Pipedream Come True: Pipeline professionals wanted a safer pipelayer. Brandt & John Deere delivered.

May 22, 2023

When the Brandt Group of Companies’ Equipment Solutions Division reached out to pipeline professionals for feedback on what makes an ideal pipelayer, the response was that safety was number one. And two. And three. The team took it to heart—and to market.

Five years ago, after decades of serving the oil and gas pipeline industry, Brandt entered the pipelayer market, collaborating with the engineering team at John Deere on a dedicated pipelayer. They designed the machine with an innovative low-mount sideboom, which delivers a wider stance for the lowest ground pressures and highest stability ratings.

In addition to unrivalled stability (read: safety), Brandt pipelayers boast the exclusive and industryleading SmartLift™ Dynamic Stability Monitoring system. This system delivers real-time dynamic stability feedback, ensuring the operator always knows the lifting ability at all boom angles over various slopes and pitches. More safety.

We look at the load, the slung load, how far it’s out, what the ground condition is like, and we combine that into a real-time readout, so from moment to moment the operator knows what’s going on,” says Dan Bonnet, Engineering Manager—Electrical & Hydraulic at Brandt.

SmartLift™ features patented technologies that automatically account for the effect of side slope (roll) and front/back slope (pitch) on the carrying capacity of the tractor while moving, displaying the percentage of the max load in the current location. The system also warns operators when there is a tipping scenario, so they can react quickly to prevent accidents.

John Deere’s Hydrostatic drive is another major advantage that Brandt leveraged to give their pipelayers unmatched maneuverability. With infinite speed variation and effortless zero-radius turns, operators can focus their full attention on the load rather than on driving their machine. Even more safety.

“This is the toughest, safest, most stable pipelayer in the industry,” says Jason Klassen, Senior VP Sales—Manufactured Products at Brandt. “These machines are purpose built for performance on the diverse North American landscape—that means all terrains and all seasons, as challenging as they can be. This is a pipelayer you can count on to get the job done safely and efficiently.”

How did Brandt end up with such a superior machine? By listening to their customers’ frustrations with competitors’ models and incorporating this feedback into the design.

“Everybody talks about wanting to be customer focused, but customers will only share with you if they trust you. Because of the service we’ve delivered over the years, our customers have come to trust us, and know that when we ask, we listen,” says Chris Semple, President—Manufactured Products at Brandt.

Brandt engineers heard that customers wanted lower operating costs, so they created a unique lowmount boom-side winch placement that delivers increased cable life due to the industry’s lowest angle of reeving. They also designed the sideboom to work with John Deere’s proportional hydraulics and ECO Mode, providing full functionality and proportional control at engine idle. Plus, winches can still run at full speed, even with the tractor idled down, resulting in less wear and tear on the engine and lower fuel consumption.

“Safety comes first, last, and always, but you also need a machine that offers maximum uptime and a lower cost of operation, and we are able to deliver it all with Brandt pipelayers,” concludes Klassen.

And that’s a pipedream come true.

The Brandt Group of Companies is the world’s largest John Deere equipment dealer and operates significant industrial manufacturing facilities in North America. The company has more than 170 service points, 5600+ employees and a growing international audience, serving the construction, forestry, agriculture, rail, mining, steel, transportation, material handling, and energy industries with unique custom products.