Construction Equipment articles from September 2004

Construction Equipment archives from September 2004

Age gracefully.(Sutton Report)
September 1, 2004... It's awesome to watch the power as construction equipment performs its task. When all parts of the machine work at peak and in sync, the performance shines much like that of an Olympic athlete. Forgive the romanticism, but aging machines...

JLG.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... The G12-55A telehandler features a uniframe design that has a high-strength beam running the length of the frame. Maximum lift capacity is 12,000 pounds. It can lift 5,000-pound loads to 55 feet and extend a 3,000-pound load to a full reach of...

Komatsu.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Billed as the second largest dozer in the world, the 860-hp D475A-5 Super Dozer comes equipped with a 45-cubic-yard full-U blade that has been redesigned for increased visibility and balance. The cab also has been moved forward to facilitate...

Case.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... According to Case, the CX80 excavator combines the power of a full-size machine with the maneuverability of a compact. Its center-swing boom allows flexibility to dig directly next to walls, buildings or other fixed objects, and can be...

John Deere.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... The 11,552-pound 244J and 13,404-pound 304J wheel loaders feature stereo steering, which delivers a tighter turning radius. Both machines have cab comforts such as adjustable seat/armrest, tilt steering, increased head room, and a single lever...

Bobcat.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... The B-Series features three models: B100, B250 (with a side-shift backhoe) and B300. The machines have backhoe digging depths of 9.25, 10.5 and 11 feet, respectively. These hydrostatically driven models feature the company's Bob-Tach coupler on...

Ingersoll-rand.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... The DD-158HFA double-drum compactor features eight amplitude settings, which are matched automatically with an optimum frequency setting. This 32,770-pound compactor delivers 44,070 pounds of centrifugal force in its highest amplitude, and it...

Thomas equipment.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... With more than 4,450 pounds of breakout force, the all-new Model 250 skid-steer has a rated lift capacity of 2,500 pounds. When equipped with a high-flow hydraulic package, the unit puts out 40 gpm and 3,000 psi, which is more than 70 hydraulic...

Ditch witch.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Replacing the 3700 and 3610 trenchers are the four-wheel-drive RT36 and RT40. The RT36 features an improved operator station, including automotive-style steering, clutch and brake. The RT40 also has an enhanced operator station, with...

Sterling.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Sterling will begin building all-wheel-drive Acterra trucks on its St. Thomas, Ont., assembly line instead of at a modification center. The factory-installed system claims low chassis and body height. It also has four-wheel automatic traction...

Wirtgen.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... The Rumbler III cutter installs rumble strips on existing paved shoulders. It provides production rates up to 180 feet per minute, depending on conditions, when mounted to the company's W 600 DC milling machine. The standard cutter width is 16...

Hitachi.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... The EH5000 rigid-frame, AC-drive haul truck, the largest model in the Hitachi line, provides payload capacities ranging from 320 to 360 tons, depending on body size and weight, material density and application. With the standard body, capacity...

Caterpillar.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Cat has advanced its model 247 and 257 Multi-Terrain loaders to B-Series status with new turbocharged engines, greater hydraulic forces and a redesigned operator's station. The 247B has an operating capacity of 1,950 pounds, and the 257 a...

Mauldin.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Model 1750-C paver is engineered to save fuel, labor, and asphalt while providing more control over the paving process, the company says. The second-generation unit is said to have a screed twice as heavy as conventional mid-class pavers,...

Komatsu.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Four waste-handler models are based on the company's WA380-5, WA400-5, WA450-5 and WA480-5 wheel loaders. The machines have special guarding and are available with two bucket options--one for loading, and the other for loading and pushing....

JLG.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... With a 31.5 foot-9 inch platform height, the 3246ES electric-powered scissor lift has dual 700/1,000-pound platform capacity and a 44-X98.5-inch platform. It features an electric drive system that uses two independent electric motors for the...

Vermeer.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Designed for cable, water, gas, electric and irrigation installations, the RT650 trencher/plow can trench depths of 60 inches and widths up to 16 inches. It has automotive-style steering, a servo-controlled ground-drive system, and standard...

Morbark.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... The Predator high-torque shredder is now available on a fifth-wheel frame. Offered in either a two- or three-axle design, the unit can easily meet most weight requirements, according to the company. It features a 64-X76-inch shredder opening...

Ammann.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... With a 48-inch-wide smooth drum, the AC 30 roller can deliver 19,783 pounds of compactive force. The vibration system offers dual frequencies and amplitudes controlled from the dashboard. Dual drive motors at the rear come equipped with a flow...

Vibromax.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... With a drum width of 82.7 inches, the VM 106 is offered in smooth drum, padfoot drum, and padfoot drum with leveling blade configurations. A padfoot shell kit is available for smooth-drum machines. Standard equipment includes: a 125-hp Cummins...

Bobcat.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Bobcat introduced its first 4X4 utility vehicle--Model 2200. An IntelliTrak drive system makes it the only vehicle in its class equipped with automatic locking differentials that engage immediately when a wheel loses traction, the company says....

Ammann.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... New to North America, the AV 26 roller has a pair of 47.2-inch-wide smooth drums that can deliver up to 8,093 pounds of compactive effort at each end of the 6,195-pound chassis, the company says. The vibration system offers dual frequencies and...

Putzmeister.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Models RV 10 and RV 12 deck placers place concrete when truck-mounted pumps cannot reach over large surfaces. Manually operated, the two-section placers have a 360-degree articulating boom, and they can cover up to 4,100 square feet from one...

Elliott equipment.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... With a 15-ton crane capacity, the 1560 boom truck has a 60-foot main boom length. It features a hydraulic capacity overload system with overload lockout for main boom lifting capacities. Elliott says the unit has 10 percent fewer fittings than...

Peterbilt.(Market Watch)
September 1, 2004... Peterbilt has partnered with London Machinery to offer customers a complete truck and body for delivery through Peterbilt dealers. The Integrated Mixer Program includes several mixer sizes installed on most Peterbilt truck chassis. Drum sizes...

Bobcat's Toolcat goes camouflage.(Manufacturer News)
September 1, 2004... When Bobcat introduced its Toolcat 5600 last year, the company predicted that the new "utility work machine" would find varied application. We're not sure, though, if Bobcat ever expected the Toolcat to join the Army. But it has,...

Doubled PM intervals, doubled engine life.(Maintenance Management)
September 1, 2004... Haul-truck engines at North American Coal's San Miguel Lignite Mine near Christine, Texas, have worked with Chevron Delo 400 Heavy Duty Motor Oil SAE 15W-40 since 1997. Working 20 hours a day, six days a week, the Komatsu 330 M 100-ton...

AEM names new chairman.(Association News)
September 1, 2004... The Association of Equipment Manufacturers' (AEM) Board of Directors has elected Charles Stamp Jr., vice president public affairs worldwide for Deere & Co., as chairman of the association. In addition, group president of Caterpillar, Gerald...

Gehl has formed a strategic alliance with Manitou.(Supplier Watch)
September 1, 2004... Gehl has formed a strategic alliance with Manitou. Two agreements, and the French company's purchase of nearly 15 percent of Gehl's common stock for $19.8 million, create a strong bond between Wisconsin and France. Agreement 1: A...

JCB.(Supplier Watch)
September 1, 2004... JCB has formed a new Compact and Utility Equipment Division in North America that will focus on developing and growing its compact-equipment business. Bob Wright has been named vice president to direct the division. He was formerly JCB's vice...

Genstar Capital, a private equity investment firm, has acquired Woods Equipment.(Supplier Watch)
September 1, 2004... Genstar Capital, a private equity investment firm, has acquired Woods Equipment. Fred F. Korndorf, a former executive of Deere & Co., has been appointed chairman and CEO of Woods.

Manitowoc Crane Group.(Supplier Watch)
September 1, 2004... Manitowoc Crane Group signed an agreement with Shuttlelift, whereby Shuttlelift will supply a line of industrial cranes to Manitowoc, which will be sold under the Grove brand name. The companies expect to introduce seven crane models ranging in...

Volvo Construction Equipment.(Supplier Watch)
September 1, 2004... Volvo Construction Equipment recently acquired the engine-remanufacturing assets of Echo Industries--the primary supplier of reman engines to Volvo CE in North America.

Bendix.(Supplier Watch)
September 1, 2004... Bendix has announced an agreement with Dana to create a North American joint venture focused on commercial vehicle foundation brake components and technologies. It will operate under the name Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. The venture will...

Classy "Pete" wins Best of Show.(Industry News)
September 1, 2004... A meticulously painted and detailed 1994 Peterbilt 379 tractor took the top prize--Best of Show--at the SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest, sponsored by Shell Oil Co. and its Rotella-T heavy-duty engine oil. Tony and Robin Bartels own the handsome...

Highway & heavy firms restrain enthusiasm.(Giants 2004)
September 1, 2004... Early this year, Giant contractors reported the best work-volume forecasts construction firms have made since 2000. But the largest segment of construction Giants, highway-and-heavy contractors, delivered the most conservative 2004 forecasts....

Highway construction spending.(Status & Forecast)
September 1, 2004... Highway construction spending averaged 11 percent higher during the March-June period than in 2003. Yet the gain was largely due to inflation in materials cost and a boost from unseasonably good construction weather. Construction activity is...

Rubber-track-loader market heads skyward.(Equipment News)
September 1, 2004... One of the hottest segments of the construction-equipment market today is that for rubber-track loaders. Based on figures we've seen, the consumption of these machines was around 2,000 units in year 2000--mostly, we assume, in North America....

Giants begin to bounce back: work volume and fleet spending have shown recovery for 18 months, but with the highway bill languishing, the big question remains: "How much?".(Industry Giants)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... The number of Giants who were surprised with increased work volume in 2003, and forecasts for 2004, indicate that Giants' business prospects are definitely improving. General measures of business conditions, covered in Construction Equipment's...

Maintain drill string for optimum uptime: monitor the business end of your HDD system--pipe, connectors, transmitter housings, bits and backreamers--with smart use and a discerning eye.(Prevention Illustrated)
September 1, 2004... One of the most effective ways of reducing downtime on projects using compact and medium-sized horizontal directional drilling (HDD) units is to properly maintain drill-string components--drill pipe, connectors, transmitter housings, drill bits...

Cat C9 with Allison moves this Pete well: an even smaller engine will do, until the neighbors start complaining.(Hands-On Trucking)
September 1, 2004... How much power is enough for a truck? Most drivers always want more than what their bosses buy, which tends to be what's sufficient to do the job and not a lot more. In mixer trucks, especially, power can be marginal if the owner runs a...

Smaller skid-steers always in demand: although more skid-steer buyers today are opting for larger models, smaller machines still have their place.(Buying File: Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... An estimated 56,000 skid-steer loaders will be sold in the U.S. equipment market this year, and models with a rated operating capacity (ROC) in the range of 1,751 to 2,200 pounds are most in demand. (ROC typically is calculated at 50 percent of...

New Holland: industry's smallest vertical-lift model.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... New Holland makes the point that its product line has the most vertical-lift models in the less-than-1,601-pound category (three); and that its LS140, with a rated operating capacity of 1,250 pounds, is the smallest vertical-lift machine in the...

Komatsu: seat-bar instruments and boom-float.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... Relatively new to the market, Komatsu skid-steers feature low-effort hydraulic controls and restraint bars that incorporate an LCD gauge panel and warning-light system. Buckets are self-leveling, and the boom has a float position to facilitate...

Bobcat: roomy cab and direct injection.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... The newest of the new in Bobcat's extensive skid-steer line is the S130, with a standard ROC of 1,300 pounds that increases to 1,400 pounds with added counterweight. The S130 replaces a mainstay of the Bobcat range, the 753, and uses a 46-hp...

Volvo: wide selection of buckets.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... Volvo's two smallest skid-steers, the MC60 and MC70, are available with three bucket types (dirt, landscape and landscape w/teeth), and each type is available in widths of 60, 66 and 72 inches. Both machines provide substantial...

Thomas Equipment: "tiny but tough".(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... That's the way Thomas Equipment promotes its smallest skid-steer, Model 85, having a rated operating capacity of 850 pounds and a working width of 36 inches. Only the Bobcat 463, with a ROC of 700 pounds, is smaller. The four-model range of...

Caterpillar: restyled cabs and radial-piston motors.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... The recent introduction of Caterpillar's second-generation skid-steers (the B-Series) brought new cab interiors, which feature joystick controllers with "improved functionality," visibility enhancements and high-efficiency climate controls. The...

Gehl: PowerView boom and control choices.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... Gehl's skid-steer line ranges in standard rated operating capacities from 1,050 to 3,675 pounds. Among the company's newest models is the 4640, which uses the Duetz air/oil-cooled 2011 diesel engine and features an optional high-flow hydraulic...

John Deere: ROC gains 500 pounds with counterweight.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... When the John Deere 240 Series-II skid-steer is equipped with an optional counterweight system, its standard ROC of 1,500 pounds increases to 2,000 pounds. This 51-hp (net) machine uses the John Deere 3029 PowerTech engine, featuring a...

Case: powerful auxiliary hydraulics.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... The Case 40XT, with a ROC of 1,500 pounds, features the company's 4-390 engine with 56 net horsepower and a standard auxiliary-hydraulic system that provides 19.1 gpm at 3,000 psi. An optional high-flow system is rated at 32 gpm at 3,000 psi....

Mustang: tailor widths for maximum maneuverability.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... Mustang's three smallest models--the 2022, 2032 and 2044--have rated operating capacities of 1,050, 1,250 and 1,450 pounds, respectively. The two smallest models can be configured to widths varying from 48 to 58 inches, depending on selected...

Daewoo: Cummins a-series power.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... Daewoo's 430-PLUS, with a rated operating capacity of 1,450 pounds, features a Cummins A2000 diesel engine rated at 45 net horsepower. The 430-PLUS is available with an optional high-flow auxiliary hydraulic system that delivers 25.9 gpm at...

JCB: left-side entry and servo control.(Gallery of Skid-Steer Loaders)
September 1, 2004... JCB's two models in this category are the Robot 160 and Robot 170, with rated operating capacities of 1,322 and 1,543 pounds, respectively. Available controls for these machines include a "full-servo" system that places drive functions in the...

Magnum.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... Night Buster light tower, Model MLT4060, has four 1,000-watt metal halide lights and runs for 60 hours. Four-point outrigger system keeps the unit stable in 65-mph-and-above winds. Start Limit Breaker eliminates the potential of starting the...

Kohler.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... Tow-behind towers are designed for one-person maneuverability and operation, and can be manually raised to 30 feet. With outriggers extended and all jacks down, the light will hold up to 65-mph winds. The 6-kW mobile lighting provides...

Multiquip.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... Night Hawk LT-12 Series comes with a choice of 1,800-rpm, liquid-cooled 12-hp Deutz or 10.7-hp Perkins diesel engines. Mast height is 30 feet, rotates 360 degrees, and is stable in 65-mph winds. A 30-gallon fuel tank provides 64 hours of...

Terex-amida.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... The AL4000 automatic portable floodlight system has an optional automatic start/stop feature that can be set with a timer or used with a photocell. The tower reaches 30 feet, rotates 360 degrees, and has a spring-loaded pin to automatically...

Ingersoll-rand.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... Model BL2000, a self-inflating balloon light, diffuses a glare-free light over a 360-degree area. The 43.4-inch-diameter light can be mounted onto any piece of equipment or on an optional stand that measures 7.5 to 15 feet. Lighting is supplied...

Wacker.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... The LT series has a redesigned lighting system using elliptical lighting fixtures that allow lamps to be mounted horizontally. Each of the four 1,000-watt lights is individually adjustable without tools and can be easily removed from its...

Winco.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... MLS4 modular lighting system features a mobile generator module that can be removed from the tower/trailer assembly and placed on a separate tower for portable power or skid-mounted for stationary power. Engine options include Yanmar 3,600-rpm...

Lunar lights.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... The inflatable lighting system is a non-glaring light source that is deployed in less than three minutes, according to the company. It is sealed and will hold air for weeks. The light source is arc-based, so it can be mounted on equipment...

Godwin pumps.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... The company's trailer-mounted tower puts 4,000 watts up to 30 feet high. A compact 6,000-watt diesel-powered generator provides the power with quiet operation as low as 75 d(B)A at 10 feet. The tower rotates 360 degrees. [ILLUSTRATION...

Genie.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... The TML-4000 trailer-mounted light is 70 inches wide and uses telescopic tower technology from the company's aerial-work platforms, including UHMW slide pads throughout the entire tower to prevent metal-to-metal contact and subsequent rust and...

Allmand.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... Night-Lite Pro Series has the company's SHO lighting system. The engine-generator package includes an 1,800-rpm, liquid-cooled diesel generator and 6-kW generator. The 10.5-hp engine has indirect injection for quiet operation and has automatic...

Bull dog.(Light Towers)
September 1, 2004... Power Tower P12000W features a shock-absorbing urethane cushion in the light bracket to absorb jobsite dings and dents, protecting the metal halide bulbs. The light fixture has a 3-foot whip cord with a weatherproof connection to the power cord...

Quantitative measures: good decisions depend on good data collection, but more importantly, they depend on the manager's ability to analyze data and apply the results.(Equipment Executive)
September 1, 2004... Successful equipment managers understand that to be effective means defining goals, setting up a good system to collect data, and using quantitative information to support complex decisions. Yet that's challenging, because no standardized or...

International shows off some serious pickups: medium-duty chassis and midrange diesels make these machines capable of some heavy hauling, though they may never have to.(Truck Report)
September 1, 2004... Anybody who can cough up a measly $40,000 or so can buy a dually pickup truck from the Big Three builders, but it'll be like thousands of others--and dwarfed if parked next to "Big Yellow." The really big and heavy dually from International...

Chemistry for converting antifreeze systems: Shell says its new Extended-Life-Coolant Conversion Kit can be used to take over fully formulated conventional systems.(Shop Report)
September 1, 2004... The makers of Shell Rotella ELC Extended Life Coolant recently introduced, for general use, a coolant-conversion kit, which is designed to change a system using fully formulated conventional antifreeze into a system using "extended-life...

Deere overhauls skid-steer design: five brand-new models range in rated operating capacity from 1,750 to 3,175 pounds--and more with a weight kit.(Earthmoving)
September 1, 2004... John Deere makes no small claims for its new five-model lineup of skid-steer loaders. These 300 Series machines, says the company, have been engineered with more than 100 improvements that make them more productive, more reliable, and less...

Apache.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... Apache Automatic Blade Control, a laser based grade-control system, automatically directs the machine's hydraulics to maintain the elevation of the blade. The control box is mounted inside the cab. Adjustments for accuracy can be made from 0 to...

Genesis.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The newest shear in the XP Series line, the GXP 1500, is designed for excavators from 120,000 pounds and up (155,000 pounds for the 1500R rotating model). With a 44-inch jaw opening and throat depth, it provides nearly 2,600 tons of cutting...

Morbark.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The 2400XL Hurricane without loader and 13 Tornado are now built with reversing automatic feed systems. This new feature allows operators to reverse material away from the drum, which helps the chipper regain rpm quickly. The feed system also...

Dana spicer.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The ESD225 air disc brake is now a regular production option on Kenworth, Peterbilt and Volvo trucks and tractors--the first time this or any other air disc product has been available for regular order in North America. Like other modern ADBs,...

MBW.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... LowRiders, the company's latest ride-on trowel, lowers the combined operator/machine center-of-gravity, which reduces wobble in the machine as operators manipulate steering levers and change direction of travel. Less wobble means flatter slabs....

EnerSys.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The Odyssey PC 2150 military-grade battery provides up to 10 years of operation, according to the company. It also has starting power up to 12 months in storage and a 2-year storage life at room temperature. Sealed Drycell construction prevents...

Ammann.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The AVS 68 rammer features a 3-hp, 4-stroke Honda engine. An oversized air cleaner and skid-plates protect components. For balance and reduced operator fatigue, the engine is mounted close to the machine centerline. The 150-pound rammer...

Perkins.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... Covering the 10- to 60-hp power band, 400 Series 3- and 4-cylinder engines are water-cooled, naturally aspirated and turbocharged. The series goes beyond Tier 2/Stage 2 emissions legislation in terms of productivity, cost of ownership and...

BTI.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... TC Series compactors deliver high-impulse energy for optimal compaction. Large rubber isolators help prevent vibration in the upper structure, and minimal oil flow leaves the necessary amount of oil for boom movement throughout the compacting...

Fecon.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The Bull Hog for skid-steer loaders (shown) cuts a path equal to or greater than the track or wheel width of most skid-steers. Weighing 2,550 pounds, the BH85SS has a cutting width of 70 inches and operates 36 tools for versatile mulching...

Bosch power tools.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The Bosch Power Box all-in-one power center has a 4-way GFCI power outlet, integrated Bosch battery charger and a 12-volt outlet ideal for charging mobile phones and two-way radios. The unit also features AM/FM digital radio and a CD player and...

Caterpillar.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The H160Ds hydraulic hammer is an ideal match for Cat 330C and 345B II hydraulic excavators, as well as comparably sized competitive models, says the company. The hammer measures 116.2 inches from top plate to tool tip, and it has an operating...

Horton.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The DriveMaster PolarExtreme Fan Drive delivers 2,400 inch-pounds of out-of-box torque to turn large fans with more blades and cool EGR engines. In vehicles that have a standard DriveMaster Fan Drive, the new kit can be used to upgrade the fan....

Sweepster/FFC.(Market Watch Lite)
September 1, 2004... The Snow Bucket attaches to skid-steer loaders, backhoe-loaders, utility loaders and small wheel loaders. The Medium Duty Snow Bucket comes in 7- and 8-foot sizes and has a lift capacity of 5,000 pounds and an operating weight of 8,000 pounds....