New CASE 1121F wheel loader offers the power and speed required to get in and out of jobsites fast.
As featured in Construction Equipment Guide.
Manhattan Beach, Calif., is a prime location for those looking for the true experience of living in an oceanside community. Construction isn’t the first thing you think of when in Manhattan Beach, but when you do, you think of Casner Construction.
With his homes in high demand, Craig Casner places emphasis on being a good neighbor, and completing as much of the heavy earthwork required for each new home as quickly and efficiently as possible. With that in mind, the company added a new CASE 1121F wheel loader to its fleet and the results have been encouraging.
“The last job we did here in Hermosa Beach, we had to export 500 or 600 yards,” says Jeremy Casner, one of Craig’s sons. “It was a hillside job. The cut of the grade had to be flat with the street in about 80 feet, so we had some 10-foot verticals. This machine hogged the dirt out faster than any other machine I've ever seen.”
Big Production on Small Sites
As the company began looking for a new wheel loader, size, speed and power were important. The 1121F weighs in at 59,191 pounds and offers 320 horsepower (net) and 56,310 pounds of breakout force. Casner outfitted this machine with a 6 cubic-yard bucket and added radial tires and heavy-duty axles for greater traction and more robust lifting capabilities.
“The power, the strength of the torque, the breakout power that the machine has as far as hogging into a hillside and going into stockpiles to load trucks, it kills it,” confirms Jeremy Casner. “I've been an equipment operator for probably 15 years on and off. I ran scrapers, I ran excavators, I ran wheel loaders and this machine by far blows those other pieces of equipment out of the water.”
Tier 4 Engine Reduces Emissions, Noise, Maintenance
Part of being a good working neighbor in these tight-knit oceanside communities is bringing ecologically friendly equipment to the jobsite. The 1121F uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to meet Tier 4 regulations in reducing NOx and particulate matter (pm) emissions.
“The older machines that are belching out giant clouds of black smoke are not really friendly to the neighbors or the area,” says Craig Casner. “That equipment has slowly been (replaced) for newer pieces of machinery like this loader, and these new ones are completely environment-friendly.”
SCR is well suited for wheel loaders because it’s an after-treatment system that let’s the engine generate power at varied engine loads. The technology doesn’t require the use of regeneration to burn off accumulated particulate for faster throttle response time. The end result is full power and breakout force when needed. Additionally, SCR engines create an efficient combustion process. The technology can improve performance because the engines breathe more freely, which in turn, results in significant fuel savings.
The machine also helps reduce another byproduct that is particularly sensitive to working in residential neighborhoods: noise pollution.
“It's far quieter than any other machine of this size that I've ever driven or operated,” says Jeremy Casner. “Being inside the cab with the door closed, you feel like you are not in a piece of equipment because it is so quiet.”
Optimum Visibility for Tight Sites
The company recently put the wheel loader to work on a 100-foot-by-100-foot lot. Although the jobsite was small, Jeremy Casner says the 1121F is a performer in tight quarters. Key to those efforts is visibility.
“The cab of the machine is very open, very spacious, glass from ceiling to floor,” he says. “You can see the ground really well, you can see on both sides of the machine, you can see between the front wheels and the bucket when the bucket's in the air. When you put it in reverse, the backup camera comes on. You can see what's behind the machine, if anyone's back there.”
A new, wide-angle lens provides optimal visibility to the rear of the machine through the back-up camera. The wheel loader also features the lowest and narrowest rear hood in the industry.
Taking everything into account, Casner believes the 1121F fits in nicely to his primary goals of being a good neighbor. At the end of the day, it all culminates into a total package that Casner is happy to bless with his family’s name.
“Everything has to be premium, because when my name goes on the presale list they use the (phrase) ‘Casner Quality’. They expect everything to be first class. That’s what I give them.”