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Committee approves purchase of replacement wheel loader after costly repair estimate
Summary
The committee approved a resolution to buy a 2025 articulating wheel loader via a cooperative Sourcewell contract after staff found repair of the old loader would cost $40,000–$50,000.
The King County Transportation Committee voted unanimously Aug. 19 to authorize purchase of a 2025 articulating wheel loader for the Division of Transportation, staff said. According to the staff presentation, the existing wheel loader is a 2008 CASE 721G with about 7,500 hours and was pulled from service pending repair. Repair estimates ranged from $40,000 to $50,000. Because replacement was already planned for FY2026 and there were budget savings from a cancelled shop floor project, staff recommended buying a replacement now using a Sourcewell cooperative contract for $288,590. Staff also presented comparative pricing: the same loader on the state bid list would cost $299,492; a private-dealer used machine with low hours was quoted at about $329,000. A staff speaker said another county recently paid about $310,000 for a comparable machine. Staff recommended the Sourcewell purchase as the most cost‑effective option. Committee action: The motion to approve the purchase was made and seconded; the roll call vote recorded unanimous approval. Ending: The purchase was funded from available transportation funds reallocated after a cancelled shop-floor project; councilors asked staff to standardize number formatting in resolutions for clarity.
