Cut and Clean in a Single Swoop With Classen's TRC-20
Time is money, but in this case, time is saved energy. Classen Manufacturing's TRC-20 turf rake comes with a grass catcher, allowing operators to cut and catch grass and thatch at the same time. Like a walk-behind mower, the unit is lightweight, maneuverable and, with an 8-cubic-foot nylon bag, features the versatility of Classen's TR-20 model.
“You don't have to power-rake [the grass and thatch] with a machine,” company president Larry Classen says, “and then come back with a bag to put it all in.”
Operators have the choice of two 5.5-horsepower engines: a Honda overhead valve engine with oil alert or a Briggs & Stratton Intec model. The unit has a 20-inch dethatching width and can be fitted with flail or slicer-type hardened blades. It also comes with a five-position, single-action height adjustment, heavy-duty wheels with sealed ball bearings and semi-pneumatic tires. The dethatcher can operate through thick thatch, promoting deep root growth while allowing users to catch the grass and thatch.
The TRC-20 also can be converted to a turf seeder with an optional multipurpose shaft and seed box available from the company.
Transporting the turf rake is simple, Classen says, because the unit has a folding handle, and both the bag and platform can be removed easily.
Verified by Larry Classen, president
www.classen-mfg.com
Subtraction by addition. Bandit Industries has lightened the workload on operators by adding two wheels to the feed system on its Brush Bandit chippers. The new quad-wheel feed system collapses limbs and branches quickly and efficiently with minimal operator effort.
“Labor is a big issue these days, and any time you can make a machine easier to use, it makes it a lot better for the operator,” says Jerry Morey, Bandit's marketing manager.
The four hydraulic feed wheels allow the chippers to accept branches up to 12 inches in diameter. Morey says conventional two-wheel feed systems require the operator to apply substantial force to lift the unit's wheels so the machine can accept branches and limbs. The addition of two wheels provides extra pulling and crushing capability. It also means operators are less likely to have to cut branches to fit them into the machine, he adds.
The new quad-wheel feed system comes standard on Bandit's 18-inch models 280XP and 1890 and is offered as an option on the 12-inch 250XP and 14-inch 254XP.
Verified by Jerry Morey, marketing manager
www.banditchippers.com
Bomag's Roller Offers Big Power in a Little Package
Manufacturers continue to find ways to fit technology into smaller, more efficient, more economical and more powerful packages. Construction equipment is no exception.
Bomag Light Equipment packs many of the features standard on larger machines into its BW900 1-ton vibratory roller. The unit is designed for compacting subbase materials and asphalt finish layers.
“[Rental centers] are getting a big roller in a small, competitively priced machine,” product manager Peter Price says. “It is excellent for small paving jobs like driveways and parking lots.”
The BW900 offers 3,100 pounds of centrifugal force and features a 24-inch-diameter drum, the largest in its class, the company says. Powered by a 20-horsepower Honda gasoline engine, it can travel up to 4.7 mph. Ease of operation and operator comfort are priorities, with a single lever controlling both travel and vibration. The machine offers an inside turning radius of 65 inches, enhancing maneuverability on the job site.
Price says the unit is a new project for the company. Bomag's predecessor roller, the BW90, was a larger diesel-powered machine with a multitude of features not always needed. Many of the BW90's “bells and whistles” were eliminated on the smaller BW900 in response to customer feedback, but several were retained to maintain efficiency and performance. Foremost among those is the spring-applied, hydraulically released braking system, which automatically activates when the engine is stopped or at a standstill.
Other standard features include a vibration-isolated drum and engine, a roll-over protection structure and a vandal-proof instrument panel.
Verified by Peter Price, product manager
www.bomag-americas.com
The recent trend among the motoring public is to put compact cars out to pasture and hop into sport utility vehicles. As David Pollock sees it, the opposite is occurring in the air compressor field.
“Contractors are looking for air output in a smaller, lightweight package that will be easier to tow,” says Pollock, president of Smith Compressors. “Our latest compressor is lighter and more compact than any other Smith models and any other machine in the industry in the 185 class.”
The model 185 DIC produces 185 cubic feet of air per minute at up to 125 pounds per square inch. It features the new Isuzu 4LE1 four-cylinder, direct-injected diesel engine. The unit also uses the latest version of the rotary screw compressor, the T-Mar SCA 10G, which improves compression efficiency more than 15 percent to 4.7 cfm per horsepower from the 4.0 offered in earlier Smith models, Pollock says.
Perhaps the compressor's biggest asset, however, is its size.
“Offering that much output in such a small, compact package is something that rental centers will appreciate,” Pollock says. “It's very towable and less likely to tip over, particularly with the lightweight vehicles that most homeowners and contractors have.”
The 185 DIC weighs less than 2,000 pounds and has a 60-inch wheelbase, the widest in the industry for that class of compressor, Pollock says.
Verified by David Pollock, president
317/884-1861
JLG's New LE Scissor Lifts Are All-Terrain Machines
Sporting a design built for off-slab jobs, JLG Industries' LE Series scissor lifts can traverse almost any job site with the power to match their improved versatility.
“[The lifts] have some unique qualities and power you just don't find in an electric slab scissor lift,” says product manager Karen Morrison, who played a large role in the on-site testing and development of the lifts. “And the versatility of the machine is there.”
Models 3369LE (pictured) and 4069LE were rigorously tested on a variety of terrain, and both have nonmarking tires and zero emissions for indoor use. They also feature standard automatic traction control, an oscillating axle and all-terrain tread for outdoor use.
The lifts are the first electric scissor lifts to combine 35 percent gradability for off-slab jobs with the maneuverability required for indoor work, the company says.
The 3349LE has a 33-foot platform height, a 69-inch width and a 1,000-pound capacity. With a 3-foot platform extension, both models can handle 12-foot materials.
Both scissor lifts are upgraded versions of JLG's 3369E and 3969E models, featuring longer duty cycles and the ability to perform off-slab jobs — a task for which the earlier versions were not designed.
The LE Series lifts are powered by eight 370-amp-hour batteries that can be recharged using standard 110-volt current or an optional QuikCharge generator set that provides automatic charging.
Verified by Karen Morrison, product manager
www.jlg.com
Multiquip Boasts New American-Made Concrete Saws
In an age of often relying on cheaper, mass-produced imports, Multiquip has stayed home to develop its newest line of self-propelled concrete saws.
The FS2SP, FS4SP (pictured) and FS5SP, unlike some other saws on the market, are manufactured in the United States, by Multiquip subsidiary Whiteman Industries in Boise, Idaho — a fact many customers are not aware of, product manager Bruce Coleman says.
While that might not matter to many, professionals soon will appreciate the saw line's improved efficiency, speed and ease of operation.
The FS4SP is designed for sawing contractors and professional cutters. It is available with four blade guard options: 14, 20, 26 or 30 inches. It features an Eaton Model 7 hydrostatic transmission, synchronous-belt, direct-drive propulsion system and an industrial steel, reinforced box frame design for optimum sawing stability.
Two power options are offered: a Deutz 30-horsepower diesel engine and a new 40-horsepower Wisconsin electronic fuel-injected gasoline model that meets all environmental regulations and offers extra torque.
Coleman says one of the new saws' biggest benefits is the one-hand “T” handle that allows operators to raise or lower the machine and move it forward or in reverse without the effort normally required with such a unit.
“Instead of getting tied up with two hands behind the console, [the ‘T’ handle] allows the operator to do the same work with one hand and a few fingers,” Coleman says.
Verified by Bruce Coleman, product manager
www.multiquip.com
