Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/393943
0DUPCFSt&RVJQNFOU8PSME4QFD(VJEF 3 on record | by Richard Ries T here are lots of new models in the 2014-2015 Equipment World Spec Guide, many of them by virtue of compliance with Tier 4 Final regulations. In a glass half full/half empty analysis, there are those who say this "new" designation hardly mat- ters if it refers to emissions compliance. Then there are those look deeper and see a glass nearly over- flowing with benefits to equipment owners and op- erators, as I've discovered covering several machine topics for Equipment World in the past year. Horsepower and torque are trending higher. More sophisticated hydraulic systems maximize productivity. Multiple user modes, including ECO, match performance to demand. Improved metal- lurgy extends the life of everything from undercar- riages to buckets. Operator environments are more comfortable, which reduces operator fatigue while enhancing safety and productivity. Pressurized cabs keep out dust. Isolated, insulated cabs keep out vibration, noise, and heat. Controls have lower effort, are more intuitive, and can be tailored to an opera- tor's preferences. Machines are getting better fuel efficiency; 3 to 5 percent better is typical while some manufacturers report double-digit gains. Many machines use DEF as part of their emissions control systems. DEF use is often 3 to 5 percent of fuel consumption and costs about the same as diesel fuel. Taken as a whole this may mean there is no net reduction in fuel-related operating costs. But to get all the other performance enhancements along with a net-zero change to fuel cost is an overall gain. There were deletions between 2013 and 2014. JCB dropped their articulated dump trucks. Caterpillar discontinued their pull-type scrapers. But there were more than two dozen new en- tries. Chicago Pneumatic and Hyundai have new compaction equipment. IHI now offers skid steer loaders. Wacker-Neuson also debuted skid steer loaders as well as compact track loaders. New Holland introduced track-type loaders. McLaugh- lin, Rhino Equipment, and SDLG (owned by Volvo Construction Equipment) are in the Spec Guide for the first time. There will be further enhancements, many of which will be enabled by electronics. Self- contained systems, such as work modes, that rely heavily on electronic controls to deliver maximum performance work quite well. But systems that are not self-contained and require human interaction have room for improvement. This is especially true of telematics. Many equipment managers wonder how to get the most from telematics. Others wonder if there's any benefit to telemat- ics at all or if they're just an expensive source of frustration. Half full? Half empty? Personal outlooks tend to be just that – personal. Here's mine: We're in a dynamic, resilient industry, supported by innova- tive, ingenious manufacturers who employ hard- working, dedicated people. Each wants to suc- ceed; each wants you to succeed. The 2014-2015 Equipment World Spec Guide offers proof of this in every one of its 80,000-plus data cells. EW 2014-15 Spec Guide: Another opportunity for a half-glass analysis