Commissioners OK $100,000 for purchase of wheel loader

Sallisaw City Commissioners will spend almost $100,000 to purchase a wheel loader in preparation for winter use.

At a special meeting last week, the commissioners approved a purchase order issued to 5 Star Equipment, Fort Myers, Fla., in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for a 2018 Case Hydraulic 621G wheel loader for the street department.

The street department’s current reserve loader, a 1988 Case, is at the end of its life and is no longer reliable, City Manager Keith Skelton told the commissioners. The current primary loader being used, a 2002 Komatsu, is also an older model with considerable hours of use. The 2018 loader, which has a purchase price of $93,000 plus $4,600 for shipping, has been used for 532 hours. If purchased new, the unit would cost up to $300,000.

“These loaders are very important to us, especially in the wintertime, cleaning our streets and cleaning ditches,” Skelton told the commissioners. “We use them in a lot of aspects in the street department.”

Commissioner Kristin Peerson then questioned the expected lifespan for a 2018 model used for 532 hours.

“The key is the hours,” Skelton said. “It’s only 500 hours on it. For a piece of equipment, 500 hours is pretty light, so it hasn’t been used that much. And it doesn’t look like it’s been abused.”

Sam Randolph, director for the street department, said the 1988 Case the city has as a backup has been used for more than 2,000 hours.

“When we buy a piece of equipment, we keep it for 30 years, the street department does. I’ve got trucks that are 30 years old. But we take care of our stuff,” Randolph said. Josh Bailey was the only commissioner to vote against the motion, after Peerson reluctantly seconded Ronnie Lowe’s motion to approve the purchase.