Key is to lease the machine, not buy it, as the City of Greater Sudbury did, Ottawa councillor says<\/p>\n
Published Mar 04, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 1\u00a0hour ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 6 minute read<\/p>\n
![\"Python](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0305-su-a1-python.su_.jpg\")
Ottawa city councillors look at the Python 5000, a unique pothole repair equipment, on June 03, 2019. Ottawa officials are happy with how the machine has performed. Photo by Jean Levac \/Postmedia NewsArticle content<\/p>\n
Leasing, not buying, Python 5000 pothole-patchers has been the \u201csecret sauce\u201d for the City of Ottawa, says councillor Tim Tierney.<\/p>\n
Advertisement 2<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
During an interview, Tierney, who is also chair of the public works and infrastructure committee, gave an enthusiastic two-thumbs-up review of the pothole-patching machine.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
Recommended Videos<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
He said the key difference between Ottawa and Greater Sudbury is that they have chosen to lease their machines for about two months each year. The machines run 24\/7 for 900 hours, from March until the beginning of May.<\/p>\n
Tierney said the company that leases the machines handles all repairs and replacement work.<\/p>\n
This year, the city has leased two machines at a cost of $400,000. Tierney said it is money well spent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we get them, they come in up to standards,\u201d he said. \u201cOur experience has been pretty good, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, Tierney said Ottawa\u2019s experience has been \u201creally good\u201d over the past few years. To date, they have not encountered any notable challenges \u2014 and no breakdowns.<\/p>\n
Advertisement 3<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a good experience, but it\u2019s only because of the leasing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not in the business of owning a new piece of technology like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
On busy arterial roads, Tierney said the Python is invaluable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re on a high-speed stretch of road, like, 80 km\/hour, having crews in front and behind and all of this stuff \u2014 it\u2019s more of a challenge with the hot box,\u201d he noted. \u201cIt\u2019s very dangerous. So we see the benefit \u2014 you get the hole blown out, you get the asphalt pumped into it and it has the roller, all in one machine. That\u2019s great for those arterials where it\u2019s not safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leased couple of months each year<\/p>\n
While Ottawa only leases the machines for a couple of months each year, Tierney said staff \u201cgo very aggressive, right at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sudbury Star Morning Briefing<\/p>\n
Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
Advertisement 4<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
The city repairs the bulk of their potholes before the summer season has even begun.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as we get into the thaw season, that\u2019s when we really target all the potholes. We get out immediately and patch as quick as we can,\u201d Tierney said. \u201cIt still happens throughout the year, but a majority of them\u201d are repaired in March, April and May.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it goes a bit into May and then that\u2019s pretty much it because then we start our next season \u2014 street-sweeping season,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n
When told about the challenges Greater Sudbury has faced<\/a> with the Python 5000, Tierney said he and his colleagues voted to lease \u201cjust to avoid those kinds of situations.\u201d<\/p>\n When it was purchased in September 2021, Greater Sudbury\u2019s Python 5000 cost local taxpayers nearly $555,000, plus HST (the city previously reported it cost about $400,000, but clarified the actual price in February). The finance committee voted unanimously in favour of purchasing the machine.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n There was a lot of hype when the pothole-patcher was first purchased<\/a>; however, Joe Rocca, director of linear infrastructure services, told the operations committee in January that the machine has faced significant challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough 2025, we had very limited use of the Python,\u201d Rocca elaborated. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of mechanical failures with it, a lot of parts breaking.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2025, the Python 5000 was only on city streets for 15 business days. Last year, the city filled about 111,000 potholes. Of those, only 1,500 craters \u2014 approximately 1.35 per cent \u2014 were patched using the Python 5000.<\/p>\n Greater Sudbury not impressed<\/p>\n \u201cOur experience with this piece of equipment is, it\u2019s been super challenging to keep it on the road and using it,\u201d Rocca said.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n He said one of the biggest problems with the machine has been the unavailability of parts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been challenging to get stuff ordered in, and if we can\u2019t find it, our city staff are turning to local suppliers and vendors to actually fabricate parts for it,\u201d Rocca told the operations committee.<\/p>\n The Python 5000 went live on city streets in January 2022, but staff reported problems early, as they discovered it was not suitable for cold temperatures.<\/p>\n Several municipalities in Ontario have invested in the pothole-patchers, so we decided to reach out to some of our neighbours to learn about their Python-related experiences.<\/p>\n In Timmins, Shane Skinner, manager of public works, said it has been up and down with that city\u2019s machine.<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cPublic works has mixed reviews. When the machine works, it works well,\u201d Skinner said. \u201cThe benefit is that one operator in the Python can do the work of a four-person traditional hot box crew. This frees up resources to perform other work and is much safer, as no staff are working near live traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n Echoing Rocca\u2019s sentiments, Skinner said while staff were optimistic at first, \u201cissues with parts availability means the machine has been down more than available for work of late. We are experiencing the same issues with parts availability and this is reflected in the decline of potholes patched.\u201d<\/p>\n Like Greater Sudbury, Timmins owns their Python 5000.<\/p>\n Timmins uses machine<\/p>\n In Timmins, the machine went into rotation in 2022. That year, it repaired a total of 26.1 per cent of potholes filled by the City of Timmins. Its output has declined steadily in the intervening years. In 2023, a total of 20.6 per cent of potholes were filled by the Python; in 2024, that dropped to 12.5 per cent; and last year, only 11.1 per cent of potholes got the Python 5000 treatment.<\/p>\n Advertisement 8<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Again mirroring the experience in Greater Sudbury, Skinner said they have learned the Python is not suited to cold weather.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have tried various tires but with the hydrostatic transmission, it presents challenges maneuvering in the snow and icy conditions,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe unit also has issues at the throat of the feed to the belt \u2014 this area is not heated and when the hot asphalt or warm cold mix comes into contact with that tube, the material freezes and builds up over time to a solid mass that impedes the feed.\u201d<\/p>\n He said Timmins uses their machine from late spring to late fall \u2014 typically from late April to late October. But it has not replaced entirely the need for multi-person crews. Skinner said the city still uses two to three traditional pothole-patching crews with hot boxes during the spring thaw season.<\/p>\n Advertisement 9<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In Thunder Bay, Ian Spoljarich, manager of the roads division, said that city\u2019s experience with their Python 5000 has been \u201cpositive overall. The unit has performed as intended and has met the operational objectives for which it was purchased.\u201d<\/p>\n But Lake Superior can be powerfully turbulent, and he said Thunder Bay does not use its machine during the harshest winter conditions, even though it is equipped with a heater that keeps the material warm while traveling to patch locations and helps to maintain product quality.<\/p>\n \u201cWe operate the unit throughout the winter when conditions permit; however, we avoid using it during extreme cold, as we have found it to be more susceptible to breakdowns in those conditions,\u201d Spoljarich commented.<\/p>\n Advertisement 10<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Generally, the City of Thunder Bay puts its Python to use anywhere from 40 and 80 days per year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt places approximately 80 to 160 tonnes of material annually, representing a relatively small portion of our overall asphalt repair program,\u201d Spoljarich said.<\/p>\n Although the city owns its machine, Spoljarich said they have not experienced the same concerns locating parts as have Timmins and Greater Sudbury; however, he also noted they have been challenged by the lack of tech support.<\/p>\n \u201cAs with any equipment in our fleet, the unit does require occasional repairs and maintenance. While it has experienced downtime from time to time, this is consistent with other equipment we own and operate,\u201d he commented. \u201cIn some cases, parts are readily available; in others, sourcing can take longer. We do not receive technical support, which can present additional challenges when troubleshooting or co-ordinating repairs.\u201d<\/p>\n The Star contacted Saskatchewan-based Superior Roads (superiorroads.com<\/a>), manufacturer of the Python 5000. We asked for an interview regarding the availability of parts and the after-purchase services they provide. Initially, the company replied to our email; however, after more than a week, they had not identified a spokesperson or made arrangements for an interview.<\/p>\n