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Volvo Graders no longer produced, in future by SDLG

Graderfan1981

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Last edited:

Ben Witter

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Production is be ramped down and will cease towards the end of 2015. They will continue to produce them until then. Support will continue for 15 yrs.

Volvo is a major share holder in SDLG. In the future SDLG will tasked with coming out with value based offerings for the global market.
 

Paystar

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Ontario, Canada
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Retired trucking owner/operator
No more Volvo graders??? WTF???? Is this for real? What's the reason for this? Volvo's are the only graders you see around here. It definitely isn't because of poor sales.
 

Graderfan1981

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SDLG is chinese part from Volvo, I think that SDLG will sell them in USA and other contries too in the future.
 

Paystar

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Well after showing this to some of my friends that have graders...they will be switching brands. Most people I know refuse to buy anything from China.

They must be having a celebration party at Toromont Cat right now! LOL.
 

alco

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No more Volvo graders??? WTF???? Is this for real? What's the reason for this? Volvo's are the only graders you see around here. It definitely isn't because of poor sales.

While that may be true in your area, it's not that way everywhere. Volvo graders are a rarity around here. In fact, I can only think of one in this area, though there are certainly more I am unaware of.
 

Paystar

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So I guess America and Canada wide Cat and John Deere are the biggest sellers? Are there any other motor graders in this league?

Are the Komatsu graders any good?
 

Welder Dave

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Pretty sad considering Champion were preferred by a lot of operators. They designed the 80T/100T in the 70's which dwarfed the much later Cat 24H. One of the operators at the county I'm in much preferred Champion over their new Cat's. I think he especially liked the angled front of the cab as it allowed for better visibility of the blade.
 

Fatgraderman

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Innisfail
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I just heard the news on this this week. I'm baffled. I started out on a 1994 champion 740 in 1996. It was one of the last 12 volt, interference fit wheel bearing champions. Best grader I ever ran. The cable wing on the other hand, not so much. They definately had their growing pains in 2002 when the new emissions took hold. I run a 940B now and it's a pretty nice grader to run (love that mastless WB wing) but that teir 4 crap has been a pain. That deutz engine had to be swapped out at 1300hrs (camshaft). With that DPF an inch above the tappet cover, even a valve set is a pain, and there's a lot of "nickel & dime" components to it. Meanwhile a lot of machines don't come with teir 4??? I don't know what we'll be running next- HEY CAT, HOW ABOUT OFFERING THE "K" HERE?? My boss is running a Deere and it's all right, but it's got a funny cab. There's no metal in the doors so you get kind of a weird "percussion" happening at times. Last time we talked to Coneco, the biggest Komatsu offered was about 200hp which is a little shy for us. We have been luke warm to the "m"'s, not the friendliest thing to go down an icy hill backwards with, but we may have to adjust I guess.
 

Reubs

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Sep 30, 2011
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47
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New zealand
That's kind of a shame really, outsourcing production to China. Lot's of those workers will likely loose their Jobs. Kinda like over here in New Zealand how we used to make and produce lot's of household Items and appliances etc, but now everything just comes from China!. And people wonder why we have an unemployment problem! Sorry to move off Topic about Grader's, but I think people know what I'm on about.
 

Fatgraderman

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"value based offerings for the global market. "
Code for cheap crap.

Ain't that the truth. Disposable crap. Why can't quality stuff be built, rebuilt (like the CAT rewind program). Recycling would be such a big deal if it wasn't garbage to begin with.
 

MKTEF

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Apr 5, 2007
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Norway
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I had a look at a brochure from sdlg africa..
The whole front is a Volvo/champion. From cab and back are a bit different.
They for shure have sent over the whole drawing package already.
 

cuttin edge

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Nov 9, 2014
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NB Canada
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Finish grader operator
I would imagine that SDLG is only taking over the manufacturing of the product, and would have to adhere to Volvo's manufacturing standards. I can't see Volvo putting their name on crap as that will hurt their sales. The sad part is the loss of jobs because of the move. While this will hurt some product sales, the bottom line for bigger companies is still cost. Time will tell I guess.
 

NFDDJS

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Nov 21, 2011
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27
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New Hampshire (USA)
So I guess America and Canada wide Cat and John Deere are the biggest sellers? Are there any other motor graders in this league?

Are the Komatsu graders any good?

I have put about 300 hours on a 2011 Komatsu grader. I really really liked it, cab is very much like their dozers, I really liked the transmission but they don't have all wheel drive and no joystick controls.

I run a cat m140 awd normally and if komatsu had joystick controls like cat I would rather have the komatsu.
 
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