In our upcoming issue: Adding UTVs to the Fourth Annual CE Spec Guide
First off, thanks to all the manufacturers that participated in the fourth-ever Compact Equipment Spec Guide. This 108-page cannon of compact machinery (which is printing right now) required a lot of research, and a lot of that legwork came from the equipment manufacturers who provided us the information. We couldn’t do it without the help of the Cases, Cats and Kiotis of the world.
The big change for this year is the inclusion of utility vehicles or UTVs, which we’re pretty excited to unveil.
UTVs have fast become one of the biggest compact equipment categories over the last five years in terms of units sold, yet there’s a big difference between commercial-focused UTVs and recreational-type UTVs. You’ll notice that the fast- and fun-type manufacturers such as Yamaha and Can-Am are not included. We’ve zeroed in on work trucks for our spec guide, compiling important commercial specifications like speed, payload capacity and number of riders from work manufacturers like Bobcat, Kubota and Toro.
The magazine overall is divided into five main sections: 1) skid steers; 2) compact track loaders; 3) compact excavators; 4) compact tractors; and 5) utility vehicles. Manufacturers are listed in alphabetical order, and each listing has a product summary, photo and list of essential model specifications (everything from bucket breakout force and boom lift orientation to engine power and operating weight). Contact information is provided for each listing as well, so you can continue your journey over the phone, online or with your local dealer. We’re so pleased with the 2015 version of the Spec Guide, we’re thinking about including more specs and more machine categories in future annual issues (compact tool carriers or maybe compact wheel loaders next year).
This year’s version is designed as a 12-month reference guide, so find a handy place to store this magazine — office shelf, glove box or maybe the cab of your favorite piece of iron. There are a ton of brands on the market, so this guide should be a great reference point to begin to compare model to model. Of course, the dealer is an invaluable resource for researching and test driving compact machinery, but before you go, ensure you bulk up on brands, technologies and specifications with Compact Equipment’s 2015 Spec Guide.
We will release the magazine’s entire spec portfolio online throughout the month of August, so keep watch!
Keith Gribbins is the associate publisher of Compact Equipment.
