Mighty Material Movers

When hauling concrete around a jobsite, many contractors use a specialized little loader like a power buggy. But what most crews don’t realize is that a power buggy can also double up, hauling rock, dirt, mulch, landscaping bricks, trees, shrubberies, sand, sod, fertilizer, gravel and every other small material you need around the work site.

“Power buggies aren’t just for hauling concrete anymore,” says Kurt Jenicek, rental manager at Nu Way in St. Louis.

Dedicated haul and dump vehicles, power buggies are used to reduce cycle times and manual labor when transporting jobsite materials. Traditionally, power buggies have been used for transporting and placing concrete on construction jobs where site restrictions prevent easy access for a dump truck. No longer just a tool for construction contractors, power buggies are also used by landscapers and maintenance crews, as well as weekend warriors and do-it-yourselfers.

“Power buggies are a cost-effective and labor-efficient way to transport, dump and spread bulk materials,” says David Spears, product manager, Terex Power Products. “Small, maneuverable and lightweight, you can easily use a power buggy in applications where bigger equipment, like skid steers or backhoe loaders, won’t fit or are not practical.”

Also, says Spears, power buggies are designed with tub splash protection so they do not slush materials during hauling and placing, allowing workers to move more material per trip.

Today, innovative users are putting their power buggies to work on site preparation, landscaping, pool installation, demolition and debris removal, maintenance and cleanup projects. Power buggies are also being used in day-to-day applications around cemeteries, golf courses and nurseries.

Spears mentions more unique applications he’s heard of are farmers who use power buggies to haul manure, feed and tools. And, paper mills are using power buggies to haul timber and sawdust.

“Because power buggies can fit through standard 36-in. doorways, you can use them on both indoor and outdoor worksites,” says Spears. “They are easy to operate, they have low acquisition and maintenance costs, and they run on standard gasoline. The uses and applications for these machines are endless.”

The Basics about Buggies

Essentially, power buggies are labor-saving devices — replacing the physical stress on workers armed with wheelbarrows. Power buggies basically come in three bucket capacity sizes — 11, 16 and 21 cu ft. A standard wheelbarrow only offers workers a 6-cu ft capacity.

“To pick the size of power buggy that is right for you, it is important to know how much material you need to haul and how far you need to haul it,” says Jenicek.

The smallest power buggy available on the market is the 11-cu ft capacity, walk-behind model. This model utilizes an 8-hp engine with a hydrostatic powertrain drive — the operator only needs to select forward or reverse and squeeze a handlebar lever for propulsion — and a single-lever hydraulic dump mechanism. The 11-cu ft power buggy has the ability to transport up to a 1,600-lb payload capacity and to travel 3 to 4 mph.

The most popular model on the market is the ride-on, 16-cu ft power buggy, according to Spears. With a 2,500-lb payload capacity, this mid-size buggy is engineered with an 11- to 13-hp engine, as well as the hydrostatic powertrain and hydraulic dump mechanism. This unit travels 6 to 7 mph.

The ride-on, 21-cu ft power buggy is the largest size available. With an 18-hp engine and 3,200-lb payload capacity, this size offers the most capacity for the price. Like the 11- and 16-cu ft models, the 21-cu ft buggy also has the hydrostatic powertrain and hydraulic dump mechanism. This unit travels 7 mph.

Little Buggies Offer Big Savings

According to Spears, if you compare using a standard wheelbarrow to a 16-cu ft power buggy, one power buggy would be the equivalent of using three wheelbarrows, and a 21-cu ft power buggy is the same as using four wheelbarrows. Power buggies get more done per dollar, or per hour, of labor.

For example, to move 10 yds of material 200 ft, it would take:

Wheelbarrow…………….50 trips at 3 mph

16-cu ft buggy……………20 trips at 6.5 mph

21-cu ft buggy……………13 trips at 6.5 mph

 

For a 400-ft round trip, it is:

Wheelbarrow…………50 trips x 400 ft = 20,000 ft traveled

16-cu ft buggy………..20 trips x 400 ft = 8,000 ft traveled

21-cu ft buggy.……….13 trips x 400 ft = 5,200 ft traveled

With 5,280 ft to a mile, that equals:

Wheelbarrow……………3.78 miles

16-cu ft buggy…………..1.51 miles

21-cu ft buggy…………..1.00 mile

Translate that into the time it takes to transport the material:

Wheelbarrow…………3.78 miles at 3 mph = 75 min.

16-cu ft buggy………..1.51 miles at 6.5 mph = 15 min.

21-cu ft buggy………..1 mile at 6.5 mph = 8 min.

Now add up the cost of four laborers on the job at $20 per hour each to load and transport the material:

Wheelbarrow…..$80/hr x 1 ¼ hours = $100 labor

16-cu ft buggy…..$80/hr x ¼ hours = $20 labor

21-cu ft buggy…..$80/hr x 8 minutes = $12 labor

“Labor requirements and the size of the job will most often dictate whether you should utilize a power buggy, but convenience is an important factor too,” says Jenicek. “Using a power buggy instead of a wheelbarrow saves on physical labor, as well as the time and money it takes to haul material from point A to point B.”

Options Increase Buggy Potential

Options make power buggies more versatile and maximize their usages in a wide variety of applications. Power buggies are pretty simple machines with only a few options, including polyethylene or steel buckets, flotation or foam-filled tires and pull or electric start. Some manufacturers offer a flatbed option, instead of the bucket, as well as tracks vs. wheels. So, how do users know which options make the most sense for their needs? It all depends on the applications.

“When selecting options for your power buggy, you need to know what type of material you will be moving and in what ground conditions you’ll be operating on,” says Spears.

Jenicek concurs: “If you haul a lot of stone, block or timber, you may want your power buggy equipped with a flatbed rather than a bucket. If you are doing demolition work, foam-filled tires are a better option because you don’t have to worry about flats. Tracks may be the best option for you if you’re working in sandy, muddy or other difficult soil conditions. But, flotation tires are better if you’re working on sensitive turf or wet grass. You may choose a steel bucket if you use your buggy for landscaping or debris removal projects because it is harder to puncture poly. The poly bucket is most often used in concrete applications due to the ease of cleanup.”

Easy on the Pocket Book

Power buggies cost $7,500 to $10,000, depending on the options, says Spears. Because they do not have gearboxes, transmissions, driveshafts or clutches to wear out or breakdown, power buggies are low maintenance machines, making them cost-effective to own.

To keep a power buggy in good working condition, no matter what applications it’s doing, it is important to follow the daily service checks. Be sure to: check engine and hydraulic oil levels, as well as the fuel level; examine the hydraulic lines for leaks, breaks or holes; check to make sure the tires are properly inflated and the tread is not worn; and grease all the fittings. Also, to maximize the buggy’s payload capacity, these units need to be thoroughly cleaned out at the end of each work day to remove all excess material.

Maximizing the Potential

According to Jenicek, 75 to 80 percent of people are still using power buggies for concrete work, but because these universal haulers can easily get in and out of congested worksites, are easy to maintain and have heavy-duty capacity, they continue to grow in popularity with more non-traditional users.

“It comes down to simple economics,” concludes Jenicek. “It is simply faster, cheaper and easier to use a power buggy.”

Amber Reed is a technical writer with Performance Marketing, West Des Moines, Iowa.