Lesser Specs: Understanding the Numbers that Define Your Machine’s Power, Performance and Limitations
Horsepower. Lift capacity. Price. Maybe hydraulic flow and pressure. These are often the only specs that potential buyers ask their equipment dealers. If they’re the only specs that matter, why do OEMs list so many other specs? And how does a savvy buyer derive value from all those other specs? Here are some answers.
Bobcat — Mike Fitzgerald, Marketing Manager
Auxiliary hydraulic pressure and flow have steadily increased, and a new machine may have too much of either or both to be compatible with older attachments. If you plan on using your new machine with your old attachments, make sure those attachments can handle those numbers. Alternatively, choose a machine where the operator can adjust hydraulic performance to match the attachments. On machines equipped with a high-flow option, merely turning off high flow may be sufficient.
Some Bobcat attachments communicate electronically with the host machine to toggle high flow on or off. Fitzgerald says the hydraulic spec he looks at first is flow because high-demand applications are more sensitive to volume than pressure. He also says hydraulic horsepower is a good theoretical number but has limited real-world application “because you rarely, if ever, have maximum pressure and maximum flow simultaneously.”
Fitzgerald says it’s critical to pay attention to the effect of attachments on equipment specs. “A grader attachment can add 9 ft to the overall length of the machine, bringing the total overall length to 20 ft in some cases. It may still fit on the trailer but may make it impossible to distribute the weight safely.” Weight considerations also apply to forestry and demolition packages, planers, drum mulchers, add-on counterweights and other accessories that can easily add 3,000 lbs to the total. “The machine’s operating weight is just a starting point. You have to factor in everything else.”
Fitzgerald says seeing “two-speed” on the spec sheet doesn’t say much. The low may be 5 mph and the high 7 mph, but it could be up to 20 mph on compact wheel loaders. “There is no industry standard for what two-speed means, so you have to look at the actual numbers. There is also considerable variation between manufacturers.” If skid steer A has a maximum high speed of 7 mph and skid steer B tops out at 10 mph, “that’s a 30 percent difference and that can have a big impact on productivity.”
Develon — Jake Sherman, Compact Track Loader and Dozer Product Manager
Sherman says there are two primary roles for lesser specs. One is to differentiate models from different manufacturers where the main specs are identical or nearly so. The other is to ensure maximum performance in specific applications, “things like dump angle, rollback and reach.” Reach is important when loading trucks, for example, but not when back grading. He says lift capacity is not a lesser spec, but its importance increases as the size of the machine goes up.
Sound as expressed in dB(A), both inside and outside the machine, can be important to municipalities and they will often cite sound levels in tenders, the process by which they solicit proposals for projects. Fuel efficiency has to be weighed against productivity. If machine A uses 10 percent less fuel than machine B but takes 12 percent longer to move X amount of material, machine B is the better choice.
Some OEMs (and some cultures) think of bucket specs in terms of capacities (cubic yards or cubic meters) and others in terms of width (inches or centimeters). The first is most relevant in mass excavation and the second in tighter sites, such as landscaping and digging against foundations or other obstacles. Hydraulic connectors are standardized but electrical connectors are not. Some are 7 pin, some are 14 pin and some are proprietary. Dongles and adapters are available. Some options are best installed at the factory.
Examples include Develon’s around view monitor (AVM), steel or rubber shoes and tracks, narrow or wide tracks and tire type (turf, puncture-proof, etc.). Sherman says it’s important to note that Develon products have open architecture to accommodate third-party and aftermarket systems and features.
John Deere — Natalie Beck, CCE Product Consultant
John Deere has six compact excavators and Beck uses two that occupy the middle of their line to illustrate how similar machines can serve different purposes. The 30 P-Tier and 35 P-Tier specs, respectively, are 23 and 23.3 hp and 9 ft, 2 in. and 10 ft of maximum dig depth. Both have auto-idle, both come with a standard backfill blade and both are compatible with a wide range of buckets and tools. But the higher lift capacity and optional long arm of the 35 P-Tier allow for more robust attachments.
Beck says the 30 P-Tier is ideal for confined areas, such as urban jobsites or residential projects, due to its reduced tail swing, compact design and narrower track width. The 35 P-Tier excels in applications requiring greater digging depth, such as septic system installations or larger trenching projects, and offers the flexibility of a long arm and angle blade for more specialized tasks. Beck says either compact excavator can be enhanced with aftermarket solutions such as upgraded hydraulic attachments, enhanced lighting and comfort features in the operator’s station.
New Holland Construction — Dan Kakareka, Product Portfolio Manager
Kakareka’s first tip is to understand the details behind the specs. “Is lift capacity at pin height? Is auxiliary pressure at the pump or at the connector?” His second tip is, “You don’t want a machine that meets just your minimum specs.” Buy something with a bit of headroom but don’t overbuy; that ties up capital and increases debt service cost without generating extra revenue. “Customers often buy more than they think they need, driven by the ‘bigger is better’ mentality. When it comes to machines, don’t think biggest. Think best.”
Additional advice? Hydraulic pressure and flow matter in high-demand applications such as forestry, demolition, drilling, breakers and mulching heads. Ground clearance and turning radius determine how well a machine navigates the jobsite. Know if you’ll need first and second auxiliary circuits for your attachments. Weight of the attachment matters, but so does placement. Some attachments, such as a tiltrotator, add length so the mass of the attachment is farther out, increasing the effect of the additional weight and potentially affecting stability and increasing wear. Most compact excavators are compatible with add-on counterweights, and suitcase weights can often be attached to other compact machines to help maintain stability and lift capacity. Overload sensors can be installed at the factory and will alert the operator if an overload or imbalance occurs.
Not every coupler fits every attachment. Skid steer plates and CII couplers are widely used and versatile, but some couplers are proprietary. Adapters are available, but they add cost, weight and complexity. Consider all the dimensions and whether they’ll work everywhere that the compact machine will go. On the worksite. On the trailer. In the utility shed.
Some specs are fixed; some can be tweaked. If a machine is close but not quite right and you’re considering modifications, some are best done as part of the factory build. Hydraulics and electronics fall into this category.
Richard Ries is a freelance writer for Compact Equipment.
Check out our Machine Heads video detailing John Deere’s 334 P-Tier skid steer and 335 P-Tier track loader.
