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Volvo B Series graders

biggrader

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Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Messages
221
Location
Red River Valley of the North
Occupation
Owner/Operator
Hello Folks, I'm looking to buy @ a Volvo 730B grader. Do they have some quirks and what may they be. Now I know everyone has their favorite makes, but let's face it, everything breaks down! Please give me your honest opinion. Just curious if they are a dependable machine or is there somethings to look for. Please let me know Thanks:thumbsup
 

2stickbill

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
677
Location
Romayor Texas
Occupation
Sniffin diesel fumes.
Hello Folks, I'm looking to buy @ a Volvo 730B grader. Do they have some quirks and what may they be. Now I know everyone has their favorite makes, but let's face it, everything breaks down! Please give me your honest opinion. Just curious if they are a dependable machine or is there somethings to look for. Please let me know Thanks:thumbsup
I have seen a lot of them being used here by the County's.Never heard anything bad about them.Maybe some electrical problems like all the new machinery has.Some like them as much as a Cat.
 

biggrader

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Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Messages
221
Location
Red River Valley of the North
Occupation
Owner/Operator
Thanks 2stickbill, we have a dealer about 50 miles away but most of the counties around here are Cat or John Deere. You don't see many Volvos around this country.
 

2stickbill

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
677
Location
Romayor Texas
Occupation
Sniffin diesel fumes.
Thanks 2stickbill, we have a dealer about 50 miles away but most of the counties around here are Cat or John Deere. You don't see many Volvos around this country.

Cat has the buy back going with some countys.The operators I have talked to say the Volvo is equal to a Cat.Plenty of power Hydralics are great.I used to cotract hot shot for a dealer.About the only time I seen one in the shop was for a PM.I have to friends that have run one and they luv them too.
Like every thing you buy.Can you get service,and parts local.
 

biggrader

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Jan 16, 2010
Messages
221
Location
Red River Valley of the North
Occupation
Owner/Operator
yes your right. The volvo dealer that used to be 50 miles from us sold out. I used to get champion parts there for one of the blades I had about 8 years ago. Most of the time they would have to order everything. I did have some issues, mostly hydraulic pumps, with the champion I had. That machine was an older one though (1981). Thats y I was asking if the newer Volvos have improved alot. The new dealer was, and still is, a Bobcat Dealer. When I have been by their store I have seen but 1 or 2 pieces of Volvo. Makes me wonder how dedicated they are to Volvo.
 

ovrszd

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
1,523
Location
Missouri
Occupation
Retired Army
I can't offer much help, but the State here is using Volvo now, not sure of the number. I looked at them last summer and took some photos but haven't talked to their operators yet. The reason they are running Volvo is mathematical, cheapest bid. I'm not implying Volvo is a cheap machine. I'm just saying Volvo cut their bid price to get their foot in the door. Deere did that several years ago.

There are some European operators on here that run them. I've read a lot of their posts. They rarely have a complaint. Volvo has also had joystick type controls for quite a while as well as a pressure sensitive system that automatically controls blade height, can't remember what they call it. Maybe some of those guys will jump in.
 

ovrszd

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Apr 1, 2008
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1,523
Location
Missouri
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Retired Army
Ovrszd, I've read alot of the posts by MKTEF. Sounds like they really know how to put the "creature comforts" in them over across the pond.

Yes, he's the primary one I was thinking about but couldn't think of his name. He's wrote some very good posts concerning Volvo.
 

icewater75074

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Messages
17
Location
Texas
Occupation
Field Tech.VOLVO Equip.
We have sold a few to the state and several counties here have them, the 9 series are excellent, but have had to put 3 trannies in the 7 series in the last year alone.
Get the extended powertrain warranty, other than that they are good, and VOLVO is good at working on close but "expired" warranty issues.
 

MKTEF

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
1,013
Location
Norway
Occupation
Production manager
Well, i read this post when it started.
I cant say so much about the B-series, because we jumped from the Champion series IV to the 900 series.(thats the reason for not responding to it.)

I have to say that not everything is perfect on Volvo's either.
I don't belive that a perfect machine is built yet.
I have no problem listing the downsides with the 976. But that would not be right to you.
Our graders have all the bells and whistles, and some realy, realy, nice systems to help you when grading.
I would say that our machines is far from what a normal operator over there will get...
Check out volvoce on youtube, the Norwegian dealer got many videos out that shows how our graders look over her.

One of the real positive things with Volvo, is their followup and the following improvements.
Stuff i was not satisfied with, when we got them, was improved some months later without extra costs.
I also believe that the negative stuff i find with them now, will be improved next time i get a serviceman on visit.

The fedbacks i get on the M, tells me that the competition is hard, and the difference between Volvo and Cat is minimal.(when u compare our joystick grader to the M's)
I tend too say, that the Cat guys got yellow fever, and its not curable.(feelings deside what operators prefer)
Over here grader sales dropped from 40 to 8 last year.(08 to 09)
The big M sales is over...and we are into normal sales.

Volvo visited our unit up north some weeks ago, and they was realy interrested in the feedbacks they got there.
I bet joysticks will soon arrive in other countrys soon...
 

MKTEF

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Norway
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You are right, the box is the same.
But there is some changes, they made some of the clutches bigger to get even more wear out of them.
There is also a big change in the electronics controlling the box.
We got the 11 speed, and that one is also the same, but with a extension on the house and some extra clutches.
The box is rock solid, the only problems i have heard of is electrical and that some of the solenoids can stop working.(on the old modells)
Our champ in Afghanistan had a couple of solenoids stop working.(oil pressure one)
 

biggrader

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Jan 16, 2010
Messages
221
Location
Red River Valley of the North
Occupation
Owner/Operator
thanks MKTF for your input. Is the problems with the solenoids easy to diagnose and then change out or is this a big job? One of the reasons that I am looking at Volvo is $. You can get alot more horsepower and machine for a lot less than Cat or Deere. Around here there is about $40,000 to 50,000 USD difference between Volvo and Cat. Thats alot of ching when you are competing for bids in this economy that we are in.
 

ovrszd

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Apr 1, 2008
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1,523
Location
Missouri
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Retired Army
I have to say that not everything is perfect on Volvo's either.
I don't belive that a perfect machine is built yet.

I agree completely. That's why I enjoy talking with operators of different brands, to see where that manufacturer is in the process of building a better machine.[/B]


One of the real positive things with Volvo, is their followup and the following improvements.
Stuff i was not satisfied with, when we got them, was improved some months later without extra costs.

I think CAT does a pretty good job of this with the M's. My friend's 140M is almost two years old and CAT is still coming and doing upgrades with no cost.
 

Motor Grader

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Apr 13, 2007
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230
Location
Charlotte, NC
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Technology Solutions Expert
The 700 Series all had the 8400 tranny in them that was designed and built by the factory. That tranny is obsolete now and all they use is a Volvo design and built transmission.
 

2stickbill

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Nov 1, 2009
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677
Location
Romayor Texas
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Sniffin diesel fumes.
The 700 Series all had the 8400 tranny in them that was designed and built by the factory. That tranny is obsolete now and all they use is a Volvo design and built transmission.
Your right and so is every thing else on a Volvo.
 

MKTEF

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Apr 5, 2007
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Norway
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Production manager
You guy's shure about that?
I have the 900 series product presentation book.
It dosent say anything about a totaly new transmission.
I understood that the trans is the same, the old Michigan clutches in the same housing.
New electronics and hyd stearing of the old clutches.
Main differense between the 8 and 11 shift is a extension on the housing.
"Numerous transmission components have a proven record of performance in VCE vheelloaders", the presentation says.

Cat own's a Volvo 900 series, and they claimed that its a improved Champion...
 

MKTEF

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Apr 5, 2007
Messages
1,013
Location
Norway
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Production manager
Biggrader:
The solenoids sticks out in front of the gearbox and can easily be changed.
Just measure the pressure, if its OK, change the solenoid.
If i remember correct, u can just switch them in between.
I've heard that the box was rocksolid, only solenoids and electrical problems.
 

Hollywood627G

Active Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2008
Messages
43
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Cat has more low end grunt under load than new Deere's, and Volvo's. The numbers on paper might not say so, side by side comparison, cat has a better engine. In my opinion cat has the better machine out of the three
 

len740

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Apr 6, 2009
Messages
36
Location
ontario canada
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equipment operator
in my opinion cat has nothing on deere when it comes to low end grunt, just my opinion!!
 
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