The compact track loader is a relative of the skid steer loader. Also known as a multi-terrain loader or rubber track loader, it’s basically a skid steer body mounted on bulldozer treads instead of wheels.The main advantage a track loader has over a skid steer is that treads get better traction in mud or loose terrain. In addition, because the weight of the loader is distributed across a much larger area, track loaders often do less damage to the ground they’re used on than wheeled vehicles.

Size considerations
If you’re in the market for a compact track loader, there are three central size considerations you should address before you start talking to dealers.

The first is the physical size of the machine. Compact loaders tend to be wider than skid steers, with most models falling between 55″ and 85″ wide. However, heights are comparable to skid steers, usually between 75″ and 95″. Knowing your height and width limitations is a very simple way to narrow your choices, so measure any gates, garages, or other small spaces the loader needs to fit through.

A second point to address is how high you need the loader to lift: if you need it to fill a 9’ high dump truck, make sure the model you choose has the appropriate dumping height. This is usually measured as the “height to hinge pin” – the pivot point between the arms of the loader and the bucket. It can range from around 110″ on smaller models to over 130″ on the largest.

Most compact equipment purchases are driven by physical size and dumping height because they’re often inflexible. The third main consideration is lifting capacity, or operating capacity, which can range from 2,000 lbs to over 4,000 lbs. This consideration is also very important, but you’ll usually have more flexibility here. As lifting capacity increases, the physical size will increase as well. If your primary consideration is access to tight places, you may have to settle for slightly less carrying capacity.

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 The compact hydraulic excavator can be a tracked or wheeled vehicle with an approximate operating weight of 13,300 pounds. Normally, it includes a standard backfill blade and features an independent boom swing. The compact hydraulic excavator is also known as a mini excavator. A compact hydraulic excavator is different from other types of heavy machinery in the sense that all movement and functions of the machine are accomplished through the transfer of hydraulic fluid. The work group and blade are activated by hydraulic fluid acting upon hydraulic cylinders. The rotation and travel functions are also activated by hydraulic fluid powering hydraulic motors. Most types of compact hydraulic excavators have three assemblies - house, undercarriage, and the work group.

 The undercarriage of compact excavators consists of rubber or steel tracks, drive sprockets, rollers, idlers, and associated components and structures. The undercarriage is also home to the house structure and the work group. The work group consists of the boom, dipper or arm, and attachment. It is connected to the front of the house structure via a swinging frame that allows the work group to be hydraulically pivoted left or right in order to achieve offset digging for trenching parallel with the tracks.

 The purpose of the boom swing is for offset digging around obstacles or along foundations, walls, and forms. Another use is for cycling in areas that are too narrow for cab rotation. Another major advantage of the compact excavator is the independent boom swing. The backfill blade on compact excavators are used for grading, leveling, backfilling, trenching, and general dozer work. The blade can also be used to increase the dumping height and digging depth depending on it’s position in relation to the workgroup.

 The most common place you’ll find compact excavators is in residential dwellings. When digging phone lines or other things, these pieces of equipment are very common for getting between houses. Due to their small size, they can fit almost anywhere. Over the years, the capabilities for compact excavators have expanded far beyond the tasks of excavation. With hydraulic powered attachments such as breakers, clamps, compactors and augers, the compact excavator is used with many other applications and serves as an effective attachment tool as well. Serving many purposes, the compact excavator is a great addition to any job that requires the use of machinery.

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The backhoe loader is one of the most common pieces of heavy equipment on any size job site. The fact that it features two useful tools in one machine makes the backhoe loader a must-have for all kinds of construction and repair projects.

The standard backhoe consists of a diesel-powered, four-wheeled vehicle with the operator’s cab in the middle and a tool on each end. On the front, it has a loader: a wide bucket on dual arms that is used to either pick up loose piles of material or to push dirt back into a hole when a job is finished. The rear end has a backhoe — a hydraulic-powered digging scoop on a three-jointed arm, designed to dig through hard earth. The operator needs only to turn around in his seat to switch from digging a hole to filling it back up.

Digging and refilling holes and trenches is commonly required for all kinds of construction, utility work, and landscaping. The ability to exchange the backhoe or loader bucket for a different attachment gives you even more flexibility: crushers, retractable-bottom buckets, grinders, and other tools can handle a variety of other tasks. The combination of power, relatively small size, two common tools, and flexibility makes backhoe loaders extremely useful for contractors and construction firms of many types.

This BuyerZone Backhoe Loaders Buyer’s Guide will explain what you should look for when choosing a backhoe loader, what features to expect, and how much you can expect to pay.

Part of backhoe loaders’ popularity is based on the fact that they fall in the middle of a range of digging and loading equipment, bringing more power than compact machines without the expense of full-sized excavators. You should consider whether a backhoe loader is the right choice for the bulk of your digging and earthmoving needs.

For smaller jobs and increased flexibility, the combination of a skid steer loader with a standard bucket and a mini excavator can sometimes work faster than a backhoe loader. It can be cheaper to buy the two smaller machines than one backhoe loader, but you’ll need an operator for each one and you’ll have more transportation and maintenance hassles. These mini machines are most valuable in very crowded conditions, and recent trends have many contractors replacing at least one backhoe with a mini excavator.

For high-end digging power, full sized excavators are the best choice. These massive tracked machines are only worthwhile if your application calls for ongoing digging: building foundations, for example. However, their size makes them less useful on cramped construction sites.

Backhoe loaders fill a very important middle ground, where having an excavator and loading bucket on one relatively compact machine is essential. They’re also much better at moving around large job sites or between sites — you can drive a backhoe on the road if need be, while excavators and skid steers have to be moved on trailers.

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Travelers Inland and its Risk Control unit announce that it has developed an innovative initiative with Celevoke, Inc. that will allow Travelers customers the ability to purchase Celevoke’s LunarEYE Wireless Asset Tracking and Control systems at a discount. Recognizing that stolen equipment causes costly delays and increased losses, Travelers Inland is pleased to be working with Celevoke to help reduce the likelihood and severity of losses for Travelers’ insureds. Increased security measures, such as asset tracking, protect the insureds’ significant investment in construction and other heavy equipment key to their operations.Additionally, Celevoke will develop a secure Website that will allow Travelers’ insureds to track, monitor and manage the equipment outfitted with Celevoke’s proprietary GPS devices on a daily basis. In the event of a theft, the ability to track equipment can lead to quick recovery.

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Thanks to recent equipment changes, Garth Mulroy opened with a 5-under 67 Thursday to take a one-shot lead at the $625,000 South Georgia Classic presented by First State Bank and Trust Co., the ninth of 30 official events on the Nationwide Tour.Hunter Haas, Ben Bates, Bryan DeCorso and Chris Nallen all fired 4-under 68s to sit just one shot behind Mulroy, while David Miller and Vance Veazey are two shots off the pace.

Playing with the same set of irons he used during the 2007 season — the set that helped him finish a career-best third at the Albertsons Boise Open — Mulroy turned in a nearly flawless round on Thursday. He posted a stellar 4-under 32 on the front nine and stood at 6 under through 15 holes before his only bogey of the day at the par-4 16th hole.

“I put in new clubs (this year) and they haven’t felt good,” said Mulroy. “I’ve been messing around with different sets of irons the last month or two and I haven’t been playing very well. Last week I switched back to the irons I used last year and I’m starting to hit it a little better now.”

The opening three holes were crucial to Mulroy’s successful day. He calmly drained a 12-foot par putt on the opening hole to ensure his day got off on the right foot. A 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 second hole was followed by the shot of the day on the par-4 third hole with a 5-iron to just 12 inches from the hole.

“I got off to a nice start with a 12-foot par putt on the first hole,” said Mulroy. “Making that putt gave me a lot of confidence. Then the birdie on the third hole really got me going.”

Mulroy, a 29-year-old native of Durban, South Africa, began the season with high hopes after finishing No. 35 on the 2007 Nationwide Tour money list and recording nine top-25 finishes. But the season has been rocky for the former North Carolina State University standout — evidenced by four made cuts in seven starts and just one top-20 finish (tied for 11th place at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open).

“My season has not been good,” said Mulroy, who won 12 tournaments on the Tar Heel Tour and Triangle Tour in 2002-03. “I just want to play well again. It hasn’t been fun out here. I’ve been miserable.”

In addition to the recent iron switch, perhaps Mulroy’s misery will be a thing of the past due to a putter switch. After arriving at the Kinderlou Forest Golf Club with as many as five putters in his bag earlier this week — a collection of regular, belly and long putters — Mulroy eventually chose a long version in his attempt to conquer the Davis Love-designed undulating greens.

“I haven’t used the long putter since last year but I put it in the bag this week and it was obviously a good decision on my part,” said Mulroy. “I feel more comfortable with it because it helps me stand much taller. I think I see the line better with this one.”

Mulroy used the same putter the latter half of the 2007 season until it turned balky at the Final Stage of q-school, resulting in a mid-tournament switch to the belly putter (he went on to finish 9 under the final two days of the six-day event) that was used to start the 2008 campaign. This season has seen him alternate between a belly putter and a short putter, before switching to the long putter in Valdosta.

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