Keith County approves Caterpillar motor grader after debate over Deere alternative

The Keith County Board of Commissioners voted to purchase a Caterpillar 140 motor grader, approving the purchase by a 3–1 roll-call vote on a motion by Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Schroeder.

The motor grader recommendation was presented during the highway department portion of the Oct. 22 meeting by Highway Department foreman Tommy Wheeler and by equipment representatives who discussed specifications, warranty differences and long-term operating costs. Commissioners debated choosing a John Deere replacement, which earlier had been priced at about $304,304.06, versus a Caterpillar machine offered by dealer representatives.

Why it matters: The motor grader is a major capital purchase for county road work and comes with multi-year service and warranty implications. Commissioners and highway staff discussed trade-in values, parts and service availability, operator familiarity, and lifecycle fuel costs as key factors influencing the decision.

Wheeler and dealer representatives described maintenance and warranty terms. A John Deere representative and a Murphy Tractor representative emphasized Deere features that can reduce some life‑cycle costs; Murphy Tractor said, “I truly believe, and there's quite a bit of evidence to support this, that... there’s a cost you pay today, certainly, but I think there's a lot of things cost of ownership wise that make the Deere be a more cost effective option,” attributing savings to fewer wear parts and longer DPF assurances.

Commissioners raised operator familiarity and shop continuity as considerations. One commissioner said he favored following the recommendation of county staff and foremen, while another emphasized warranty coverage and fuel-efficiency claims provided by Deere representatives. After discussion the motion to buy the John Deere 672 failed for lack of a second; Commissioner Anderson then moved to buy the Caterpillar 140, seconded by Schroeder. The board authorized signing the sales agreement and directed staff to proceed with ordering.

The meeting record includes discussion of related highway equipment: tractor bids were opened and reviewed but the board moved the tractor decision to a subsequent meeting and asked staff and the two foremen to provide a recommendation after further review.

What’s next: County staff will sign the Caterpillar sales agreement and coordinate delivery and trade-in logistics. Commissioners asked highway staff to continue gathering warranty and service details for the county equipment fleet and to present a recommendation for the tractor bids at a future meeting.