Innovative Iron Award Winner: Case’s TL100 Mini Track Loader
The Top Construction Landscape and Rental Equipment Launched in 2023
The world of off-highway machinery is evolving — battery-powered units, hydrogen engines, luxury and economy tiering, machine control automation — but maybe the biggest evolution is that everyone wants a compact machine. Small, tool-carrying construction equipment now make up about 50 percent of the U.S. machinery market with mini excavators and compact track loaders being the two most popular categories in America. To meet this enormous demand, machine makers released some pretty awesome machines in the past 12 months: advanced skid steers, electric asphalt pavers, entry-level grade control attachments and so much more. The 2023 Innovative Iron Awards celebrate the best of these compact equipment launches. Scouring tradeshows, visiting manufacturers, operating units, interviewing experts, this annual compilation represents the best equipment we’ve seen and experienced all year, including…
Case’s TL100 Mini Track Loader
Contractors continue to demand smaller tool carriers, and manufacturers continue to satisfy this demand with ever nimble and versatile machinery. A great example is Case Construction Equipment, which has been eagerly expanding its compact equipment lineup in 2023 — everything from electric mini excavators to small articulated loaders. The famous backhoe maker also made a significant entry into the stand-on tool carrier market at the end of the year with the launch of its new Case TL100 mini track loader — a 2023 Innovative Iron Award winner and a robust and agile addition to the stand-on tool carrier sector (often called compact utility loaders or mini skid steers, depending on the manufacturer).
“We’ve been paying very, very close attention to what’s happening in this industry, and we’ve noticed over the years the popularity with stand-on track loaders,” explained Ryan Anderson, product manager of MTLs and SALs for Case Construction Equipment, during a recent interview at Equip Expo (a landscape tradeshow held in Louisville in the fall). “We felt very confident that with Case’s 180 years of legacy of backhoes, wheel loaders, excavators and skids, we have made the TL100 a construction grade piece of equipment. We certainly have something to offer to the landscape contractor and beyond as far as our solution for a mini track loader. For example, our narrow track variation offers a compact solution, giving operators about 35 in. [in width], so you can get through gate entryways. We also have a wide track version with a 10-in. track that’ll get you to about 40 in. [in overall width]. So again, the TL100 has what the contractor needs to be successful.”
Engineered to meet the needs of landscapers, arborists, nurseries and other small contractors, the stand-on TL100 mini track loader brings more maneuverability and muscle to small jobs. It can easily navigate through yard gates, tree groves and other tight spaces while also handling the work of several laborers on jobs like digging, earth moving, fence post setting, grappling brush and grading. The first unit in Case’s stand-on tool carrier lineup has an operating weight of 3,536 lbs (narrow track) or 3,783 lbs (wide track), rated operating capacity of 1,000 lbs, 24-hp Kubota diesel engine, 7.9 gal fuel tank and a standard auxiliary flow rating of 13.2 gpm at 2,800 psi.
When it comes to attachments, the TL100 delivers powerful performance and more versatility than the typical small machine. Over 40 Case attachments are available for the brand-new mini track loader, giving contractors a range of capabilities in a single, compact machine. It also features a 14-pin electrical connector (optional) and a Common Industry Interface to allow connection to Case and non-Case attachments from most major manufacturers.
“We’ve got different grapple buckets, snowblowers, brooms, trenchers, brush mowers, as you can see here,” said Anderson, pointing to the TL100 on the show floor. “They’re all matched up to this machine as far as performance goes. There’s nothing lacking there at all. Then of course you’ll notice the 14-pin connector for multifunctioning attachments, which isn’t offered by all manufacturers. Then of course we include the case drain, which is for something like a brush mower that hits an immovable object. That’s going to help protect your hydraulic pump. That’s a nice added feature for longevity of the machine and the attachments that go on it.”
The stand-on tool carrier market has become a crowded sector, so Case needed to bring something unique to its first offering. Other big differentiators include…
“I would say the forward cooling pack design,” noted Anderson. “Some other manufacturers put it to the rear, closer to the operator where that heat tends to kind of blow around them. With this mounted up to the front, it keeps the heat away from the operator, and it’s well protected by heavy gauge steel as well. So you don’t need any type of additional guarding for falling debris. Another big separating feature is our controls. We utilize a design we do very well with some other products like backhoes with true pilot controls — so hydraulic over hydraulic versus mechanical linkages. This adds a nice precision feel, touch and featherability aspect to it, which we’ve gotten a lot of good comments about from operators. That it is really smooth. Then as far as ergonomics, the TL100 has good positioning of the joysticks, and positioning of the operator as close as we can to get to the center of the machine. Going further on the operator station, we’ve got a very comfortable hip pad. It’s not just a flat foam plate that’s sitting there. This is a nice wraparound style pad where you sit nice and snug in [the operator station], which feels comfortable and safe.”
The Case TL100 is an ideal example of lower cost tool carrier that packs a ton of power, precision and versatility. Its compact size also makes it super easy to transport from site to site, easy to get on and off and the tracks and low psi cause minimal disruption to the ground. Most of all the TL100’s construction-grade build brings a new level of toughness and power to the smallest tool carriers on the market, empowering crews to work more efficiently than ever with less manual work. The most exciting part is this unit is hitting dealer lots.
“We’re in production right now, and they should be shipping at the end of this month [December 2023], beginning of next month,” said Anderson.
Learn more right over here. Congrats to Case Construction Equipment on another Innovative Iron Award winner.
Keith Gribbins is publisher of Compact Equipment.
