By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Sometimes there is no need to teach an old dog new tricks. The old dog at Wednesday's Barton County Commission meeting was a 1998 Caterpillar compactor that is used at the Barton County landfill. With Kirby Krier leading the discussion, the body decided to fix the 1998 model for just shy of $503,000 instead of purchasing a brand-new unit for upwards of $800,000. Solid Waste Director Jennifer Hamby said she agreed with the decision.
"This compactor can handle all the telephone poles and railroad ties," Hamby said. "This one, because of the cooling system and the turbo, is inoperable. So we have to take our newer model, which is a 2015 G over to (Construction and Demolition) and try to compact the bigger things. It just tears it up."
Krier said technology has not caught up with new environmental regulations, resulting in less-productive units. Hamby agreed, "They just don't make things like they used to."
The $503,000 overhaul will be a certified powertrain rebuild with a 3-year or 5,000-hour warranty. The 1998 model currently has approximately 6,000 hours of use.
"When they do these rebuilds, they take the machine completely apart," said Hamby. "Every nut and bolt is numbered. They clean it, they recondition it. If they do have to replace some items, they try to find used parts."
Hamby said the landfill had already budgeted for a potential rebuild in 2023. Funds to pay for the rebuild come from fees collected at the facility.