Brand new Volvo L220F

[RamDodge]

Yesterday we finally took delivery on our new 220F. It replaces our five year old E with 22700 hours on it. My first impression are very good even though I haven't got any seat time yet, but I have a feeling I will enjoy it for many thousands of hours in the future so no rush ***
One thing that really differs from the E are the new cabin and electronic controls. There seems to be a tiny delay on the controls, but Volvo sayes that can be adjusted.
Our loaders are usually well optioned, but this time our boss jumped out the window and got almost everything availible from the factory. What's easy to spot are the rear fenders and Comfort Drive, otherwise we got boom suspension, xenon lights, backup camera, quick coupler, 3rd and 4th function, automatic climate controll and auto fire supression system. Some options are not so easy to spot, like reversible cooling fan, 4 fluid filled tires and heated and remote mirrors.

We use a 17m3 bucket for this machine (close to 18 yards?) The bucket are getting older since we got it with our 220D wich where one of the very first L220 delivered to customers (I think we had the first one in Norway) Primary job for this loader are feeding the pulp plant with wood chips, but it will be a back-up for unloading containers from railroad cars. We have a L330E for that job, but it needs a little help sometimes.

It was a good day at work, specially when the mechanic from Volvo that did the formal delivery brought a really good cake :D

[farm_boy]

RD,

Thanks for the pictures and post:drinkup Nice looking machine. Keep us up to date on how the machine does for ya.

:thumbsup

[Tigerotor77W]

Awesome-looking machine, indeed!

Let us know how it goes. :)

[Countryboy]

Cool looking loader ya got there. :drinkup

[dieseltune]

Great looking shovel, but why no picture of the cake?!!!!:D

[bigblueox]

are you making paper or is it for biofuel?(the wood chips) nice loader BTW

[RamDodge]

Thanks for the nice replys folks!

I never got a chance making a picture of the cake since it kind of vanished before I could get out the camera :D

Yes Bigblueox, we are working at an pulp & paper plant where they make liner quality paper. (that would be the paper you find on each side of wellboard)

So far it's been real good just out of the box. We might adjust the pressures on the pumps a little or maybe it's a electronic thing. One of the operators get a slight shudder in the hydraulics when he uses boom and bucket and the loader is climbing slow under high load. But I'm sure Volvo will fix that by some tweaking.

[dayexco]

nice rig, but i have a question for you...i just GOTTA know!....
on the back of the delivery lowboy.....are the words "bred last"....well, you know what that means in english, what's what in norwegian? wide load?:D

[RamDodge]

nice rig, but i have a question for you...i just GOTTA know!....
on the back of the delivery lowboy.....are the words "bred last"....well, you know what that means in english, what's what in norwegian? wide load?:D

Since your from North Dakota you should have known that without asking :D But you are absolutly correct "bred last" means "wide load"

[RamDodge]

Awesome-looking machine, indeed!

Let us know how it goes. :)

It's time to give you guys a little report on the 220F. It just turned 1000 hours today and it has been no trouble at all so far. Just dirty and with a few scratches.

It's been running just great and is powerfull with a really smooth transmission.
Really like the new cab, but we have some design issues with the dashboard. Also the new electronic controls took a little to get used to. I'm not sure what the enginers where thinking when they designed the dashboard. We have the comfort drive, and I never use the steering wheel. So it's natural to "park" it all way forward and tucked away. But then you cant see most of the gauges and info panel! We are six operators sharing this loader, and we all use different adjustments on the seat and controls, and compared to our old 220E it's less adjustments on the comfort drive armrest and more clumsy and harder to adjust the seat itself. Liked the old Isri seat better.

The visibility in the new cab are great, very little blind spots to the sides. We have the original rear fenders and those covers up the tail, but we have a backup camera with colors and lcd screen so that helps a lot.
One option we all learned to enjoy are the cab heater. When you shut down for a break, or like us, have to use a different machine for an hour. Just hit the button on the panel and the coolant will flow through the heater and keep the cab nice and warm. No need for keeping the engine running or a expensive diesel heater.

So it looks like Volvo did a much better job on this early F than they did on our early D. That was a lemon, and finally left us in a blaze. After 15 000 hours of trouble it burned one day, I think you could only use the quick coupler.

[equipment fan]

nice loader!

[MKTEF]

Hei Ramdodge.!

I bet u got a lot of nice heavyequipment on site...(cranes, trucks, loaders)

Take some pics for us please??

U know, a picture says more than thousand words.:)

And i bet u don't got the stupid rules about cameras, that some of the US guy's got.:D

[RamDodge]

And i bet u don't got the stupid rules about cameras, that some of the US guy's got.:D

I actually might remember something about photo restrictions in our contract, but since I already posted these pics the damage are already done :D

I have a few somewhere on the computer, I just need to find and resize them first.

[PETE379]

How are those electronic controls? When you say "get used to them", did they do something to adjust them, or did you just learn to deal with the "no feel" hydraulics and slight delay. We have a 950H with them and they are horrible. Machine has a mind of its own. Cat's been trying to fix it for 15 months now......NICE 220 BTW!

[lizardo2]

RD,
Glad you like your F series. Just delivered one into Seattle, and It is going to be used with 10 foot set of forks to unload tunnel liner segments, as well as move the spoils from the tunnel excavation. Enjoy!

[RamDodge]

How are those electronic controls? When you say "get used to them", did they do something to adjust them, or did you just learn to deal with the "no feel" hydraulics and slight delay. We have a 950H with them and they are horrible. Machine has a mind of its own. Cat's been trying to fix it for 15 months now......NICE 220 BTW!

I know what you are saying about controls with a own life. Not so with the Volvo, but we have a Kalmar yard truck that have a terrible electronic axelerator and transmission. They have made several attempts to fix this for us, but no we have given up. There are no way to get a smooth start it's either idle or 10-1100 rpm, so when you try to back under a trailer you usually end up banging into the king pin :mad: Also when you try to take it a little easy with cold engine and tranny, it ends up shifting up and down between 1st and 2nd. So if you want any speed you just have to nail it to the floor, not how I like to operate a cold truck but you have no choice :(

The Volvo controls are almost perfect though, I don't think the mechanic have tried to adjust them yet. I have only one concern and that it have a split second of delay down on the arms, that same function are not as progressive as the other functions. So I have to admit I have slammed the bucket in the ground a couple of times:eek: One of the operators claim he get a shudder when he lift the arms and tilt the bucket forward at the same time. The other drivers do the same manouver without noticing this, maybe we have different speed or more throttle :beatsme

Otherwise the controls are smooth and progressive with zero delay. Of course you get no feedback, but then no heat or noise either :cool2

[Tigerotor77W]

RD,
Glad you like your F series. Just delivered one into Seattle, and It is going to be used with 10 foot set of forks to unload tunnel liner segments, as well as move the spoils from the tunnel excavation. Enjoy!

Are you with... hmm... Clyde/West out in Kent? I spoke with Gary Labelle for quite a while when I was interning in Seattle with Boeing.

[MKTEF]

Hei Ramdodge.

Do u have the smooth end stop on your machine?

Volvo says u can programme the end stop of the lift, and slam it down, elctronics slows and stops it right at the programmed spot/hight.:cool:

They say u can have the same function on the tilt.
Full dump speed, slow and stop at programmed spot.:cool:

Nice pics though.(The other producers admited Volvo got the best loaders now. Visited vinterdager on Beitostøl today)

[PETE379]

We have the stops programmed on the cat, sometimes they work sometimes they dont. Whats the point of having these features if they only work sometimes? Dealer working on it but no luck yet, guess we'll just keep slamming bucket to the ground. It's also impossible to use float on the machine.

[MKTEF]

My experience with systems like that, is that they are very sensitive to metall in the oil.

The sylinders must be completely clean when mounted together.
Smal amounts of metal from production makes the system go crazy.:confused:
It shortcuts the linear sender inside the sylinder.

But i hope they have more advanced systems, that are not dependent of fysical contact between a resistance rod and the piston....:rolleyes:

[treeman]

Nice loader!!

[RamDodge]

Yes, we got that also, but don't use it much. I like to have full control of tilt and such so I never used the tilt automatic on the older machines either. On the F all this electronics are mounted outside of the hydraulic system. There are sensors on the bolts instead. So it's basically to lift the arms where you want them and push a button for programing.
But I think it's two seperat systems, first you got end damping as you got on a lot of excavators. Then you have the automatic stop on lift and tilt. The difference here it's adjusted with just a push on the button instead of adjusting sensors on earlier loaders, but it stops smoother.

They have the same end stops on the steering cylinders also, so no more hitting the frame in tight quarters. You can just jerk the joystic on full turn and it comes to a smooth stop on full turn. We could use that on our L330E also. We have very limited space sometimes and the 330 take up a lot of space and it turns less than the 220, I don't know how many times I have hit the stops :(

[Big Tackle Boy]

Thalks for the pix, that sure is a moxter buckek.

[lizardo2]

Are you with... hmm... Clyde/West out in Kent? I spoke with Gary Labelle for quite a while when I was interning in Seattle with Boeing.

Going on 7 years now and enjoying every minute

[RamDodge]

Time for another update on our F. It's almost a year ago we took delivery, and later today it will have 5000 hours on the clock :)

Mechanically it have been real good to us, but we struggle a little with the electronics. Our biggest concern right now is the seat is on it's last leg already. It have always been hard to change the adjustmens, now we can not lock the tilt so it acts like an old rocking chair. A new seat is more than $3000! What are you thinking Volvo?? Talk about high dollar garbage!! It's not even a option to get a new OEM seat, but since all the controlls are integrated into the armrests we have to do some seriouse modification to make a new seat work for us.

One other thing that have acted up almost since the start and that is the climate controll. Either it's too hot or too cold, and sometimes the AC shuts off even if the controll light are on. It works in cars and trucks, why not in an loader? We have an ongoing discussion with Volvo about this, so hopefully they will figure out this soon.
Our fancy electronic display are also living it's own life here. Outdoor temp and the clock have taken a vacation and left no notice when they will return. Not possible to get up info from the menues exept on engine, no info on charging, trans, or general info. It also insisted we had a cloged air filter for many months. Gave us a warning at every startup.

Otherwise it's been real good to us. It's perfect for our use and is fast and strong.

[Tigerotor77W]

Going on 7 years now and enjoying every minute

Ooof -- I missed this thread (and your reply). Sorry about that!

Hope all is going well out there; I miss the PNW with all my heart.

[mmnieson]

Nice looking

How is the Groeneveld Auto Greaser working for you

Mike

[RamDodge]

The Groenveld greaser have been OK I would say. We have it on 4 machines and we have one spare if one needs work. We have learned that you should not let it run empty or let air into the reservoir when refilling it, if you can manage that then a lot of trouble is avoided. We learned that if we can keep the grease we use to refill with nice and warm during the winter it goes much smoother to refill and the posibility to get air into the system a lot less.

But as with all auto greasers it's very important to check all bolts that they get their treat, over the years we have lost a couple of bolts due to this.

Even though it's not perfect we now order our Volvos right off the assembly line with the greasers, then they are fully intergrated with the electronics.

Just learned that we also have replaced two turbos in those 5000 hours. Both have snapped the shaft. Not sure if it's emission systems or operator error that are causing this. I suspect that the newer emission motors need longer cool down before shut down due to much higher egt's?