Compact Equipment - 09 SEP 2009

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Rebuilding with Renewables Iowa Town Looks to Geothermal Energy After Devastating Tornado ONLINE ONLY!

Putting on a Few (1,000) PoundsMake Sure Your Truck Can Handle the Stress of Winter Maintenance Equipment(Expanded Version Online — Print Version on Page 30)

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VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 9 • SEPTEMBER 2009 • CEUNBOUND.COM

Promoting the use of compact equipment by the owner/operator and business professional in the commercial, private and rental markets

COMPACT EQUIPMENT (ISSN 1552-1281) is published monthly with an Attachment

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Departments6 Editor’s Message

8 News

14 Industry Watch: Medium-Duty

Truck Market Analysis

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42 CE Advertisers Index

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On the cover:

Maintenance is a puzzle with many parts. Hoses, motors, engines, tires, oils and fi lters must each be prop-erly used and maintained to make sure you have the right equip-ment solu-tions (not setbacks). Most of this collage photography was provided by CNH Parts & Service.

4 Compact Equipment September 2009 www.ceunbound.com

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Preserve & Protect By Keith GribbinsEnsure your equipment lasts the long haul with these smart support and repair articles.

Engines Regular maintenance and dust control ensure an effi cient engine.

Tires Maintain proper tire pressure and enhance your tractor investment.

Reman Give your old equipment new life with Reman parts and refurbished engines.

Fleet ManagementProtect your equipment investments with fl eet management systems.

Hoses Don’t mix and match, keep your mini ex’s hydraulic hoses intact with these inspection and replacement tips.

The Undercarriage Extend the life of your dozer’s undercarriage through continued upkeep.

Be a Winter Warrior Compiled by CE Staff Conquer the cold and keep on working with these winter weather articles.

Putting on a Few (1,000) PoundsMake sure your truck can handle the stress of winter maintenance equipment.

Basic TrainingThe mini dictionary to compact equipment snow plows and accessories.

Covered BridgesCompact equipment attachments help clean snow from bridges.

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A Season of SustainabilityThe Industry’s Top Minds Muse Fleet Preservation, Gen Sets and Cold Weather Applications

At Compact Equipment, we specialize in studying the wheels of existence — the circling effects of nature’s constant revolutions. When we’re not seeking answers to the eternal ques-tions circulating around the individual soul, as it endures through an eternity of lives, from dawn to dusk and from season to season, we focus our meditations on the life cycles of machinery. We’re this nerdy equipment cult with way too much time on our hands, contact with the industry’s foremost gear-heads, access to the newest equipment and a penchant for writing in Snuggies.

In this “Preserve & Protect” specialty issue of CE we’re putting a renewed focus on rejuve-nating the life of your machinery in this tough economic cycle. With budgets slashed, operators, owners and fleet managers are going to need to focus on sustainability. They’ll also

need a little mechanical counseling to keep those machines running stronger till the next work season. To help, we’ve scoured the coun-tryside for the best equipment minds to offer guidance for the health of small equipment. CNH Parts & Service, John Deere Power Systems, Michelin Tires, Parker Hannifin, Perkins Engines, Doosan Infracore America and many more have offered their assistance in keeping the karmic wheels of your equip-ment rolling throughout 2009 and beyond.

An example might be generators, working in the upcoming cold winter months. We asked the big brains at Terex, Doosan, Wacker Neuson and Atlas Copco to help us re-power old units for the upcoming chilly season. They

told us how any wise sage will remind you to maintain fully charged batteries and coolant or block heaters in the cold (these will assist with cold starting). The chances of wet-stacking (when a diesel engine isn’t able to maintain its optimal temperature) increases in cold weather, so it is especially important to right-size the generator. Just ask a master mechanic like Marc Leupi, product manager in the Utility Division at Wacker Neuson Corp.

“Same as any diesel engine, depending on severity of the cold, fluids should be checked for proper coolant mix and oil viscosity,” says Leupi. “In severe cold, cold weather options like battery blankets and block heaters should be considered. Our cold weather package includes a temperature actuated shutter system that ensures the engine compartment can come fully up to temperature before outside cooling air is drawn into the engine compartment.”

Cold weather is just one of a zillion factors that can affect your machine’s vitality and performance. In this specialty issue, we cover a variety of parts, systems, problems and appli-cations that can help you address the spirituality and stamina of your machine fleet. For more information on maintaining generators, you’ll have to wait till next issue (above is just a teaser for a meaty four-page story), because each remaining issue of CE in 2009 will be stuffed with maintenance and preservation articles. We know times are tough, so take some comfort in the fact that our group of guardians can help you breathe new life into your con-struction and landscape equipment no matter the season or the cycle.

Keith GribbinsManaging [email protected]

It takes a balance of love, warmth, power and harmon-ic resonance to maintain your gen set for cold weather applications. It also takes a good battery, which suffers

in cold temperatures. Add an engine coolant heater and a battery tray warmer for best results.

A Season of Sustainability

F R O M T H E E D I T O R . . .

Publisher

Bernard P. Krzys

Associate Publisher

Robert D. Krzys

Editor

James W. Rush

Managing Editor

Keith Gribbins

Associate Editor

Jason Morgan

Assistant Editor

Pam Stask

Contributing Staff Editors

Sharon M. Bueno

Bradley Kramer

Creative Director

W. M. Conley

Graphic Designers

Sarah Hayes

Chris Slogar

Elizabeth Stull

Marketing Manager

Pete McNeil

Regional Sales Manager

Ryan Sneltzer

Circulation Manager

Alexis R. Tarbet

Web Manager

Mark Gorman

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There are several industries that enjoy a bad economy — auctioneers, education, accounting, repossessions and vice products (to name a few of our favorites). These are anti-cycle businesses. The parts and service markets also tend to grow in depressed economies. When contractors aren’t buy-ing new equipment, they’re usually holding onto older ma-chines longer. So smart dealers and manufacturers are put-ting an extra focus on the maintenance and service markets in these slow growth times.

CNH Global N.V. is a great example of a company retro-fi tting its repair and supply chain. A majority-owned sub-sidiary of Fiat Group (the same Italian company that just became an owner of the new Chrysler Group, LLC), CNH is providing after sales parts and service with a new facility, while upfi tting its remanufacturing operations.

CNH Parts & Service, the product support business for the Case and New Holland brand families, recently unveiled plans to occupy a newly developed distribution center in Portland, Ore. CNH Global N.V. has also agreed to develop a full-scale remanufacturing operation and services company as a joint venture with Springfi eld Remanufacturing Corp. (SRC) to be called CNH Reman. The partnership brings to-

gether CNH Parts & Service product expertise (its access to equipment and dedicated dealer networks) with SRC’s re-manufacturing operations, capabilities and expertise.

“We see remanufacturing continuing to grow in impor-tance in North America, so CNH is expanding its long-term relationship and partnership with SRC,” says Eric Bippus, vice president of sales and marketing, CNH Parts & Service, North America. “Together with SRC, we are positioned to reach aggressive growth targets designed to serve our dealer and customer needs and meet investor expectations.”

Remanufacturing is the process of recovering used systems and components, repairing and/or replacing worn out or obso-lete parts to make a new, yet also used (and cheaper) product for the buyer. Dealers and customers will realize several advantages with an expanded selection of Reman products. Remanufactur-ing gives customers the opportunity to purchase replacement assemblies and components that are just like new, sometimes better than new due to engineering enhancements, at a reduced price and with a competitive warranty (to read more about the construction equipment Reman industry, turn to page 26).

“For us, this is like coming home again,” said Jack Stack, president and CEO of SRC. “The creation of CNH Reman

The new Portland parts distribution facility will extend the company’s next-day service capabilities to equipment dealerships in nearly all regions of North America and marks the completion of CNH’s transition from third-party

logistics providers to distribution sites that are managed and staffed by CNH in America.


takes us back to our origins, and we’re excited to partner with CNH to provide a more robust line of Reman products.”

CNH plans to improve and increase product coverage across fi ve product lines so that dealers can better serve their customers:

1. Engines and components2. Drivetrain and components3. Rotating electrics4. Electronics5. Hydraulics

CNH Parts & Service also unveiled plans to occupy a new-ly developed 250,000-sq-ft distribution center in Portland, Ore., last month. Company offi cials expect the state-of-the-art parts distribution facility to be fully operational in the fi rst quarter of 2010. The facility will serve more than 130 New Holland, Case IH and Case Construction equipment dealerships in the Pacifi c Northwest and is expected to bring 35 to 40 new jobs to the Portland area, according to Anu Goel, vice president of North American Parts Operations for CNH Parts & Service. CNH is investing more than $15 mil-lion in the new distribution center, which also allows for future expansion.

“This particular site was chosen for its proximity to the Portland International Airport and port facilities, as well as its access to the major interstate highways in the region,” according to Goel. “Once it is operational, we anticipate that the new Portland distribution facility will be a key logistics and transportation hub within our network and our new gateway to the Pacific Northwest market.”

Finally, CNH Global N.V. and Fiat Powertrain Technolo-gies (FPT), both companies of the Fiat Group, announced a joint agreement to expand the FPT North America (NA) dealer network. FPT NA and CNH Parts & Service will co-operate in the areas of after sales service and parts. FPT NA will select and designate approximately 300 independently owned dealers from the CNH family of brands, to operate as authorized FPT service dealers.

“The dealer principals have expressed a high level of in-terest, capability and commitment for expanding their par-ticipation in the North American engine business,” said Ted Bregar, general manager and COO of FPT North America. “Case, New Holland and Kobelco Construction and Case IH and New Holland Agriculture dealers are attracted to the unique opportunity to become a part of the FPT brand in North America because of its international reputation.”

NewsNewsCE

www.ceunbound.com September 2009 Compact Equipment 9

If you were to ask us what is the single-most important key to lon-gevity, we would have to say it’s avoiding worry, stress and tension. With programs like Doosan Elite Plus, contractors can avoid those work pressures by avoiding downtime. In late July, Doosan Infracore America launched Doosan Elite Plus, which provides customers comprehensive product support solutions that help increase productivity, reduce downtime, improve the customers’ bottom line and keep pros in the fi eld sane and stress free.

“Doosan Elite Plus is tailored to fi t the needs of our customers by providing solutions that reduce owning and operating costs and maximize uptime,” said Michael Stanley, president and COO of Doo-

san Infracore America. “In today’s tough economy, we recognize that our customers are working harder than ever to meet demands. With Doosan Elite Plus we provide customers the peace of mind they need to focus on their business.”

Doosan Elite Plus is a product support program designed to protect and enhance resale value and help the customer control costs. Doosan Elite Plus offers the following support programs: Doosan Elite Assur-ance, an extended warranty program and preventative maintenance programs Doosan GPS; and Doosan’s Component Oil Analysis Program. Each one of these valuable programs can be used separately or as a comprehensive product system for a customers’ fl eet.

Customer Service Solutions Doosan Launches Elite Plus Product Support

Doosan’s repair-before-failure approach allows customers to manage cash flow.

Rubber duck races are a popular pastime at Compact Equip-ment magazine — especially when it’s for a good cause. For the fourth year in a row, Komatsu America Corp. proudly helped launch more than 20,000 rubber ducks into the Chi-cago River in the annual Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby to benefi t the Special Olympics.

On July 30, a Komatsu HM300-2 30-ton articulated dump truck dumped the ducks into the river from the Columbus Drive Bridge, signaling the start of the race. The names of Komatsu distributor Roland Machinery Co. and Komatsu customer Beemsterboer Slag Co. were included on the truck because of their signifi cant support of the event this year.

Each year for the Rubber Ducky Derby, ducks are “adopted” by sponsors (for a monetary donation) and the ducks are dumped into the Chicago River to “race” downriver. Prizes are awarded for the fi rst ducks to cross the fi nish line with all event proceeds benefi ting the Illinois Special Olympics. The fi rst three Rubber Duck Derby events have raised more than $550,000.

Komatsu has been part of this Special Olympics event since its inception. For sev-eral months leading up to the duck derby, employees of Komatsu held a variety of fund-raisers to support the event and the compa-ny then matched those funds. The Special Olympics focuses on improving the lives of individuals eight years of age and older with intellectual disabilities through year-round training and athletic competition in a vari-ety of Olympic-type sports.

Komatsu Makes a Splash at Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby

CE NewsNews

If the only tool you have is a hammer, it’s tempting to treat everything like a nail.

The wrong tools lead to miscalculated ap-plications, so companies like Atlas Copco want to make sure you have the right tools in your toolbox. Atlas Copco Construction Equip-ment is offering a special trade-in program for handheld tools regardless of age, working condition or brand. Until Dec. 31, 2009, cus-tomers can trade in their old tools for a new Atlas Copco tool and receive 10 percent off the price of the new unit. Of course, certain terms and conditions do apply.

“Despite the current economy, Atlas Copco is offering customers the opportunity to re-place their old, worn-out tools for new reliable, high-performing and cost-efficient equip-ment,” said Eudes Defoe, product manager for handheld tools. “This will help our customers get their jobs done faster and save their busi-nesses money.”

Atlas Copco’s wide product range includes some of the hardest hitting gas breakers on the market, as well as vibration dampened, quiet running pneumatic rock drills, breakers, pick and chipping hammers, rivet busters and hydraulic post drivers, saws, pumps and a whole lot more. Tools included in this offer are:

The fi rst one to fl oat past the fi nish line is the winner. In the Komatsu-sponsored

Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby – the big winner is the Illinois Special Olympics

Atlas Copco Offers Trade-In


September 2009 Compact Equipment 11


Woods and irons — JLG Industries and its long lineage of aerial work machines are usually associated with the lat-ter. But with the recent signing of a new licensing agree-ment with Stone America Licensing, JLG is expanding into golf merchandising along with its iron equipment operations, beginning with the launch of the JLG Ultra Boom 2 driver.

Designed by a golf professional, specifi cally for JLG (an Oshkosh Corp. company), the new Ultra Boom driver is en-gineered to provide the performance, power and strength associated with JLG Ultra Series boom lifts. The new club, dressed in JLG orange, will be available in a variety of shaft and degree types to meet the needs of pros and amateurs alike. JLG has been a leader in the promotion of Golf Long Drive Championships and a winner in tournaments broad-cast on national golf and sports networks. The fi rst genera-tion Ultra Boom driver shaft won the Re/Max World Long Drive championship in 2005.

Designed for peak performance, the Ultra Boom 2 driver is not just for Long Drive professionals. By using data from thousands of golf swings from a variety of non-professional golfers, the development team was able to design a club with characteristics that maximize its effectiveness for all levels of play. The new club will be available for sale later this summer at a variety of online and retail locations. For more informa-tion please visit www.JLG.com.

JLG Launches New “Ultra Boom2” Driver

The new

Ultra Boom

2 driver will

be promoted

by World

Long Driving

Champ, Carl

Wolter. Carl

Wolter chose

the JLG Ultra

Boom 2 driver

purely for the

performance

it provides,

and this guy

hits 400 yards

on a normal

day.

Program for Handheld Tools

1. Atlas Copco pneumatic tools: Quantity trade in of fi ve or more (any mix) on the purchase of chipping hammers, rivet busters and T-handle breakers up to the 40-lb class (TEX 140 and TEX 180). Single tool trade in on the purchase of rock drills, 60- and 90-lb breakers, clay diggers, tampers and pumps.

2. Atlas Copco handheld hydraulics: Customer must purchase the same type and quantity unit(s) as is being traded in.

3. Atlas Copco motor drills and breakers: MK1, TT or Cobra Combi for the trade in of ANY motor drill breaker.

For more information on the trade-in program, contact your lo-cal Atlas Copco representative or call (800) 760-4049 to fi nd your local dealer.

Cash for clunk-

ers: Atlas Copco

Construction

Equipment

is offering a

special trade-in

program for

handheld tools

regardless of

age, working

condition or

brand.

John Deere Sponsors National 811 Day on 8/11

CE NewsNews

Accidents hurt — safety doesn’t. Don’t be a fugitive from the laws of averages: Use 811 before you dig. That’s the message John Deere hoped to spread by sponsoring National 811 Day in the United States, August 11, a day set aside by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) to promote homeowner, farmer and contractor awareness of underground utilities through the use of the national 811 call-before-you-dig phone number.

“Our customers are individuals who work the land and their safety is a high priority for John Deere,” said Samuel R. Allen, CEO of Deere & Co. “It’s vital to call attention to homeowners, farmers and contractors that one simple call to 811 before they dig can prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages of important services.”

The FCC-designated 811 number was launched in 2007 by the CGA to eliminate the confusion of multiple call-before-you-dig

numbers that were being used across the country. As a result, ho-meowners, farmers and contractors can call one easy-to-remember number to have crews mark a requested site for underground lines prior to any excavation.

“In 2004, it was estimated that there were 450,000 instances of damage from striking underground lines,” said Bob Kipp, presi-dent of CGA. “As a result of a lot of factors, including establish-ing the 811 national number, strikes had decreased around 50 percent since — but that’s still not enough. Even one fatality is too many.”

Kipp stressed that a lack of knowledge by the public about the importance of having utility lines marked before digging can result in injury or death, damages to underground infrastructure and util-ity service disruptions to thousands of people at a time. Equipment and business owners can also suffer hefty fi nes and repair costs.

National 811 Day is not the fi rst time the CGA has partnered with John Deere. Deere is also a driving force behind the “Safe Digging Month” awareness

campaign that occurs each spring.


Thanks to a whole host of factors, production and sales of medium-duty trucks are expected to fall again in 2009, according to ACT Research Co. LLC. In the latest release of the ACT N.A. Commercial Vehicle Outlook, ACT forecasts that Classes 5 to 7 medium-duty production will be off 34 percent in 2009 before returning to growth in 2010. Chief among the list of issues behind the lingering downturn is continued weakness in the housing sector. The weakness has directly impacted numerous types of businesses that typically benefi t from the construction and sale of homes. Those businesses include, but are not limited to, contractors and builders, building material suppliers, retail stores, utility companies and lease/rental and moving companies.

While the number of new homes being built continues to fall, home buyers are beginning to take advantage of relatively low mortgage interest rates, thereby helping to reduce the bloated inventory of unsold, existing homes. Before you run out and buy a new truck, you might want to consider that new home sales are still contracting. However,

the rate of decline had begun fl attening. That is just a fancy way to say new home sales do not appear to be getting any worse. If there is any good news to be scoured out of this segment of the market, it would be that new home sales account for only about 15 percent of total home sales.

Like new home sales, sales of existing homes have been grappling to fi nd a bottom, sinking from more than 7 million units (at a seasonally adjusted annual rate) three years ago to under 5 million units in June. Existing home sales have been below the 5 million unit mark for the past 15 months. The chart on page 15 shows the relationship between the sale of existing homes and medium-duty trucks. As the chart illustrates, existing home sales started slowing in 2005, but the truck market continued to expand. It was not until the housing market really crashed in 2007 that truck sales reacted. The commercial vehicle industry is now in a predicament: It has to work off the extra trucks that were put into the marketplace during 2005 and 2006 before it can begin participating in any potential recovery.

ACT’s commercial vehicles services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as the banking and investment community.

Road ConditionsMedium-Duty Truck Market Expected to Remain Depressed Until 2010 By Steve Tam


Enter the green shoots we keep hearing about from all the fi nancial news outlets. Sales of both new and existing homes have improved for the past three months and hous-ing values have showed the fi rst signs of life last month. Notice in the chart that existing home sales are expected to move into positive territory by the end of 2009. This is the real story and consequently, opportunity for improvement. Since this seg-ment of the market accounts for approximately 85 percent of total U.S. home sales, when existing home sales begin to improve, the dividends will be meaningful.

ACT is a recognized leading publisher of commercial vehi-cle industry data, market anal-ysis and forecasting services for the North American market. For more information on ACT, visit www.actresearch.net.

Steve Tam is the vice president of the Commercial Vehicle Sector with ACT Research, based in Columbus, Ind.


Leaner, Sleeker Cat Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Owens Discusses Future Profi t

Caterpillar Inc. chairman and CEO Jim Owens told a group of financial analysts and institutional stockholders in early August that Caterpillar’s strategic trough planning has positioned Caterpillar for long-term profitability under various economic scenarios. Owens and his leadership team were outlining Caterpillar’s business strategy, and how the company has swiftly responded to the current global recession during two days of meetings in Peoria.

During the presentations, Owens and his leadership team said that Caterpillar expects profits in the $8 to 10 per share range within five years if the global economy experiences a “normal” recovery cycle. Caterpillar has also implemented plans to generate annual profits of $2.50 per share during future recessionary conditions and its ability to generate significant cash flow has been outlined. Caterpillar’s 2009 outlook for sales and revenues has been reaffirmed in a range of $32 to $36 billion with a 2009 profit range of $0.40 to $1.50 per share including redundancy costs of about $0.75 per share for the year.

“We believe a recovery will come and that Caterpillar will benefit from the world’s need for the products we make,” said Owens. “In the last eight months, Team Caterpillar has demonstrated remarkable agility as we responded to rapid changes in the global economy. Looking forward, there is far too much uncertainty to know when the global economy will turn toward robust positive growth, but no matter what happens, Caterpillar has the people, products, dealer support and strategies to prosper and to support our customers as they make sustainable progress possible in every region of the world.”

Cat chairman and CEO Jim Owens discussed the future, reviewing inventory reduction and cost

management initiatives and outlining the growth of service related businesses and the support they

provide through this depressed business cycle.

A few years ago, progressive contractors had a mantra: You can’t ex-pect to meet the challenges of today with yesterday’s tools and expect to be in business tomorrow. Such aggressive tactics can be a good thing, but they can also be a brazen method in uncertain markets. Today, smart companies are heeding another philosophical approach to business — longevity is due to good timing.

It’s a point of fact that sometimes yesterday’s tools are all we have access to, but that doesn’t mean you have to give notice, pack up your equipment and go home. A well thought out and executed plan can give a company, a crew and their machinery the staying power to construct a long-lasting business. By utilizing the machines you have right now in your fleet, your company can manage old assets into new advantages.

To employ such a reliable fl eet of used construction equipment, mainte-nance will need to become a company-wide priority. Engines, tires, hydraulic hoses, fi lters, fans, oils, greases, fuels — all of these systems, parts and supplies must be checked, protected and preserved to keep the corporate machine running. So in this issue of Compact Equipment, we’ve compiled a catalogue of articles that deal with maintenance and longevity tips for owners of small machinery. Clever companies know when to buy new and they know when to maintain. If your business is in a hold pattern when it comes to purchasing replacement machines, read this roster of repair and support articles to keep your equipment rolling onto jobsites throughout 2009 and beyond.

Keith Gribbins is managing editor of Compact Equipment, based in Peninsula, Ohio.

Preserve & ProtectEnsure Equipment Lasts the Long Haul with These Smart Support and Repair Articles By Keith Gribbins


Make a Tired Diesel Run Like NewSimple Engine Maintenance Tips Lead to Trouble-Free Operation By Nathan L. Huss

Diesel engines are the backbone of any piece of compact equipment, and ensuring they’re maintained properly will keep them operating like new. Engines that are smoking, running rough, misfi ring, hard-starting, consuming excessive fuel or are just not performing up to expectations can oftentimes be fi xed by performing routine preventive maintenance.

“No matter what size of equipment you own, it’s extremely important that your engine is well-maintained for top performance, so paying attention to your engine’s fuel, lubrication, air fi ltration and cooling systems will help to provide a long service life,” says Paul Schmitt, aftermarket sales manager with John Deere Power Systems, manufacturer of industrial and marine diesel engines and drivetrain components.

Fuel SystemMaintaining an uncontaminated fuel fl ow is critical to

ensure the proper operation of your diesel engine. When performing fuel system maintenance, remember to clean the fuel tank cap/vent and ensure the cap is functioning and venting properly.

Check for water and sediment in the fuel. Inspect the fuel fi lter daily and drain the water as required. If water is present, treat the fuel tank with a biocide to clean any microbial growth that may be present. And don’t forget to check your outside storage tanks.

Check for bent, kinked or dented supply or return lines that might cause a restriction. Above all, use quality fuel. Fuel contaminated with water, sediment and debris is the greatest cause of fuel injection system failures.

“Today’s high-pressure, common-rail fuel systems are much more sensitive to fuel chemistry than previous fuel systems,” says Schmitt. “John Deere recommends the use of specifi cally designed fuel conditioners that will prevent hard deposit formations on injectors and will help to increase engine performance.”

Engine OilLubricants are critical in protecting vital engine com-

ponents. Following the compact equipment manufactur-ers’ lubricant and change interval recommendations and using high-quality lubricants can protect machinery and help it run better.

“Lubricants are formulated to meet the demands of specifi c types of engines and their operating conditions, and heavy-duty diesel engines are no different,” Schmitt says. “Using quality oils and fi lters specifi cally designated by your diesel engine manufacturer can extend the life of your engine.”

Unfortunately, all lubricants gradually lose effective-ness during operation due to chemical and physical changes in the lubricant. The deterioration process is accelerated by contaminants from external and internal sources. More frequent changes are recommended when operating in extreme environments such as very hot or

dusty conditions. Using high-sulfur fuels in diesel en-gines will also reduce the useful life of the engine oil.

Air Filtration SystemMaking sure your engine receives an unrestricted fl ow

of clean air is imperative for proper operation. Therefore, it is important to:1. Inspect the entire air-intake system for openings that

could draw in unfi ltered air (loose clamps, cracked hoses, etc.).

2. Using the correct replacement fi lter is critical. Contaminated air bypassing the fi lter seal is a common cause of premature engine failure.

Cooling SystemDrain and fl ush the engine’s cooling system and refi ll

with fresh coolant at the recommended intervals found in the operator’s manual.

Also, make sure to:1. Routinely inspect the cooling system for any signs of

corrosion, debris or physical damage.2. Replace radiator hoses that are cracked, soft or

swollen.3. Check for bent radiator fi ns and straighten as needed.4. Inspect the fan blades for damage and the fan belts for

excessive wear or slippage. Replace as needed.

Nathan L. Huss is a technical writer for Two Rivers Marketing, based in Des Moines, Iowa.

The heart of your machinery is the diesel engine. Its lifeblood is oil. So use quality oils to extend the life of your power plant.

Another One Bites the DustNew or Old — Your Engine Needs to Breathe — So Focus on Dust Control By Clint Schroer

As all compact equipment operators and maintenance managers are aware, proper maintenance of equipment leads to a longer useful life. They also recognize that this maintenance includes the entire piece of equipment, including subsystems such as the air and fuel system on the diesel engine.

Proper maintenance of the air system is essential to longer engine life. If not maintained at regular intervals, dust can enter an engine and cause extensive damage and even failure. Diesel engine manufacturers produced literature as early as the 1950s to help explain how dust ingestion impacts the life of an engine. As diesel technology has changed, the impact of dust on an engine remains the same. Engines could not tolerate dust 50 years ago, and they still cannot tolerate it today, as upward of 150 gal of air per second passes through heavy-duty diesel engines.

What Is a Dust Out?A “dust out” is the ingestion of hard particles into the

engine that leads to rapid wear of the power cylinder components. The particles that enter the engine and accelerate ring and liner wear come in multiple forms, including: Silicon Oxide (sand or dirt particles) or Aluminum Oxide (aluminum particles). Both of these particles are much harder than the power cylinder components (pistons, rings and liner). The dust particles can range in size from 2 microns to grains of sand, all the way up to small rocks, and as little as 2 oz of dust can severely impact expected engine life. This dirt or dust that is ingested into the engine does not exit out the exhaust; it is embedded into the softer components such as liners and piston ring lands.

The softer material, pistons and liners, allow the dust particles to become embedded and act as a carrier for the abrasive materials. When the abrasive material becomes embedded in the piston ring, it begins to wear the bottom side of the piston ring creating ring wear, ring fl utter and consequential breakage. This dust damage is magnifi ed as an engine is operating at 1,400 rpms; the ring passes over the dust particles embedded in the liner 2,800 times per minute.

Air System Components

Components that are affected by dust include:

1. Air Filter Housing 2. Air Filter 3. Intake Piping (Suction and Pressure Side) 4. Charge Air Cooler 5. Turbocharger 6. Engine Intake Manifold 7. Cylinder Head 8. Power Cylinder Components (Piston, Rings and

Liners) 9. Air Compressor

Root Causes of “Dusting”Three things cause “dusting.” First are incorrect main-

tenance procedures to clean your air fi lters. This includes washing the fi lter, cleaning fi lters with air, shaking a fi lter to dislodge dirt, using an excessive change interval, blow-ing out the empty air fi lter housing with air and allowing an open air system to sit open in unsatisfactory condi-

tions. Due to these incorrect procedures, engine and fi lter manufacturers do not recommend any type of air fi lter cleaning. The second cause is assembly quality such as in-correct clamp torque, clamp placements and pipe align-ments. The last cause is incorrect equipment repairs over time including replaced parts due to maintenance.

MaintenanceTo avoid repeating dust out failures, clean the air fi lter

housing with a damp cloth once the fi lter has been re-moved. Do not reuse a fi lter once it has been removed from the housing and do not attempt to clean fi lters by hit-ting them against the tire or blowing them out with shop air. Complete the important daily intake system checks by looking for loose or missing clamps and checking the contact between the intake system and other equipment components such as cracked pipes and fi lter minders.

For more questions reference your engine manual under air fi lter maintenance guidelines and understand your air fi lter change instructions, as well as your intake system maintenance guidelines.

Clint Schroer is the off-highway communications manager for Cummins Inc., based in Columbus, Ind.


Three things cause “dusting.” First are incorrect maintenance procedures to clean your air fi lters. The second cause is assembly

quality such as incorrect clamp torque, clamp placements and pipe alignments. The last cause is incorrect equipment repairs

over time including replaced parts due to maintenance.

Air SupplyMaintain Proper Tire Pressure and Enhance Your Tractor Investment By Michael Burroughes




Nobody likes experiencing a flat tire in a great economy. But when times are tough and re-pair costs are high, it hurts even more. Now, more than ever, tractor owners need to do everything possible to ensure that their tires deliver their full service life.

“One thing we do at Michelin is try to help cus-tomers get the maximum potential out of their equipment, and that means running their tires at the proper air pressure at all times,” says Bob Rees, marketing product manager for Michelin North America Agricultural Tires.

Air pressure maintenance is crucial for several rea-sons, Rees emphasizes. It’s quick and easy to check and maintain, and it’s the simplest way to extend the life of your tire. First, a properly infl ated tire helps prevent damage over the road, in the fi eld or on a jobsite. Over-infl ated tires wear on the shoul-ders, while under-infl ated tires wear on the inside and can be more prone to puncture, Rees says.

Second, today’s larger farms require larger, more powerful equipment. But heavier equipment re-quires technologically advanced tires that can dis-tribute the weight of the large equipment evenly in order to reduce soil compaction. Tire companies do this by engineering tires to carry weight at air pres-sures as low as 6 to 8 psi, Rees says, and when a tire has pressure that low, even a little change in pres-sure can be problematic.

“If you want to run the very low air pressures to get that maximum performance, keep your eye on those air pressures. Check them probably once a week, particularly as temperatures change,” Rees says. “Because temperature changes of 10 degrees can give one psi difference in the tires, and when you’re only running at 6 or 8 psi, that’s pretty significant.”

Third, maintaining proper air pressure will help you reap benefits in equipment performance by improving traction and fuel efficiency regardless of task and reducing soil compaction in agricul-tural operations. Taking a few moments to check your tire pressure routinely can help your business significantly.

“Always check your pressures in the mornings, when it’s the coolest part of the day. Make sure there’s no debris or damage in the rim area. Make sure there’s no cut of any signifi cance in the sidewall. Make sure there’s no damage in the tread area that may become a problem,” Rees says. “Pay attention to your tires and you’ll enhance your return on your investment in this very important piece of equipment.”

Michael Burroughes is the director of marketing for Mi-chelin North America Agricultural Tires, based in Green-ville, S.C.

Your tires deliver the power from your expensive equipment to the ground, so it only makes sense to ensure that your tires operate at peak performance.

Maintain your tractor tires like a pro with these clever tips.

With today’s recovering economy, many savvy contrac-tors are holding onto equipment longer in an effort to maximize the value of their investment. Inevitably, with their extended hours of operation, these machines will wear down and likely require major repairs. The questions are: When you’re already trying to manage your costs, how much do you really want to invest in an aging machine? And how long can you expect those repairs to last?

For situations like this, a rebuilt part can offer a nice alter-native to purchasing new original equipment (OE). Rebuilds are a more budget-friendly option — but only if the repair can hold up. After all, the goal is to extend the time of these older machines in the fi eld, not in the shop. The difference is all about the process. Remanufacturing (also known as Reman) is an extremely thorough process where used parts are disassembled, cleaned, meticulously examined, restored and tested against original specifi cations to deliver like-new performance. When compared against most rebuild prac-tices, the difference in quality is easy to see.

For example, with most rebuilds, parts are only disassem-bled to the point of failure and then, only the failed part is replaced. Yet problems stemming from a failed part can often impact surrounding parts. To avoid future problems, you need to address every component. With Reman, parts are completely disassembled and each and every compo-nent is checked against strict OE specifi cations. Any failed parts are refurbished and machined to like-new quality or replaced with 100 percent genuine OE parts where neces-sary. As an added bonus, the Reman process updates early generation parts (whenever possible) to the latest engineer-ing specifi cations resulting in a repair that can actually im-

prove the performance of older equipment. Little perks like this can also help to increase the resale value of your machines when choosing Reman over rebuilds.

It’s worth noting the risk of choosing a rebuild or re-pair instead of Reman. These processes depend on reverse-engineered data and may use parts with differing quality and makeup. These slight differences attempting to work together in your machine can lead to premature failure. Due to the immense stress of construction equipment’s in-ner workings, parts demand exact engineering to perform to the levels as designed by the manufacturer. A seemingly minor difference in machining can lead to major prob-lems when put under a heavy load.

But without a doubt, one of the most convincing reasons to choose remanufactured parts from your equipments’ manufacturer over rebuilds is the warranty coverage. Most repairs and rebuilds only offer limited warranties and only on the repaired part. On the other hand, because Reman parts are tested and built to operate like OE parts, they typically offer “same-as-new” coverage.

Whatever option you decide to go with when you need a repair, consider the benefi ts of using a certifi ed OE dealer to do it. Their mechanics have been: trained on the products; they have the right diagnostic and special tools required to do the job; they have access to all the latest repair and service information; and they can typi-cally complete the repair in less time than a mechanic that isn’t certifi ed to work on the machine.

Jamie Collins is the marketing manager for service repair parts at CNH Parts & Service, based in Racine, Wis.

Rethink RebuildReman Parts Offer an Alternative to Buying New Replacement Components By Jamie Collins


CNH offers equivalent or better-than-new warranty options on all reman parts. This extended coverage is exactly what heavily used machines need.



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These days, users of diesel-pow-ered compact equipment increasing-ly fi nd themselves caught between the rock of ever more stringent emission requirements and a very hard place where recession-dimin-ished cash fl ows meet steadily rising operating, maintenance, repair and replacement costs. In this environ-ment, it makes good economic sense to keep existing legacy engines oper-ating as long as possible, and the use of remanufactured components, is a key strategy for reaching that goal.

In its most basic form, remanu-facturing takes a used component and returns it to original or better specifi cations. This often means a re-manufactured component will outperform an original component because the remanufactured parts meet cur-rent specifi cations that did not exist when the original was produced.

That is an important consider-ation for emission-sensitive compo-nents. With legislative requirements changing every few years, remanufac-turing will provide one of the few cost-effective sources for the offi cially “ob-solete” parts users will need to keep their existing engines running.

Better yet, remanufactured compo-nents typically cost 60 to 70 percent as much as a new one and carry a comparable warranty. The cost advan-tage comes mainly from the fact that remanufacturing routinely recovers about 70 percent of the material and

85 percent of the energy used in producing a new com-ponent. It is essentially a no-waste recycling process that benefi ts both the user and the environment.

Andrew Wright is a Power Exchange Product Group manager for Perkins Engines, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom.

Refurbished EnginesRemanufactured Components Have a Strategic Advantage for Diesel Power Plants By Andrew Wright

A re-manufactured Perkins 1106 long block diesel engine with protective top cover and sump.

Catalogue Your EquipmentFleet Management Systems Help Transition Inventory of Old into Streamlined Success By Jason Morgan

Areas that represent the biggest impact to the bottom line should almost always take priority for a construction company, and fl eet management software can help contractors focus on ways to save and earn more money. The fi rst step toward implementing a fl eet management system is to thoroughly assess the current operations and identify those areas in need of improvement. From this assessment, a list of requirements pertinent to selecting a solution that will solve the contractor’s challenges and reduce operating costs will come to light. Second, it must be understood that fl eet managers

and their staff will likely have to change their current processes somewhat. Too often contractors look for fl eet management software that exactly mirrors their current processes. If their current processes are that good, then there is no need for a new system.Next, a staff member needs to be made the owner of

the fl eet management system with that person becoming an expert on its uses. This individual will be responsible for training others and developing new uses. Finally, the contractor needs to establish the key measurable opera-tional aspects and continually monitor how effective the staff is in controlling those measures.

“It’s not fl eet management software that requires a dedicated fl eet manager; it’s the nature of the fl eet and the information that needs to be processed that requires a dedicated fl eet manager,” says Steve McGough, COO for HCSS (a software developer for infrastructure, heavy/highway and utility contractors). “Software is a tool that should be used to solve your business problems, if you cannot process all the information currently, you need software to help.”

There are a couple ways for a contractor to unify the fl eet: 1) Install common technology on each unit in the fl eet. So if you have an aftermarket system, it’s easiest to install that hardware on the new or new-to-you machines. 2) Extract common data points from the different systems and unify the data within an enterprise business system. This would be additional software that works in tandem with the existing fl eet management software. Before choosing a costly and time consuming solution, it’s best to talk with your existing fl eet management service provider beforehand. They can offer advice and guidance on how to go about uniting your fl eet.

“It has been diffi cult for fl eet managers to unify their fl eets,” says McGough. “There are some partnerships out there between equipment and service providers, but there are only one or two companies who share that information with others. The ideal solution would be to have a fl eet management solution that integrates all your different manufactures into one system automatically for you. If that is not possible, having the ability to export information from the hardware manufacturer and importing it into the fl eet management software is the next best choice. If either of those in not possible, the fl eet manager is stuck with managing the fl eet across the various systems.”

The benefi ts of fl eet management software greatly outweigh the upfront intimidation of new technology. The plethora of new fl eet management software — offered by aftermarket gurus like Borg Solutions, Topcon, HCSS, Intergis, Earthwave Technologies and DPL America, as well as OEMs like Komatsu, Caterpillar and John Deere — doesn’t replace the staff fl eet manager. For a fl eet manager looking to improve effi ciency and increase productivity (and who isn’t in today’s economic market?), fl eet management software provides the tools to do so.

“I think the best question that can be asked of a fl eet manager is how they measure and control operating ex-penses,” says Lance Massey, director of Channel Manage-ment for Borg Solutions. “This will quickly demonstrate to a contractor those managers who truly understand the impact fl eet operating costs have on the bottom line and those who simply are minding the store.”

In addition to the machine operation, GPS tracking can be employed to keep an eye on where your machine is, in addition to what it’s doing. Using geofencing, or geozones, allows the fl eet manager to set up invisible fences that confi ne your equipment. Using the fl eet management system’s software (either hard disk-installed or Web-based), a square or circle, depending on the system, perimeter will be set and alerts will be sent when the equipment leaves that defi ned area. It allows a fl eet manager to monitor when equipment is on or off the job. This in turn, allows for analysis of material deliveries, routes and use of equipment on the job accurately. Not to mention the ability to set up alerts if the machine leaves a designated area in the case of a theft.

When all is said and done, you’ll have made a signifi cant fl eet management investment. Some service providers offer monthly subscriptions — ranging from $10 per month to annual subscriptions of $360 per year, depending on fea-tures, account preferences, etc. Then there’s the hardware cost for the physical GPS units, which is generally a one-time payment of $200 to $800 per unit, depending on how advanced a system you’d like.

Jason Morgan is an associate editor of Compact Equipment, based in Peninsula, Ohio.


Fleet management technology helps managers prioritize. Understanding simple standards and providing reports on usage and expenses can reveal a lot of crucial

information. After analyzing these reports, a fleet manager should scrutinize individual units as needed.


Back in the day — actually not very far back — a fl eet management system consisted of a person, a calculator, a spreadsheet, a lot of phone calls and a lot of guesswork. Preventive maintenance was determined by less practical reasons such as work schedules. Mistakes were common and things got missed. End result was often a piece of equipment that needed substantial repair.

With today’s economy, companies don’t have a lot of room for ineffi ciency. If one machine breaks down on a job, that job’s profi t is gone. Companies fi nd it necessary to maintain and sometimes extend the life of older equipment. Implementing software-based fl eet management systems allows fl eet managers to track and provide real-time data on the equipment used in the fi eld, thus improving the longevity of its fl eet.

“We had clients coming back to us asking about equipment lifecycle and replacement cycles,” says Tim Worman, product manager of commercial vehicles for Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. (IMT). “We saw a need to develop a system where our clients could keep track of how much money they were spending on older vehicles.”

IMT manufactures mechanics and lube trucks, as well as articulating and telescopic cranes. To address the needs of its customers, IMT developed the ValuePlus Fleet Management (VPFM) program, a Web-based application that conveniently helps customers keep track of vehicle and equipment component performance.

BenefitsGPS technology can monitor all equipment vehicles

used in the fi eld. These programs capture all the impor-tant cost and usage data fl eet managers need to reduce operating expenses, maximize vehicle and equipment component use and develop effi cient replacement cycles.

From a computer, fl eet managers can see vital infor-mation on a vehicle, including hours and method of use, mileage and vehicle location.

“The beauty of these systems is that they treat each piece of equipment differently based on many factors,” says Worman. “Maintenance and parts replacement schedules can be determined by the type of application and environment the equipment is used in.”

Productivity increases when fl eet management systems are integrated. Fleet managers and dispatchers can see what vehicles are in service during the day and can quickly respond to business needs. This can turn around profi ts almost immediately.

Theft PreventionEquipment theft is an all too common problem on

construction jobsites. It is estimated that $1 billion worth of construction equipment is stolen each year. Since most fleet management systems use GPS, a secondary benefit can be theft prevention, either theft of an entire vehicle or a component on the vehicle.

Making Decisions Based on Consistent DataFleet management systems cannot replace human

ingenuity and know-how. Fleet management systems merely provide fl eet managers with the right infor-mation and tools to make the best decisions for their company.

“The fi rst thing a fl eet manager should do is compare the expense vs. utilization reports between units across the fl eet,” says Worman. “This is a great tool for fi nding the best and least performing units in the fl eet and making operational changes accordingly.”

Dawn Buzynski is a technical writer for Two Rivers Marketing, based in Des Moines, Iowa.


Asset ManagementFleet Management Systems Protect Your Bottom Line By Dawn Buzynski

With a software

like IMT’s ValuePlus

Fleet Management,

customers can receive

notices of preventive

maintenance

schedules based

on usage and can

compare their

vehicle’s performance

to that of similar

vehicles worldwide.



Keeping a Close EyeMinimize Hydraulic Hose Failure with a Top to Bottom Tube Inspection Compiled by CE Staff

The life of a mini excavator’s hydraulic hose is a gru-eling existence. Hydraulic hoses are the veins for your compact machine’s hydraulic system, powering every-thing from its arm to its attachments. Like our own cir-culatory system they work in a harsh and unseen envi-ronment and are often left neglected.

Even more so on compact equipment that is designed to work in cramped quarters where space is an issue, which often means that the hydraulic systems on a machine like a mini excavator are smaller with little component parts fi tted into an even tinier serviceable areas. Just like regu-larly checking the lubricant level or the grease points on your mini ex, mechanics and operators need to occasion-ally eyeball the unit’s hydraulic hose system as well, in-specting for abrasion, wear, tear and site damage.

Hydraulic hose failure on any piece of equipment can bring it to a standstill in seconds and can take a long time to repair. A quick visual inspection of the high-pressure hoses on your equipment before it is dispatched to a jobsite or before it gets rented out can save a lot of headaches and downtime.

To reduce the downtime on site of your fl eet of mini excavators and other equipment, you can take some ba-sic steps before the equipment leaves your facility. First off, carry out a visual inspection of the exposed hoses on your equipment and get the damaged or worn ones replaced before they leave your facility. If you can easily see these hoses they are the ones that are most likely to be damaged externally and are the ones most susceptible to wear.

Identifying Hose FailuresThere are six common hose failure scenarios. Once

identifi ed, the solutions for repair are straightforward.

1. Abrasion: The hose has failed with clear signs of rubbing on the outer cover.Solution: Check to see if the hose can be re-routed. Use clamps to hold the hose or use a hose guard on the replacement hose as additional protection.

2. Excessive Heat: The hose cover and/or the inner tube are brittle to the touch and have a cracked appearance. The hose is not fl exible at room temperature.Solution: Choose a hose that has the correct tempera-ture rating for the application and provide additional protection with heat shields or fi re jackets.

3. Excessive Pressure: The hose has burst cleanly with no ran-dom wire breakage or cover abrasion.Solution: Verify the system operating pressure and correct setting. Choose a hose that meets or exceeds the pressure rating for the application.

4. End-Fitting Blown Off: The end-fi tting has blown off the hose either with or without the ferrule, with no other external damage evident.Solution: Ensure the correct assembly procedures have been followed. Refer to your product’s catalogue for guidelines. Ensure that only the correct parts have been used and never mix components from different manufacturers.

5. End-Fitting Broken Off: The fi tting has broken off leav-ing some or all of the fi tting tail inside the inner tube and the ferrule still attached.Solution: The fi tting has broken off due to outside in-fl uence. Try to identify the source of this outside dam-age and eliminate by re-routing the hose or correctly routing the hose in the case of a poor previous repair. Always re-use any brackets that are provided by the manufacturer.

6. Incompatible Fluid: The inner tube is deteriorated, swollen and the outer cover may be peeling off.Solution: Establish the correct hose for this applica-tion, referring to the chemical compatibility chart for guidance.


To understand the proper hose and fi tting assembly on your mini excavator, use the STAMP method. STAMP is an industry acronym for Size, Temperature, Application, Media and Pressure — knowing each

will help you select the right hose or fi tting for your application.

Don’t Mix and MatchHydraulic Hoses and Fittings Should Come from the Same Manufacturer By Doug Honig

cal distributor or to the manufacturer directly. To best alleviate concerns, however, choose a single manufac-turer for all your hose assembly needs.

Doug Honig is the marketing services manager for Parker Han-nifi n Corp.’s Hose Products Division, based in Wickliffe, Ohio.

Replacing a hydraulic hose on a backhoe, trac-tor or mini excavator might seem like a small job. However, big problems — and big costs — can result when the wrong components are used to make the new assembly. The safest assemblies are made with hoses, fi ttings and crimping equipment from the same manufacturer. It is an unsafe practice to mix and match components from different manufactur-ers. Doing so can increase the risk of assembly fail-ure, including pinhole leaks — the result of which can be a life-threatening injection injury. Compo-nents from different manufacturers should never be combined to create hose assemblies except in rare instances when both manufacturers have approved the exception in writing.

A common misconception is that fi ttings that look the same will perform the same. The truth is that fi ttings that look alike may perform quite different-ly. Manufacturers specifi cally design and test their components to work together. Another misconcep-tion is that all crimping machines are the same — as long as the crimp looks good and is close to the recommended diameter, the hose assembly will be safe. The truth is that a manufacturer’s crimp speci-fi cations rarely, if ever, support a different manufac-turer’s hose and fi tting combinations. When making a hose assembly, only use a crimping machine that has been approved by the manufacturer of the hose and fi tting.

Taking time to identify the right parts is the best way to avoid using the wrong ones. Generic “knock-off” hoses and fi ttings have become more prevalent in recent years. Laylines on hoses and stampings on fi ttings designate, among other things, type, size, working pressure, age and manufacturer. Never use a hose or fi tting of unknown origin as its quality could be suspect.

Remember, hoses and fittings have been de-signed, manufactured and tested to work together for a reason — ignoring this guidance can put your employees in harm’s way. Besides injection injury, the possible consequences of hose failure include the fitting blowing off, violently “whipping” hoses, ignition of sprayed flammable fluids and suddenly moving or falling objects otherwise held static by fluid pressure.

For business owners, the high cost of hose failure can include down time, medical bills, increased insurance premiums and equipment repair and replacement as well as contamination cleanup, EPA fees, OSHA penal-ties and — in some cases — litigation. Taking care not to mix and match components is one way for contrac-tors to avoid these expenses. Establishing a replace-ment schedule for aging hoses is another.

Questions about hose, fi tting and crimper compat-ibility should be addressed to the manufacturer’s lo-

Fittings can become dangerous projectiles when blown off at high pressures.





Did you know that as much as 25 percent of the origi-nal purchase price of a compact dozer is spent on the un-dercarriage? And that nearly half of all the money spent on maintaining a compact crawler during its lifetime is spent on the undercarriage? With the undercarriage being such a major portion of the owning and operating costs of a machine, proper care isn’t only wise, it’s necessary in order to maximize your return on investment.

When operating dozers, environmental and human factors are highly variable, making undercarriage wear nearly impossible to predict. However, by taking your machines in for regular maintenance inspections and understanding the factors that cause wear on under-carriages, you can combat that unpredictability. And for every wise contractor interested in maximizing the lifespan and productivity of their machines, that’s an important lesson to learn.

Maintenance FactorsTrust the pros. Nobody knows a machine better than

the manufacturer. Always choose the professionals at your local dealership for inspections. They have the knowledge, tools and experience to effi ciently and thor-oughly identify and address any potential problems. When a repair is needed, they’ve got the best parts to get the job done right.

1. Name Brand Components — With the undercarriage being such a critical component of a machine’s performance, never compromise on quality with generic repair or replacement parts. Unusual and unnecessary wear will occur with “will fi t” components that aren’t engineered specifi cally for your machine.

2. Repair Balance — If possible, don’t unevenly mix new and old components. The new components will quickly wear to match the worn profi le of the older components.

3. Cleanliness — Materials that pack on and around un-dercarriage components cause unusual and unneces-sary wear, especially if they are abrasive. Clean tracks as needed with a shovel and hose or pressure washer — it’s worth the effort.

Confi guration ConsiderationsKeep in mind that at the time of machine purchase some

confi guration decisions such as track gauge and pitch are fi xed and cannot easily be altered. Other confi gurations should be considered to ensure you’re not putting undue stress on the undercarriage.

1. Track Tension — Track tension is the primary curable cause of unnecessary track wear. Tight tracks put undo stress on all components. Check track tension at least once a shift — more often if the materials change or get wet and begin packing.

2. Track Shoe Width — This is important! Use the narrowest shoe available that will still allow the shoe plates to stay above ground (i.e., fl otation).

3. Rock Guards — Guards protect the track from material getting in between components. These are best for dri-er, rocky conditions but shouldn’t be used in situations with severe material packing.

4. Sprocket Types — Relieved sprockets wear best in severe packing conditions.

Operational FactorsEquipment operation is the most controllable way to

minimize the rate of undercarriage wear. Though every operator and jobsite is different, there are basic opera-tional habits that can be addressed that will have a major impact on extending undercarriage life.

1. Tight Turns — Tight turns put torsional loads on the un-

dercarriage. Avoid them if possible or at least alternate turning left and right.

2. Speed — Wear increases dramatically as machine speed increases. The savings in undercarriage life more than make up for the added time it takes to arrive.

3. Reverse Operation — Conventional tracks will suffer three times the wear in reverse as they will in forward.

4. Track Spinning — Never spin the tracks. There is no pro-ductivity gain to offset the wear incurred.

5. Ripping — Ripping puts stress on a machine in the op-posite direction from that of dozing. To minimize wear, alternate ripping and dozing within each cycle.

6. Slot/Crown Operation — Working in a slot is like travel-ing in a U-shaped trench. Crowns are the opposite of slots but the wear is similar. Stress is put unevenly on each track shoe. Minimize both these types of wear by swapping chains from side to side during maintenance inspections and fl ipping rollers 180 degrees.

By understanding what causes wear on your undercar-riage, you can learn how to reduce wear and increase un-dercarriage lifespan thereby lowering your operating costs and boosting the overall productivity of your equipment.

Larry Kapellusch is product marketing manager of CE Compo-nents for CNH Parts & Service, based in Racine, Wis.

Shake, Rattle and RollExtend Your Dozer Days by Extending the Life of the Undercarriage By Larry Kapellusch

Small dozers are made for close quarters, but it’s still best to take wide turns. Tight turns put torsional loads on the undercarriage.

Avoid them if possible or at least alternate turning left and right.

A compact track loader and its dedicated track undercarriage are built to plow through tough ground conditions. Spend most of the day covered in dirt and mud and even the toughest track undercarriage will need more than a little maintenance. While there are many parts and pieces to an undercarriage, a popular component that is often missed is the outer sprocket sleeve tubes, which are located in the sprocket cage above the idler and bogie wheel frame. The following article deals with outer sprocket sleeve tubes specifi cally for Caterpillar and Terex/ASV compact track loaders.

Drive Roller CheckWith your hand, grab a drive roller that is not in

contact with the track. Cock the roller cross ways, if you see a gap of 3/16-in. or greater, replacement should be considered.

Why replace? Drive lug failure or drive roller retaining bolt failure could occur. As the drive rollers wear, the space or slot between them create a shock load to the retaining bolt. At high speed travel, the roller slaps the lugs instead of a smooth impact. If you are breaking drive roller retaining bolts, this is a likely cause. In extreme cases of wear, the rollers will become out of time with the lugs, also breaking retaining bolts for the drive rollers and drive lugs.

Drive Cage Roller Replacement TipsYou can change the drive roller and/or bolts in about

30 minutes per side or less with two people. Raise one track off the surface 6 in. or more, open the rear engine door and raise the cab. Turn the drive roller retaining bolt

from 9 to 11 o’clock. Remove the nut and tap the bolt toward the body of the machine. Using a marker, draw a circle around the head of the bolt; you are preparing to drill a 1-in. hole.

Inspect the inner side of the body for wiring or hydraulic lines; if all looks clear, drill a 1/4-in. hole. Shine a light on the hole from the outside and take another look inside. If there are no clearance problems, drill a 1-in. hole. The hard part is now done. Loosen all drive roller bolts and have a helper start the engine and rotate the tracks slowly. Line up the head of the bolt with the hole and slide the bolt back into this hole. Install new rollers and slide the bolt back through. Install the nut hand tight. When all is replaced then torque all bolts to the machine’s specifi cation. (Please refer to you owner’s manual.)

Drive Roller Outer and Inner Flange Inspection

Inspect the wear at the inner and outer rings, specifi cally where the drive roller and bolts are. At the outside edges, if worn, more than 50 percent of the wheel thickness, the bolts may rip out. One solution without having to remove the track is to take a welder and build up this area about 3/16-in. thick or back to its original thickness and about 1 in. on each side of the bolt. Note: If you are using composite, outer sprocket sleeves as shown in the picture, remove them before you start to weld.

Larry Bair is the president and inventor for Bair Products Inc., based in Louisburg, Kan.

As the drive

rollers wear, the

space or slot

between them

create a shock

load to the

retaining bolt. At

high speed travel,

the roller slaps

the lugs instead

of a smooth

impact. If you are

breaking drive

roller retaining

bolts, this is a

likely cause.


The Roller DerbyCompact Track Loader Undercarriage Service for Outer Sprocket Sleeve Tubes By Larry Bair


So, you’re ready to equip a truck for snow and ice man-agement. You take a half-ton truck, install an 8-ft plow, throw on the largest spreader that will fi t in the truck bed, and you’re ready to start making money. What

else is there to consider? Actually, contractors have quite a few factors to keep in mind when they spec a truck and fi t it with snow and ice equipment. Unfortunately, many don’t put much thought into the process and, consequently, their trucks are taken to an early grave — or salvage yard.

Most contractors understand that it’s simply the nature of the beast for winter maintenance trucks to experience a shorter lifespan than a general-purpose landscaping truck. However, many don’t think that by adding too much weight, they accelerate the aging process of a vehicle and pose a safety hazard. Just as the human body ages more quickly with stress, trucks will wear rapidly if not adequately rated for the thousands of pounds that this equipment can add. But by taking several factors into consideration, contractors can choose proper equipment to extend the service life of their trucks, operate more safely and avoid giving the phrase “overhauling your truck” a different meaning.

Watching Your WeightImagine the weight that can be added to a vehicle through

new equipment. A 7.5-ft steel-bladed plow, for instance, may

add 850 lbs to the front end of a truck, which is already bur-dened by the weight of the engine. Even more, a spreader with a capacity of just 1 cu yd can weigh more than 1.5 tons when fully loaded. Additionally, if a liquid de-icing system is installed, an extra 10 lbs per gal is added to the weight of the vehicle. So a 200-gal tank fi lled with brine contributes another ton. That doesn’t even take into account the weight of the equipment itself.

By looking at the numbers, it’s easy to see why even the tough standards of today’s trucks can’t stand up to the abuse that some contractors put them through. However, some of the worst damage could be prevented if only the contractor didn’t overlook the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the truck. This number represents the maximum weight that a vehicle’s suspension can support (including the weight of fuel, passengers and the vehicle itself). It is typically labeled in the doorframe or under the hood of a truck, as well as stated in the owner’s manual. Possibly the most important factor in fi tting snow and ice equipment, the GVWR can literally make or break a truck.

Shedding Unnecessary PoundsFirst, let’s consider the snow and ice equipment. Contrac-

tors generally gravitate toward the largest equipment avail-able, assuming it will allow them to be more effi cient. Not

Make Sure Your Truck Can Handle the Stress of Winter Maintenance Equipment By Barry Truan

Putting on a FewPutting on a Few (1,000) Pounds (1,000) Pounds


helping the cause, salespeople often encourage the sale of larger equipment with higher profi t margins, especially if the product is already in their inventory. By ignoring the specs, it’s possible for a contractor to exceed his truck’s GVWR even before loading the hopper with salt. Let’s take a simple ex-ample of a three-quarter-ton truck:

GVWR of truck: 8,600 lbsWeight of truck (including fuel): 6,000 lbsWeight of operator: 200 lbs

By subtracting the weight of the truck and operator from the GVWR, the remaining capacity equals 2,400 lbs (assum-ing there are no other accessories to factor in). A large plow could subtract another 1,000 lbs from the GVWR, and after installing an 800-lb, 2-cu yd spreader, the contractor only has 600 more lbs to work with — certainly not enough to fi ll the spreader with material or add a sprayer.

To avoid such circumstances, contractors must think things through ahead of time. Especially with spreaders, they must consider the number, size and location of the accounts serviced before buying one. A few small accounts obviously don’t require the spreader capacity needed with multiple large commercial properties. Also, some may buy larger spreaders just so they can purchase their salt cheaper from a salt yard, rather than buying pallets of bagged ma-terials. However, if the salt yard is located on the other side of town from one’s accounts, the expense of driving to the yard may negate the material cost-savings. In this case, the contractor’s best option may be a smaller, lighter tailgate spreader, which he refi lls with bagged material stored in his own garage or shop.

In recent years, plow and spreader manufacturers have helped reduce weight concerns by constructing their equip-ment with durable, light-weight materials. For example, Lex-an, a material originally used in the visors of space helmets, has become a popular material in plows. Also, many contrac-tors are buying spreaders made of polyethylene, which can re-duce the empty weight of a spreader by as much as 40 percent when compared with a similar steel-constructed unit.

Furthermore, many contractors are complementing their spreaders with liquid tanks that allow them to perform pre-

wetting and anti-icing treatments. Of course, these tanks can add a lot of weight when fi lled with brine, but they’ll really wreak havoc on the truck if they don’t include baffl es. When a truck brakes, thousands of pounds of momentum from the liquid is still moving forward. If the tanks aren’t equipped with baffl es to diffuse the momentum, the result is a surge that puts extreme stress on the brakes and transmission, as well as the operator.

All Things ConsideredAfter matching equipment to a truck, several more acces-

sories can help a contractor operate safely and effi ciently. First, a contractor must ensure that the equipment is secured to the truck with proper hardware. For example, spreaders should be bolted to the truck bed and then tied down with ratchet straps for added safety. Contractors who fail to bolt a unit down literally risk losing their spreader off the back of the truck.

Next, the truck must be equipped with proper lighting. A caution light on the truck is needed when going out on any job, and when spreading or spraying, work lights help the operator see the application for increased accu-racy and safety. This also helps save money by reducing material waste.

To help prevent property or equipment damage, end markers will allow an operator to determine the edges of the plow blade. Also, if the spreader is equipped with a detach-able spinner, it should be removed when not in use to avoid damage from backing into objects.

Finally, the supplies that a contractor carries in the truck can be just as important as the equipment itself. Spare parts, such as hoses and couplers, should be kept handy for repairs that can be performed on the jobsite. Another useful item is a tow rope, which may not only help a contractor pull another car out of the snow, but may also get them out of a mess. These simple practices can save a contractor money since lost time equals lost business.

All things considered, fi tting a truck with winter main-tenance equipment requires careful thought from the con-tractor. Although manufacturers have made technological advances in reducing the weight of plows, spreaders and other accessories, this equipment still places substantial strain and thousands of pounds on a truck. Contractors must factor in GVWR to properly outfi t a truck and even further consideration is needed to set it up for safe op-eration. If people ignore the specifi cations, their winter maintenance trucks will experience shorter than normal service life. But if more thought is put into the outfi tting process, the trucks will spend more time making money and less time wasting it in the shop.

Barry Truan is a sales coordinator for TrynEx International, based in Warren, Mich.

There are many intricacies to prepar-ing your war wagon for a winter sea-son assault. Unfortunately, we can’t fi t all of that great info into the pages of the printed magazine. For more infor-mation about weight restrictions, out-fi tting advice and operational insights for truck snow plows, visiting us on the Web at www.ceunbound.com.

To help ease weight concerns, plow and spreader manufacturers have begun to construct equipment with lightweight,

yet still durable materials such as Lexan and polyethylene.


Winter Work Season Showcase Hiniker 10-ft Trip-Edge Plow

Hiniker Co. has added a pair of 1032 Series 10-ft plows to its line of high-perfor-mance trip-edge snowplows. Available in either electric/hydraulic or central hydrau-lic powered confi gurations, these plows are designed for use with trucks such as the GM 4500/5500 Series, the Ford F-450 and F-550 and the Dodge 4500/5500 Series.

The 32-in. tall moldboard utilizes a dent-resistant, corrosion-free plowing surface made of low-friction HDPE polyethylene. A top-mounted extruded polyethylene snow defl ector is included as standard equipment. The trip edges rotate on a 9 1/2-in. high pivot point for enhanced protection from surface obstacles. The trip hinges have been designed to eliminate any pinch points, assuring a full return after tripping. RS#50 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Worksaver Snow BladesWorksaver Inc. introduces new 9-ft Worksaver snow blades for skid steers (SBS-27108A) and

front loaders (SBFL-2708A) for snow removal in driveways, parking lots or other large areas. The new free fl oating blades feature 5-degree lateral oscillation, allowing the blade to follow ground contours, as well as a reinforced 27-in. high moldboard with a 3/8- by 6-in. cutting edge of 1044 steel, which fully angles right or left. Other standard features include extension trip springs for controlled break over in snow and adjustable depth skid shoes that rotate for long wear. A universal quick-attach mounting system is built into the skid steer models and offers easy access to the skid steer seat. Optional interfacing quick-attach brackets are avail-able for most tractor loader models. RS#52 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

EDGE Angle Broom by CE AttachmentsYou will be amazed at the ability of the EDGE angle broom for clearing anything from

dirt to snow. Designed for cleanup from driveways, sidewalks, parking lots and jobsites, materials like dirt, sand, leaves, wood chips and even snow sweep up quickly and effort-lessly with the EDGE angle broom. The broom features a single- or dual-motor direct drive brush sheltered inside the brush frame from debris contact, with 32-in. brush di-ameter for extended brush life. All brooms feature 50/50 poly/wire combo brush mate-rial and come complete with mount, hoses and fl at-faced couplers. They are available in widths ranging from 60 to 96 in. For true visibility and protection against fl ying debris, the EDGE angle broom features a 120-degree brush hood. RS#53 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Sims All-Weather CabsSims Cab Depot continues to improve customer relations with its newly designed cab series,

code named INDY CAB. It’s a further turn of the wheel in aftermarket cab development at Sims Cab Depot. This new style cab incorporates some new styling features while blending some of the better aspects of its Dakota cab and Yukon cab designs. The front A-posts of the cab are rigid sheet metal components, with an upper curved section to accept curved, tip-out windshields formerly only found on Dakota cabs. The other main benefi t of this design element is to im-prove the rigidity of this bolt-together style of cab. The sides, roof and rear cab sections are all bolt-together to help keep shipping costs down, while providing the best value to customers for fi t, form and function. RS#54 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Cub Cadet Yanmar Winter Hard CabsRealizing a tractor is only as versatile as its attachments; Cub Cadet Yanmar now offers

hard cab enclosures for all Ex units and the Sc2400, a snow blower for the Sc2400 and snow blades for its complete line of Ex units. All hard cabs come standard with features like windshield wipers, hard doors, soft rear panel, a vented front windshield and quick-detach doors. The cabs can also be fi tted with optional equipment like a 15,000-BTU heater, rear- and side view-mirrors, stereo mount, dome light, switch panel and overhead console. Designed for heavy snowfall, Cub Cadet Yanmar’s SB45 snowblower fi ts exclu-sively on the Sc2400 unit. RS#55 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.




NOTE: These defi nitions are specifi cally for snowplows that go on machinery — not trucks. Fit one of these hard-working snowplows or salt accessories to your skid steers, tractors, wheel loaders or compact track loaders and watch great winter work results.

1. Power V-Plow — The hydraulically-powered moldboards can be positioned in the V forward position as illustrated, V’ed back, straight or angled to windrow left or right. Some m a n u f a c t u r e r s offer a joystick controller to con-fi gure the plow with the touch of a button. V-Plows are available in a wide range of sizes for sidewalk appli-cations up to large

open areas like parking lots. A good brand (like Machin-ability’s V35 Series) will offer plows available in 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 ft. On the larger scale, V-plows are available in 10, 11, 12, 14 and 16-ft sizes.

2. Power Side Wing Plow —

Hydraulically-powered wings can rotate 180 degrees allowing you to transform your plow from a straight pusher to a pusher box plow or even a back drag plow with the push of a button. The hydraulic cylinders on the moldboard allow you to position the plow to windrow. You can even mount these plows onto smaller tractors or big wheel loaders. Some manufacturers have short 5-ft wings, which allow you to scoop under trailers and dock doors.

Massey Ferguson 1635 Tractor with MF1410 Snow BlowerNo drift will stand in your way when you choose a Massey Ferguson 1635 compact trac-

tor equipped with the MF1410 63-in.-wide front-mounted snow blower. With tough steel construction, a powerful 35.7-hp engine, four-wheel drive and choice of two easy-to-use transmissions topped by a warm and comfortable factory cab, Massey Ferguson tractors make snow removal a snap. Connecting the snow blower is effortless with a front quick hitch; it also allows you to raise and lower the hardworking MF1410 snow blower hy-draulically without leaving the seat. You’ll fi nd removing snow is more like playing in the snow with your Massey Ferguson. RS#56 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Power Trac Snow BlowersWhen it comes to moving snow, Power Trac tool carriers are great winter warriors. On Power

Trac snow blowers, each unit comes with a hydraulic control for the chute to allow you to move snow at either side. Power Trac snow blowers are two-stage units and are available in two differ-ent sizes, depending on the size of machine you have. The height of the intake opening is 32 in. Power Trac snow blowers can be adapted to fi t other machines as well. Power Trac has proven that heavy-duty, versatile equipment can also be turf friendly and a great value. With over 300 years combined experience in design and manufacturing of hydraulic equipment, Power Trac has the needed expertise to build high-quality machines and attachments. RS#57 For more infor-mation, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Honda HS928 Snow BlowerEquipped with a full range of innovative, groundbreaking features, this snow blower is easy to

start and consistently delivers smooth and reliable power. Every model in all four series of products, which range from light-weight to heavy-duty snowfi ghters, is designed to plow through even the heaviest snow. The HS928 employs a specially designed, heavy-duty, height-adjustable serrated auger to slice through icy snow build-up deposited by snowplows. The HS928 features: infi nitely vari-able speed control hydrostatic drivetrain; 28-in. clearing width; 20-in. clearing height; self-propelled wheel drive; and automatic decompression for easy starting A single lever accurately adjusts ground speed without affecting auger rotation speed. RS#58 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Basic TrainingThe Mini Dictionary to Compact Equipment Snow Plows and Accessories By Andrew Mason


3. Box Plow — This is an economical plow suited to push large volumes of snow with ease. They can be hooked to your bucket, or simply bolt on a quick coupler for any quick-attach system or skid steer mount on the mar-ket. These plow styles are usually available in 8-, 10-, 12-, 14- and 16-ft models. With replaceable bolt on wings and bolt on front braces, you can be rest assured that your plow will last you longer than conventional box plows.

4. Straight Plow with Trip Mold-

board — This is another economical plow suited for straight pushing and wind-rowing. The trip moldboard style of snowplow relieves impacts by pivoting the en-tire plow forward.

5. Straight Plow with Trip Edges — Typically used in sidewalk

applications, these hydraulically-powered blades can be run straight or angled for windrowing and running down sidewalks. Available in 5- and 6-ft sizes with tripping edg-es for protection against obstructions.

6. Extendable Plow — A rare, but extremely versatile plow that is capable of being confi gured to suit your needs on the fl y.

A joystick handle allows you to control all eight hydraulic cylinders to extend, angle and even independently guillo-tine the side plates. The plow can be windrowing and still keep the wings pointing in the di-rection of travel. When you ap-proach a laneway, guillotine the end plates closed to halt the fl ow of snow. Multiple sizes are available allowing you to alter the width of the plow from 8 to 14 ft or from 10 to 17 ft, which allows you to travel down narrower roadways.

7. Drop Salter — Standard three-point hitch drop salters are available in PTO-driven or hydrau-lically-driven versions. These simple and com-pact units are excellent for reliably depositing controlled amounts of salt. Manually adjust-able, spring steel ten-sioners allow you to control the deposition rate based on your application.

Andrew Mason is an engineer at Machinability Ltd., Oakville, Ontario, Canada.



When it comes to removing snow and ice from bridges, there are some places that large equipment just can’t get to or clear effi ciently such as pedestrian areas or along a bridge’s concrete walls and on boulevards. In these situations, com-pact equipment excels at snow removal in pedestrian areas and casting snow if storage is available in adjacent boulevards or right of ways. Compact equipment also excels in snow re-moval when no storage capacity exists in the median.

The best type of compact equipment for clearing snow on a bridge depends on the jobsite. If a pedestrian area on a bridge is narrow, a compact skid steer, such as the Bobcat S70 with a width of 36 in., will effi ciently remove the snow. For larger pedestrian areas or for casting or hauling snow, a large skid steer loader, say a Bobcat S330, can handle deep snowfalls.

The best attachment depends on the snow removal task at hand. A snow blade works the same as a snowplow mounted on a pickup or dump truck, with the benefi t that the com-pact machine gets the blade where the trucks can’t reach. Snow blades are used to move snow to the side. A snow V-

blade has the ability to push snow to one side or push snow to both sides at the same time. Pushing snow to both sides is benefi cial when snow storage capacity is limited.

Angle brooms are the best solution for light snowfalls to keep ice from forming on pedestrian areas. If ice or compacted snow has already formed in pedestrian areas, a scraper will break up the snow and ice to leave a smooth and clean surface.

Snow buckets have a higher back to push the snow and a large capacity to move large amounts of snow to either storage areas or to load on trucks. Snow pushers move large amounts of snow. Some snow pushers have a free-fl oating blade that protects surfaces such as pavers or decorative con-crete on pedestrian areas. The free-fl oating blade keeps the moldboard in contact with the surface to prevent materials from becoming damaged on uneven surfaces.

Snow blowers are effective for casting and hauling opera-tions. Compact loaders operate in shoulders and medians to allow traffi c fl ow to be unhindered. The snow blower can be used to make more space for new snow by casting it to

Bobcat HS8 Spreader AttachmentBobcat Co. now offers an 8-cu-ft spreader attachment for the speedy distribution of lawn

care products in the summer months and sand and salt in the winter. The HS8 is the fi rst spreader offered by Bobcat that is driven by the hydraulics of the loader, which makes it easier to install because the attachment does not need to be wired to the machine like electrically-driven models. The hydraulic fl ow of the loader controls the spinner and is controlled from the cab, giving the Bobcat HS8 a spread pattern from 18.4 to 28.4 ft. An optional sidewalk kit is available to compress the spread pattern to 29 or 37 in., depending on the mounting loca-tion of the kit. RS#59 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

DuraClass Sidewinder Material SpreadingDuraClass provides the versatile Sidewinder. The Sidewinder offers a solution for spreading

material during the winter months and operates as a standard dump body in warmer climates. The patented body sidewall, shaped into a continuous top rail, side and running board confi gu-ration, prevents potential moisture and freeze problems. A front-mounted, inverted telescopic hoist with hard chrome-plated sleeves eliminates the need for cylinder housing inside of the body and minimizes cylinder contamination. The DuraClass Sidewinder allows operators to spread up to 25-ft widths of sand or salt with continuous feed from the dump body. High-quali-ty construction including COR-TEN steel, a heavy-duty braced tailgate and continuous welding provide strength and durability. RS#60 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

New Holland Winter-Equipped Skid SteersReliable and powerful enough to tackle the snow season’s toughest challenges, New

Holland’s line of high-productivity, vertical-lift Super Boom skid steer loaders utilize many easy-to-change attachments. New Holland skid steers feature batteries with 30 percent more cold cranking amps, more powerful starters and new standard grid heat-ers resulting in improved cold-starting capabilities. The state-of-the-art cooling system comes with a side-by-side oil cooler, radiator and larger capacity fuel tanks to further extend the machine’s workday. Back by popular demand is New Holland’s Snow Cen-tral Lease, which provides an opportunity to utilize the latest and most productive equipment while increasing payment fl exibility and allowing for predictable budgeting through annual skip payments. RS#61 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Covered BridgesCompact Equipment Attachments Help Clean Snow from Bridges By Eric Morse


storage areas. Some companies manu-facture a truck-loading chute for the snow blower to completely remove snow from the bridge. A compact load-er with a snow blower attachment also removes snow in tight situations such as around light poles, mileposts, crash barriers and guard rails much more ef-fectively than larger equipment.

After snow is cleared, salt or sand often needs to be placed on bridge pe-destrian areas. There are two types of spreader attachments — one is mount-ed on the front of compact equipment and the other is mounted on the rear. A snow blower, snow blade or angle blade in the front of the machine clears the snow while the spreader in the rear places sand or salt. Snow removal on bridges does not have to be diffi cult. By enlisting compact equipment and the attachments available for them, snow can be quickly removed from bridges.

Eric Morse is a public relations writer for Two Rivers Marketing, based in Des Moines, Iowa.

John Deere COOL-GARD IIAs September approaches, it signals the start of fall and the beginning of colder weather. This is

the best time to prep your equipment for the extremes ahead, like freezing temperatures, high heat and long service intervals. John Deere Cool-Gard II is a high-performance antifreeze and coolant designed to meet today’s heavy-duty engine requirements. It is a ready-to-use, 50/50 premix formula that provides freeze protection to –34 F (–37 C) while protecting against linear cavitation, corro-sion and deposits. Cool-Gard II will also allow for maximum heat transfer and optimum radiator effi ciency, with less downtime and lower maintenance costs. RS#62 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

Genie’s Cold Weather PackageGenie is introducing a newly redesigned cold weather package for internal combusted and bi-

energy boom lifts operating in cold weather environments. The basic cold package includes full synthetic engine oil, an oversized foot switch cover to accommodate cold weather footwear, a 110V blanket for the starting battery and either an oil pan heater or freeze plug heater to protect the engine. Depending on boom model, the package may also include a ground control LCD pan-el heating element, platform control board heater, 110V hydraulic reservoir blanket and platform hydraulic oil recirculation to ensure operation in freezing temperatures. RS#63 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

DRB On-Track SystemHaving troubles with tracks walking off your machine (espe-

cially in the slick winter weather season)? DRB America, with its premium rubber tracks, introduces the On-Track system into its full line of rubber tracks widely used for construction mini ex-cavators and track loaders. With conventional rubber tracks, de-tracking can occur when operating a machine on rocky, inclined ground conditions, especially when the machine is driven at high speed or with repeated turns. DRB rubber tracks are maintained tightly intact with the machine’s undercarriage, preventing de-tracking from happening. On-Track eliminates interference on the undercarriage frame. Reinforced metal imbeds provide strong support for rubber tracks, where track is allowed to curve in one stable motion through-out its path. RS#64 For more information, go to www.ceunbound.com/info.

After that long day of work and once the ma-

chine and snow attachment are off the job, use

a small brush or broom to remove hardened

snow. By removing frozen and excess snow,

your snow push attachment will be ready to

operate effi ciently the next morning.


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For more information go to www.ceunbound.com/infoCircle 14 on reader service card


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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION as required by 39 U.S.C. 3685

Title of Publication: Compact EquipmentPublication Number: 1552-1281Filing Date: 9/01/09Issue Frequency: MonthlyNumber of Issues Published Annually: 12Annual Subscription Price: $0.00Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 1770 Main St, PO Box 190 Peninsula OH 44264 USAComplete Mailing Address of Headquarters: Same As AboveFull Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher: Bernard P. Krzys, Publisher, 1770 Main St, PO Box 190 Peninsula OH 44264Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Editor: James W. Rush, Editor, 1770 Main St, PO Box 190 Peninsula OH 44264Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Managing Editor: Keith Gribbins, Managing Editor, 1770 Main St, PO Box 190 Peninsula OH 44264Corporation Name and Stockholders: 100% stock owned by Bernard P. KrzysKnown Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders: NoneTax Status: Has not Changed During Preceding 12 MonthsPublication Title: Compact EquipmentIssue Date for Circulation Data Below: August 2009Extent and Nature of Circulation — Total Number Copies (Net Press Run) ......................................................50,253 Paid and/or Requested Circulation — • Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions ............................50,046 • Paid In-County Subscriptions (Include advertiser’s proof) .........................20 • Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors,

Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution .................................0 • Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS .......................................................0 Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation.................................................50,066 Free Distribution by Mail — • Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 .......................................................0 • In-County as Stated on Form 3541 .................................................................0 • Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS .......................................................0 Free Distribution Outside the Mail .................................................................87 Total Free Distribution ....................................................................................87 Total Distribution ......................................................................................50,153 Copies Not Distributed ..................................................................................100 Total ..........................................................................................................50,253 Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 99.82%


Circle 18 on reader service cardFor more information go to www.ceunbound.com/info

TH E CO N T R AC TO R

NE X T DO O R

Does everyone in your neighborhood know what you do for a living or how you could be of service to them? The answer is probably “no.” But a great new Web site has just been launched that is designed to help people fi nd out more about the services being offered by others in their neighborhood. Mycubi.com is an invaluable tool for any home-based construction worker looking to fi nd new customers.

On mycubi.com, everyone gets a free Web page (called a Cubi) where users list what services they can offer. All the details you put into your Cubi are displayed on a local area map so people can see what services are being of-fered by people in their neighborhood and contact them directly if they need them. The idea behind www.mycubi.com is to reconnect neighborhoods and help people fi nd new channels of work in these challenging times.

A Cubi is as good as having a free Web site. It is easy to create, looks smart and gets its own unique address (e.g. www.mycubi.com/tedsplumbing), which you can use as your main Web site if you don’t already have one. Not only will your details appear on the mycubi.com Web site but they will also be fed into the search engines such as Google giving you a much wider audience of potential new customers.

POWER TOOL INSTITUTE PDF’S PUBLICATIONS

The Power Tool Institute (PTI) now offers down-loadable PDFs of its major publications on its recently revised Web site. Safety Is Specifi c, available in both English and Spanish, is PTI’s compilation of rules and safe practices for power tools. A Teacher’s Reference Guide to Power Tool Safety is PTI’s 24-page brochure featuring lesson plans, student activities, quizzes, support materials and refer-ences to additional information on each power tool category. All publications are available in hard copy and may be or-dered at no charge on the PTI site.

W W W.P O W E R TO O L I N S T I T U T E.CO M

CE R TA I NTE E D BLO G O S P H E R E

As North America’s largest brand of interior and exte-rior building products and the home to a world-class Building Science team, CertainTeed connects with a wide range of architects, builders, specifi ers and contractors on a daily ba-sis. These people are on the ground and connected with the industry, keeping a pulse on innovative projects, emerging trends and best practices. It’s just a logical step for these professionals to share these experiences with others in the industry — hence the creation of the Building Knowledge blog. The blog of-fers both a window into our world and the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue.

H T T P : / / B L O G . C E R T A I N T E E D . C O M / 2 0 0 9 / 0 8 /M I N I N G-G O L D-F O R-T H E-F U T U R E

AD V E R T I S E R PAG E # RS#Benjamin Media Resource Center 21 9CNH - Reman 2 1CNH - Reman 19 7CNH - Reman 23 6Danuser Machine Co. 35 20Ditch Witch 13 21DRB America 27 8Educational Webinar Series 38 12GIE Expo 33 11Hiniker 41 16

AD V E R T I S E R PAG E # RS#ICUEE 25 10Kioti Back Cover 19Kubota Engine America Corporation 11 5Kubota Tractor Corporation 7 4Ledex Industries/Avalanche 40 17Lowe Manufacturing 39 13Michelin 5 3Quick-Attach 43 18Redi Haul Trailers 41 18Sims Cab Depot 39 14






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