On this episode of The Dirt, we take a look at Liebherr’s dozers, which host and professional operator Bryan Furnace calls one of the quietest and smoothest machines he has operated.
The 75-year-old German-based company, which has been selling and producing construction equipment in the U.S. since 1970, offers seven models of dozers. The lineup is now in its eight generation and covers class sizes from 29,000 to 160,000 pounds.
The dozers all are equipped with hydrostatic drive – including the PR 776, which is the world’s largest dozer with the technology. Guest Emanuel Vasquez, Liebherr’s product manager for crawler dozers and loaders, explains that the company has been deploying hydrostatic drive since the 1950s for its reduced noise and smoother ride, as well as other advantages, which he outlines on the show.
He also discusses other benefits of Liebherr dozers and gives a rundown of the next-generation PR 776, which runs on a 768-horsepower diesel engine and weighs 72 metric tons.
So to find out more about Liebherr’s dozer lineup, check out the latest episode of The Dirt.
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In This Episode:
- 00:00 – Liebherr Dozers
- 00:29 – The Types of Liebherr Dozers
- 01:25 – Hydrostatic Drive Advantages
- 02:05 – Advantages of Liebherr Dozers
- 05:33 – PR 776 Updates
- 06:26 – Final Thoughts
00:00:00:11 - 00:00:28:18
Bryan Furnace
Today we're here to talk about dozers, but we're here to talk about a name that's not as well known here in the US. We're here to talk about Lee bear. We're going to go through their dozer lineup, give you a quick rundown and then tell you some of the things that sets Lee bear apart in the dozer space.
00:00:28:21 - 00:00:45:06
Bryan Furnace
Here in the US especially, you don't hear the Liebherr brand thrown around all that much. And so I'm excited to talk to you guys and kind of shed some more light on the product line. So for starters, can you give us just kind of a breakdown of the dozer lineup and what you guys offer in the dozer category?
00:00:45:09 - 00:01:08:21
Emanuel Vasquez
Yeah. So we in the market, we play with seven classic models and we're currently in our generation eight. So we start with a 29,000-pound unit, and we go all the way up to a burly 160,000-pound machine. The complete portfolio is offered with a hydrostatic drive. We've been doing this since the 70s, when we started with the dozers, and we've been hydrostatic since the 50s throughout all our equipment.
00:01:08:21 - 00:01:25:05
Emanuel Vasquez
So we offer that, unlike every other OEM out there, which may have a mix of both, hydrostatic and torque converter, and as well I'd like to say, you know, as an OEM, we're the only manufacturer that offers a 50 and a 70-ton machine with a hydrostatic drive.
00:01:25:07 - 00:01:34:03
Bryan Furnace
So we're kind of on the subject. What is the significance of a hydrostatic drive over a traditional like torque converter drive?
00:01:34:06 - 00:01:57:06
Emanuel Vasquez
Well, for us, we feel that, you know, we have, great maneuverability in these machines and ease of use. Very intuitive. With our joystick controls, we find that there's, fuel efficiency. That happens when, you pair the hydrostatic drive with our, lever engines. So not having a transmission to to deal with more mechanical wear, more parts.
00:01:57:09 - 00:02:04:04
Emanuel Vasquez
So that means less noise and more fluid maneuverability with the machines during any application.
00:02:04:06 - 00:02:18:06
Bryan Furnace
Gotcha. So what are some of the advantages, that Liebherr offers over competitors outside of the hydrostatic transmission?
00:02:53:20 - 00:03:16:06
Emanuel Vasquez
Well, you know, I'll continue with the hydrostatic because, you know, a lot of things come back to the hydrostatic. And, you know, why do we continue to use it? Right. The high cost that offers us the opportunity to, you know, have a machine that you can operate very intuitively with, simple joystick controls, ease of use and maneuverability in confined spaces is greatly observed by operators.
00:03:16:06 - 00:03:44:14
Emanuel Vasquez
And this comes throughout the whole portfolio. And that same manner, it also offers great pushing performance and while still offering a good fuel efficiency. Also, you know, with our cabs, it's a big deal because we want to offer as much operator comfort, you know, in these machines while still integrating ROPS and FOPS. You know, we have A-pillars that allow for big single pane windows throughout the cab, we align our lift cylinders and exhaust stacks behind the A-pillars.
00:03:44:18 - 00:04:10:11
Emanuel Vasquez
So kind of clearing the field of view for the operator, it creates a nice sense of space. So you're not confined. So there's an embedded better 360-degree view. Peripheral vision is enhanced when you have a cab designed in that manner. And it just helps the operator be more productive. And all of our cabs, from the smallest to the largest, you can tilt up to 40 degrees to have access to all major drive components.
00:04:10:11 - 00:04:13:02
Emanuel Vasquez
And this can happen in a matter of ten minutes.
00:04:13:05 - 00:04:31:26
Bryan Furnace
I will say. So I have a little bit of experience in a Liebherr dozer, and two things stuck out to me. One was what you just touched on. It was the quietness of the cab. That was one of the quietest dozers I had ever run. And then number two was the fluid ness of the hydraulics. That was one of fact to date.
00:04:31:26 - 00:04:34:28
Bryan Furnace
I would say that is the smoothest grading machine I have ever run.
00:04:35:01 - 00:05:13:12
Emanuel Vasquez
Yeah, that's why we stick with the hydrostatic drive. You know, Liebherr, you know, we've always stuck with it. And throughout the years, of course, because we stick with it, we've been able to enhance the performance and the calibration, you know, between the engine and the hydrostatic drive. So there's a lot of things that lead up to up to that, whether it's soundproofing of the machine and that hydrostatic drive also offers, which I like to kind of distinguish from the converter companies that, you know, we are able to track full performance, you know, from that engine directly into that drive as opposed to a torque converter.
00:05:13:12 - 00:05:33:00
Emanuel Vasquez
Typically you have these other components in between the engine and the drive that, you know, you'll lose a little bit of power in that transfer. And also not having that gear changing, you know, which is another thing that, you know, I like to talk about in regard to, productivity and efficiency that the machine cannot or because of that.
00:05:33:05 - 00:05:46:11
Bryan Furnace
So my final question for you is, from what I understand, the PR 776 has gotten a big update. Can you kind of give us an overview of what was updated on that machine? What's new on it? Just kind of what to look out for. It.
00:05:46:14 - 00:06:12:29
Emanuel Vasquez
So currently the PR 776 being showcased at Minexpo, again building on its predecessor, the PR 776 now comes with a new electronic architecture. So along with that, it brings a host of, operating assisted systems for the blade for the ripper. And along with it, of course, you'll have the opportunity to have, similar great assistance systems that the smaller units have had for the last couple of years.
00:06:12:29 - 00:06:25:27
Emanuel Vasquez
They've enhanced the high drive undercarriage, made some updates there, so it has increased the load capacity of the machine. And because of the hydrostatic drive, this machine, you know, in its class, it offers the best feel work.
00:06:26:00 - 00:06:30:15
Bryan Furnace
Excellent. Well, Emmanuel, thank you so much for the time today. I really appreciate it.
00:06:30:22 - 00:06:33:13
Emanuel Vasquez
Brian, I appreciate you, having us.
00:06:33:16 - 00:06:46:14
Bryan Furnace
Well, thank you again for taking the time to come on the show to talk to us about their dozer lineup. If you haven't run one of these machines before, I would say it's absolutely worth checking them out. There are some of the smoothest grading machines I've ever run, so as always, I hope this helps you and your business.
00:06:46:14 - 00:06:47:22
Bryan Furnace
We'll catch you next time on The Dirt.
