Landscape Architect Articles

Dig Right In11-04-16 | Feature

Dig Right In
Spec Rundowns on Loaders and Excavators

LC/DBM Staff Report

Workhorses of the landscape industry, compact loaders and excavators are highly valued because of the wide variety of essential tasks they are able to perform thanks to their power, efficient and innovative designs, and the hundreds of attachments available for them.

While their utility is obvious, choosing the right machine can be much more complicated. Every company and contractor has their own needs, and trends are continually changing. For example, according to Equipment Data Associates, tracked loaders outsold skid steers 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent in the U.S. in 2015; the first time that has ever happened. For comparison, in 2010, wheeled machines bested their tracked brethren in sales 70.9 percent to 29.1 percent.

We've compiled a list of equipment and their key specifications to help you with purchasing decisions. But first, here are a couple of things we discovered along the way.

U.S. construction machinery new orders from February to May this year were reported to be down 20.8 percent from what they were during the same quarter last year. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Caterpillar dealers are under pressure to keep up with price discounts on competitors' new equipment. The weaker demand may make this a good time to look into buying that new piece of equipment - although, keep in mind that the decrease in new orders takes into account all construction machinery, not just those used by landscapers.

For the next 10 years, CNH Industrial will manufacture mini excavators using the intellectual property of Hyundai Heavy Industries for the next generation of Case and New Holland machines. The agreement includes 14 models ranging from 1 to 6 tons.

Also, we were told by a Terex representative that their excavator and wheel loader products are now being manufactured and distributed by Yanmar, and their skid steer and track loaders are being marketed and distributed under the ASV brand. And in a major milestone, Cat reached 250,000, and counting, compact loaders built.

Notes: Digging force also refers to bucket digging force/breakout force. Horsepower ratings are net, not gross, unless specified. Where manufacturers did not provide price or price ranges, LC/DBM arrived at approximate prices by researching online equipment sales sites, government purchasing contract documents, dealer price lists and other sources, which were attributed. Actual prices may vary of course depending on machine setup, region, time of year, and a host of other circumstances so caution should be exercised when using prices for comparison purposes. Machines are listed by category, by price in descending order.