Earlier this month, 4Rivers Equipment delivered a fully refurbished motor grader to Pueblo County’s Public Works Department. This project saved Pueblo County at least $100,000 and gave 4Rivers Equipment the opportunity to perform its first machine rebuild in company history.
The man behind this company milestone was Service Technician Gary Medill. As of this month, Medill has been with 4Rivers for 11 years. Since he is a John Deere certified level IV technician, the highest certification there is, he was one of the few qualified to perform the rebuild.
A full machine rebuild through John Deere’s Powertrain ReLife Plus Program extends the life of a machine through a comprehensive machine rebuild solution. The process optimizes total owning and operating costs by getting a machine through its second life.
“Starting with a fresh set of remanufactured major powertrain components, the Powertrain ReLife Plus Program allows you to build on that strong foundation to create a customized repair plan unique to that particular machine,” the John Deere website states. “Certified technicians conduct a thorough inspection of your machine to help you identify where investments are needed to give it new life while still giving you the flexibility to consider work to the less critical areas of the machine.”
Medill spent 332 hours on this project alone and paid careful attention to every detail.
“With this project, I had to pace myself,” Medill said. “If you pace yourself, by the time you get to the end, it will be perfect.”
High quality of work is something Medill values and prides himself on. To him, every detail matters and should accounted for, no matter the job.
“Whether they’re a smaller company or bigger company, they get treated the same, quality of work gets treated the same,” Medill said. “I try to teach the guys in the shop to have that same mentality— if the guys in the shop aren’t happy with the product, it doesn’t get returned to the customer.”
Medill says the whole project was a blast to complete, as it always feels good to complete a job well. Having grown up on a farm, Medill has worked on tractors all his life. After college, he went into the automotive industry, later to become a diesel technician. He joined the 4Rivers family in February of 2012 and plans to be in it for the long haul.
“I’m here for life,” Medill said. “Being a technician is in my blood; I have always been that way. I think John Deere and 4Rivers Equipment is a great place to learn. You can’t be discouraged; you must learn from what you do and make yourself better. There is no end in sight.”
MORE ON JOHN DEERE’S MACHINE REBUILD PROGRAM
“The cost of a rebuild is a fraction of a full replacement and can lengthen the life of John Deere articulated dump trucks, dozers, excavators, wheel loaders and scraper tractors,” the John Deere website states.
John Deere breaks the Machine Rebuild Program down into six simple steps:
Step 1: Replace required major powertrain components like the transmission engine and axels
Step 2: Review the results of the machine with dealer
Step 3: Specify any additional parts to replace
Step 4: Select ReLife warranty terms
Step 5: Work is performed on your machine by certified John Deere technicians
Step 6: Let you ReLife Machine help manage owning and operating costs
To learn more about the John Deere Rebuild Program click HERE.