Ew0417 combined

equipmentworld.com | April 2017

®

FAST, NIMBLE

AND EVOLVING: THE MODERN

SKID STEER P. 28

CONEXPO: SUNNY SKIES, SUNNY MOODS

16

P.

TransPremier, LLC. I-4.

Orlando, Fla.

180,000 miles of roads won’t fix themselves.

Let’s Build.

TransPremier in Florida is doing its part to rebuild America’s infrastructure. And they rely on Mack to get it done. With the hardworking mDRIVE™ HD automated manual transmission and 24/7 uptime solutions featuring GuardDog® Connect, it’s no wonder the Mack® Granite® is the #1-selling conventional straight truck in the U.S.* So build on, America, because the roads won’t fix themselves.

See more at MackTrucks.com/LetsBuild

* Based on IHS Automotive, Polk TIPNet U.S. Class 8 Straight Truck Conventional, 10 liter and larger engines.

Report period January 2014 through November 2016.

Granite®

TerraPro®

Granite® MHD

Is Now

Promises Kept

Your work is more than just what you do. It fulfills an agreement with your customers, and their customers. It honors a commitment and proves your word is your bond.

For over 35 years KCM has engineered integrity into our wheel loaders. Whether you build it, move it, or produce it, your work has one purpose: to honor the promises you’ve made.

At KCM, we understand that we are building something far greater than a relationship, we’re building your reputation.

A Full Line of Wheel Loaders

• 16 Models • .52 – 9.15 cu. yd.

• 30 HP – 531 HP

KCMA Corporation | 770.499.7000 | KCMCORP.COM 2140 Barrett Park Drive, Suite 101 | Kennesaw, GA 30144

Vol. 29 Number 4 |

Cover Story

table of contents | April 2017

MACHINE MATTERS:

THE VERSATILE, NIMBLE SKID STEER Hard surfaces chew up expensive treads on compact track loaders, and confined spaces make other machines look like drunken bulls compared to the skid steers’ agility.

Page

28

Equipment 16

ConExpo Report

Part 1 of our two-part report of announcements and product introductions from ConExpo 2017.

47

Highway Contractor

Curb and gutter machines offer more flexibility, streamlined operations.

71 Landclearing Attachments The latest in rakes, cutters, clamps, grapples and mulchers.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017

5

table of contents | continued

Features 41 Jobsite Technology

Cat investment in Airware, Milwaukee One Key app and Tick tracking, GeoSLAM Zeb Revo GPS surveying, Trimble Tekla BIM Solutions, INO Weather Pro weather device

Technology 54 Road Slurry and microsurfacing boost pavement preservation.

63 Contractor of the Year Finalist

Garry Boyce, Boyce Excavating, Slate Hill, New York

®

equipmentworld.com facebook.com/EquipmentWorld twitter.com/Equipment_World Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Executive Editor: Tom Jackson Senior Editor: Chris Hill Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Managing Editor: Don McLoud Contributing Writer: Richard Ries editorial@equipmentworld.com Media Sales Geoffrey Love: gdlove@randallreilly.com Pete Austin: paustin@randallreilly.com Drew Ingram: drewingram@randallreilly.com Patsy Adams: padams@randallreilly.com Jason Sandlin: jasonsandlin@randallreilly.com Jordan Arsenault: jordanarsenault@randallreilly.com Art Director: Tony Brock Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@equipmentworld.com

3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com

Departments Record 9 On My data is bigger than your data

13 Reporter

Ritchie Bros. strives to be world leader in asset management and disposal, ASCE gives U.S. roads a D grade, Hyperlane wins AEM’s Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge

61 Quick Data

Compact excavators

For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: equipmentworld@halldata.com Editorial Awards: Eddie award for B-to-B Series of Articles, 2016 Highways 2.0, Folio: magazine Editorial Excellence, Original Research, Silver Award, 2016 American Society of Business Publication Editors

Watch 67 Safety High wire hazard

Jesse H. Neal Award, Better Roads, 2011 American Business Media

77 Pro Pickup

Robert F. Boger Award for Special Reports, 2006, 2007, 2008 Construction Writers Association

Test drive: 2017 Honda Ridgeline a surprisingly tough pickup

82 Final Word

Intelligently, intuitively and transparently

For subscription information/inquiries, please email equipmentworld@halldata.com. Equipment World (ISSN 1057-7262) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Periodicals Postage-Paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: SEND ALL UAA TO CFS (SEE DMM 507.1.5.2). Non-postal and military facilities: send address corrections to Equipment World, P.O. Box 2187, Skokie, IL 60076-9921 or email at equipmentworld@halldata.com. Rates for non-qualified subscriptions (pre-paid US currency only): US & possessions, $48 1–year, $84 2–year; Canada/Mexico, $78 1–year, $147 2–year; Foreign, $86 1–year, $154 2–year. Single copies are available for $6 US, $9 Canada/Mexico and $12 foreign. The advertiser and/ or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC harmless from and against any loss, expenses or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel violations of right of privacy or publicity, plagiarisms, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or suits that July arise out of publication of such advertisement. Copyright ©2017 Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Equipment World is a trademark of Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee regarding the quality of goods and services advertised herein.

6

Chairman: Mike Reilly President and CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operations Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Russell McEwen Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Senior Vice President, Audience Data: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Events: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault Vice President, Business Analyst: Joe Donald Director of Media Sales: Scott Maldonado Vice President, Strategic Accounts: Michael Newman

April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Jesse H. Neal Award, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2006 American Business Media Editorial Excellence Special Section Gold Award, 2006 Midwest-South Region, American Society of Business Publication Editors Editorial Excellence News Analysis Gold Award, 2006 Midwest-South Region, American Society of Business Publication Editors Editorial Excellence News Section Silver Award, 2005 Midwest-South Region, American Society of Business Publication Editors

ADAPT TO

SUCCEED ADAPT TO PC-11 WITH NEW CASTROL VECTON ®

®

New Castrol VECTON with SYSTEM PRO TECHNOLOGY ™

®

adapts to engine conditions and maximizes oil drain intervals.

www.castrol.com/pc-11

on record | by Marcia Gruver Doyle MGruver@randallreilly.com

My data is bigger than your data

W

hile there was an overarching technology theme to last month’s massive ConExpo, the real story was all about data. Specifically, the data coming off your machines’ telematics, and how that data can become a key part of your overall jobsite management picture, not to mention a manufacturer’s profit statement.

Before, manufacturers fought to be your machine supplier; now they’re fighting to be your data provider. The stakes are much higher than machine dominance. Paolo Fellin, Caterpillar vice president, said bluntly: “Instead of Cat being a brand on the jobsite, we’re pushing to make Cat the jobsite brand.” He adds: “Before, we had the voice of the customer and the dealer, and now we have the voice of the machine.”

At the show, both Deere and Volvo announced central telematics hubs for their machines, with Deere’s Machine Health Monitoring Center in Dubuque, Iowa, and Volvo’s Uptime Center in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Each company says their hub will be manned by data experts analyzing the big picture from aggregated machine information. Short-term, these hubs will expedite essential machine health information to customers and dealers. Deere’s effort, for instance, will “get the right information in the right person’s hand at the right time,” Tim Worthington, manager, product support services, told me at the show.

“Before, support operations have been largely reactive. This is devoted to preempting failure and driving action.”

But this is about much more than alerting you about excessive idling. It’s now about

squeezing every asset dollar through jobsite uptime and productivity gains. For example, says Volvo, idle-time knowledge can help point out where a machine’s jobsite path can be reconfigured, or perhaps even if a customer is using the right machine for the job. Deere anticipates their data analytics capability will help them develop and deploy solutions to repair machines faster, and even avoid downtime altogether. Cat says telematics information has already informed machine design, such as its new 950 GC, a lower-spec loader intended to appeal to lighter duty operations.

And companies beyond machine OEMs are getting into the data act, proposing sensors that will indicate oil fill times, combat coolant leaks and accurately predict fuel burn. (See Tom Jackson’s column on page 82.)

The recent Association of Equipment Management Professionals telematics standard – which standardized key telematics data no matter what the color of a machine – has been the great enabler, and now manufacturers and software firms are scrambling to get their mixed-fleet solutions and other data-based products into your hands. Include the drone alliances (Deere with Kespry, Cat with Airware) that will add even more data points to your back office and jobsite systems, and then top it off with the fact that telematics adoption rates are still at a low 15 to 20 percent, and everyone can smell the growth.

As dealer Chris Zaharis with Empire Cat puts it: “We see data as the new natural resource, and we’re in a hurry to get our customer’s assets connected.”

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 9

A declaration OF ENDURANCE.

THE INTERNATIONAL® HX™ SERIES SURVIVES AND THRIVES IN EVERY SITUATION. The HX Series was built with one goal in mind: stand up to North America’s toughest jobsites. Dual steering gears and a 40-degree wheel cut offer maneuverability in tight spaces, with a lightweight aluminum cab designed to endure severe conditions.

Now available with the Cummins® X15 engine under the hood, there’s nothing that

can stand in the way of the HX Series and a job well done.

InternationalTrucks.com/HXSeries

Š 2017 , Inc. All rights reserved.

All marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

ADD ZORO TO YOUR TOOLBOX Ordering construction supplies shouldn’t be hard work.

You do enough of that already.

VISIT

ZORO.COM/EQWORLD

AND RECEIVE

FROM ALLIGATOR CLIPS TO Z-BRACKETS, ZORO’S GOT YOU COVERED. Huge product selection (over 1 million and counting) Helpful customer service

Enter code at checkout | One time use code.

Offer valid until June 10, 2017 11:59 p.m. CT*

Net 30 terms available** Great everyday prices Trusted brands Easy ordering Fast delivery *20% off your first order on $50 minimum purchases. Maximum savings of $2,000. Enter code above at checkout. Limit one (1) use per customer. May not be combined with any other promotions or discounts.

Order minimum is required - excluding tax and shipping. Offer may not be applied to previous purchases.

Promotion is non-transferable. Offer valid until June 10, 2017—expires 11:59 p.m. CT. Some exclusions apply. Visit zoro.com/rules_restrictions for details. **Standard credit terms are $1,000 with 30 days to pay. Credit is subject to Zoro’s credit policies as determined from time to time in its sole discretion. Zoro reserves the right to terminate this offer at any time at its sole discretion.

zoro.com

SUPPLY23

© 2016 Zoro, Inc.

reporter

| staff report |

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

Ritchie Bros.: “We want to be the world leader in asset management and disposal.”

S

ometimes old dogs do learn new tricks and, in the case of the heavy equipment auctioneer Ritchie Bros., those new tricks are rapidly redefining the company.

“In 2013 and 2014 we had a regime change,” says Jim Barr, group president, emerging business, brand innovation and IT. The company had experienced double digit growth almost every year since its founding in 1958, says Barr, but had slowed into single digits over the past decade. The solution: acquisitions, a redefinition of the mission and new technology.

Acquisitions Ritchie Bros. bought Equipment One in 2013. Unlike Ritchie’s unreserved auctions, Equipment One let sellers set reserve prices and did not require them to move the equipment to a physical site. This brought a new set of customers into Ritchie’s orbit, especially those who have different disposal needs such as mining trucks, material processing plants and underground equipment.

Another channel extension Ritchie acquired is the European-based company Mascus. Mascus counts 4-million unique visitors a month and about 300,000 listings with its global reach.

Then this past summer Ritchie announced the purchase of its biggest online competitor, IronPlanet, and along with that, Caterpillar Auction Services, which IronPlanet owned. Partnering with Caterpillar Auction Services will expand the scope of Ritchie’s auction services, but Ritchie is also offering Cat dealers valuable customer data.

Ritchie Bros. now offers customers a multi-channel effort including live and online auctions, reserved and unreserved auctions and even classified ads.

Parts and service “We will give our data to the Cat dealers in exchange for committed volumes coming back to Ritchie,” says Barr. That enables the dealers to identify the new owner of the machine so they can offer them parts and services – the most lucrative part of any dealer’s business. Barr says Ritchie will extend the same offer to other OEM dealers as well.

Ritchie is also diving deeper into other services, including financing for dealers and customers, transportation, enterprise sales solutions, pricing data and software. In terms of technology, the company developed a new app that lets you bid on any of its auctions with your phone and an app that lets you geo-locate a piece of equipment in the yard for inspection before it rolls up to the auction window.

Multi-channel moves “It was just a theory a year and a half ago, that we could become a multi-channel asset management and disposition company,” Barr says. “There used to be only one way people could work with us and that was our core, unreserved auction. Sometimes the buyer or seller wasn’t ready to make that leap, especially sellers.

So if you look at all the ways customers have transactions and help them with all those channels, that’s a very compelling thing. And we’re not done yet.”

– Tom Jackson EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 13

reporter |

staff report

ASCE gives U.S. roads a D grade

T

he American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has given U.S roads an overall D grade in its 2017 Infrastructure Report Card.

“America’s roads are often crowded, frequently in poor condition, chronically underfunded and are becoming more dangerous,” ASCE reports. “More than two out of every five miles of America’s urban interstates are congested, and traffic delays cost the country $160 billion in wasted time and fuel in 2014. One out of every five miles of highway pavement is in poor condition, and our roads have a significant and increasing backlog of rehabilitation needs. After years of decline, traffic fatalities increased by 7 percent from 2014 to 2015, with 35,092 people dying on America’s roads.”

ASCE reviewed the nation’s roads in three categories, including capacity and condition, public safety and innovation, and resilience.

Capacity and condition: The association points out the near-record number of miles driven on U.S. roads in 2016, surpassing 3 trillion. This contributes to the road congestion problem, ASCE says, with more than two out of every five miles on urban interstates being congested. Americans spent 6.9 billion hours delayed in traffic in 2014, which comes to 42 hours per driver, and wasted 3.1 billion gallons of fuel. The economic impact

is estimated at $160 billion for that year.

Public safety: In 2015, 35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes, with traffic fatalities increasing 7 percent from 2014 and 2015 and up 8 percent in the first nine months of 2016, the association reports.

Innovation and resilience: On a positive note, the association points out developments are in the works for new road designs, construction, maintenance and management technologies and techniques.

These innovations have included the use of 3D engineered models for more accurate planning and construction, new methods to determine how to best preserve pavement, and tools to make permitting reviews faster and more efficient. – Chris Hill

Hyperlane high-speed autonomous vehicle project wins AEM’s Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge

T

he Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) named the Hyperlane project by Anthony Barrs and Baiyu Chen as the winner of the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge at the Tech Experience during ConExpo.

AEM created the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge as a means to create “innovative ideas to overhaul the crumbling infrastructure that Americans rely upon to move people, materials, products, services and information.”

The Hyperlane project, which earned $50,000 from AEM for Barrs and Chen, is a proposal for building infrastructure that allows autonomous vehicles to travel at high speeds on existing roads and to use

14 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

surge pricing to reduce congestion in those lanes.

Second place went to Peter Muller for his SmART Driverless Vehicle System, earning him $35,000. Kevin

Lu was awarded third place for his Adaptive Pavement System aimed at automating traffic to reduce congestion. He received $15,000.

– Chris Hill

Technology That Transforms.

Transforming Productivity And Profits.

Cummins Tier 4 Final engine power was prominent at CONEXPO 2017. Our Tier 4 Final engine range, introduced at CONEXPO 2014, is working successfully in over 600 installations – more than any other OEM in the industry. You could also see more than 100 Cummins-powered applications on display across this year’s exhibition. Cummins debuted dual fuel 45- to 100-kW spark-ignited generators. The C100N6 generator unit runs on either natural gas or propane without any hardware changes, and has been designed to withstand winds up to 180 mph, providing power where you need it the most. Cummins continues to develop a portfolio of Connected Solutions™ and remote monitoring technologies to manage equipment on site to drastically reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency. At CONEXPO, Cummins revealed a new suite of products to the construction market, providing a world-class service experience.

Visit cumminsengines.com/CONEXPO for the latest updates from the show. ©2017 Cummins Inc., Box 3005, Columbus, IN 47202-3005 U.S.A.

SUNNY SKIES,

SUNNY MOODS T

here were both smiles and sweat as ConExpo 2017 took place in unseasonably warm Vegas last month. “I think there is a noticeable difference with attendees and their level of optimism,” Mike Haberman said during the show. Haberman is president of excavator manufacturer Gradall and current chairman of show-owner Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

“The traffic is excellent, and more important, we’re talking to the right people.”

To do the announcements and product introductions justice, this will be the first of two ConExpo reports in Equipment World. Part 2 arrives in our May issue. Also in May, Tom Jackson will detail the engine announcements made at the show. All the stories below first appeared on equipmentworld.com, where they were reported in more detail.

16 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

ConExpo

| staff report

JCB launches skid steer/telehandler hybrid Teleskid

O

ne machine that generated significant buzz on the ConExpo 2017 show floor was JCB’s Teleskid. The half telescopic handler/half skid steer (it also comes in a compact track loader version) is what Randy Tinley with JCB calls “a natural progression from our unique side door/singleside boom set up on skid steers and CTLs.” The Teleskid can reach 60 percent farther forward than a typical skid steer – up to 13 feet 3 inches – and is the only skid steer that can dig 3 feet below its chassis, JCB says. A forward reach of 8 feet allows the machine to extend through and over obstacles. The machine comes in two versions: the 3TS-8W wheeled model and the 3TS-8T tracked version.

At 50 percent of tipping load, the wheeled version is rated at a capacity of 3,208 pounds with the boom retracted and 1,347 pounds with the boom

extended. At 35 percent of tipping load, the CTL version’s capacity is rated at 3,695 pounds with the boom retracted and 1,614 pounds with the boom extended.

The Teleskid boom takes its pedigree from the company’s Loadall telescopic handler, although there are differences. “The boom looks similar, but it’s smaller than the Loadall boom and uses a skid steer coupler, which opens it up to any skid steer or CTL attachment,” Tinley says. The boom is mounted on a single-piece fully welded chassis and has a single-piece u-pressed design. Centralized lift and extension rams evenly distribute load stresses.

The Teleskids have both vertical and radial lift, zero turning radius and a 24 gpm standard flow option, allowing you to operate attachments when fully extended. They are powered by a 74-horspower JCB EcoMAX engine. – Marcia Doyle

Sany enters North American roller market

S

any launched its SSR120C-8 roller compactor for the North American market. The SSR120C-8 features a Cummins Tier 4 Final 160-horsepower engine and has electronically controlled travel and vibratory functions. It comes standard with a rearview camera and a heated, air suspension seat. The operating weight is 26,455 pounds and offers a vibration frequency of 32/36 Hz, excitation force of 62,947/40,015 pound-feet and .07/.035 in nominal amplitude. The drum width is 84 inches, with a 59-inch diameter. Ground clearance is 19 inches and the wheel base measures 116 inches. – Chris Hill EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 17

ConExpo

| continued

Case unveils half dozer, half CTL concept DL450 as “Compact Dozer Loader”

T

eased prior to ConExpo as “Project Minotaur,” Case Construction Equipment’s DL450 is billed as a “compact dozer loader” that combines a compact track loader (CTL) with a dozer. Case used ConExpo to get contractor feedback on the concept machine.

“We didn’t want to just create a reaction,” says Scott Harris, vice president, North America, Case Construction Equipment. “Instead, ours is a practical revolution of two product lines.”

Case says it has more than 30 patents pending on the DL450, which was named after the company’s former 450 dozer. The core feature of the DL450 is a C-Frame dozer interface that pins directly into the machine chassis. Case says it provides the stability and smooth operating plane of a CTL, ensuring that all operating power and stresses are channeled through the machine’s chassis and not its loader arms.

The C-frame can then be unpinned from the chassis and disconnected like an attachment, allowing the machine to perform as a standard CTL. The unit uses skid-steer and CTL attachments.

“This could also be a transformative piece of equipment for landscapers looking to add greater power to their operations” and who may have previously considered buying a small dozer, Harris says. Other possible takers for the DL450 include residential and commercial contractors looking for additional versatility in one machine, he says.

The concept machine has an anticipated drawbar pull of around 21,000 pounds. The main body was created from the base frame of a vertical-lift Case TV380 CTL. Case then married the base frame with the radial-lift loader arm design similar to that of the former 465 skid steer.

Forward and reverse travel and steering are controlled by the left hand, and boom and bucket controls are manipulated with the right hand. The right-hand controls also operate the lift, angle and tilt of the six-way blade.

The undercarriage features steel tracks and grousers, a fifth roller for better traction and greater ground clearance to reduce the likelihood of drag. The DL450 also includes a rear, integrated ripper. – Marcia Doyle

18 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Cat: Connected assets will drive machine advances

C

aterpillar says it’s betting on the huge opportunities it sees beyond the iron. “Instead of Cat being a brand on the jobsite, we’re pushing to make Cat the jobsite brand,” says Paolo Fellin, Cat vice president of global construction and infrastructure.

The company will use its Cat Connect Services suite of technologies to push this concept forward, all enabled by the telematics that are part-and-parcel of today’s machines, no matter the brand. With telematics, Cat and its competitors continue to gain detailed analytics of exactly when, how hard and where its machines are used.

At the show, the company launched Cat Connect Productivity Services, which will give users such new services as utilization reporting, geospatial mapping created by unmanned aerial vehicle (drones) surveys and benchmark assessments.

Cat says it’s using telematics information to design machines to fit specific applications, including the 950GC, a lower-cost, lower-spec wheel loader it introduced at the show.

The use of telematics data is a key part of Cat’s overall digital thrust. Cat has begun partnering with universities and tech companies such as Airware, busybusy, Minesense (which uses sensors to determine the composition of the material in the bucket) and Sarcos to stay ahead of the curve. While Cat will continue to drive value around its machines, it sees the technology surrounding the products as the real growth driver, with the capability of adding 10 to 15 percent more productivity and efficiency per year. – Marcia Doyle

Ready. Set. slow.

Introducing the new I-Shift with Crawler Gears from Volvo Trucks.

It allows drivers to travel at speeds as slow as 0.6 miles per hour and maintain a precise, controlled roll. It’s an ideal automated manual transmission for applications like pouring curbs or laying asphalt, where low speeds are crucial to doing the job right.

See the new standard in powertrains: DoWork.VolvoTrucks.US

I-shift with crawler gears

Volvo Trucks. Driving Progress

ConExpo

| continued we’re done with the inspection, we’ll send the data with the video and pictures back to our engineering department. They’ll do an analysis and do an inspection report, send it back to the customer with a 3D image of the inside of their silo along with the video and pictures.”

Preliminary work on the system began four years ago.

The system resonated with ConExpo goers, and Johnson says he received 104 requests for inspections on the first day of the show. – Chris Hill

Inspection tool gets personnel out of asphalt silos

A

stec’s Silobot asphalt silo inspection tool is designed to minimize danger to personnel inspecting silos, provide precise thickness mapping and drastically reduce silo downtime. The old way to inspect a silo required building scaffolding and sending a person inside, which risked potential fall and confined space issues.

“The silos have 6 inches of insulation and then a metal wrap around the insulation,” says Larry Johnston, Astec vice president of parts sales. “From the outside you can’t tell what’s going on inside. So the only real way to do it right now is to build scaffolding, go up in it, build more scaffolding and test it, and it’s a day and a half of setting up to get it inspected. So you’re three days down for one silo inspection.” With the Silobot, an Astec technician can be in and out in two hours.

The Silobot has four wheels, each with 100 pounds of magnetic thrust. It’s fitted with a 4K GoPro camera, and a technician guides it remotely wearing a set of headtracking goggles.

The operator takes pictures and video and measures the thickness of the silo walls using an ultrasonic gauge mounted on the bottom of the Silobot. “Wherever the operator stops, he can actually lower the gauge, squirt out oil lubricant so it will get a good seal and then take a measurement,” Johnston says.

Each wheel also has an encoder, so it’s talking to a computer program while it is traveling inside the silo. It also maps the silo as it moves.

“Wherever it stops we know the exact point of where it’s measuring thicknesses,” Johnston explains. “When

20 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Komatsu emphasizes production over fuel efficiency in hybrid excavator

T

he hybrid emphasis has shifted, says Komatsu. Now production is the primary goal, with fuel efficiency as a bonus. Thus, the HB365LC-3 hybrid excavator is “every bit as powerful as a non-hybrid machine,” says Rich Smith, vice president, product and services, Komatsu America.

The excavator’s fully electric hybrid system uses an electric swing motor, which captures swing deceleration energy that would normally go unused and makes it available for work. The energy captured during each swing cycle is stored in an ultra capacitor, which provides energy for the swing system. In addition, the engine’s motor/generator can fast charge the capacitor when required. This motor/ generator can also rapidly increase engine rpm from low idle for quick response when an operator activates boom, arm and bucket controls. Hybrid control logic helps increase boom up and arm out multifunction speed.

The 100-percent electric swing system makes the Komatsu system unique, says the company, and helps the machine reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.

This system allows the hydraulic power usually required by the swing system to be completely available for boom, arm and bucket power, helping improve digging time and production.

In the cab, information from the Komtrax 5.0 telematics system is displayed on a 7-inch color LCD screen. A new operator identification system records Komtrax machine data for up to 100 individual ID codes. An optional auxiliary hydraulic attachment circuit can store up to 10 individual flow settings and attachment names. – Marcia Doyle

~

• 16% INCREASE IN ECONOMY • 7% INCREASE IN WORK VOLUME • THREE EFFICIENCY MODES

MORE POWER. LESS FUEL. With KOBELCO excavators, you get best-in-class fuel economy every time you fire up the engine – no matter how tough the job. With our latest Generation 10 machines, we’re taking that efficiency to a whole new level. These new machines now boast up to a 7% increase in work volume per hour while also providing up to a 10% increase in fuel efficiency in S-mode and an additional 6% in ECO- mode. Put one to work on your next job and add some serious power to your bottom line.

Amazing fuel efficiency, improved productivity Digging volume/hour (Compared to H-mode on previous models)

Approximately

7% increase

NOx reduction rate

The engine exhaust system has a SCR system that converts emissions into harmless nitrogen and water, combining this with a post-exhaust gas treatment system

(Compared to previous models)

NOx

88 %

Approximately

SCR catalyst

decrease

*88% cleaner than interim Tier IV

Newly developed attachments are reinforced for optimum durability 1

2 Enlarged reinforcement of the arm foot HD: Increased thickness of arm-foot base plate.

New

Current

2

Return

3 1 Redesigned boom foot for improved durability Current

MINI

SHORT RADIUS

New

Large-size

3 Modified foot boss shape

New design boon foot, evenly distributes digging forces for improved durability.

The new boss design further improved strength.

New

Current

Engine

CONVENTIONAL

Main filter

Pre-filter

Fuel tank

1 The boom weight puts force on the boom cylinder 2 Hydraulic fluid pushed from the boom cylinder goes to the arm cylinder 2

3 Arm cylinder retracts 4 Arm extends

10 %

Approximately

1

3

Boom weight

increase

4

KOBELCO-USA.COM

ConExpo

| continued

Deere announces Machine Health Monitoring Center, Kespry alliance

D

eere has established a Machine Health Monitoring Center at its Dubuque, Iowa, plant. Using the telematics data coming from machines, Deere envisions this as a “triage center, looking at impending issues and solving problems before customers are aware of them,” says Jena Holtberg-Benge, director, John Deere WorkSight. “This central command will look at the big picture, identifying trends, so dealers can address issues before downtime occurs.”

In addition, the company has joined forces with Kespry in an exclusive global strategic alliance in which Deere’s construction dealers will provide the Kespry Aerial Intelligence System to their customers.

Kespry chairman and CEO George Mathew tells Equipment World that the partnership is a multi-year deal initiated by Deere that will immediately place his company’s hardware in more than 400 distribution sites. Kespry integrates drone hardware and cloud-based image rendering software to provide a drone that not only flies itself, but delivers ready-to-use imagery with almost no operator intervention required.

Deere focused on production class machine debuts at ConExpo, and along with the new machines detailed below, introduced its Big Parts Promise. The program guarantees that if a participating dealer does not get a critical, quickly installed part to customers by the end of the business day, the part is free. This would include starters,

alternators, injectors, turbos, relays, hydraulic hoses and water pumps. Additionally, major components – engines, axles, transmissions, pumps, motors, valves and final drives – are guaranteed to arrive the next business day or freight is free.

Deere products debuting during the show included: • The 950K dozer with a six-way power-angle-tilt blade, the first on the market on a production class machine, according to the company. The 265-horsepower 950K uses a hydrostatic powertrain to get 15 percent more power to the ground than a conventional torque-converter powertrain, Deere says.

• The 26-ton 260E and 31-ton 310E articulated dump trucks have new cabs, frames and axles compared to their DSeries predecessors. Powered by a 9-liter Deere PowerTech engine, the artics feature purpose-built ZF transmissions and a 125 percent increase in retardation capacity.

• And Deere has added the 844K-III and 844K-III Aggregate Handler to its wheel loader lineup. The Aggregate Handler can load out 24 tons of non-heaping, lowerdensity processed material in two passes into on-road dump trucks.

– Therese Dunphy, Wayne Grayson and Marcia Doyle

World’s first 3D-printed excavator unveiled

T

he world’s first 3D-printed excavator, also known as Project AME (pronounced “Amy’), was unveiled in the show’s inaugural Tech Experience pavilion. Produced through a consortium of research teams that are part of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), the excavator is the first large scale use of steel in 3D printing.

The machine was developed at Oak Ridge and the cab, boom, a hydraulic oil reservoir, heat exchanger and cooling system are 3D printed. The cab was designed by a team of students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is based on the Voronoi Pattern, a composition inspired by cell and microarchitecture known for providing structural rigidity to 3D-printed objects.

Soon after the sheet was pulled on Project AME at the show, the excavator got to work moving dirt. – Wayne Grayson

22 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Introducing a truly unique machine with endless possibilities. The new JCB Teleskid is the first and only skid steer and compact tracked loader with a telescopic boom, making it the most versatile machine you’ve ever seen.

It can lift higher, reach further and dig deeper than any other skid steer on the market and can access areas you wouldn’t have thought possible, until now.

TELESKID.JCB.COM 4465

ConExpo

| continued

Bobcat unveils R-Series compact excavators Bobcat has unveiled its R-Series compact excavators, a 13-model lineup that will be launched in two phases during 2017.

The first phase includes the popular 3- to 4-ton class E32 and E35 models. The machines feature a dual-flange redesigned track system and an optimized rear counter-

24 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com Rubbertrax_EW0117_PG.indd 1

weight. The dual-flange rollers extend the excavator’s undercarriage structure closer to the track’s edge and provide up to a 15-percent increase in over-the-side capacity. Bobcat says this feature improves over-the-side digging performance and slewing ability, in addition to improving ride quality.

Tom Connor, excavator product specialist, says that in the six years since the company’s previous M-Series compact excavator line was introduced, the compact excavator market has increased 218 percent in North America. “This growth has surpassed that of both skid steers and compact track loaders during the same time period,” Connor says.

Why so much growth? Connor says compact excavators have grown in acceptance because of their versatility. “The perception of compact excavators has completely changed,” he says. “A lot more people are using them in lieu of using a backhoe.”

Another reason: the machine’s popularity in rental applications. “Rental has given us proof of product,” Connor says. “It’s a tremendous sales tool.” – Marcia Doyle

12/7/16 8:36 AM

Volvo CE debuts L350H flagship loader

E

xpected to be available early next year, Volvo debuted the flagship of its wheel loader range, the L350H. It features a 10-percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a host of other productivity improvements, as well as a new design.

The L350H is fitted with nextgeneration hydraulics and powered by a Tier 4 Final D16J engine for high torque at low rpm. For quarry production, the L350H comes with a higher capacity, 9.5-cubic-yard rock bucket.

The new load sensing hydraulic system works in harmony with the drivetrain, increasing response times (and lifting and lowering speed of the newly designed buckets) resulting in cycle times up to 5-percent faster. The hydraulic system and drivetrain improvements, coupled with the latest Volvo engine technology, make the L350H up to 10 percent more fuel efficient than the L350F it replaces, Volvo says.

To boost the machine’s performance and reliability, the loader has increased clearance between the rear fenders and tires. That allows greater access when fitting tire chains, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the machine’s body. – Therese Dunphy

T R E L L E B O R G W H E E L SY STE MS I NDU S T R I A L & C O NSTRU CTI ON TI RE S

Groundbreaking reliability BUILT TO KEEP YOU WORKING Prepare for the worst, and expect the best. Even if weather and terrain are beyond your control, you can expect the best in quality, reliability, endurance, and comfort by arming your fleet with Trelleborg tires and tracks.

Now offering a complete range of pneumatic tires, solid tires, and rubber tracks for the construction industry. Choosing Trelleborg provides a maximum return you can prepare for, and quality products to overcome the elements you can’t.

WWW.TRELLEBORG.COM/WHEELS

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 25

ConExpo

| continued

Terex CEO lays out streamlined company’s new strategy

A

fter years of acquisitions and divestitures, Terex has narrowed its focus to three key markets and is setting the course for growth in the specific niches in which it will continue to play. “It has been a very dynamic and exciting time for Terex,” noted president and CEO John Garrison.

As its leadership team – composed of a mix of veterans and new leaders – strategizes to transform Terex, it will zero in on three priorities: focus, simplify and execute to win, Garrison says. The first priority, focus, has been highlighted by the company’s decisions on which markets to exit and which to grow. Moving forward, Garrison says, Terex will center on aerial work platforms, cranes and materials processing.

Recently, Terex closed 14 manufacturing facilities around the world, reducing its footprint by about one-third. As global markets recover, capacity can be increased by adding work shifts to remaining manufacturing facilities.

In terms of simplifying, Garrison says, Terex will be easier to do business with, including prioritizing life cycle equipment support. Terex will also streamline its global supply chain over time.

Top priorities will revolve around life cycle solutions such as telematics, parts availability and financing; being easier to do business with via sales, pricing and dealer management; and strategic direct and indirect sourcing.

While the portfolio of products has shrunk, Garrison says, the remaining product lines will grow with continued investment in product and service innovation.

–Therese Dunphy

IronDirect Reman Trucks formed

I

ronDirect, primarily known as an online sales platform for Chinese-made heavy equipment, has partnered with Tyler, Texas-based Vehicle Reman to create IronDirect Reman Trucks. The service will offer quick turnaround time (as fast as 48 hours) on pickups and work trucks at about half the estimated cost, on average, of a new truck with similar features, the company says.

These vehicles, the company reports, will have a threeyear, 75,000-mile drivetrain warranty. Initially, the company plans to focus on Class 1 to 5 trucks, citing a “typical” remanufactured candidate being six to seven years old and having more than 100,000 miles. However, IronDirect says vehicles

26 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Faster development process nets Manitowoc several show debuts

M

anitowoc marked its first ConExpo since establishing itself as a standalone crane company in a big way.

Of the company’s 12 cranes displayed at the show, eight were developed in the past six months, says president and CEO Barry Pennypacker. “The remaining four were developed in the last year.”

At the show, Manitowoc introduced two new roughterrain cranes, a crawler crane, a new telescopic crawler crane and two new truck cranes – one of which also incorporates boom truck features.

Manitowoc says the mantra behind the development of the TMS9000-2 – the crane that established the company’s new six-month development cycle – was “lighter, longer, stronger.” This 100-ton truck crane is approximately 800 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the TMS9000E, enabling a wider range of flexibility carrying counterweight, cribbing and other items. Boom length and capacity have increased with a 169.3-foot, six-section, greaseless boom with Grove’s Twin-Lock pinning system.

The company says the TMS9000-2 is the strongest four-axle truck crane on the market with load charts with maximum counterweight increasing by 5 percent over its predecessor. The TMS9000-2 is powered by a Cummins ISX powertrain rated at 45 horsepower and 1,550 pound-feet.

The crane features four outrigger configurations: 0, 33, 66 and 100 percent. – Wayne Grayson with up to 20 years of service can be reman candidates.

Tim Frank, IronDirect president, says the company also plans to extend the reman process to construction equipment. “Very soon you will start to see earthmoving products, aerial lifts, compressors, pavers and more,” he states. “There’s no channel conflict here because dealers do not go out and buy a remanufactured unit and set it on their yard and say, ‘Somebody come and buy this.’ This has never been done before.

We think this is going to be an enormous opportunity.” – Chris Hill

Looking for safety resources? ..............................................

Equipment World’s Safety Watch articles are now available for download on our website. Designed for use in training and in toolbox talks, the articles cover a range of important safety topics such as falls, trenching, welding, back-over accidents and more.

..............................................

Each Safety Watch features an actual construction accident, and outlines ways to prevent similar accidents from occurring on your jobsite.

AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH and SPANISH

Visit equipmentworld.com/safetywatch

machine matters

JCB skid steers are built on a global platform at the company’s North American headquarters in Savannah, Georgia.

28 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

| by Richard Ries

THE VERSATILE, NIMBLE

skidsteer Conventional wisdom has it that skid steers rule on hard surfaces and in tight quarters. Hard surfaces chew up expensive treads on compact track loaders, and confined spaces make other machines look like drunken bulls compared to skid steers’ nimble nature.

I

s that enough to keep skid steers in your fleet? Maybe, maybe not. But skid steers are versatile and offer a host of appealing features.

“Skid steers are good at lift-and-carry,” says Eric Dahl, Bobcat loader product specialist. “They’re good for applications that tend to be less demanding. And they have a great balance of traction and travel speed that make them effective at snow removal.”

That travel speed makes them adept at scooting around large worksites and even allows them to be driven short distances on roads, depending on local laws. And for greater distances, skid steers are easy to trailer, says Randy Tinley, JCB product manager for skid steer and compact track loaders. Their low cab height makes them suitable for working in areas with restricted overhead clearance. “But while landscaping, agriculture and construction all have applications that emphasize skid steers’ trait, there is no truly skid-steer specific application,” says Tinley. “The main consideration is space constraints, such as loading trucks in a small area.”

And of course there’s their relatively low cost. Initial investment for a skid steer is 20- to 30-percent less than for a comparable CTL. Tires are half or less the cost of tracks, and skid steers have no undercarriage components to maintain or replace.

CTLs are amazing machines, but amaze-

ment is expensive. “If owning and operating costs were the same, everyone would own a track loader,” says Jim DiBiagio, ASV general manager. But those costs aren’t equal, and the advantage goes to the skid steer. ASV understands this. The company has been closely associated with compact track loaders since launching its first model, the MD-70, in 1990. But it also offers three radial-lift and two vertical-lift skid steer loaders.

More “new” than meets the eye Look at a skid steer from 2017 and one from 30 years ago, and there isn’t a lot that jumps out as new and improved. Other than the addition in the 1980s of vertical lift to the machine’s original radial-lift architecture, it might seem the design has stagnated.

Not so, says Gregg Zupancic, product marketing manager at John Deere. “We will soon offer self-levelling of the bucket in both the up and down mode.” He says that while self-levelling in the up mode has been around for a while, self-levelling down is new. “Our machines have a creep mode, which delivers full power to the attachment while maintaining a low ground speed.” Deere skid steers have three work modes, which vary the rate of machine response to operator input, as well as three drive modes. Return to dig, return to carry, EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 29

machine matters

| continued

The ASV VS-75 has an operating weight of 8,740 pounds and is powered by a Deutz TD2.9L4 engine rated at 74 gross horsepower. Peak torque is 192 pound-feet. and attachment positioning will also be available soon. Another focus has been the operator station with comfort and convenience as main considerations. Examples include courtesy lighting that stays on for a few minutes after shutdown and an available rear-view camera.

Jorge De Hoyos, senior product manager for skid steers and CTLs at Kubota, says changes to the operator’s compartment and to operator comfort are more common than exterior changes. He says the slideup door on Kubota skid steers is a good example: “The door can be locked in the open position so the operator can continue to work without removing and storing the door. And the door can be opened with the loader arm at any point in its range of movement.”

Heated, air-suspension seats and sealed, pressurized cabs are obviously built for comfort. Ride control gets credit for reducing spillage on rough terrain, but it’s also a comfort feature. By damping loader-arm and bucket oscillations, ride quality is improved by the same mechanism that keeps material in the bucket.

“With the electrohydraulic system monitoring the machine’s travel speed, the Speed Sensitive Ride Control system on Cat 30 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Powering the Takeuchi TS80V2 is a Deutz TD2.9L4 rated at 74 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Standard hydraulic flow is 26.0 gallons per minute; the high-flow options boost this to 31.0 gpm. Operating weight is 8,965 pounds and ROC is 3,005 pounds at 50 percent of tipping load.

Optimize loadout, track productivity and prevent overloading with LOADRITE productivity management tools.

For more information contact your local dealer today, 1.800.528.5623 | loadritescales.com

LOADRITE X2350 Excavator Scales

Fill 11.540 CUSTOMER: DOCKET: TRUCK: 12:06 PM

2 ABC Co 2415 CAM178 tonne

EW 02/17

Trimble connects people with payload and productivity data.

machine matters

| continued

Adding over-the-tire tracks introduces some characteristics of a compact track loader to a skid steer. The vertical-lift Bobcat S740 has 74 horsepower and an 8,730-pound operating weight. skid steers can automatically engage when the machine reaches its activation speed,” says Kevin Coleman, skid steer loader product expert at Caterpillar.

“The system automatically disengages at travel speeds below the activation speed to provide maximum digging and load placement performance.”

There is some concern that adding features to skid steers drives up their cost and narrows the spread between SSLs and CTLs. Unwarranted, says Ryne Kauffeld, marketing and sales at IHI Compact Excavator Sales. “We added a number of features costeffectively, and besides, adding those same features to CTLs increases their cost by the same amount, preserving the price advantage enjoyed by skid steers.” IHI was acquired by Kato Works of Japan; the agreement was finalized this past November. “The construction segment of IHI is a $200 million per year company,” says Kauffeld, “while the construction segment of Kato is an $800 million per year business.

With those resources, we will be able to introduce even more advanced features while remaining costcompetitive.”

De Hoyos says that radial-lift machines with their single-pivot design haven’t changed much in their kinematics. “But vertical-lift machines continue to evolve.

The configuration of the multiple linkages needed to deliver vertical lift makes a big difference.” De Hoyos 32 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

The Case SV340 skid steer was designed especially for heavy-duty earthmoving and attachment use. The 90-horsepower machine has optional high-flow and enhanced highflow hydraulics. The former provides 38.7 gallons per minute at 3,450 psi and the latter 35 gpm at 4,000 psi. says the assertion that vertical-lift machines are not as good at digging as radial-lift models is no longer true.

“Our vertical-geometry skid steers have radial attributes when the loader arms are retracted due to changes in the linkages. Specifically, we made them shorter.”

Kevin Scotese, Volvo skid steer product manager, says one of the most significant changes in the skid steer market is the ongoing move to larger machines. “These

TO GRADE AutomAted to mAKe the PRoduCtion You need

Want to make your next machine acquisition really count? Komatsu’s lineup of automated excavators, including the all-new PC360LCi-11 and PC490LCi-11 feature a revolutionary, factory integrated, machine control system. The exclusive intelligent Machine Control technology lets operators focus on moving materials efficiently, without worrying about digging too deep or damaging the target surface.

Contact your Komatsu distributor to learn how you can hit pay dirt today with Komatsu innovation.

komatsuamerica.com Copyright Š2017 Komatsu America Corp. All Rights Reserved Photograph may show optional equipment.

020

machine matters

[

| continued

Mid-size machines run a wide range of attachments. The 67.1-gross-horsepower Cat 226D has a 1,550-pound ROC and hydraulic flow up to 26 gpm at 3,336 psi.

]

larger machines have more engine power and more hydraulic power, giving them greater lift capacity and lift height. In many cases, this allows a customer to consider replacing a compact wheel loader or backhoe loader with a skid steer. And that increased power means the larger skid steers can run bigger attachments and a wider range of attachments.”

Scotese acknowledges that a skid steer gives up some performance to application-specific machines.

“You wouldn’t have the dig depth of a compact excavator, for example. But if a skid steer meets most of the needs of a contractor, having that single, versatile machine would be more cost-effective than owning two machines.” This may hold true even if the customer has to rent a mini-excavator occasionally.

Has horsepower become meaningless?

Tier 4 Final has different emissions standards for machines of less than 75 horsepower than for those of 75 horsepower and above. One result is that the cost of emissions compliance rises with the higher-power engines. This is true not only with the upfront cost of more extensive aftertreatment systems, but also with the ongoing cost of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). This has caused a split in the market, and customers accustomed to choosing skid steers based on rated horsepower may have to develop a new strategy.

JCB is one of the manufacturers choosing to run lower-horsepower engines to stay under that 75-horsepower break. “Before Tier 4 Final, our most powerful skid steer was rated at 92 horsepower,” says Tinley.

“Now our biggest model, the 330, is rated at 74.3 horsepower. But by reconfiguring the torque charac34 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Large-frame G-Series skid steers from John Deere, the 330G and 332G, feature a vertical-lift design with an 11-foot height to the hinge pin. Operating capacities are up to 3,700 pounds, and breakout force has been increased 40 percent over previous models.

teristics of the engine, the 330 delivers more performance than its predecessor did.”

Changes to hydraulics are often made. “We right-size the plumbing,” says Bill Wake, ASV director of product development, “which usually means going bigger. We can customize valves for a specific model. In general, we increase the performance of the hydraulic system to get increased performance.” He cites the company’s VS-75, which is rated at 74.2 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. “It has higher available flow, 30.9 gallons per minute compared to 26 gallons per minute for its predecessor. And its rated operating capacity (ROC) is 3,500 pounds at 50 percent of tip,

Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & affiliates. All coverage subject to policy terms.

machine matters

| continued

The IHI AS34 has a Yanmar 4TNV98T engine rated at 82.2 horsepower at 2,500 rpm. When the Tier 4 Final model is introduced later this year, the power rating will likely remain close to the current model.

Operating weight is 7,718 pounds and ROC is 2,250 pounds at 35 percent of tipping load.

whereas its predecessor had a 3,000-pound ROC.” Scotese says Volvo chose to keep its three largest skid steer models – the MC110C, MC115C and the MC135C – at 74 horsepower. “We increased hydraulic efficiency so there is no loss of performance,” he says. One key change is the switch to a load-sensing piston pump that is 15 percent more efficient than other styles of pumps and requires less horsepower to do the same amount of work.”

Vanair’s There

Dahl says, “It’s really never been about horsepower. It’s always been about torque. And at least with Bobcat products, torque has been maintained or even increased as horsepower has slipped under the 75-horsepower mark.” He says a better benchmark is ROC, which tends to matter more to skid steer operators. “The opposite is true with CTLs, which do more pushing and emphasize horsepower. But with skids steers, ROC rules.”

Why is ROC the key spec?

“Most skid steers will be doing lifting and material handling,” says Brent Coffey, loader product manager at Wacker Neuson.

“Once a customer has decided on an ROC class, the next step is to understand what features are required.

Skid steers have evolved as universal tool carriers as much as they are loaders. For example, if a customer needs high-flow hydraulics, the skid steer has to have the horsepower to run those hydraulics.” He says manufacturers strive to ensure the engine, hydraulics and electronics complement each other to provide the

When you need to reduce costs… not performance The Viper Series rotary screw air compressors are half ™

the cost plus offer better fuel savings than 185 CFM tow behinds and cross mounts. The system offers 80 CFM for rugged, efficient, and dependable performance. It can power a 90 lb. jackhammer and be mounted permanently or left portable to keep your truck multi-functional.

Compact and lightweight, it is available in gas or diesel and with Vanair’s Lifetime Air End Warranty.

Youtube.com/VanairManufacturing

36 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

LET’S GET STARTED >> 800.526.8817 vanair.com

intended performance level. “Customers no longer have to worry about horsepower. That work has already been done for them.”

IHI is one of the few OEMs still making the transition to Tier 4 Final. It’s using manufacturer credits to sell through its remaining Tier 3 machines with an eye to being full Tier 4 Final by the end of 2017. Of its two skid steers, the AS34 is the one above 75 horsepower at 82 horsepower. “That machine will likely stay at its current power rating, but with a new Tier 4 Final engine,” says Kauffeld. “I can’t say for sure because we don’t have a Tier 4 Final model in North America at this time.”

Deere is also holding the line on horsepower and has even increased it on G Series machines. The 330 G has 91.2 gross horsepower and a 3,000-pound ROC, and the 328 has 82 gross horsepower and a 2,750-pound ROC. The weight of the machines is partly why Deere chose not to drop power, Zupancic says. He also notes it’s had requests for a model with big-machine perfor-

Kubota claims the 36 inches between side screens on the SSV75 is the widest in the industry. The large cab is sealed and pressurized to keep out dust and debris and reduce noise. HVAC is optimized through nine vents for increased heat and air conditioning. Side lighting is standard.

CONTAMINATION

DOMINATION Your engines, injectors and pumps need the very best fuel filtration. Only Donaldson® Blue ® filters deliver fuel that’s 4x cleaner than competitors’ best filters.* ■

■ ■

Synteq XP™ media provides best capture and retention of injector damaging contaminants Best performance in heavy-duty environments Best protection for today’s sophisticated High Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) injectors

USE DONALDSON BLUE FILTERS TO DELIVER THE CLEANEST FUEL—PERIOD. * When testing particle retention under SAE J1985.

donaldson.com 800.374.1374

FIND YOUR FILTER

catalog.donaldson.com

© 2017 Donaldson Company, Inc.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 37

machine matters

| continued

The Volvo MC70C is rated at 56 gross horsepower with maximum torque of 165.9 pound-feet. Hydraulic pressure is 3,335 psi. Standard flow is 18.5 gallons per minute; the high-flow option delivers 26.4 gpm. Breakout forces are 3,902 pounds lift and 4,012 pounds curl. mance, such as an 11-foot lift height, with less than 75 horsepower and therefore a simpler emissions control system. “We’re working on that, starting with adjusting the torque curve of an existing engine that would power the machine.”

Manitou Group debuted what it claims are the world’s largest skid steer loaders at ConExpo in March. The Gehl V420 and Mustang 4200V are rated at 120 horsepower with an ROC of 4,200 pounds. A high-flow option delivers 40 gpm. The company describes these machines as “massive tool carriers for heavy construction, landscaping and land clearing applications.”

Brad Wenger of New Holland Construction Equipment says some customers simply need more than 74 horsepower. “If you’re satisfied finessing your way through the day, then stay with the lower power ratings. But if you want to power through a hard dig, and you have a lot of digging to do, you really want the 90-horsepower machine.” As for the DEF needed for selective catalytic reduction aftertreatment on higher horsepower machines, “it’s nothing new and customers shouldn’t be afraid of it.”

Versatility equals appeal Skid steers aren’t going away. They’re just being more clearly defined, and part of their definition is as prime movers for a host of attachments, which makes them even more versatile and therefore more appealing.

38 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com Untitled-53 1

2/13/17 10:40 AM

The vertical-lift SW21 is the largest of four models of medium-frame skid steers from Wacker Neuson. All four feature Kohler diesel engines backed by a transferable four-year, 4,000hour warranty. A universal skid steer attachment plate makes it easy to switch attachments. ISO and H-pattern controls are available.

“Skid steers make great attachment platforms,” says Michael Shebetka, product manager at Takeuchi. “Advances in electronics and hydraulics make them even better at this. One skid steer can run a cold planer, switch to a bucket to remove material and switch to a broom for final cleanup. A multi-function display allows the operator to tailor performance for each task. It’s all done easily, efficiently and with one machine.”

Similarly, customers are more clearly defining the nature of their work. If they do a lot of one thing, they pick a machine that excels at that application. Coffey offers an example. If contractors are primarily using the excavator end of their backhoe, when the time comes to replace that backhoe they can save money and possibly improve production by choosing a compact excavator instead.

But having done the analysis, many customers find they do some of everything, often in confined spaces, and the skid steer becomes the logical choice. “With a compact footprint and nearly infinite attachment options, the skid steer has established itself as an all-around work machine,” says Coffey. “Getting the right machine means understanding the size of the operating space, type of work being done and the attachments needed for that work and total cost of ownership.” While that may lead to an application-specific machine, it also may lead to the ever-ready multi-tasking ability of a skid steer.

POWER. SPEED. PRODUCTIVITY. WE’RE BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER. And we’re determined to EARN the

No. 1 spot in the compact track loader industry.

We’ve completely redesigned our line to make sure our compact track loaders are superior in every way – from top to bottom – to deliver maximum power, speed and productivity.

R T-7 5

YOUR TOUGHEST JOBS DON’T STAND A CHANCE. FIND OUT MORE AT: asvllc.com/more

8 0 0 . 2 0 5 .9 9 1 3 EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 39

Untitled-24 1

2/8/17 8:51 AM

IMAGINE Intelligent Job Sites

Instant data, seamless communication, exact material amounts – what was once considered the future of construction is closer than you might think. Stay a step ahead with our innovative technology that makes your jobs faster, easier, and more profitable.

Stay a step ahead by visiting topconpositioning.com/IMAGINE for more information on these and other Intelligent solutions introduced

by Topcon at CONEXPO/CONAGG 2017.

The intersection of infrastructure and technology

jobsite technology

| staff report

Trimble takes on concrete applications with job planning software and new mixer sensors I

n any commercial concrete pour a thousand little details must be perfect or, when the mud starts flowing, all hell can break loose. Trimble’s Tekla BIM Solutions has a new user interface and software enhancements to enable concrete producers and contractors to better manage these high-risk, high-stress jobs.

The software gives you the ability to develop 3D models of your concrete construction, including the ability to design and build virtual formwork based on the layout measurements from the site. Design modules include the ability to spec anchor bolts and embeds as well as formwork and rebar placements. Spreadsheets then take that information and give you quantity takeoffs, scheduling and logistics and help you get organized for the day of the pour.

On the hardware side, Trimble has also introduced a new Water Add Meters (WAM) and an upgraded drum rotation sensor for ready mix construction fleets. The new WAM 300 and WAM 350 have thick

brass cores for better freeze tolerance, field replaceable endcaps for protection and an easy-to-read digital display on the WAM 350. The drum rotation sensor measures the speed, direction and rotation of the drum to ensure the best mix possible is delivered to the jobsite. – Tom Jackson

New software takes your next concrete pour from design to finish, including the ability to create and position formwork on site.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 41

jobsite technology | continued

Cat investment in Airware to accelerate rollout of dealership drone program

Take control of tool management with Milwaukee’s One Key app and Tick tracking device

T

I

n a move signaling the heavy equipment manufacturer’s intent to more fully integrate drones and the aerial data they capture into the workflows of construction jobsites around the world, Caterpillar has invested in Airware, a company that offers end-to-end commercial drone solutions.

The partnership builds upon a relationship forged between the two companies when Airware acquired Cat partner and French drone data startup Redbird last September. Cat and Redbird began collaborating in January 2016 on enhancing Cat’s VisionLink telematics data with drone-captured maps that update daily progress.

Based in San Francisco, Airware was founded in 2011 to develop an operating system for drones that allows businesses to plan, fly and analyze aerial data. The company has raised $90 million in investments.

Airware CEO Johnathan Downey said last year that his company acquired Redbird to provide an all-inone drone solution for the construction and mining industries. At the time of the announcement, Cat Vice President of Marketing and Digital 42 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

George Taylor said the acquisition would be a boon to his company’s gradual implementation of drone solutions, noting that the deal would “increase Caterpillar dealers’ solutions offerings by enhancing their ability to provide an end-to-end enterprise drone solution globally.”

In regard to his company’s investment in Airware, Taylor says the collaboration between the two companies makes Cat “better positioned to offer drone services through industry-leading technology that helps digitize and optimize operations.”

When making the announcement, Cat said the primary motivation behind its investment is to allow Airware to roll out a program with Cat dealers that will “make drone services a core part of their business.”

Soon, Cat dealers will offer customers photogrammetry, mapping and volumetrics tools along with a suite of advanced analysis and reporting modules. These offerings include Airware’s Redbird software, which allows customers to monitor daily progress and worker safety and offers site-wide collaboration tools.

–Wayne Grayson

ools walk. It’s a fact of life that handheld tools and things like ladders, generators, job boxes and other small items get misplaced, borrowed, stored where they shouldn’t be or sometimes stolen.

Milwaukee’s new One-Key app allows you to track and manage all your Milwaukee tools via computer or phone. The app enables you to manage inventory by giving you the tool’s status and location. It will also alert you to the tool’s performance and maintenance schedule, and you can assign each tool to a specific jobsite, person or vehicle. If a tool gets stolen, the app will notify you of its location the next time the tool comes within range of your phone.

But for assets like ladders, generators, job boxes and other assets, Milwaukee’s Tick device can be attached using screws, epoxy or straps. Products with a Tick attached are synched to the One Key app, and the tool’s records and locations are updated anytime it comes within 100 feet of your phone or device with the app.

– Tom Jackson

Attach it and track it, Milwaukee’s Tick tool tracker is about the size of a hockey puck and when affixed to any asset allows you to track it with your phone.

EXPERIENCE THE ALL-NEW JT40.

Optimized for maximum performance, the JT40 features next generation enhancements and 20 horsepower more than the competition.

It delivers unparalleled visibility, operator comfort and enhanced productivity. The future is here.

Learn more at ditchwitch.com Š2017 Š2017 The Charles Machine Works, Inc.

A Charles Machine Works Company

jobsite technology | continued

Scan buildings, rooms and interior spaces as fast as you can walk them

T

ech savvy contractors have been using GPS systems to survey and map outdoor jobsites for more than a decade. But once you move indoors, it’s back to the old tape measure and clipboard.

GeoSLAM Zeb Revo is a new product that can do for indoor building measurements what GPS did for outside survey work. (SLAM stands for Simultaneous Localization And Mapping.) The hardware for GeoSLAM is a handheld, rotating laser device and a backpack battery. The worker simply turns on the device, picks up the laser scanner and walks one loop through a room. The laser scans and records all the 3D properties of any room up to 98 feet in size, in addition to the structures in that room.

The data is assembled into a point-cloud rendering and shared over the cloud making it compatible with BIM (building information models) CAD programs, GIS modeling and other collaborative platforms.

Once the data is collected in the field, you drag and drop the files to the company’s uploader, or if you want to skip the cloud route, you can pay a onetime fee and process the information locally without having to seek an internet connection. The com-

The rotating laser scanning device creates a point-cloud, 3D map of spaces as you walk.

pany’s software renders the scans into 3D, centimetergrade maps that can be used with most CAD programs.

The benefit of using GeoSLAM is speed. A person operating the device can create a full-blown, 3D map of any interior space, including many large buildings, as fast as he or she can walk the floors. In addition to buildings the technology can be used to map mines, caves and forests where the tree cover is too dense for GPS signals. – Tom Jackson

To order, call (800) 430-4540 or visit www.equipmentworld.com/roady-order-form Email: roady@equipmentworld.com 44 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com Roady_EW_halfpage_EW0415.indd 1

3/25/15 8:52 AM

Enjoy complete weather data and warnings about lightning in a handheld device

W

hile construction crews work in all kinds of weather, you just don’t fight lightning.

INO Weather Pro is a handheld weather data device with a built-in lightning detector. It can sense cloud-to-ground lightning strikes and tell you from which direction they are coming, up to 40 miles away. Visual and audible warnings alert you to dangerous conditions.

The device also provides temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity sensors plus heat index, altitude and dew point information.

A touch-screen display enables you to customize the dashboard. The water-resistant INO Weather Pro runs on a USB charged lithium battery. Suggested price is $497 and you can buy it at inotechnologies.com. – Tom Jackson

Know anytime lightning, weather or the heat index threatens your crews.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 45

The Power Curber 5700-C Your One-Machine Solution At Power Curbers, we believe in keeping things simple. Our engineering and design are centered on providing you and your crew a reliable and productive machine that is customizable and easy to use, no matter your application. Whether you’re pouring curb & gutter or barrier, ditches, or sidewalks, the 5700-C will maximize your production, your efficiency on the job, and your bottom line.

Power Curbers. Our Commitment Shows. powercurbers.com

highway contractor

| by Chris Hill |

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

CURB AND GUTTER MACHINES: Boosted technology provides more flexibility, streamlines operator functions

[ ] The three-track GOMACO Commander III Xtreme introduced at the 2017 ConExpo can slipform pave at 24-inch radius and features rotary-sensored slew drives for steering, sensored leg positioning, independent travel circuits to each track and a three-sensor radius system.

Curb and gutter manufacturers and models

T

his list includes curb and gutter slipform paver manufacturers and models included in the Equipment World Spec Guide. In addition to the specifications for each model, the online version of the Spec Guide offers a comparison tool that shows side-by-side how each model stacks up against another manufacturer’s comparable version.

• • • • •

Curb-Tec CT 900, CT 3000 Power Curber 150, 5700-C, 5700-C-MAX Curb Fox 2000, 300, 500, 500T Easi-Pour 570, 650B, Compact 880, 1000 GOMACO Curb Cadet, GT-3200, GT-3400, GT-3600, GT-6000-78, GT-6000-90, GT6300, 3300, 4400, Commander III-3T • MBW C101, C101-18 CG200 • Miller Formless M-1000, M-8100, M-8800 For these particular machines, visit www.specguideonline.com/ search/curb-and-gutter-concrete-slipform-pavers.

S

lipform pavers designed for curb and gutter work are echoing the design additions of machines primarily used for concrete paving applications. This means the focus has shifted to control systems.

The process in laying down concrete doesn’t vary at a basic level, but what’s created at the back end of a curb and gutter machine, such as the profiles curves, is more in line with a true three-dimensional product. Contractors can also use these machines in multiple settings, switching from large-scale projects to small commercial jobs.

Granted, the success of these applications depends upon a skilled operator, but demanding projects and schedules, not to mention the broadening skills gap and aging out of expert workers, have prompted manufacturers to step up their game in operation technology.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 47

highway contractor

[

| continued

Contractors can use the Power Curber 7700 for multiple applications, including road paving or barriers, variable barriers, bridge parapets and ditches.

Sensors and controllers “The technology is tremendous, it’s just going so fast,” says Kevin Klein, vice president of engineering/research and development for GOMACO. “We still make a lot of physical, mechanical-type changes in our machines, but it’s all about the controls. The changes being made now are to accommodate what we’re able to do with the controls.”

During the ConExpo show last month, Klein offered a look at the latest modification to one of his company’s signature machines, the Commander III. This newest version, the Commander III X, or Xtreme, is using control system updates, along with increased smart sensors, to allow a relatively big machine to create a tight radius.

“Previously, this size machine did a 10- to 15-foot radius. Now we’re able to do a 2-foot radius with the same size machine,” he says.

“With all the controls and sensors, every48 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

]

Curb Fox 5000T paving cable barrier pad on Interstate 10 in Mississippi.

PRECISION GRADING Only Level BestÂŽ laser guided grading boxes are precise to within 0.1 inch. Simple attachment for skid loaders and tractors of all types. Compatible with all guidance systems. Smoothest push-pull operation.

No Equal for Grading This Precise For about half the cost of a new pickup truck you can grade to within a tenth of an inch of spec.

Why grade that precisely?

SIMPLE.

The more precise the grade, the greater the savings on gravel and concrete costs. Standard 10% overage estimates can be reduced to low single digits. The better the bid, the more contracts you win.

Do the math. How much can you save with only a 2 or 3% material overage? Better yet, call today.

When grading precision is critical to performance!

Level-Best.com

800-342-0905

highway contractor

[

| continued

An example of the GOMACO Commander III Xtreme’s capability with a 24-inch radius is displayed at the 2017 ConExpo show.

thing we’re putting into the G+ package now, is part of the reason we’re able to do this. What makes this ‘Xtreme’ is that we have the slew rig steering.”

This feature helps steer the tracks, but it’s just a small part of what the machine can do with all the added sensors. There are smart sensors on the cylinders, for example, and where the molds are positioned.

“The controller knows where everything is at,” Klein explains. “You know how the machine is configured and set up so it knows that it’s coming into a radius, whether it’s on stringline or whether it’s on 3D control. The machine anticipates where the radius is and it starts to change things immediately, instead of waiting for the sensor on the 50 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

]

Curb Fox 3000 near Cleburne, Texas, paving ribbon curb in new housing development.

PAVEMENT PRESERVATION EQUIPMENT

Self-Propelled Router w/ Dust Control

EZ Series II 1000 Sealant Melter

Get the Best Equipment Available to Double Sealant Ser vice Life Double Sealant Service Life using a Crafco Pavement Router Model 30 Pavement Router Self-Propelled with Dust ControlTM reduces dust by 96% (EPA visible emissions compliant) Quickly Clean Routed Cracks using Crafco Crack-VacTM Compressed forced air loosens debris while powerful suction removes it from the cracks Quickly Melt & Apply Sealant using Crafco Melters Awarded “Contractor’s Choice” for best quality Super ShotTM Melter - the easiest & safest to use. EZ Series IITM Melter - the highest productivity & safe to use

FIND US

MORE INFO

CONTACT US

Order your products or

+1-800-528-8242

schedule a demonstration

sales@crafco.com

today!

crafco.com

highway contractor

| continued

stringline to tell it where it is.”

For example, if an operator is running on stringline and coming up on a 4-foot radius, the operator will dial in on the controller to indicate the change. A sensor in the front of the machine will pick up on the starting point of the stringline for the radius’ curve.

Then the operator will flip a switch and the machine will start a countdown, then switch to a second sensor near the back of the machine for steering.

“The machine counts down and it knows how fast it’s running because we’ve also placed speed sensors in the tracks,” Klein says. “So as it comes up to that point, it knows how long it’s going to take to get to a point where it has to start making a steering correction. So then it automatically starts making a steering correction and those sensors really aren’t doing anything from that point, the controller is doing the rest of the steering.”

As far as operator reaction to these controls, Klein says, the generational gap becomes apparent.

“The old-time guys will crawl up here and say, ‘Well, I don’t want any part of this – I know how to do this. I’ve been doing this for 45 years.’ But then you put some of these newer guys up there, and this is what they want. It’s just so intuitive the way the

Multi-Ply Your Money!

controls are written out. That’s that generational gap – the younger guys can pull a lever and do what they want to do.”

Scaling down For Tim Messinger, president of Curb Fox Equipment, the stringless/GPS capability is the most significant recent technology added to his company’s machines.

“Even though our pavers have not generally been used on jobsites where this technology is practical, that is changing, and the demand for it is growing,” he says. “So we are now offering the Curb Fox 5000-T with the option to plug in the Leica stringless system.”

This model is the company’s largest and seems to make more sense for the increased technology.

While the majority of GOMACO’s machines are made for large paving contractors, Curb Fox products are used more by smaller, more specialized concrete contractors.

Messinger says: “The size of the customer will tend to increase with the size and cost of the machine.

But there are many exceptions to this general rule.”

No matter the size, Messinger says, most customers

IMPROVE SAFETY. SAVE TIME. REDUCE SETUP, LANE CLOSURES & CONGESTION

Multi-Ripper Hi-Cap Multi-Ripper Bucket

with the excavator rock ripping

“Multi-Ripper Products” TM

Rips the sides and bottom of the trench flat, with no depth limitation

visit digrock.com and see our“Talon Bucket” our “Multi-DigNRip Bucket” our“V-Raptor Bucket” and our“Stag Bucket”

6 to 9 times the force of a standard bucket operators claim: “the best attachment eading I ever bought” dge ® 508-829-4855 ttachments, digrock.com digrock Inc. sales@leattach.com

Highly mobile with power, lights and other options including crane and bucket. For right or left work at lengths to over 100’. Carries materials and supplies up to 85,000lbs.

For purchase, lease or rent.

TM

52 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

www.mobilebarriers.com

like the simplicity and ease of mobility.

“On the 2000, contractors want low cost and tight radius capability,” he explains. “With the Curb Fox 3000, they expect all the above features along with some versatility and more productivity. And with the larger machines, customers want versatility on applications and job conditions.”

Stephan Bullock, vice president of sales and marketing for Power Curbers/Power Pavers, says one of the company’s newest models, the Power Curber 7700, has been introduced to stretch into the larger contractor market.

“We are capitalizing on infrastructure with this new four-track machine,” he says of the product introduced at this year’s ConExpo. “Our bread and butter in the past has been residential and commercial construction, so launching the 7700, along with the Power Paver 2400 series four-track pavers, is going to be integral in our move to infrastructure.”

Bridging the application gap As with Curb Fox, Bullock says his company’s goal is to make their machines less difficult to run.

“We design the machine around the operator, trying to make the operator’s life easier and more

productive,” he says. “All of our design principle is around simplicity, and that’s what we’re hearing contractors want.”

He says operators have keyed in on the machine’s simple design and ease of operation, service and maintenance. “We have what we call simple steer on our machines,” Bullock says. “With the push of one button, it gives you multiple steering functions.”

Self-diagnostics These machines’ added technology has naturally increased demand for maintenance technicians. This presents a challenge as the skills gap and industrywide problem of finding and keeping technicians for construction equipment loom over OEMs. Klein agrees, but says engineers are incorporating this into their designs.

“At the same time that we’re creating additional capabilities, we’re also adding self-diagnostic features that really help those technicians,” he says. “But it still requires some good technicians. It changes what the mechanic who goes out to the field does. He’s probably going to have some kind of device that he’s tapped into, or he’s going to look at telematics before he gets there and sees what he needs to do.”

CONQUER THE JOB SITE with an

elite rental fleet Versatility is everything when it comes to your rental equipment.

The Sullair 185 and 375 Series portable air compressors are compact, easy to maintain, and conditioned to take on the toughest demands.

Visit Sullair.com/Americas to learn more.

© 2017 Sullair, LLC. All rights reserved.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 53 BaileyBridge_BR0513_PG14.indd 1

010718_Sullair_Equipment World Ad_3.375x4.5.indd 1 4/23/13 Untitled-9 9:321 AM

3/10/17 10:25 4:52 PM 3/15/17 AM

road technology

| by Chris Hill |

SEAL THE DEAL: ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

Slurry and microsurfacing boost pavement preservation

S

lurry seals and microsurfacing each represent a different side of the same coin when it comes to pavement preservation, and offer owners and agencies an inexpensive repair until road reconstruction is needed.

Slurries have been in play for roughly 80 years, while microsur-

[

facing treatments started gaining traction 40 to 50 years ago. Both have a similar base makeup, including asphalt emulsion, aggregate and water, but microsurfacing adds a polymer.

For application, microsurfacing is beefier and used for more serious defects – such as rutting – than a

A Seattle Department of Transportation crew placing a microsurfacing mix. Hand work is needed at times to smooth out imperfections.

54 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

]

slurry. It can be placed in multiple lifts, unlike the general single lift limitation of a slurry.

Both methods generally see a resurgence when economies weaken.

Due to their low cost, municipalities and local governments turn to them in their roads programs. That cyclical nature, however, has cre-

When to use microsurfacing pavement preservation

ated a mixed blessing for some contractors.

“Many paving contractors don’t necessarily have the equipment to do it. This is a maintenance application,” says Kevin Clark, sales manager with VSS MacroPaver. His company makes slurry and microsurfacing application equipment, some of which was displayed at the 2017 ConExpo.

“We had a lot of dialogue going on at our booth from the asphalt contractors who say they need to get into this, or they need to at least have the ability to get into this,” he says. “They’ve got to have some sort of equipment to be able to even bid on it.”

It’s not difficult for an asphalt contractor to add these applications, he says. “With the right equipment, it is actually pretty simple and quicker than traditional paving.”

The International Slurry Surfacing Association recommends using microsurfacing in the following situations: • In quick-traffic applications as thin as 3/8 inches, microsurfacing can increase skid resistance, color contrast, surface restoration and service life to high-speed roads.

Such projects are often reopened to traffic within an hour.

• Modern, continuous-load pavers can lay 500 tons of microsurfacing per day, with no long traffic delays. This equates to an average 6.6 lane miles per day for surfacing applications.

• On airfields, dense-graded microsurfacing produces a skid-resistant surface with no loose rock that can damage aircraft engines.

• As a thin, restorative surface source on urban arterials and heavy traffic intersections, microsurfacing does not alter drainage; there is no loss of curb reveal.

• Microsurfacing is applied to problem sections of roads or runways to eliminate hydroplaning problems from rain. It restores the proper surface profile and makes the area safe.

• Because microsurfacing can be effectively applied to most surfaces at 3/8 inches or less, more area per ton of mix is covered, making it cost-effective.

• Microsurfacing creates a new, stable surface resistant to rutting and shoving in summer and to cracking in winter.

• Applied to both asphalt and Portland cement concrete surfaces (usually preceded by a tack coat on concrete), microsurfacing is often used to restore a skid-resistant surface to slick bridge decking with minimum added dead weight.

• Used as a scratch (leveling) course, to be followed by a surface course, microsurfacing can provide transverse surface leveling.

• Because of its quick-traffic properties, microsurfacing can be applied in a broad range of temperatures and weather conditions, effectively lengthening the paving season. It is particularly suitable for night applications on heavy-traffic streets, highways and airfields.

• Applied at ambient temperatures, microsurfacing has low energy requirements. And it is environmentally safe, emitting no pollutants.

Image: Seattle DOT

• Microsurfacing life expectancy usually exceeds seven years.

• Capable of filling wheel ruts up to 1-1/2 inches deep when the pavement has stabilized and is not subject to plastic deformation, microsurfacing has the unique ability to solve this problem without milling.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 55

road technology

| continued

The advantage of slurry seals The top attributes that make slurry seals a good choice for pavement preservation include: Low cost Economical to install, cost-effective to use.

Rapid usability Easy, swift application of a new overlay makes slurry especially attractive for rehabilitating busy thoroughfares, parking lots and airport runways.

The new surface is ready for use just hours after application.

Image: Seattle DOT

Preventing problems Used over newly laid pavements, slurry seal will prevent surface distresses such as weathering.

Oxidation, loss of oils, loss of matrix and embrittlement of the mix are minimized. It also provides special durability and texture not available in the underlying mix.

“A couple of guys at ConExpo told me that when the economy turned bad a few years back they would have gone under had it not been for being able to do both traditional paving and microsurfacing,” Clark adds.

But some still lack awareness of the process. During ConExpo, the company continuously played a video on a large screen describing microsurfacing, as well as displayed live video feeds on two laptops of a project occurring in Arizona.

“We sometimes plugged up the aisle with so many people watch56 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Closeup of microsurfacing. The brown color eventually turns to black as it cures and the water evaporates from the mix. ing,” Clark says.

Perception is also an issue.

“It’s something we’ve struggled with in South Carolina,” says Richard Turner, project and preservation program manager for the Charleston County Transportation Department. “It’s been used as a Band-Aid in some places, and it gets kind of a negative connotation with it because it may fail in three years. But that’s because it

Correcting problems Distresses in older pavements – surface cracking, raveling, loss of matrix, increased water and air permeability, and slipperiness due to flushing and aggregate polishing – can be corrected through a slurry application. Waterproofing is also achieved, preventing further deterioration. An all-weather, long-lasting surface is created that offers skid resistance and improved handling characteristics for drivers.

Aesthetic value With one simple application, pavement receives a new wearing surface of uniform black color and texture.

Enhanced appearance means increased property value, marketing potential and buyer acceptance.

Thoroughfares, shopping center parking lots and other public or commercial pavements treated with slurry seal become more attractive.

Source: International Slurry Surfacing Association

A FULL LINE OF EQUIPMENT & PRODUCT SUPPORT SOLUTIONS FOR ALL YOUR ROAD BUILDING NEEDS. PAVERS | MTVS | COLD PLANERS | STABILIZERS BROOMS | COMPETITIVE PARTS | GUARDIAN

© 2017 ROADTEC.INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

roadtec.com 1.800.272.7100 423.265.0600

road technology

| continued

Bergkamp’s new M310CS Paver features an electronic mix control and diagnostic system designed to control material output to maintain a mix design.

wasn’t meant for the conditions it was used. A failure such as that probably was on a road that needed much more than a microsurfacing or some other preservation treatment.”

Turner’s agency has successfully used such preservation treatments when applying them strategically.

“You’ve got to be selective, you’ve got to understand what you’re putting it on, when it should be applied and what it’s meant to do,” he explains.

If you’re not careful, he says, the treatment won’t give you the desired results, which can be a problem for a program trying to ramp up preservation efforts.

“We’ve been very slow about it, and that’s more a strategy of just inching our way more and more into preservation, because it’s hard to flip a switch from what you’ve always done to something new,” he says.

Public communication is also important.

“We spend a lot of time just trying to put out as much information as we can so folks understand what it is and what it’s meant to do,” Turner says.

“We still get some folks who may not get our message and they’ll call in. Once we talk through it and they realize the benefit and the cost associated with some of these treatments and why we’re doing it, the lightbulb turns on.”

58 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com Untitled-5 1

12/10/15 10:21 AM

Image: Seattle DOT

Microsurfacing and slurry seals are typically limited to application of one lane at a time but can be placed on adjacent lanes relatively quickly, with traffic able to return to the road in as little as one hour.

Process basics Slurries are distributed by equipment such as VSS Macropaver’s 12D truck-mounted machine and Bergkamp’s recently introduced M310CS truck-mounted paver that mix and spread the base materials in a continuous process.

The application is quick, and the material sets up fast, sometimes allowing vehicles back on the road within an hour.

These machines apply material similar to an asphalt paver, but via a spreader box. It’s somewhat akin to a hopper and screed all in one.

Slurries are placed in a single pass and single layer, while microsurfacing can be applied in multiple lifts. If microsurfacing is applied to ruts, then a special attachment designed to apply more material is used, often with larger aggregate to the deeper areas in the application path. You won’t see rollers in these operations, as compaction isn’t much of an issue.

Slurries are good for filling cracks and voids. They provide a new texture, a weather-tight seal and a “refreshed” look. When it’s being applied, microsurfacing is a brownish color, which could concern residents. But when cured, the surface will turn black, as the water in the mix evaporates.

LEFT IN THE DUST. THE YELLOW DRILL WILL

Get a Dust Collection System.

Concerned about OSHA’s new crystalline silica regulations? Clear the air with E-Z Drill’s Dust Collection System. It easily connects to both new and existing units. You can breathe easy and know your jobsite meets OSHA Table 1 requirements.

CLEAN AIR MADE E-Z. www.ezdrill.com | 1-800-272-0121 EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 59

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016 WINNER J

eff Hansen, of Hansen Brothers Enterprises was recently selected as the 2016 Contractor’s Dream Package winner. Based in Nevada County California, Jeff is the third generation to head the company and has been at the helm since 2014. Hansen has seven divisions including construction, aggregates, ready mix concrete, landscape and masonry yard, rentals, trucking, and an equipment repair shop. Jeff entered the contest while at the World of Concrete show.

The awards presentation was hosted by Geweke Ford in Yuba City, CA. The event was complete with BBQ and was attended by representatives from Ford, Ditch Witch and various other vendors from the area.

Sponsors for the 2016 Contractor’s Dream Package:

quick data

| by Marcia Gruver Doyle |

MGruver@randallreilly.com

Compact excavators

A snapshot of new and used sales trends from Randall-Reilly’s Equipment Data Associates and TopBid auction price service.

Year-over-year change*

Auctions

NEW: UP 5%

Compact excavators, 2012-2017 YTD $28,000 $27,000

High: $26,990

$26,000

June 2015

USED: UP 4%

*Comparison of number of compact excavators financed Feb. 1, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2017, and Feb. 1, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016. Source: EDA, edadata.com

$25,000 $24,000

Top three states for compact excavator buyers*

$23,000 $22,000 $21,000 $20,000

5-year average: $

$19,000

23,700

$18,000

Low: $21,292

$17,000

June 2016

$16,000 $15,000

Current: $22,526

Current average auction prices for the top 10 models of compact excavators are now at $22,526, or 5 percent below the five-year average of $23,700.

$14,000 $13,000 $12,000

Jan. 2017

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jun.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

PRICE

Jan.

$11,000

2017

Trend prices for the top 10 models of compact excavators sold at auction, not seasonally adjusted. Source: topbid.com

97,500

$

OTHER TOP BID:

Top auction price, paid for 2015 Caterpillar 308ECR with 134 hours at a Ritchie Bros. sale on Aug. 25, 2016 in North East, Maryland.

77,500

$

1

Texas: 1,693 buyers

2

California: 1,262 buyers

3

New York: 1,044 buyers

Top financed new compact excavator*

2016 Bobcat E85, 7 hours, Ritchie Bros., Feb. 23, 2017.

7,

97

$

,500

AVERAGE

$

000

HIGH

Mar. 1, 2016 – Feb. 28, 2017; prices compact excavators 5 years old and newer, U.S. sales only. Only includes bids $5,000 and above. Source: TopBid, topbid.com

LOW

Final bids unit count: 831

New

Compact excavator new, used sales trends, 2009-2016* 20,000

33,

$

461

Other top selling new machine: Used

New high: 2016, 17,339 units

18,000

Used low: 2009, 4,907 units

12,000

Kubota KX121-3, 228 units

10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0

UNITS

Used high: 2016, 7,312 units

New low: 2010, 2,283 units 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Deere 35G, 1,188 units Top financed used compact excavator:*

16,000 14,000

Kubota KX040-4, 1,250 units

2012

2013

*Financed equipment, 2007 - 2016, number of units sold by sale or lease. Source: EDA, edadata.com

2014

2015

2016

*In terms of number of financed units sold Feb. 1, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2017. Source: EDA, edadata.com (Note: EDA reports are continually updated.)

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 61

CONGRATULATIONS

to the 2016 Contractor of the Year winner and finalists IN

R

E

N

W

Gregory & Dawn Tatro G. W. Tatro Jeffersonville, Vermont

Garry Boyce

David and Eric Covington

Terry Michael Brock

Boyce Excavating Slate Hill, New York

DECCO Contractors-Paving Rogers, Arkansas

Brock’s Grading and Land Clearing Hartsville, South Carolina

Tina Dieudonne

Joseph Porchetta

Dieudonne Enterprises Harahan, Louisiana

GMP Contracting South Plainfield, New Jersey

Jeff Hansen

Jack Bailey

Hansen Bros.

Enterprises Grass Valley, California

JBR Incorporated Fredericksburg, Virginia

Michael Brown B & P Excavating Sedalia, Missouri

Roger, Roger Jr., Kevin and Damon Brown R. Brown Construction Willow Creek, California

Sponsored by:

Alfred Gorick Gorick Construction Binghampton, New York

James MacKay MacKay Construction Services Wilmington, Massachusetts

contractor of the year

| by Wayne Grayson |

WayneGrayson@randallreilly.com

Large fleet, ear for employees keep Boyce Excavating going strong for 80 years

G

arry Boyce is a construction lifer. He got his start as a laborer at his father’s company, while also greasing equipment. Eventually he got to run some of that equipment, creating a passion he remembers loving to come home to every day as a child.

“I couldn’t wait to get off the bus at 13 or 14 years old and run up to the gravel bank and run those loaders,” Boyce recalls. “When I got in trouble as a kid they’d take my keys away from the equipment. That’s how I got punished.”

Boyce kept working his way up in the company from operator to foreman to vice president and then to president before buying the

whole thing from his father in 2005.

Started by his great-grandfather as a trucking business in 1929 and run by his great-grandmother through the ’30s after her husband’s sudden passing, Boyce Excavating now employs as many as 100 and made an estimated $23 million in revenue last year, experiencing a significant growth spurt from its previous year’s revenues of $14 million.

“It’s not often that you Google a construction company that has been in business for more than 80 years,” company vice president Brian Cutler says. Cutler joined Boyce after leaving a career at IBM. “Garry didn’t know much about the office end of it, the bookkeeping. I

Garry Boyce, Boyce Excavating Co. City, State: Slate Hill, New York Year Started: 1929 Number of 100 employees: Annual revenue: $23 million Markets served: full-scale site work packages, paving, clearing trees, earthmoving, installing utilities and installing concrete curbs, sidewalks, landscaping, demolition

had an accounting degree. I kind of reversed things.”

But Cutler didn’t simply jump into the office as VP. He says he wanted EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 63

contractor of the year |

to learn about the business first, so he started at the company as a laborer and eventually became an equipment operator. “I started with a shovel in a ditch,” Cutler recalls.

“I did that for like a year and then I would run equipment once in a while and then I started paving. We had a really good paving operator and he taught me a lot.”

Now, Cutler mostly works on the paving side of the business but still oversees accounting. “I’m out in the field now more than I am in the office,” he says.

The company performs full-scale site work packages, clearing trees, moving earth, installing utilities, paving and installing concrete curbs, sidewalks and landscaping.

Boyce Excavating also does quite a bit of demolition, especially on sites they are contracted to prep with existing structures. Boyce says it is 64 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

continued

a pretty sizable differentiator for the company.

“We do demolition probably more than most of our competition but maybe not as much as my grandfather, though he was operating during a time of urban renewal in the 1950s,” Boyce explains. “Demolition for us still ties into our site work.

We rip a lot of buildings down to clear sites for new construction.”

Though much of the company’s competition dwindled away during the recession, Boyce says, it kept a leg up on encroaching firms from nearby markets like Albany by maintaining a large and versatile equipment fleet. “We have a lot of equipment and people know that,” he says. “They know that if you want to get a job done, we can knock it out.

“Even during the recession, we stayed busy and kept a crew of

Boyce Excavating provides full-scale site work packages, paving and demolition. at least 50 guys. We didn’t make the profits we were making, but we hunkered down and made it through.”

Boyce says the company enjoys a 50/50 mix of public and private jobs. “Public job profits are lower but the chances of getting paid are better. A big private job is the home run for us,” he says, “but we talk to local county government and we try to do as much research on the public customers as possible. I think the half-and-half mix is good because you’ve got some risk with the private guys, but your profits stay up.”

The company has also greatly benefited from a loyal and talented staff of employees, Boyce says,

some of which were hired by his father. He says listening is the key to retaining talented workers.

“We listen to them. We have a weekly meeting. All the foremen talk. All the estimators, the project managers. We’re pushing guys to do 300 feet of pipe per day and if they’re saying, ‘Listen we can only do 250 feet,’ we’re listening and they know it. They feel it. And we do give bonuses whenever we can,” he says.

Worker shortage With so much work coming in and a large staff to retain, Boyce says, one major pain point for his company in recent years has been finding enough qualified workers to fill vacant positions.

“People can be your biggest problem or they can be your biggest asset.” Boyce says. “I grew up with a different breed of worker. You didn’t have half the problems with those guys. You didn’t have cell phones; you didn’t have other contractors trying to steal them way.”

“It’s difficult,” Cutler adds. “We run ads in the newspaper and online every other month.”

Trusting tech … and your gut Boyce and Cutler are big proponents of technology on the jobsite.

“We see technology like an estimator now,” Cutler says. “It’s part of our fleet. With our on-road equipment we have telematics and we have a screen now in the office you can see where all of our machines are.”

And while having a stream of real-time data on all your equipment is powerful, among the best advice he can give other contractors is listen to your instincts.

“Sometimes you really have to trust your gut,” he says. “Watch the economy. Do a little reading. Know what you’re doing.”

Client Vincent Knoll of Jones Lange LaSalle says Garry is a rare contractor in today’s environment.

“I can’t tell you how great it is to have a partner that does what they say they’re going to do,” Knoll says.

“What occurs to me when I think about Garry, most people don’t understand the value of looking ahead…. Look ahead planning is key and I think a lot of people talk that, they say they do it, but a lot of

people don’t understand the value and they actually don’t know how to plan their work well enough to do that. What I think what separates Garry from a lot of the folks that I typically see out there is the look ahead planning and informing the client about the impact to them.

“Garry and his management team I think understand all the components such as these affecting a job.

They’re very specific in what that look ahead is and the impact to the client. That’s the key.”

Garry Boyce runs a company that was started by his great-grandfather.

Originally a trucking company, Boyce Excavating now employs as many as 100 people and enjoys a 50-50 mix of public and private work.

Boyce says his large equipment fleet is one of his biggest differentiators. “We have a lot of equipment and people know that,” he says.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 65

WHAT IS A PEER GROUP?

WHY JOIN?

A peer group is an exclusive, interactive community of leaders committed to transforming their businesses.

There is no better investment you can make in the growth of your business than leveraging the experience of other trusted, successful people who do the same thing you do.

• Non-competitive contractor principals • Frank discussions at two annual, live events • Ongoing dialogue in a private, online forum • Shared experiences • Substantial conversations • Fostered relationships

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING “Because of what I’ve learned in this group about core values and vision, I completely redid my employee policy and started an Employee Advisory Council. We’ve grown sales 28% since doing this 6 months ago.”

JOIN US!

Interact with fellow group members at bi-annual, in-person meetings.

Receive a detailed synopsis from each in-person meeting.

Make the commitment to transform your business today at EquipmentWorldPeerGroup.com

Access to a private online portal with links and content relevant to your group.

Chat with your peers and get your questions answered in exclusive group forums.

safety watch

TJackson@randallreilly.com

High wire hazard

oving through a partially developed residential development, the owner of a construction company maneuvered his excavator to pick up a concrete bucket. After securing the concrete bucket to the boom of the excavator with a chain, he proceeded to raise the boom to approximately 26 feet and maneuver it to another place on the jobsite.

The owner’s attention was focused on the tracks of the excavator because he did not want to run over a recently poured concrete curb. But the boom of the excavator was so high it snagged a four-wire utility line carrying power, cable TV, telephone and a neutral wire.

The tension on the wires caused by the moving excavator broke the utility pole 70 feet away, bringing all the wires crashing down. The top wire was a 7,200-volt, single-phase primary distribution line. The cable TV, telephone and neutral wires fell on the excavator. The operator said he felt a tingle in his hands and let go of the controls to stop the machine.

But the 7,200-volt distribution line was live and fell on the ground near a 20-year-old worker who was approaching the excavator from the rear. He was immediately electrocuted. Witnesses said the victim staggered away from the wire and fell face down about 20 feet from the energized line. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

The owner told investigators he had maneuvered the machine through this area many times in the past, but only once since the lines had been installed.

His company had seven employees and worked in excavation, carpentry, residential construction and landscaping. All the company’s training was on-thejob, and there were no written safety procedures.

Date of safety talk: Attending:

Leader:

Illustration by Don Lomax

M

| by Tom Jackson |

Investigators also suspect that the roof on the excavator cab may have prevented the owner from seeing the low-hanging lines.

How this accident could have been prevented • Before getting into the cab and maneuvering equipment, operators should visually inspect the route to look for hazards.

• Employees should be trained to recognize the hazards associated with equipment, ladders or any type of operation around power lines.

• Before maneuvering a piece of equipment near hazards or power lines a signal man or guide should be posted in front of the machine to warn operators of hazards or problems.

• A hazard analysis should be conducted and results communicated to workers on every jobsite.

• Every time a change is made on the site, a hazard analysis should be updated and those updates communicated to the workers.

• Supervisors should visually inspect sites every morning to look for changes that may impact safety.

For more information go to: www.cdc.gove/niosh/face/In-house/full8532.html

_____________________ EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 67

alerta de seguridad

TJackson@randallreilly.com

El riesgo de los cables de altura

anejando por un área residencial en construcción, el propietario de una compañía constructora maniobró su máquina excavadora para levantar una cubeta de concreto.

Después de asegurar la cubeta de concreto al brazo extensor de la excavadora con una cadena, procedió a elevar el brazo extensor a aproximadamente 26 pies de altura y a maniobrar hacia otro lugar en el área de trabajo.

La atención del propietario estaba puesta en las huellas de la excavadora debido a que no quería pasar por encima de una vereda cuyo concreto había sido vertido recientemente. Pero el brazo de la excavadora estaba tan elevado que se enganchó en cuatro cables de servicio público que transmitían corriente eléctrica, televisión por cable y teléfono, mientras uno de ellos era un cable neutral.

La tensión en los cables causada por la excavadora en movimiento hizo que se rompiera el poste de servicios públicos ubicado a unos 70 pies de distancia, trayendo abajo todos los cables. La línea superior era un cable de de 7200 voltios de distribución primaria de fase única. Los alambres de televisión por cable, teléfono y el cable neutral cayeron sobre la excavadora. El operador dice que sintió un cosquilleo en sus manos y soltó los controles para detener la máquina.

Pero el cable de distribución de 7200 voltios estaba cargado de corriente y cayó en el suelo cerca de un trabajador de 20 años que estaba acercándose a la excavadora por detrás. Fue electrocutado de inmediato. Los testigos dijeron que la víctima se tambaleó alejándose del cable y cayó de cara a unos 20 pies del cable con corriente. Fue pronunciado muerto poco después.

El propietario dijo a los investigadores que había maniobrado esta máquina por el área muchas veces en el pasado, pero que sólo lo había hecho una vez desde que se instalaron los cables. Su compañía tenía siete empleados y trabajaba en excavación, carpintería, construcción residencial y jardinería. Toda la Fecha de la charla de seguridad: Asistentes: 68 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Líder:

Illustration por Don Lomax

M

| por Tom Jackson |

capacitación de la compañía tenía lugar durante el trabajo, pero no había procedimientos de seguridad por escrito. Los investigadores también sospechan que el techo de la cabina de la excavadora pudo haber impedido que el propietario vea los cables de baja altura.

Cómo pudo haberse evitado este accidente • Antes de entrar en la cabina y de maniobrar maquinaria, los operadores deberían inspeccionar visualmente la ruta en busca de peligros.

• Los empleados deberían recibir capacitación para reconocer los riesgos asociados con maquinaria, escaleras o cualquier tipo de operación en torno a cables de corriente.

• Antes de maniobrar cualquier tipo de maquinaria cerca de zonas riesgosas o cables de corriente, debe colocarse una persona que sirva de señalizador o guía en frente de la máquina para advertir a los operadores de riesgos o problemas.

• En toda área de trabajo debería conducirse un análisis de riesgos y comunicar sus resultados a los trabajadores.

• Un análisis de riesgos debería actualizarse y comunicar esas actualizaciones a los trabajadores cada vez que tenga lugar un cambio en el área de trabajo.

• Los supervisores deberían inspeccionar visualmente las áreas de trabajo cada mañana en busca de cambios que podrían tener un impacto en la seguridad.

Para mayor información visite: www.cdc.gove/niosh/face/In-house/full8532.html

Looking for safety resources? ..............................................

Equipment World’s Safety Watch articles are now available for download on our website. Designed for use in training and in toolbox talks, the articles cover a range of important safety topics such as falls, trenching, welding, back-over accidents and more.

..............................................

Each Safety Watch features an actual construction accident, and outlines ways to prevent similar accidents from occurring on your jobsite.

AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH and SPANISH

Visit equipmentworld.com/safetywatch

landclearing attachments

Gather rocks and debris, allow soil to sift through John Deere has introduced a new line of Root Rakes, which include models RR72, RR78 and RR84. Optimized to work with John Deere G- and E-Series skid steers and compact track loaders and K-Series compact wheel loaders, the attachments are designed for land clearing, ground leveling and moving materials away from buildings and obstructions. The rakes gather rocks and debris while allowing soil to sift through, for minimal site and landscape disturbance.

Built with alloy-steel construction, the units have replaceable pin-on teeth and zinc-plated pivot pins with protected zerks.

A weld-on “D” ring expands the attachment’s capabilities, including pulling brush in forestry applications or moving scrap on a jobsite. Available in 72-inch, 78-inch and 84-inch widths, the rakes help shield the front of the host machine, protecting it against damage from large piles of brush or jagged scrap.

| staff report

LANDCLEARING ATTACHMENTS

Rip through hard and soft woods The Bobcat 70-inch forestry cutter gives users the ability to easily rip through hard and soft woods; it fits on the Bobcat T750, T770 and T870 compact track loaders and S850 skid steer.

With the addition of a 400-pound counterweight, the cutter can be used with Bobcat’s T750 and T770 compact track loaders. Requiring high-flow hydraulics, the attachment can be tilted forward, throwing the material against the counter combs that reduce the wood to a fine mulch. An optional front gate can be lowered if the operator needs finer mulch. The tube-style drum and spiral tooth pattern allow one tooth to engage at a time for a smoother operation that requires less horsepower.

The cutter comes standard with two-speed travel for increased drum torque and improved productivity. An adjustable three-position push bar accommodates an operator’s preferred setting.

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 71

landclearing attachments

| continued

Remove unwanted debris Doosan offers hydraulic clamps for crawler and wheel excavators that allow users to precisely pick and place material or remove unwanted debris for landclearing applications. The clamp edges keep objects secure for loading and material handling.

Easily installed on the excavator dipper, the clamp has a heavy duty cylinder and a load holding valve that helps prevent spillage.

The base plate may be welded on without removing the main pin. The clamps can be used with the Doosan DX140LC-5 through DX300LC-5 crawler excavators and the DX140W-5 through DX210W-5 wheel excavators.

Cut though rough-cut dense brush Designed to cut through rough-cut dense brush, Virnig’s V50 rotary brush cutter clears trees up to 6 inches in diameter. The three-way cutting system, mounted to a flywheel, ensures the flywheel bounces off stumps rather than catching and damaging components. The 1/4-inch reinforced mower deck is made from Grade 50 steel.

Attaching to skid steers, the attachment uses standard dual hydraulic pressure relief valves with dynamic breaking that stops the 275-pound flywheel in under 10 seconds. Double-sided 5/8- by 5-inch blades can be flipped over to use a second set of sharpened edges. The cutter is available in 60- to 78-inch cut widths, with a recommended flow rate of 14 to 42 gpm.

72 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

100+ ALL SEASON TRACKS SUPPORTING VEHICLES UP TO 80,000 LBS GVW + CUSTOM APPLICATIONS

RUBBER TRACK CONVERSIONS

218.683.9800 / 877.436.7800 DIRECT

TOLL-FREE US & CANADA

UTILITY | CONSTRUCTION | FOUNDATION | DRIVES

Match cutting speed to conditions Caterpillar’s HM208 and HM210 mulchers, along with its HMF110 and HMF210 flail mowers, expand the manufacturer’s land management offerings for compact excavators. The mulchers are available in widths of 32 inches or 40 inches. The units include a dual hydraulic door design to minimize debris throw and improve material refinement. A staggered tooth design with reversible blade style teeth provide longer wear life. The mulchers have an automatic two-speed piston motor that helps match cutting speed to conditions, and allows for multi-function capability. The flail mowers have swinging teeth with two tooth styles available, as well as serrated cavity knives to help cut and break down material. Available in a 40-inch width, the attachment can fit on 5- and 8-ton compact excavators.

YOU HAVE CHALLENGES. WE HAVE SOLUTIONS! www.pengoattachments.com PH: 800.599.0211 or 712.845.2540 | FX: 800.915.6904 pengosales@pengoattachments.com Copyright© Pengo Corporation 2017

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 73

GATS GET ON THE ROAD TO

AUGUST 24-26, 2017 REGISTER NOW FREE

GATSonline.com WHERE TRUCKING IMPROVES

We will keep you posted on EVERYTHING to look forward to this year in Dallas!

These are just a few:

TRUCK PARKING

HEALTH & WELLNESS PAVILION

DISCOVERY PAVILION

@TruckShow #GATS | #TruckShow GreatAmericanTruckingShow #GATS | #TruckShow

landclearing attachments

| continued

Handle a variety of materials The Geith Grapple handles a variety of materials in landclearing applications. Made with abrasion-resistant, high-tensile strength, the tines are boxed for increased strength. The main hinges have replaceable bearings, and the pins are protected by O-rings that keep the grease in and the dirt out. The grapples can be fitted with an optional wear package.

Efficiently move irregular shapes

Kubota’s Rock Grapples are designed to efficiently move volumes of materials. The attachment has dual hydraulic cylinders that can close at various gaps to handle irregular shapes. The bucket is designed with 3-inch spacing between the teeth to allow small rocks, soil and other debris to be sifted, leaving larger material locked in its jaws. The grapples are available in 66-, 72- and 78-inch widths and can fit on skid steers and compact track loaders.

Till soil and break up rocks The Seppi Midisoil dt mulcher is designed for 100- to 170-horsepower tractors and comes in several working widths ranging from 69 to 98 inches. The mulcher tills the soil and breaks stones to a depth of 10 inches, and has a working speed of 0 to 1.2 mph. The unit has a 2-speed transmission gearbox, which makes it possible to use a higher speed of the rotor shaft for wood and a slower speed for rocks and soil. By switching a main transmission lever, the operator can change the speed from 1,000 rpm to 500 rpm, providing more torque with less power.

Be a cool operator When you work hard in small spaces, you need AC big time!

With over 1200 different kits engineered and developed, count on Arctic Wolf™ for factory-style integrated air conditioning systems in ready-to-fit kits. Loaders. Dozers. Excavators. Graders. Tractors.

If your equipment has an engine and a cab on it, we can put cool air into it.

Call today. 1-800-2 MR COOL or go online at www.hammondac.com and order your system and parts today.

1-800-267-2665 • sales@hammondac.com • www.hammondac.com EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 75 081-178 Equip World 4.5x4.5.indd 1

2016-06-01 2:18 PM

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rrpub.specguide itunes.apple.com/us/app/spec-guide-2016/id1033339116?ls=1&mt=8

pro pickup

| by Jason Cannon |

JasonCannon@randallreilly.com

TEST DRIVE: 2017 HONDA RIDGELINE A SURPRISINGLY TOUGH PICKUP

Y

ou don’t see many Hondas tooling around a jobsite, but the company is poised in 2017 to change that – or at least make a dent in it – with its second generation unibody Ridgeline pickup.

The second generation has come a long way. After briefly shelving the truck following the 2014 model year, the Japanese automaker went in a decidedly new direction with its Lincoln, Alabama-built pickup.

A serious redesign The original Ridgeline sold about a quarter of a million units before production was stopped after eight years, hindered by a mashup styling that was more Pilot-without-a-hatch than pickup. The next generation Ridgeline shed those angular bedrail panels behind the rear doors and

replaced them with … well, nothing. When you walk up to the new Ridgeline, it looks like a truck, not like an SUV that was pulled too soon off the assembly line.

The previous generation Ridgeline also featured a prominent single side panel, but now there is a clear and welcomed delineation between where the cab ends and where the bed begins.

Ridgeline still shares its chassis, 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine and pretty much everything from the front bumper to the back of the seats with the Honda Pilot SUV, but the back half of the vehicle – the part that makes it a truck – is distinctly truck-like.

A cool byproduct of this new rear end is that Honda’s reinforced composite truck bed doesn’t require

a bed liner. The automaker attracted attention earlier this year when it published a truck bed challenge video showing a load of concrete blocks getting dumped into the bed from a skid steer. The bed held up nicely: no cracks, no visible scratches, and because of its composite structure, no dents.

A double-hinged tailgate – it drops down normally or swings open to the driver’s side (but doesn’t have a lock) – is a holdover from the previous generation Ridgeline. So is a 7.3-cubic-foot waterproof trunk-like compartment mounted under the floor of the bed (which does lock). The compartment also features a drain plug in case you want to do some heavy duty tailgating. Available in-bed audio speakers and a 400-watt AC EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 77

pro pickup

| continued

power outlet are a nice leg-up at the party or jobsite.

The 64-inch long bed – among the largest in the class of small crew cabs – sits above the wheels, so fender wells don’t eat up much of the cargo space. The 50 inches between them, aided by eight strapping hooks, provide enough room to load full sheets of plywood, Sheetrock or 1,500 pounds of whatever you may need on the job.

How it drives Alabama spent much of the fall under historic drought conditions.

That problem solved itself in the days before my Ridgeline test vehicle arrived, creating unexpected opportunities to push the all-wheel drive (AWD), which is no longer standard on new models.

Ridgeline’s AWD features four modes: Normal, Sand, Snow and Mud. You can choose one on the fly by pushing a button at the base of the console-mounted shifter.

Honda’s Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) controls dynamic torque vectoring to send torque wherever it’s needed the most.

I took a fresh soupy trail only hours after a three-day soaking rain and powered through it with ease in Mud mode – and I don’t mean “with ease for a Honda.” I mean “with ease for a pickup.” The truck’s ground clearance is about 8 inches, which was a concern initially but it proved to be more than enough for the trip.

On pavement at highway speed, Ridgeline is rock solid. Its low center of gravity (72 +/- inch ride height) obliterates body roll, and the independent suspension provides excellent road manners. The direct injected 3.5L i-VTEC V6 (280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque) is smooth and nimble, but agility noticeably dips in Econ mode, which when activated by a green, dash-mounted button dials back throttle response and optimizes the six-speed automatic transmis78 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

sion’s shifting patterns in an effort to boost fuel economy.

Honda claims best in class 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway on AWD models and a combined 21 mpg. I actually did a little better on my 320-mile test, hitting 21.8 mpg, and I wasn’t necessarily trying to save fuel at any point in the drive.

Front-wheel drive models, Honda says, get 19/26 mpg and a combined 22 mpg.

Honda says more than 50 percent of the front and rear chassis components have been re-engineered from the Pilot SUV, giving the truck a beefier suspension that allows for a tow rating of 5,000 pounds on AWD equipped models. That dips to 3,500 pounds in 2WD trucks, a configuration previously unavailable in first generation models.

My AWD model pulled a 6-foot trailer loaded with lawn equipment like it wasn’t even there. Among the towing hardware added to Ridgeline is a high-capacity radiator with dual high-power fans and a heavy duty transmission cooler, which is standard on AWD models.

Nicely appointed The spacious, nicely appointed interior – again, borrowed from the Pilot – certainly doesn’t feel

mid-size. The wide seats and cabin offer more than ample leg and elbow room, even on the threepassenger backseat bench. The cab is amazingly quiet, and the engine is so smooth at idle, you’d swear it wasn’t even running.

There’s lots of room for storage under the rear seats, which also fold up to accommodate larger items.

My tester was also flush with cool safety tech like adaptive cruise, emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane departure warning and a backup camera.

Honda’s second attempt at a pickup is much more on target than its first, making a giant leap toward truck and away from Japanese El Camino. However, it still blends passenger car comforts with enough versatility to satisfy pickup buyers who don’t do a lot of heavy hauling, but still need the workman capabilities a pickup offers.

EQUIPMENT INFORMATION

1.866.643.1010 ClearSpan.com/ADEW

WE MANUFACTURE • WE INSTALL WE SAVE YOU MONEY buildings of 1,000 uses

Fabric Structures Natural Light & Low Cost Per Sq Ft

Hybrid Buildings Benefits of Metal & Fabric Buildings

Foundation Solutions Build Anywhere & Quick Construction

ZERO PERCENT FINANCING AVAILABLE

GEAR UP with BEKA for the long haul!

restrictions may apply

SEE US AT

WASTEEXPO BOOTH #3359

Long after your old-style spring-driven auto-lube system starts showing its age, BEKA systems keep pumping at peak efficiency.

• No springs! Eccentric gear drive resists wear, fatigue and cold • Consistent results in all weather, all climates • Resists deterioration from harsh environments and road treatments Find out why industries are choosing today’s best-built auto-lube systems.

Call 1.888.862.7461 or email us at info@beka-lube.com.

1.888.862.7461

www. beka-lube.com BEKA - LUBRICATION SPECIALISTS SINCE 1927

026-144C Gear Up Ad 4.5x4.5 4C.indd 1 Untitled-45 1

EquipmentWorld.com • April 2017

79

2017-02-07 12:46 PM 2/13/17 9:26 AM

EQUIPMENT INFORMATION

Call me today, I’ll be glad to help you! ~ Shannon

» The #1 Selling Rubber Track Brand In America! »

ReplAcemenT UndeRcARRIAge

800-365-7260 » depparts.com

Morooka,® Bobcat,® Gehl,® Mustang,® Takeuchi,® CAT® 279, 289 & 299

Ashland, VA » Jacksonville, FL » Dallas, TX » Cincinnati, OH » Portland,OR » Sacramento, CA » Schenectady, NY » Leduc, AB dep_AD Tracks_EquipWorld_7x4.5_Shannon NEW.indd 1

9/5/16 2:39 PM

Untitled-37 1

3/20/17 2:25 PM

Like /EquipmentWorld

Follow @Equipment_World

Connect: Equipment World Magazine

Subscribe /EquipmentWorld

80

April 2017 • EquipmentWorld.com

RR Recruiting_EW0417_PG.indd 1

3/15/17 9:41 AM Social Media_Equip1216_PG65.indd 1

11/18/16 2:18 PM

equipmentworld.com | April 2017

®

FAST, NIMBLE

AND EVOLVING: THE MODERN

SKID STEER P. 28

AD INDEX Equipment World April, 2017 Advertiser

Web URL

Page

ASV LLC

www.asvllc.com/more

39

BekaWorld (formerly Beka-Max of America)

www.beka-lube.com

79

BKT USA, Inc.

www.bkt-tires.com

Castrol

www.castrol.com/pc-11

Caterpillar, Inc.

www.catallday.com/edge

Clearspan Fabric Structures

www.clearspan.com/adew

79

Crafco, Inc.

www.crafco.com

51

Cummins, Inc.

www.cumminsengines.com

Ditch Witch

www.ditchwitch.com

43

Dominion Equipment Parts, LLC

www.depparts.com

79

Donaldson Filtration Solutions

www.donaldson.com

37

Eberspaecher

www.eberspaecher-na.com

58

Excavision, Inc.

www.excavision.com

79

E-Z Drill

www.ezdrill.com

59

Great American Trucking Show

www.gatsonline.com

74

Hammond Air Conditioning, Ltd

www.hammondac.com

75

Hyundai Construction Equip. Americas, Inc.

www.hceamericas.com

IBC

CONEXPO:45 SUnnY SKIeS, SUnnY mOOdS

16

P.

EW0417_Cover.indd 1

7

BC

15

3/24/17 10:21 AM

International Trucks

www.internationaltrucks.com/hxseries

JCB

www.jcbna.com

10, 11

KCM

www.kcmcorp.com

4

Kenworth Truck Co.

www.kenworth.com

27

Kobelco America, Inc.

www.kobelco-usa.com

21

Komatsu America

www.komatsuamerica.com

33

Leading Edge Attachments, Inc.

www.digrock.com

52

Level Best

www.level-best.com

Mack Trucks, Inc.

www.macktrucks.com/letsbuild

Mattracks

www.mattracks.com

73

Mobile Barriers, LLC

www.mobilebarriers.com

52

Pengo

www.pengoattachments.com

73

Pioneer Bridges

www.pioneerbridges.com

53

Power Curbers, Inc.

www.powercurbers.com

46

Progressive Commercial Insurance

www.progressivecommercial.com

35

Roadtec

www.roadtec.com

57

Rubbertrax, Inc.

www.rubbertrax.com

24

Sullair Corp.

www.sullair.com

53

Top Bid

www.topbid.com

70

Topcon Positioning Co.

www.topconpositioning.com

40

Toy Trucker & Contractor Magazine

www.toytrucker.com

80

Trelleborg Wheel Systems

www.trelleborg.com/wheels

25

Trimble Loadrite

www.loadritescales.com

31

Vanair Manufacturing, Inc.

www.vanair.com

36

VMAC

www.vmacair.com

38

Volvo Construction Equipment

www.volvoconexpo.com

8

Volvo Trucks North America

www.volvotrucks.us.com

19

Zoro Tools, Inc.

www.zoro.com

12

23

49 2-3

EquipmentWorld.com | April 2017 81

final word | by Tom Jackson

TJackson@randallreilly.com

Intelligently, intuitively and transparently

T

he recently concluded ConExpo show in Las Vegas didn’t bring us any radically new ideas in construction machinery – save for Case’s Minotaur, a hybrid compact track loader/ dozer and JCB’s Teleskid. The OEMs offered up mostly improvements, enhancements and series extensions. All good stuff, but nothing on par with Caterpillar’s D7E diesel electric dozer or Deere’s high speed dozer from years past.

Where the revolution seemed to occur was in the South Hall. There I learned about three tiny, sensor-based innovations that appear to indicate where the industry is going. None of these devices is on the market yet, but they are coming this year. They include: Perkins is working on an oil filler cap that will tell you when it’s time to change your oil.

A sensor inside the cap wakes up when the engine starts to vibrate at its regular operating rpms. When that happens, it wirelessly tells the operator’s smart phone, “I’m running,” and the phone relays the message to a data storage address in the cloud unique to that machine.

When the data site sees that the machine has accumulated 500 hours, it tells the operator or the service manager or whomever you designate that it’s time to change the oil. All this happens out of sight and out of mind in an otherwise ordinary looking oil filler cap.

Shell Lubricants is beta testing a sensor that could be imbedded inside your lube oil plumbing and alert you to oil contamination problems such as coolant leaks. A small leak is generally not a problem for the lube oil. But if you don’t detect the leak early, it can become

82 April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

a bigger leak and possibly harm your engine.

The sensor immediately tells you when something is wrong, enabling you to change the oil before it becomes too contaminated and fix a small mechanical problem before it gets too big. In addition to detecting contaminants, the sensor also detects changes in oil chemistry, such as what occurs with oxidation or when the wrong fluid is used to top-off a reservoir.

And Teletrac-Navman said they would have a sensor out this fall that can accurately record fuel burn. The device will be put, of all places, in the exhaust stream of the engine. Calculating fuel burn in the past required the fleet maintenance guys to closely track fuel refill amounts and the hours of operation between refills. It’s not hard math, but it doesn’t work unless communication between the refuelers and the operators and the maintenance team is perfect. For that reason, hardly anybody does it. Having this sensor communicate exact fuel burn amounts wirelessly to the shop, with no human intervention, will bring huge benefits in terms of fleet analysis, preventive and predictive maintenance.

We’re probably not going to put a photograph of a sensor on the cover of Equipment World.

But my biggest take-away from ConExpo is that we’re on the cusp of a new era of innovation with sensors, wireless communications and CAN-BUS connections bringing you valuable information you used to struggle to get and doing so intelligently, intuitively and transparently.

That’s the story this time, and perhaps for years to come.

TomorrowsEdgeToday.com

Who’s herding who?

GET THE PERFORMANCE EDGE CAT M SERIES 3 MOTOR GRADERS ®

On all sorts of jobs in all kinds of conditions, Cat Motor Graders give you productivity, comfort and safety advantages.

Advanced engines, enhanced controls and integrated technologies combine to help you get more done, with less fuel and less operator effort. Helping you edge out the competition—that’s what we’re built to deliver. ®

Learn more at CatAllDay.com/Edge

© 2016 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.