Construction Equipment articles from October 2007

Construction Equipment archives from October 2007

Trenchers Still Deliver the Straight Goods.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Although other equipment types can meet digging tasks, dedicated trenchers continue to shine, say manufacturers With the dip in the new-housing market, trencher manufacturers have felt a pinch from...

Buying File Gallery.
October 1, 2007... By Staff Astec Underground Mike Anderson Product Line Staple Achieves Milestone The 35th anniversary of the renowned Maxi Sneaker compact ride-on trencher was marked by Astec with the introduction of the Series D, featuring a...

Cat Overhauls Wheel-Excavator Design.
October 1, 2007... By Walt Moore, Senior Editor D-Series models get new engines, refined hydraulics and more digging capacity The design of the new Caterpillar D-Series wheel excavators - models M313D, M315D, M316D and M322D - has been considerably...

Efficiency Key to Hitachi Power.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Four-cylinder Isuzu engine powers new 20-metric-ton excavators When it comes to powering Hitachi's new Zaxis Dash-3 utility-sized excavators, less is more. Less, in terms of engine cylinders, still...

Attachment Utilization.
October 1, 2007... Rod Sutton, Editor in Chief We've taken the bold step this past year of expanding our Buying File articles to include attachments when appropriate. Senior Editor Mike Anderson has uncovered some great tools that can be used on various...

When Oil Analysis Isn't Worth Analyzing.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Vorster, Contributing Editor Skimping on this diagnostic tool handcuffs managers, so go beyond the basics to ascertain true machine condition I speak to a lot of managers about their ability to predict and prevent equipment...

Absence Makes Fowler Fonder of Warranties.
October 1, 2007... By Larry Stewart, Executive Editor Living without extended warranties confirmed the contractor prefers living with them Extended warranties create extra value for customers on the front side of the equipment purchase," says Leigh...

Artic Trucks Produce for Those Who Are Prepared.
October 1, 2007... By Larry Stewart, Executive Editor Anticipating retarder need, gear changes and differential lock-up moves an all-terrain-hauler's loads at the fastest overall speeds Their automatic transmissions might suggest that anyone who drove to...

Sneak Peek at ICUEE.
October 1, 2007... Staff Ditch Witch JT3020 Mach 1 HDD unit Staff The new Ditch Witch JT3020 Mach 1 is a self-contained horizontal directional drilling machine rack-and-pinion thrust drive with a double rack that is welded on to prevent misalignment...

Koehring Steam Concrete Mixer.
October 1, 2007... By Keith Haddock, Contributing Editor As construction equipment mechanization began, the famous steam shovel was not the only machine making its mark on the industry. Concrete mixing was also steam powered and the Koehring mixer did it the...

Contractors Shift to 3/4-Ton Pickups.
October 1, 2007... Staff Construction Equipment 's 2007 Pickup Truck Usage Study followed up a benchmark study conducted nine years ago, and discovered precipitous drops in numbers of A1/2-ton (-37 percent), 1-ton (-59 percent), and 1A1/2-ton (-69 percent)...

John Deere Backs Initiative To Attract Youth to Construction.
October 1, 2007... Staff By sponsoring a team in the finals of a nationwide construction competition for high-school students, equipment manufacturer John Deere is hoping to help open more young people's eyes to the professional opportunities available in...

Arxcis Offers Online Safety Training.
October 1, 2007... Walt Moore Arxcis, a safety-training firm, now offers classes online, allowing equipment operators, using the Internet, to work through multimedia courses at their own paces. Interactive diagrams, engaging formats and final tests, says...

How Many Operators Buckle Up on a Regular Basis?
October 1, 2007... Staff User #1: How many of you fasten your seat belts when operating your equipment? I have a poor track record for this. Driving a truck, it is the first thing that I do. Grader and backhoe-loader, poor track record. User #2: I always...

Status and Forecast.
October 1, 2007... Staff Construction Equipment Shipments Staff Equipment shipments are inching higher after the abrupt one-third drop in the winter. The improvement in equipment orders received by U.S. manufacturers has been larger, including a...

Major Manufacturer Fills Mini Equipment Need.
October 1, 2007... Staff Developed by a leading equipment manufacturer, a new computer-based operator training course is aimed at helping owners of mini-excavators both prepare a reliable crew and protect their investments. The Caterpillar program covers...

Campaign Urges Platform Users to "Click It!".
October 1, 2007... Staff Promotional campaigns have resulted in the overwhelming number of North Americans wearing seat belts when riding in a car. It is hoped a similar program will prompt users of boom-type platforms to always wear a full body harness with...

Eaton Produces Commercial Hybrid Power Systems.
October 1, 2007... Walt Moore Eaton recently announced that its hybrid power systems for medium-duty trucks are now commercially available and will be ready for customer deliveries in 2008. The hybrid systems, says Eaton, can be applied to the chassis of...

Moxy MT51 ADT Totes 51 Tons.
October 1, 2007... By Larry Stewart, Executive Editor Boundary-stretching articulated dump truck weighs less than some 40-tonners Moxy challenged conventional articulated-hauler wisdom by taking the capacity of its new MT51 to nearly 51 tons. The...

Bobcat.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Joining the established 430, 435 and 442 zero-tail-swing compact excavators in the Bobcat line, the 425 ZTS model answers an increasing market demand, says the manufacturer. More customers in the rental,...

Komatsu.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Ranging from the 4,090-pound PC18MR-2 to the 11,110-pound PC50MR-2, the six-model MR-2 compact excavator series by Komatsu offers high lifting capacity and stability in a tight-tail machine design. As shown...

John Deere.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Having introduced the 35D and 50D zero-tail-swing mini-excavators in 2005, followed by the 27D one year later, John Deere completed the updating of its sub-six-metric-ton excavator product line this year with...

Kubota.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Featuring a hydraulic track gauge that can be adjusted from 39 to 49 inches with the touch of a single lever, the U15 is the smallest of the four models comprising Kubota's U-Series of zero-tail-swing...

Mustang.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor The latest addition to the 10-model Mustang compact excavator line, the zero-tail-swing 3803ZT takes advantage of a longer undercarriage to enhance stability and, according to Mustang, perform equal to a...

Terex.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor A load-sensing and load-independent flow division hydraulics system, matched precisely to the 5-metric-ton excavator, gives operators of the new Terex TC50 greater power ratio and smooth, simultaneous...

Takeuchi.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor A patented side-to-side offset boom, combined with the zero-tail-swing design of Takeuchi's FR compact excavators, allows the new TB138FR to slew 360 degrees only inches beyond its track width. A low center...

Volvo.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor The nine-model Volvo compact excavator line is topped off by a compact wheeled unit, the EW55B. With an operating weight of 11,552 pounds and a digging depth of 11 feet 2 inches, the EW55B matches the 9,149...

Yanmar.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Featuring a new universal boom design with sidewalls 1.5 times thicker than on predecessor models, Yanmar recently introduced "true" zero-tail-swing mini-excavators to compete in the 6,300- and 7,700-pound...

Kobelco.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Each of the Kobelco 27SR-3, 30SR-3, 35SR-3 and 50SR-3 compact excavators features an independent boom swing mechanism. One pump is dedicated to the swing circuit, which enables simultaneous operation of the...

New Holland.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Zero tail swing, combined with center boom swing, allows New Holland compact excavator operators to dig anywhere around the machine and deposit material precisely without repositioning. With each model...

Case.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor With operating weights ranging from 3,240 to 10,261 pounds, Case offers a line of five CX Series compact excavators. At 11.9 net horsepower, the smallest CX14 model offers a dig depth of 6 feet 11 inches and...

Farm Pro.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor As part of the Trak King by Farm Pro line of construction equipment, three sizes of mini-excavators are offered by the Farm Pro division of Homier Distributing Co., ranging from the 3,156-pound ME15 to the...

Caterpillar.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor One of Caterpillar's newest mini-excavator introductions, the 303.5C CR offers a new size option between the 7,537-pound 303C CR and 10,847-pound 304C CR zero-tail-swing models rolled out in early 2006....

Doosan.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor The latest addition to the Doosan compact excavator line, the zero-tail-swing DX35z introduces electronic optimization of the hydraulic system and the 27-horsepower Tier 3 engine. With an operating weight of...

Gehl.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor A 3-metric-ton model recently added to the Gehl compact excavator line features a design that, despite the machine's small size, enhances operator space and machine serviceability. With the Gehl 383Z...

Hyundai.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor New for 2007, the R35Z-7 is the first zero-tail-swing mini-excavator developed and manufactured by Hyundai. Powered by a 28.6-horsepower Yanmar engine, the 8,047-pound excavator offers maximum bucket digging...

Hitachi.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor By using the adjustable-width tracks of the undercarriage and the foldable end-sections of the backfill blade, operators of Hitachi's new 1.7-metric-ton Zaxis 17U-2 compact excavator can reduce machine width...

IHI.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor With a 12-model product line, IHI offers a wide range of mini-excavators, providing digging depths from 5 feet 2 inches up to 14 feet 1 inch, and bucket forces from 2,160 to 14,730 pounds. IHI offers smaller...

JCB.
October 1, 2007... By Mike Anderson, Senior Editor Completing a full mini-excavator product range featuring models at half-ton intervals, JCB has introduced three new models. With operating weights of 5,919, 7,092 and 8,049 pounds, respectively, the new 8025,...

Business Deals Tie Together Truck Components.
October 1, 2007... By Tom Berg, Truck Editor Vertical integration as practiced in Europe and Asia gains ground here, for better or worse A modern truck has hundreds of feet of wiring and thousands of electrical circuits, which can be complex and...

Undercarriage Basics.
October 1, 2007... By Walt Moore, Senior Editor A quick review of design, wear factors,maintenance practices, and operating techniques might help you extend track life for your crawler machines Considered individually, the various components of a crawler...