On an exploration project, David Tiller has pushed his New Holland Construction backhoe loader to the limits in one of the most isolated and unforgiving deserts in Australia – and despite the gruelling conditions the B115B backhoe loader hasn’t lost a day’s work.
Tiller and his backhoe have been working in the Tanami Desert, 250 km southeast of Halls Creek in Western Australia, almost 3,000 km northeast of Perth for the past six months. He is a project logistic supervisor for a mining exploration company and the backhoe is hired to the exploration company.
The Tanami Desert is known as Australia’s final frontier – it was not fully explored until well into the 20th century. “You’re a long way from anywhere,” said Tiller. “Food is flown in from 400 km away. We rely on satellite phones for communications and you have to take plenty of supplies.”
The B115B backhoe loader was purchased from New Holland Construction dealership Geo Machinery in Burton, South Australia. “I wanted the reliability of a new machine. I looked at other brands, but New Holland has a good reputation and I wanted to buy something I knew wouldn’t break down out in the middle of nowhere,” said Tiller.
The Tanami Desert is one of the most isolated and arid places on earth and although conditions are very tough David has not had to contend with anything worse than punctured tyres. “We’ve had 26 punctures in three months. Two of the tyres have slow leaks and need to be pumped up every day, as the leaks are sometimes impossible to find, but it is still nice working with the machine,” said Tiller.
“The B115 backhoe works in extreme conditions. You can be working in temperatures in the mid-40s, and generally it is in the high 30s to low 40s. The air conditioner performs quite well, on a really hot day with so much glass in the cab, it’s still comfortable and it’s quite acceptable.”
“Unfortunately, I’m in and out of the cab trying to check for sticks that puncture the tyres. If you let a tyre go flat you can get big dramas, after all there’s no service centre nearby.”
The backhoe is used for clearing vegetation, repairing creek crossings, moving rocks and smoothing rough terrain to give exploration crews access to uninhabitable regions. “Scrub can be 3-4 m high and quite dense in areas. There is thick grass, bugs, trees and it can be wet and boggy. There’s been plenty of rain this season and the backhoe has done a couple of almost metre-high water crossings. The vegetation grows in the wet season and it’s the type of country that burns regularly in the dry seasons. It can leave stumps in the ground and can cause real issues with gaining access to sites that’s where the B115B backhoe comes in,” said Tiller.
“We do track clearing and maintenance including trimming any branches hanging over paths. Some of the tracks the backhoe clears haven’t been used for 10 years. I even used the backhoe to clear an old airstrip that had been abandoned for many years.”
“We also use the B115B backhoe to do the prep work before drilling. The drill rigs and drillers need a flat surface to work on. The backhoe is also used for rehabilitation work after exploration work is completed. The ground is quite smooth on the drill pads after drilling and I use the backhoe to scarify the top of the earth using the teeth on the bucket. It allows water and plant seeds to take easily. Vegetation then grows quite well because of the nature of the ground.”
The B115B has a multi-task bucket that was specifically designed for this job. “The four-in-one bucket acts like a big pair of hands; it’s just great to have. It has teeth welded on the bucket and custom made 2-t rated forks. The forks allow the backhoe to handle lifting jobs at the camp such as drill core samples and camp equipment.”
Tiller says his B115B backhoe ticks all the right boxes. “The hydraulics are well engineered and are very good on the backhoe. The ergonomic controls inside the cab are really good. The steering and manoeuvrability are excellent on the backhoe and emission-wise it’s very good and not much smoke comes out at all. It’s a lot better than other backhoes I’ve used. It is comfortable, easy to service and safe to operate.”
The desert job is quite a change for Tiller, who just four years ago was growing broadacre crops with his wife Sarah on their farm north of Adelaide. The Balaklava-based (approx. 100km north of Adelaide) couple decided to lease their property and diversify into equipment hire. “We started hiring out a truck, loader and some other equipment we were using on our property. Things have just grown from there and now we have a specialised 4×4 crane truck and a backhoe custom fitted for exploration work. It’s grown from something small to be a major part of what we do. We’re not big, but what we do is high in quality just like the machines we use,” he said.