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Board hears repairs, recall and spare‑parts plan after repeated failures on county Grizzly compactor
Summary
Officials were briefed on repeated gearbox failures on a recently acquired 'Grizzly' compactor; Waste Management logged about $19,720 in labor and staff reported roughly $14,903 in parts costs to date. Commissioners asked staff to price a spare gearbox and to pursue manufacturer remedies under recall/warranty.
Bonner County Solid Waste staff and a Waste Management representative told commissioners on Dec. 8 that the county’s new Grizzly compactor has required repeated maintenance, including multiple gearbox replacements, and that manufacturer support and spare‑parts planning are priorities.
Travis, the manager from Waste Management, said the vendor’s maintenance and the hours their mechanics provided amounted to roughly $19,720 in labor, and staff earlier reported, “we've spent approximately $14,903 on parts,” for wear items and replacements so far. The group discussed that at least one gearbox is subject to a manufacturer recall and that the updated gearbox currently on the machine has lasted longer than earlier versions.
Commissioners pressed staff on inventory and downtime mitigation: several suggested either asking the manufacturer to stage a spare gearbox on‑site (to avoid long lead times) or for the county to buy a spare gearbox outright if the price is reasonable. One commissioner said buying a spare under $5,000 to avoid multi‑day operational downtime would be justifiable for a large capital asset. Staff said they already hold many spare parts in inventory (pins, cylinders, filters, grapple cylinders and other wear parts) but do not currently stock a gearbox; they will get firm pricing and bring a recommendation to the next update meeting.
Board members also discussed equipment training and appropriate operating techniques to reduce wear. A training slideshow and an annual refresher (potentially delivered through the county’s Safety Plus system) were suggested to reduce misuse-related failures.
What’s next: staff will pursue pricing for a spare gearbox, follow up with the manufacturer about recall/refund possibilities and return with cost estimates and a recommendation at the next Solid Waste update.
