16.06.2016
The first in a line of legends still going strong!

The Liebherr LR 631 crawler loader workhorse

The Liebherr LR 631 crawler loader workhorse

The Liebherr LR 631 crawler loader workhorse

As Liebherr-Australia looks back at its 35 years of successfully serving the Australian industry, it is pertinent to take a look at the machines that helped shape our standing.

Liebherr’s LR series of crawler loaders are renowned worldwide as the best crawler loader available on the market. Although it is easy to associate this with the current marquees of the LR 634 and LR 624, the first LR to hit Australian shores was a LR 631 way back in 1984.

The tough as nails LR 631 was purchased new by Rod Parker, during his employment with BT Plant Hire. The machine was later purchased by Tipping Bris where Rod also worked before finally being owned by Rod and his business partner Kevin Mole with their company Powershift Tractors. Rod and Kevin are still one of Liebherr-Australia earthmoving’s largest and longest serving devout customers.

The machine spent 31 hardworking years in a landfill in NSW, pushing rubbish, winning cover, spreading material and proving to be a super reliable super strong plant item the Council could rely upon.

In 2014 Rod decided that although still very capable, the 30 plus years of hard labour had left Australia’s first Liebherr crawler loader in need of some TLC and so it was time to update.

Later that year, Clayton Evans of No Fear Equine in Willow Tree, one of Australia’s greatest horse breakers, became the legendary LR 631’s new owner.

Clayton loves his “old girl” and calls the loader his “little mate”. Clayton uses the LR for building dams, clearing yards and all series of farm work in the beautiful valley on the Liverpool plains, and says: “I won’t sell it, I’ll never sell it. I love it too much”.