Even when the world shut down this year, construction equipment continued to roll. Since the beginning of the pandemic, crews and projects have been considered essential. Key machinery markets like housing are actually bucking the trend and growing in our new Covid economy. Somehow, I was able to attend two important machine tradeshows in February and March (The Rental Show and CONEXPO-CON/AGG) before all the chaos, and equipment manufacturers continued to release awesome, industry-changing products throughout 2020 despite the incredible challenges. The persistence, dedication and innovation of both equipment makers and the equipment trades (construction, rental, ag, landscape and beyond) blew me away this year. They helped build a clearer path in our radically changed world, and I’d like to honor all of them by highlighting what I consider the best compact, off-highway machines, technologies and OEM systems released for sale or concept in 2020. Congrats to all the companies included, and thanks to all the men and women behind these brands. They are essential in today’s rapidly changing world.
Balance of Power
Kubota is always methodical when it decides to enter a new category of equipment, and the new SCL1000 stand-on track loader looks like precision engineering on a compact scale. The SCL1000 is on the smaller side of the stand-on tool carrier market, yet it has wide 9.8-in. tracks which balances the 36-in.-wide narrow body, sporting a rated operating capacity of 1,000 lbs. As you might expect, Kubota’s SCL1000 boasts a 24.8-hp, turbocharged Kubota diesel engine. The loader arms reach high and far with a hinge pin height of 84.7 in. and a reach of 25.9 in. at a 45-degree dump angle. The loader comes standard with a keyless start with passcode protection, 12-volt charging port and a 4.3-in. LCD color dash monitor that provides easy-to-read machine monitoring. The SCL1000 also has a best-in-class travel speed of 4.9 mph. For more info, visit kubotausa.com or check out our Machine Heads video on the machine here.
