Stronger, Faster 95ZVs Prove Rock-Solid for NY Quarries

Fri August 30, 2002
Craig Mongeau

When Kawasaki recently unveiled its new 95ZV loader, two central New York aggregate producers were quick to be the first on their block to own one.

W.F. Saunders and Son Inc., of Marcellus, NY, recently purchased a Kawasaki 95ZV from Tracey Road Equipment.

Michael Burt, site superintendent of Saunders, said his company purchased the Kawasaki loaders because of the machine’s “tremendous up-time.”

“We owned our previous Kawasaki 95ZIV for about six years and we experienced no major breakdowns, no serious downtime and tremendous support from Tracey Road. It was a no-brainer for us to take a look at purchasing another Kawasaki loader because we know their name is one we can trust. And when you combine that with Tracey Road backing us, we knew we couldn’t go wrong,” Burt said, adding that over the past six years, whenever the company’s Kawasaki loader had a problem, Tracey Road got the machine up and running within a matter of hours.

The 95ZV’s improved visibility also has impressed Burt. “There’s less steel in the cab and more glass, which really provides good vision all the way around. The cab also is far more comfortable than it was before … the layout of the switches and the stereo system is great.”

Saunders, in business since 1928, produces concrete, limestone, sand and gravel and dry bagged redi-mix. Annually, Saunders manufacturers 750,000 tons (675,000 t) of aggregate for its customers in the greater Syracuse area. A family-owned business, Saunders prides itself in producing New York state-approved materials.

T.H. Kinsella Inc., with crushed limestone quarries in Fayetteville, Jamesville, Delphi and Tully, NY, produces crushed stone, sized stone, washed sand and topsoil. Recently, T.H. Kinsella purchased a new Kawasaki 95ZV from Tracey Road, and Doug Eaton, an operator for Kinsella, immediately noticed the cab’s comfort level.

“This machine gives me much more leg room than I’m used to getting. And there’s a tremendous difference in the volume of air-conditioning,” Eaton said. “Also the loader is noticeably faster and has greater lift capacity than other loaders we have at the quarry. It’s [the 95ZV] a great addition to our fleet.”

T. H. Kinsella Inc., which has been operated by the Kinsella family since 1967, owns 11 dump trucks, two stone slingers, 10 loaders and six haul trucks. In addition to another Kawasaki loader, T.H. Kinsella also purchased from Tracey Road its entire over-the-road fleet of dump trucks, which include Freightliners and Volvos.

Al Curtis, vice president of T.H. Kinsella Inc., said the 95ZV was exactly what his company was looking for when it needed a new loader. “The specs on the Kawasaki were equal to or exceeded the specs of all competitive units and it was less expensive,” he said.

Tracey Road Equipment is headquartered at 6803 Manlius Center Rd. in East Syracuse, NY, with branches in Albany, Binghamton and Watertown. In addition to Kawasaki, Tracey Road offers products by the following manufacturers: Kobelco, Blaw-Knox, Etnyre, Ingersoll-Rand, Interstate Trailers, Red River Live Bottom Trailers, Speedshore, Kent, New Holland, Gehl, Terex, Alamo, Freightliner, Sprinter vans, Sterling trucks and Western Star.

For more information, call 315/437-1471.