LiuGong’s recent Dig, Ride and Drive Day in Perth demonstrated a brand on the rise in the Australian market.
Ongoing demonstrations of LiuGong construction equipment are continuing to underpin the brand’s strong market penetration, as more and more operators across a range of industries recognise the high performance and superior value of the machines.
A recent Dig, Ride and Drive Day in Perth attracted a strong crowd of genuine enthusiasts from across metropolitan and regional areas, and already has resulted in the sale of more than 10 machines.
It was quickly followed by another event near Albany in Western Australia, one of the thriving regional hotspots in the state for construction and development.
Johnny Inferrera, with the national distributor for LiuGong, says the Perth ‘Dig Day’ showcased the manufacturer’s wheel loaders, rollers, and graders, as well as its large, compact, and mini excavators, and allowed operators to drive the machines and talk with product support staff.
Johnny says some operators who already had a LiuGong machine decided to purchase another after attending the event, while the good word also spread to several others who have since followed-up to put their money down.
“These events have presented a great opportunity to extend awareness and understanding of the brand as well as the performance and value of the machines, and we will be looking to hold further events across the country,” Johnny says.
He said WA had been one of the biggest markets for LiuGong wheel loaders in the 10-20 tonne range and their ongoing product improvements had been lauded.
“The key attraction is that they work and are a lot more affordable than some of the other established brands,” he says.
“Operators like the reliable Cummins engines and related support, and with the sheer volume of machines in the market now, they can have confidence knowing they have got very strong backup and support for their machines.”
Johnny says the growing number of return buyers was another great indication of operator satisfaction with the brand.
“Some operators are buying second machines, and some are on their fourth and fifth machine,” he says.
WA equipment hire business All Excavator Hire recently added a LiuGong 856H wheel loader to its fleet after an impressive test drive during the ‘Dig Day’ event.
Based in Landsdale and Gingin and run by the Chapman family, the business has about 40 pieces of equipment including excavators and loaders. All Excavator Hire offers these mainly for wet hire and also dry hire to all parts of the state, including the Pilbara and Kimberley regions. The equipment is used for a wide range of civil, construction, and mining works.
Matt Chapman said his father, who started the business in 1991, rarely changes equipment brands, however that changed when they added a LiuGong 856H wheel loader to their fleet.
“We actually helped shift the LiuGong gear into the site for the Dig Day and the old man jumped into the 856 to give it a demo,” Matt says. “He was very happy with how easy it was to operate, and appreciated the simplicity of a machine without Adblue or DPF (filter), or so many of the electrics that can cause issues.
“It’s equivalent to other brands in the market that would have cost another $280,000. We can’t fault the quality of the machine. I could pull the LiuGong stickers off it and put others on and you wouldn’t know.’’
He says the 856H wheel loader already had clocked more than 100 hours and was currently working near Geraldton, loading road trains with gravel for roadworks and pushing up stockpiles.
“One operator has said it has more power than other equivalent machines,” Matt says.
Matt also gave the ‘Dig Day’ the big thumbs-up.
“A salesman can sell you the dream, but the ability at the ‘Dig Day’ to put machines to work in similar conditions to what we experience was great,’’ he says.
Civil industry operator Cathal Gilchreest has been using a LiuGong 848H wheel loader in his business and also cannot fault the machine.
His business, Gilco Civil, which has been operating for about five years, carries out various jobs including water, sewer, stormwater, rail, trenching, and pipe laying works throughout the greater Perth region.
Cathal says Perth dealer McIntosh & Son had provided excellent service and support via Glen Campbell with other machines in his business, and when he noticed the Cummins engine and ZF running gear and then took the LiuGong loader for a test, he was thoroughly impressed.
He says on one job it had to quickly shift three semi-trailer loads of material to help provide access and he was “well impressed”.
“It’s the same as other machines and at around half the price – you can’t go wrong,’’ Cathal says. “For someone like myself without big production works for a loader, it’s ideal. A construction company I work with is also now buying a second machine.”
For further information on the LiuGong equipment range, contact your nearest dealer.