When Finning approached forestry customer Tri Valley Construction Ltd. to put the Next Gen Cat® 538 excavator through the paces, owner Logan McKenzie, a third-generation logger, jumped at the chance.  “We were honoured to take part in this field test on the new Next Gen 538,” said Logan. “We’ve been a customer of Finning’s since my grandfather owned the company in the 60’s and my father after him, and it all started with Cat dozers and then we added skidders, processors and excavators. The reliability is phenomenal.” Today Tri Valley has a crew of 18 and has added articulated trucks, a wheel loader and a skid steer to his fleet of 23 Cat machines.

They’re located in a remote area of B.C. by Princeton, a half a days’ drive from anywhere. “But we have a good relationship with Finning who is our service provider,” says Logan. “We have a field mechanic in town that provides us great service and they always have parts available when we need them.”

You can see why Tri Valley jumped at the chance to test drive the new Next Gen 538 when Finning came knocking. Not just because it’s a Cat, but this is a totally re-vamped machine with some big improvements. It’s got more horsepower, greater stability and the cab has been given a total overhaul with operator comfort and visibility in mind. “The biggest difference is the cab and comfort for the operator,” says Logan. “It’s not cramped like the old ones there’s more room. My operators are in the machine for 10 -12 hours and they’re not sore or fatigued at the end of the day. These machines are their second home, so you want them to be comfortable.” Tyson Leduc, operator for Tri Valley, definitely sees the improvements in overall comfort. “The biggest thing about the cab, you’ve got the room to get in with all your stuff no problem. I really like the controls on it now that they’re integrated on the touch screen, it’s really nice to have them there. There’s lots of visibility you can see past the boom now and you’re not tired at the end of your shift. I actually look forward to coming to work to get in that machine every day.”

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