The RER Innovative Product Award was developed this year to honor excellence in new product development in the equipment rental industry. The award showcases the most innovative products introduced between January 1, 2002 and September 1, 2003, from the perspective of a random panel of 500 RER readers asked to select the product they felt was the most innovative in respect to their rental business.
Thanks to all of the companies who entered products in this year's Innovative Product Award competition. All entries will be featured in the January and February issues of RER. A complete list of all entrants can be found on page 37 in this issue.
Another benefit of the Toolcat is its two-person cab design and factory option to enclose it with air conditioning and heat also available. “It has one of the most automotive-style cabs on the market,” says Claus, who also points out that its passenger seat also sets it apart from the other compact equipment on the market.
Development of the Toolcat was a four-year process led by a dedicated team who worked solely on the project. Jeff Dahl, head engineer, and Mike Henline, global vehicles product manager, headed up the team. Development began with an intensive two-year market research process. The team started out trying to look outside the box of typical skid steer and compact excavator equipment. Then they surveyed compact equipment owners to find out just what they liked and disliked about their equipment. The team next came up with designs and operational devices for other Bobcat engineers to operate and evaluate.
“It was a pretty lengthy process from start to finish,” says Claus. “What they came up with was a pretty unique product for compact equipment. It has a lot of characteristics of other compact equipment on the market, but there is nothing else that has everything packaged together in one envelope — that's what makes it unique. The drive system is another big innovation. It is both four-wheel drive and all-wheel steer — a big benefit to municipalities. It can also drive down the street at 18 miles per hour and turn sharp corners with minimal ground disturbance.”
Customers are responding positively to the Toolcat because of its versatility. Most of its attachments, which are sold separately, can also be used with other skid-steer loaders and compact equipment, making it desirable to equipment owners with these items already a part of their fleet.
“It's not a dedicated piece of equipment that only has one function, which makes it a great rental tool,” says Claus.
Other typical Toolcat users include hobby farmers, landscapers and municipalities. For each, the passenger seat in the cab is beneficial because it allows a two-person team to work together on a job.
“The Toolcat seems to have all the qualities of the best compacts — the Bobcat name, four-wheel steer (no turf damage) and a great line of site for the operator,” said one RER reader who voted in the competition.
Nick Catell, owner of NBC Landscaping in Chariton, Iowa, uses the Toolcat for his small landscaping business. He utilizes a post digger attachment to install PVC pipe fencing and a pallet fork to load and unload pallets of landscaping materials. He also owns the grapple hook, snow blade, bucket and tiller attachments.
“We thought about buying a utility tractor, but by the time we priced all the attachments we would need and priced a used Bobcat, the Toolcat came in way under in cost,” Catell says.
“We purchased the first one sold in Alaska and it is exactly the product we were looking for at half the price of comparable equipment,” said another RER reader who voted.
The heated and air conditioned cab, and dump box on the back are other features Catell has been impressed with. He also takes advantage of the tow hitch to tow a trailer behind it from job to job around town.
Harold Jones, operations manager for Dalton, Ga.-based Public Works uses the Toolcat mostly for landscaping applications and also recognizes its versatility. He also has a Bobcat 873 and an A300 and he is able to use the same accessories and implements on all three machines.
Though Bobcat has no current plans to introduce a new Toolcat model, the company will look to expand the line in the future as the unit continues to gain visibility in the rental market.
“It also makes a good parade vehicle,” says Catell. “And it's nice to crank up the heat on a cool day and take the grandkids for a ride. It puts them right to sleep.” Now that's innovation.
GRAND AWARD
Bobcat Toolcat 5600 Utility Work Machine
Introduced in January 2003, Bobcat's Toolcat 5600 utility work machine is the first unit of its kind to feature front-mounted attachment capabilities. It also combines 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, hydrostatic drive and a 44-horsepower diesel engine for versatile maneuverability. The cargo box in the rear of the machine can carry up to 2,000 pounds of materials and supplies. A hydraulic dump button is positioned inside the cab for easy access. Additionally, a rear hitch can handle trailers and other towed equipment up to 4,000 pounds.
A loader arm on the front of the vehicle is equipped with a Bob-Tach and the company manufactures 20 different attachments to fit, including a snow blade, snow v-blade, snow blower, landscaping tiller, soil conditioner, bucket, pallet forks, angle boom, auger, box scraper, land plane, trencher and grapple. Sprayer and spreader attachments can be mounted in the back, allowing users to remove snow and apply salt or sand at the same time, for example. This capability helps customers get a better return on investment by eliminating the need for more equipment, says Brad Claus, Bobcat utility product specialist.
FIRST RUNNER-UP
JLG Industries Triple-L Trailers
Triple-L Trailers have a different approach to loading and unloading than most other trailers used to transport construction equipment. They incorporate a hydraulic system — called the Lower, Load and Lift feature — that lowers the trailer deck to ground level for loading and then raises it again for hauling. There is no need for ramps, which increases both the convenience and safety of the trailers.
Because the deck of the trailer sits in the middle between the wheels, it drops down through the center. To lower the deck to the ground the operator releases a hydraulic lock and uses its hydraulic power to lift the deck back in place once the load has been driven on. The entire deck can be lowered or raised hydraulically in less than 15 seconds, so there is no need for cumbersome ramps, ascending grades or using additional personnel. Time saved and improved productivity when loading and unloading equipment are important benefits to busy rental professionals. More than 20 different models with capacities ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 pounds are available.
“The safety aspect and ease of use make this a great rental product,” said an RER voter who selected the Triple-L product.
Customers can pick up equipment already loaded onto the trailer, take it to the jobsite and then unload it themselves quickly, easily and safely, says Gary Bisbee, vice president industrial products, for JLG, Hagerstown, Md.
Bisbee also recommends Triple-L Trailers for use on service calls. A rental company can take a replacement unit out to a job site, unload it quickly, and then load up the one that needs repair and take it back to the rental center for servicing.
Other conveniences afforded by the Triple-L line are the ease by which salespeople can drop off equipment to their customers on the way home in the evening or when headed out on sales calls. They are also well suited for loading cargo with a hand truck because there is no angle to contend with.
“Development of the line came through recognition of the problems and limitations with tilt bed and ramp-type trailers,” says Bisbee. “The Triple-L line was developed specifically to answer those problems and address their limitations.”
According to Bisbee, customers who've tried a Triple-L say that's all they will use in the future. Though the units cost 30 to 35 percent more than more traditional-type trailers, the payback, he says, is measured in weeks and months by the savings it provides with its other efficiencies.
The Triple-L Trailer line appeals to a variety of rental customers. For example, both Home Depot, which tends to market to small contractor and homeowners, and Hertz Equipment Rental Corp., which specializes in larger contractors and construction companies, use the Triple-L products.
SECOND RUNNER-UP
Auger Master Model A
Invented by Auger Master President, Al Cormier, the Model A self-contained hydraulic auger system slides into a Class III trailer receptacle or a ¾- or 1-ton pickup truck. It is a planetary drive unit with forward and reverse, greater than 140-degree swing boom and 80-inch telescoping boom. Powered by an electric start V-twin Honda engine, it imparts virtually no damage to existing landscaping. It also requires very low maintenance and offers simple operation.
“It looks like a great niche rental item that is perfect for landscapers,” said a reader who voted for the Model A.
Cormier, who worked in the construction industry for 30 years, knew there had to be a way to create an auger that could do the work for you. He saw its need for deck and fence contractors, as well as rental companies.
“Competing models require a lot of work from the operator and require a lot of heavy lifting,” Cormier says. The Model A slides into the rear of the pickup truck and doesn't require wheels to transport it. It has a telescopic swing boom that can cover 200 degrees and also telescopes out so you don't have to move it to a new location for every hole. The machine will also lift the bits for you so no heavy lifting is required.
Though Cormier entered the Model A into the competition, it is the Model T that he thinks will really make a splash for the rental industry. The two models are identical except the Model T is on a trailer, making it more convenient for rental users who can just hitch it onto a pick-up truck, he says.
“You don't have to buy a trailer,” explains Cormier. “You just need to buy one piece of equipment for $7,000 and you're set. Customers are amazed that an inexpensive machine can do the same work as similar equipment that requires 10 times the investment.”
You have to invest close to $60,000 to get a truck, trailer, skid steer and auger attachment, according to Cormier who tested the Model A for more than two years to make sure all the bugs were worked out.
The auger has no sheer pins to break and it features a 2-inch hex drive, a digging depth up to 5 feet, auger bit diameters from 4 inches to 30 inches, landscaping bits and hydraulic outriggers.
Kevin Keroack, owner and president of Tolland Inc., Conn.-based General Rental, plans to add a Model T unit to his fleet in the spring. Keroack used the auger to install a hedgerow at his home. Using a 20-inch bit, it dug 48 18-inch deep holes in less than two hours.
“It was incredible for a machine its size and its cost,” Keroack says. “You can't stress enough how well-built it is. It's one of those things you just need to see and use to believe.”
THIRD RUNNER-UP
Genie Industries TZ-34/20
Introduced to the rental industry at the American Rental Association Show in February, Genie's TZ-34/20 trailer mounted articulating boom has a new telescopic primary boom that provides a working height of 40 feet and a working outreach of 20 feet.
The innovation, says product manager Steve Marshall, is in the Automatic Leveling System, which provides 11 degrees of leveling capability and allows set-up in less than 40 seconds when all four outriggers are deployed simultaneously.
“With Genie's patented auto-level system, the operator no longer has to worry about all the leveling issues,” says Marshall. “By simply pushing and holding two buttons, the machine will automatically level, which in turn increases safety in machine set-up and increases productivity.”
The Genie TZ-34/20 was designed to meet the needs of customers both in Europe and North America, which translates to improved serviceability. The hydraulic manifold and key electrical components are centrally located on one side of the machine to ease serviceability.
“We have also used several hydraulic hard lines throughout the mast system, which makes hydraulic hose replacement a snap,” says Marshall. “Instead of removing 34 feet of hydraulic line, the user only has to replace the short pieces at the end of each mast section.”
It is designed to fit any level of operator experience and tows behind most vehicles using a Class 2 hitch. It is well suited to the rental industry because it can fit through a double door and is light enough for jobs with sensitive floor loading requirements. It can also be set-up on a 12-degree slope.
Customers like to rent the TZ-34/20 because it has easy to read controls on the upper and lower control boxes, which makes training new operators easier, says Marshall. Ease of transportation and the auto-level system round are additional reasons for its customer appeal.
An RER reader that voted in the competition describes the boom as an overall “excellent design.”
