pushed, spread and placed as the LFC can in the same amount of time using close to half as much fuel!
You really need to look at where you want to spend your money, out the exhaust in wasted fuel, or packing more waste into as tighter space as possible.
Next week I want to talk about some of the basics on planning component life for rebuilds or component replacement, and look at how this can impact your bottom line by not getting the full value out of your investment by not managing how your equipment is used.
