LiuGong earthmoving equipment has advanced significantly in recent years, so much so that it has now become highly competitive on the global stage. new
Out Temora way in NSW’s Riverina, the New family has long been part and parcel of the local community, and pretty much the same can be said of their business, New Earthmoving.
Currently run by Ian (Herbie) and his son Ryan, the company has been around for more than 60 years, playing a considerable part in shaping the town and surrounding areas by building roads, contour banks, dams and the like, including various farm works.
Indeed, the flood of projects continues unabated, a good problem to have. When Earthmoving Equipment Magazine caught up with the News, they were busy installing bunkers for grain handlers Altora Ag.
“My father was from a property in the district, a family farm,” Herbie said.
“He had bulldozers and made his own dams. After a while, he sold the farm, moved to Temora and set up the company.
“He started doing road works, house sites, shed sites, all sorts of earthworks and constructions.
“Then I took over probably about eight years ago. Sadly, dad passed away last year, but we’re carrying on the business and tradition.”
An interesting part of the New Earthmoving legacy has been its association with heavy equipment suppliers LiuGong.
Herbie’s father was impressed by LiuGong’s rollers, which feature an advanced vibration system that delivers superior compaction and smoother operation, backed by low fuel consumption.
“My dad’s first LiuGong was a 614H roller. It’s now just over 20 years old, and still performing well without any issues,” Herbie said.
Over the years, the LiuGong stable grew with the addition of an 848H loader, another roller — the 6615E — and the latest acquisition, a 4230D grader.
“I’ve had no problems with any of them,” he said.
“LiuGong is an upper market Chinese brand and does exactly the same job as many other bigger brands, but much more affordable.
“The power of the machines has been fantastic. They’ve done everything I’ve asked them to do and wanted to do.
“And for consistency and simplicity, we like to keep the same brand. At least you know where you’re up to. You know where every part is, you have the same service people.”
Herbie said there was a stigma associated with Chinese-made machinery that was unfair.
“A lot of people don’t like them because it’s Chinese. But end of the day, you can end up buying two or three of these for the price of just one big name brand, and they perform just as well and have the same types of high end components,” he said.
“I’ve now got these four LiuGong pieces. I really love the quality. What you get for the price is just fantastic. And that’s why we’ll stick with them.”
Herbie was also rapt with the six-year warranty offered with his purchase of the grader.
The machine, which includes a 4270mm blade width, 18,000kg operating weight and 270l fuel tank, comes with a standard two- year/2000 hour warranty that can be extended by four years or 6000 hours if desired.
For the News, service is also not far away.
“They’ve got a branch nearby in Wagga, so they come out and carry out the service,” Herbie said.
“You can’t do any better than that.”
Herbie was effusive about the relationship between the business and Liam McCormick
from LiuGong Australia, which has an extensive dealer network strategically located across Australia.
“We met Liam at the start of the year at a field day down in Sydney,” Herbie said.
“We spotted the grader and chatted with Liam. He called me later and asked what I thought of it, and we ended up going to Sydney for another look at the machine.
“At the end of the day, I told Ryan it looks like we’re buying a grader.
“I’ve known Liam for only a short time but he’s a great bloke.”
Returning the compliment, Liam said he had been familiar with Herbie and his business for many years.
“So they’ve had the loader and roller, and bought the second roller. And then I had this opportunity to bring the grader here for a demonstration,” he said.
“Herbie and Ryan saw the value in the LiuGong product, and saw it as a real option, not only because it’s very well priced, but because it works really well.
“The big thing about LiuGong is not only the reliability, but the extra warranty that we sell with them — the four-year/6000 hours.
“We have 32 dealers in the regional areas throughout the East Coast of Australia, so can provide that local support in servicing, making sure to minimise any downtime and get them up and running again if needed.
“We make the relationship very personable too; customers are not just a number, they’re valued customers.
“And we want to make sure that everyone with a LiuGong has a great experience.”
Liam reiterated the value for money in LiuGong equipment.
“Obviously the cost of capital and everything else now is very expensive,” he said.
“And I think what we present is a really good quality product.
“LiuGongs are very high quality machines with very good warranty and backup service behind them.
“Big earthmoving companies like New Earthmoving have realised that they’re not trapped into your traditional brands.
“The LiuGoing name is very strong worldwide, and the company has invested a lot into R&D as well as facilities, factories and everything else in automation.
“The range of products is diverse, from civil construction, to electrical plumbing, through to mining and now electric machines.”
Liam used the company’s venerable 614H as an example of LiuGong’s quality and robustness.
“It’s a great testament. Products have come a long way since this model. It’s more than 20 years old, still operating and it’s still going very well,” he said.
“We’ve got a long association with LiuGong and we’re seeing a lot of repeat buyers who have been getting many hours out of them and the common componentry.
“They know that they can source a lot of the parts and everything else locally and don’t have to actually get a branded part. So the machines are very easy to service and parts are very easy to find.
“And having that local dealership close by is a big plus. We’ve also got our own national technicians that can be called on for hands-on help through training.”
