TEST DRIVE
Operating the Bell 620G Motor Grader on a hot summer’s morning in Empangeni, makes you want
to do it again, writes Leon Louw.
T
here’s something about setting
foot on the red-brown soil of
Bell Equipment’s farm close to
Empangeni in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Maybe it’s the east coast humidity, or
the cool sea-breeze dissipating the
aftereffects of the Bell welcoming party
the night before. Whatever it is, it makes
one’s fingers itch and one’s legs shake in
anticipation of mounting those powerful
yellow beasts, turning the key and driving
them up the same heights and through the
same thick sand that Irvine Bell once did,
way back in the early 60s, when he started
testing his Tri-Wheelers and Cane Loaders.
Equipment connoisseurs will have a field
day attending one of Bell Equipment’s open
days. Blue skies, hot sun, ‘boerewors’, a
range of equipment solutions and expert
advice, that’s what you get. And, as a bonus,
you get to test drive all the equipment on
display. And if that doesn’t make your day, you
can always sit in the shade of a thorn tree,
and watch 60-ton Articulated Dump Trucks
(ADTs) devour monster inclines with a bottle
of magic water in your hand, just in case the
fuzziness in your brain tries to convince you
that what you see cannot be true.
There’s nothing fuzzy about getting into
the spacious cabin of the Bell 620G Motor
Grader though. On a clear morning, the dust
plumes kicked up by the B60E ADT way in
the distance as it makes its way up one of
the bigger hills on the test circuit, is as visible
as the thick sand road in front of me (the one
I am grading while testing the new grader).
When two Original Equipment Manufacturers
(OEMs) like Bell and American-based John
Deere team up, the results are bound to be
rewarding. The partnership between Bell and
John Deere dates back to 1999 when Deere
acquired 31.59% stake in Bell, underpinned
by an agreement giving Bell exclusive
distribution rights to the premium range
of John Deere construction and forestry
equipment in Southern Africa, which is sold
under the Bell banner.
Built to be lighter
I am told that the 620G Motor Grader is a
lot lighter than its predecessors, although
it doesn’t look or feel like a lightweight. Not
that it is difficult to handle, it is much easier
than my preconceived idea. At the risk of
comparing apples with oranges, it might,
in fact, be easier to steer and manoeuvre
than my favourite B30E ADT, which I am,
of course, a lot more comfortable with.
But once the 620G’s blade starts levelling
off the pile of fine sand in the gravel road,
the 6.8-litre Deere engine underneath the
comfortable front seat grunts and delivers its
215-horsepower blow with force.
For a moment, the blue sky becomes
dust clogged in thick sand as the grader’s
tyres spew out red-orange particles, which
prompts me to adjust the diff lock (which,
by the way, can be done while continuing
operating the machine). The digital screen
in front of the operator tells him or her
what gear they have selected, so when the
going gets tough and I get a sinking, and
then a sliding feeling, a quick glance at the
electronic device makes me realise I should
gear down, and again the 6.8 rumbles
underneath. The grader negotiates the
bumps and ruts with ease.
The aim when designing the 620G was
to provide the ideal weight distribution for
the 6.8L engine which in turn produces
over 14 tons of blade pull. The 620G now
weighs in at about 17 509kg. The rather lofty
516.5 litre diesel tank has been replaced
by a niftier and smaller 303 litre tank. The
6.8 litre engine is extremely fuel efficient
and according to Stephen McNeill, group
marketing manager at Bell Equipment, the
engine will result in savings of as much
as 10% in fuel consumption compared to
previous models. “And if you turn on the
Ecomode it will save you at least another
10%,” assures McNeill.
Grade Pro configurations
The increased horsepower and torque, I am
told, are something experienced operators
should feel once they get into the seat of
the 620G, especially when the machine pulls
through tough spots and when climbing hills.
Getting into the spacious cabin of a Bell 620G Motor Grader clears a fuzzy head.
www.equipmentandhire.co.za
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
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