CASE wheel loaders have been called into action to battle snow on roads in the Arctic Circle.
In the counties of Finnmark and Troms, the manufacturer’s G-series loaders are helping to keep the region moving during the harsh winter months.
Kathrine Dagenborg, marketing director for Case dealer Dagenborg explained, “We’ve definitely found a niche sector that is expertly serviced by the Case G-series wheel loaders. Several contractors come to us specifically for snow clearing equipment to manage the contracts awarded to them by both the Norwegian Government and private contractors.
“The Case G-series wheel loaders are perfectly suited to this work. We modify the machines ourselves to include a special joystick that delivers oil directly to the snow equipment, giving the power and control that operators need to work in this difficult environment. We also mount additional LED lights to the machines, meaning operators can continue work in harsh snow blizzards.”
Ulf Brynjulfsen, manager of contractor Hammerfect Budservice added, “We are a small company, but we have been fortunate to land big contracts with government and public estates during the winter months. If it snows, we need to get the roads cleared by 07:00 so that businesses and members of the public can start moving.
“We have to work quickly to get the job done, so speed is hugely important. We use our Case 721G wheel loader through the night and since late winter 2018, we have already amassed 1400 hours. This machine is the most powerful that we have used but it’s so versatile too. We use it in the summer months to complete a whole range of other lifting and loading assignments, so it continues to earn money for us all year round. Reliability is key, too. Even though our dealer is 550km away in Tromsø, we have support when we need it and fast parts delivery.”
In Tromsø, contractor Harald Nilssen uses seven Case machines on snow clearing jobs, including an 821G wheel loader. “I’ve been using Case wheel loaders since 1984,” he said. “But the Case G-series models take clearing snow to another level. I was lucky enough to be the first to try the new models at the launch in Paris and we put our orders in soon after. When you are working in sub-zero temperatures you need a reliable machine. We’ll be out in the middle of the night with the snow falling in front of us but the machines always start, no matter how cold it gets.”
