Two models, two transformations: Dixie Holdings customises two Cat 966 loaders for the individual needs of separate Queensland cattle stations, in a showcase of what the company can do
Customising machines to meet farmers’ needs, and handling every step of the process, is the bread and butter of what Dixie Holdings does.
A recent example of two Cat 966 loaders being modified for different customers almost simultaneously, but in unique ways, helps to showcase the depth of what the Queensland-based business offers.
Dixie’s biggest advantage, according to company director Tom McDonald, is its ability to be a “one stop shop” for people wanting customised equipment, as the two 966 loaders show.
With one machine bound for a cattle station north of Cloncurry and the other to a cattle station north of Richmond only a couple of hundred kilometres away, the two customers were able to share delivery costs of their modified loaders – just one example of how Dixie works to maximise benefits for its customers.
“In both of these circumstances we sold the loader, built all the attachments, did the modifications to the machines and delivered them,” McDonald says.
“That’s what we pride ourselves on doing, because I don’t think many other businesses have the facilities to do that.
“We’ve got control from the first day to the last day in making sure our customers get a good product, get it in a timely manner and get something that’s well priced and good quality.”
McDonald’s last point about machines being good quality is ultimately the most important, and Dixie Holdings puts in plenty of work to ensure its customers are receiving a reliable and versatile machine which meets their needs.
He says loaders have increased in popularity during the last few years and are now at the point where Dixie sells as many loaders and loader attachments as they do dozers.
He attributes this to farmers communicating to each other and becoming more aware of their capabilities and how they can be customised to suit different applications.
In the case of the two 966 loaders Dixie has delivered to the Queensland cattle stations, one is a K Series and the other a slightly older H Series.
One has a folding stick rake, which is ideal for transport, and the other has a fixed stick rake, while only one of the customers opted for a poly pipe layer.
“That’s designed for basically running your irrigation poly pipe,” McDonald says.
“They’ll remove the outside tynes and just fit the centre poly pipe layer and tyne.
“Traditionally they would get a grader and grade out a ditch, then they would lay the poly pipe and backfill it with the grader.
“By having a pipe layer, you rip and bury the pipe in one process so you don’t have to backfill it.”
The K Series loader has also had a factory CAT DPF delete undertaken to bring it back to a Tier 3, which McDonald says is the preference for many farmers as it minimises the chance of DPF or electrical issues which would need a dealer technician to repair.
Both machines come with standard GP buckets with a straight edge on them, which Dixie has converted by fitting them with a tooth adapter kit.
“This is a popular option for farmers as they like using the machines to dig new dams and dig out existing dams,” McDonald says.
“We fit tooth adapter kits to the buckets and then we fit our own design of hydraulic ripper to the back.
“Traditionally wheel loaders have a counterweight bolted to the back of the machine, so we design rippers to be the same weight as a counterweight, but obviously having the option of ripping and scarifying the ground.
“If the farmer wants to dig out a dam, he can rip the ground first to break up the soil, then use the bucket to dig out the soil.
“Farmers also want it for stick raking, so they’ll use the stick rake for pushing over scrub and regrowth and pushing into piles.
“They will also use the rippers for pulling out tree roots that they can’t get with the stick rake or bucket.
“They’ll back up and they’ll be able to pull out bigger tree stumps and tree roots with the rippers as well.”
Versatility is the name of the game, particularly for these customers located on remote cattle stations.
As McDonald points out, staff numbers are generally limited and therefore the onus goes on to the machinery to increase overall efficiency.
He says having a multi-use loader saves a lot of travel time compared to using a dozer, or multiple pieces of other equipment.
“It can take you a day to track somewhere with a dozer which will take you a couple of hours in a loader,” he says.
“You’ll go from your homestead to where you’ve got to carry out your work, you’ll take the stick rake and then you’ll unpin it and leave it in the paddock.
“You might then desilt some dams, dig some new dams or clean up some roads and then you can hook up to your stick rake, and clean up some country, clear some fence lines and then once you finish the job you head back to the homestead.”
Another benefit of the 966 loader specifically, McDonald says, is that it is the largest loader that can be legally carried on a tri-axle drop deck trailer and in road train combination, in terms of both weight and dimensions which makes them an easy machine to move from site to site with its attachments.