KOMATSU Trucks & Trailers For Sale

Its three-model crusher range can process up to 460t/hr while its excavators span from a giant 700+ tonne PC8000 down to the diminutive sit-on PC01-1 at 380kg. Its dozer range has a bigger span than Caterpillar ranging from the lightweight D21 (weighing just 4t) and goes right up to the D575 which has a massive 152t operating weight.

The company prides itself on introducing technological advances. It was the first to introduce a standard fit telematic system which can pinpoint the machine’s location and send this information along with items such as use and service requirements, to the owner and manufacturer or dealer. Komatsu was also first to utilise this increase in electronic sophistication to incorporate an immobiliser system to increase the security of its machines.

More recently Komatsu produced the first commercially available hybrid excavator which uses electric (rather than hydraulic) to power the slew motor. Its machines are generally considered as premium products with good second hand value and its world-wide sales and service network supports machines across the globe.

Komatsu Company Profile

Komatsu began life as a subsidiary of the Takeuchi Mining Industry company. Initially, this company was known as the Komatsu Iron Works, and its job was to make tools for its parent mining company. The business was a success and soon grew to a point where it made sense to sell it off as a separate company. This happened when the company was floated in 1921 as Komatsu Ltd.

The 1930s

The company soon started building agricultural tractors and released its first prototype model in 1931. Throughout the 1930s, the company also produced a range of heavy plant for the Japanese military. This led them into the manufacture of tanks, howitzers and bulldozers. This laid the foundation for the post-war period, when the company moved into the production of civilian plant such as forklifts and bulldozers. This move was spearheaded by the company's new president, Yoshinari Kawai.

The 1950s

Komatsu then expanded its range, moving into engine production and producing its first diesel engine in 1949. This was the start of a period of sustained growth for Komatsu, boosted by the huge construction projects of Japan's post-war reconstruction period of the 1950s. The company's growth led to its relocating its HQ to Tokyo in 1951, and by 1957 the company's expertise in engine building had advanced to the point that every Komatsu vehicle was powered by a Komatsu engine.

The 1960s

In 1964 Yoshinari Kawai was replaced as president by his son, Rioichi. This was the start of another phase of growth for the company as it entered the international market, specifically the US. Here the company took on the might of Caterpillar, using inspiration from the Japanese board game Go to encircle Caterpillar and claim their territory. By 1967 Komatsu had made significant inroads in the US market and had successfully overcome the reputation of Japanese vehicles as being cheap and shoddy in construction.

The Eighties

In the 1980s, Komatsu partnered with Dresser to form Komatsu Dresser. The joint company made tractors and other plant for the mining industry in a 50-50 relationship until 1994, when Komatsu bought out their partner's share. Today the company is renowned for its wide range of industrial plant sold worldwide. These include compact, small, medium and large excavators. There is also a wide range of bulldozers, haul trucks and articulated and mechanical dump trucks. The company is also a big player in the loader market, with a full offering of wheeled, backhoe, skid-steer and track loaders. The company's range then finishes with crushers, graders and crawler carriers.

Komatsu clearly has a strong history and pedigree, but it is also always looking forward to the future. It has a good reputation for innovation, and this can be seen in its latest project, which is to use automated bulldozers and drones to carry out some of the heavy duties in early foundation work. The company is one of the first to experiment in this area, and it promises to offer customers a real competitive edge in major construction projects.

Clearly, it will be some time before automated plant appears on the second-hand plant market, but for the moment there is still a huge selection of used Komatsu plant to choose from.