Compact Utility Loaders
Every job faces its fair share of difficult situations, with short time frames that need exacting solutions. Good crews need a fixer that can tackle those dirty tasks with no questions asked. So it’s imperative to enlist a heavy that knows how to handle steel, digs a hole quickly and can bury the evidence.
When there are contracts out for hire, a lot of professionals are turning to a problem solver like a compact utility loader. Fitted with tracks or wheels and equipped with steel arms that can wield a variety of hydraulic work tools (buckets, breakers, augers, trenchers, pallet forks and onward), these versatile tool carriers can whack problems with efficiency. They’re even muscling jobs away from other machines.
“More and more, these units are replacing stand-alone, single-application equipment. Now, with one machine and a variety of attachments, operators can complete more tasks in less time and with minimal effort,” explains Greg Lawrence, marketing product manager with The Toro Co. “One example of this is the trencher. With a dedicated trencher, crews can easily dig the necessary trench, but it still must be filled in, which is typically done by hand. With a compact utility loader, an operator using the trencher attachment can dig the necessary trench and then easily switch to the trench filler attachment to quickly backfill in a single pass.”
Compact utility loaders (also called mini track loaders or compact skid steers depending on the brand) are designed to strong arm jobs in small, inconspicuous residential and construction worksites. They work where only wheelbarrows could fit before, targeting almost any work application — augering for fencing, carrying buckets of mulch, trenching for drainage, hauling pallets of brick and cutting down on extra hand labor. While wild red Dingos and white-iron Ramrods were the first families of machines in North America, new options are expanding the construction, landscape and rental markets. Compact utility loaders with brand names like Bobcat, Ditch Witch, Vermeer and Boxer have all carved out their territories in the small tool carrier market in the last 10 years.
Fast forward to today and the compact utility loader industry is facing its own set of problems. A volatile housing market has manufacturers and buyers laying low. Unit sales for all types of equipment are down in 2008 and compact machines are no different. According to sources surveyed for the article, sales numbers in 2007 were around 4,200 units sold.
“Last year, the market was up,” says Jon Kuyers, utility product segment manager with Vermeer Corp. “Due to the housing crunch, it’s definitely tapered off this year. A lot of industries are down 30 percent and I would say this mirrors that.”
But that doesn’t mean heavyweights like Ditch Witch and Boxer are going into protective hiding. The compact utility loader industry is still out there working the streets, innovating new solutions for professionals that need their problems neutralized.
You Can Get Much Further with a Kind Word and a CUL…
Sometimes small projects require big guns. Perhaps you need to build a pond to sleep with the fishes, maybe you need to pour concrete shoes for deck footings or perhaps break up pavement looking for Jimmy Hoffa. In those cases, machines like a Bobcat mini track loader or a Ditch Witch compact skid steer with the right attachment can get the job done with no bones about a long day’s work.
Immigrating from the shores of Australia in the early 1980s, compact utility loaders found work in the landscape market, replacing expensive hand labor, maximizing manpower and eliminating the cost of repairing turf damage caused by larger equipment.
Landscape contractors quickly bolstered profits using these lightweight, compact machines. They easily maneuver through standard gates and door frames, travel and operate in areas where only hand labor could otherwise work (even indoors), move across sensitive turf with minimal ground disturbance and can be transported on a single-axle trailer. Of course today the rental segment is one of the industry’s most prosperous markets.
Increasing Rental PowerFive Questions with Compact Power Marketing Manager Andy Lewis CE: How can a new renter judge the quality of a rental yard and a good compact utility loader? A clean machine is always critical to contractors. Not only will they have more appeal from the consumer’s perspective, they have to use these machines all day and don’t want to sit or stand in the mess left behind from a previous renter. Customers tend to expect a rental yard to stock the array of attachments they might need. They want an expert rental professional that can recommend attachments to simplify their tasks, reduce man hours and deliver a quality job. The equipment should be regularly serviced and the wear items such as tracks should be in good shape. A good service center can make the difference between happy customers and disgruntled customers. Lastly, many contractors expect a rental yard to be able to recover a downed machine and provide a replacement the same day if logistically feasible. CE: How much does it cost to rent a compact utility loader? Daily, weekly and monthly? It’s important to note that with the increase in size, comes an increase in power and performance. Often the larger units come with features and functionality not available on the smaller units, so rental prices may be higher. While markets do vary and supply and demand is always a key attribute, I’d provide the following suggested rental rates:
CE: How much do attachments cost to rent? Daily, weekly and monthly? Non-hydraulic attachments can range from $10 per day, $30 to $90 for a week and $60 to $180 a month. Hydraulic attachments can be as little as $50 per day, $150 to $450 respectively for a week or month. For the more complex attachments with more moving and wear items, one could expect prices of $100 per day, $300, $900 respectively for a week and month. CE: What’s the best way to haul that compact utility loader? No questions asked the best way to transport a compact utility loader and all the correlating attachments is with a system trailer. I cannot say for certain that all manufacturers manufacture the trailers that carry them. Boxer Equipment does have in-house trailer manufacturing under the brand name ProHauler. CE: What are the advantages when renting for your small loader needs? Clearly this would have to be considered on a case by case basis. If you have the occasional need for a compact utility loader then renting would be a clear choice, but for the landscape or utility professional that use these machines on a daily basis, acquisition would be the way to go from a cost perspective. The distinct advantage to renting is the lack of maintenance. However, these machines are built very sound and do not require degreed mechanics to work on them, though we do encourage you have your machine serviced by an expert. |
“Bobcat mini track loaders have been a popular rental machine for Bobcat dealerships — both major rental chain stores and local mom and pop rental stores,” says Greg Rostberg, marketing manager for Bobcat Co. “These stores have caught onto mini track loaders because of the machines’ ability to use the same attachments as larger skid steer loaders [a Bobcat exclusive]. For example, an auger may be used with a Bobcat mini track loader, skid steer loader, compact track loader or compact excavator.”
Professional contractors can supplement their crews with a rental unit. Homeowners will rent these units on the weekends to accomplish their own do-it-yourself projects. Most see the market being around 30 percent rental and 60 percent for contractors, landscape and construction, and 5 to 10 percent being for personal or homeowner use. Although most manufacturers and their dealers are focused on landscaping and rental as primary markets, construction is certainly a valid industry where the compact utility loader concept is gaining influence.
A unit with a gnarly trencher attachment can be used for cutting through earth, installing new utility lines on a construction jobsite, as easily as it can be used for trenching in grounds maintenance applications.
“There have definitely been certain customers in the utility industry that do very shallow installations — curb to house — and a compact utility loader has worked well for them, using a trencher or plow attachment,” says Kuyers. “They’ve liked the compact utility loader because once they disturb the surface of the ground, they can go back and restore it back to perfect condition.”
Getting Made
Equipment operators need muscle, but they also require a skillful sharpshooter — a machine that can be specifically tailored to tackle jobs in a very precise and delicate way. That means outfitting your compact utility loader for optimum performance in common daily situations. Each brand family has engineered its own set of unique models and inventive technologies to meet those needs: ride-on, stand-on and sit-down platforms; hydraulic flow ratings from 6 to 16 gpm; gas and diesel engines; retractable undercarriages; articulating body designs; enhanced operator control patterns; choices in tracks or wheels; and enough attachments to fill a warehouse down by the docks.
“Attachments are an integral part of the success of compact utility loaders in the landscaping and rental markets,” says Rostberg. “These units lower equipment and labor costs for landscape contractors. They can take the place of several pieces of equipment or an entire crew. They can be used as a front-end loader, forklift, trencher or soil conditioner, among others. For instance, a landscaper can install irrigation with a trencher, dig water features with a backhoe, plant trees with an auger and prepare seed beds with a tiller.”
Compact utility loaders are often categorized by operating capacity (between 200 to 1,200 lbs); they can also be classified by what a contractor is looking for in a unit. The most obvious classifications include walk-behind and stand-on, wheels vs. tracks and horsepower and type of engine (gas vs. diesel). Understanding your jobsite requirements will help determine your perfect piece of iron.
Boxer and Vermeer offer stand-on compact utility loaders, but only stand-on units. They say the industry is turning toward stand-on platforms. The platform makes it easier on the operator by not having to walk through mud or jobsite debris. It will also allow them to be more productive, since they will not be walking all day long to and from the work area. Toro, Bobcat, Ramrod and Ditch Witch offer both walk-behind and stand-on alternatives. Walk-behinds are often great units when it comes to rental (where safety is a major concern) and for contractors who like the option of planting their feet firmly on the ground.
Bobcat and Toro also offer unique, switcheroo compact utility loaders; Toro’s TX platform has the ability to self store against the machine allowing an operator to walk behind the machine or ride, and Bobcat offers its optional stand-on platform available for both the MT52 and MT55 mini track loaders. Compact Power also offers a unit from the old CSF MultiOne brand now in its model family — the Boxer 726DT. This is a popular European-style design, offering a seat, articulating body, big lift heights, ROPS and a distinctive approach to the market. Measuring only 39 in. wide, the 726DT moves effortlessly through gates, doors and other tight spaces while offering a telescopic boom that extends the machine’s hinge pin height to over 8 ft.
Of course when it comes to the biggest overall selection, be sure to check out smaller manufacturers like Ramrod, which offers 13 models, including specialty units and attachments for markets like roofers, demolition, geothermal and remote control applications.
Married to the Job
To become a made piece of machinery, a compact utility loader needs the ideal marriage of a robust frame and a steel heart. In every unit, engines are the fiery power plants of the machine and its tracks or wheels are its sturdy set of legs. All are crucial components in your mini tool carrier’s life cycle, keeping it strong and efficient on worksites.
When it comes to the power plant, 25-hp engines are the most common; diesel is popular among construction and some landscape contractors (who want a long lasting engine with good fuel mileage) while gas is popular with the rental yards and landscape operations who use other gas equipment (and who are more comfortable with gas engine technology). Kohler, Kubota, Kawasaki, Honda and Perkins are popular engine OEMs in the compact utility market.
“The majority of compact utility loader engines are in the 20-plus-hp range,” notes Lawrence. “Gas models are more popular in rental and diesel is preferred by contractors. The most popular engine size for compact utility loaders is the 25- to 27-hp engine. Our gas models have Kohler engines, and our diesel models are equipped with a Kubota engine. Gas engines have been the staple of the compact utility loader market. However, we are beginning to experience an increase in diesel demand due to market acceptance — one example of this is in the construction industry, where diesel-powered equipment is commonplace.”
Toro, Boxer, Vermeer and Ditch Witch all offer both engine alternatives, while Bobcat only offers a three-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engine that is 20 hp on the MT52 and 25 hp on the MT55. Before choosing, consider that gas and diesels may cost and weigh differently (tracks and wheels affect this too).
“The price difference between gas and diesel is typically $2,000 to $3,000,” says Kuyers.
Moving from the tickers to travel systems, tracks and tires are the two main selections in the compact utility loader market. Tracks seem to be more popular these days due to their improved ground pressure; however, tires do have their place in the market, although they may cause more damage to turf in some applications.
“Track machines also have more traction in most ground conditions,” explains Rostberg. “In addition, their low ground pressure allows them to work in soft ground conditions and cause less disturbance to sensitive areas like lawns and paving block hardscapes, which to the customer means less rework and cost savings. Compact utility loader owners can avoid flat tires with tracks, and tracks reduce or can eliminate the need for jobsite reclamation after the project is complete.”
Wheels are great for working on hard surfaces, increasing cycle times and they are cheaper to run and maintain. Tracks work better in soft, wet and delicate surfaces, provide great flotation, but are more expensive to maintain. Companies like Bobcat and Ditch Witch only offer track units, while Toro, Boxer, Vermeer and Ramrod offer both wheeled and track models. When it comes to unique alternatives, Boxer also offers its 500 Series, which comes standard with an integrated track widening system (the only in the industry). The variable track offers a fully extended width of 43.5 in. and a retracted width of 35 in.
Pick the right mode of transport, choose the right engine and decide on the right size attachment for your compact utility loader’s quick-attachment plate (almost everyone’s attachment system is universal). But before you choose, take the time to run the unit through its paces, understanding its operating platform. These units are often utilized by novice workers, so ease of operation is a must. Add all of those options to the cost (an entry level unit is around $12,000 going as high as $22,000, depending on options) and you can find the ideal iron for your operations.
In this uncertain economy, it pays to find the right tools that can increase your staying power. Compact utility loaders offer that type of versatility and clout. With the right weapons in their arsenal, your crews will be respected out in the field, and when the market turns around you can take even more business from the competition.
“Despite the slowdown, the market will continue to be fairly robust,” predicts Kuyers. “Yeah, the numbers are down this year, but I just think the trend is towards customers operating smaller, more efficient equipment, increase existing productivity or reducing existing manpower. I just see that continuing to be a driver for this industry, whether landscaping, utility construction or any other market for a long, long time.”
Keith Gribbins is managing editor of Compact Equipment, based in Peninsula, Ohio.
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