Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/521868
June 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 54 projects such as stream restora- tion and dam removals. It's the latter type of work that calls Clubb's crawler carriers into play. "We're one of a couple of players that do dam removal," Clubb says. "The applications for these machines is that they can go places you can't run a dozer effectively. They can slog through mud easily. They can go almost anywhere, and be used on steep slopes. They're so versatile, once you own them, you fi nd them good to use for other applications." Part of that versatility is how quickly an operator can learn to use one. "They're easy to run and very forgiving," Clubb says. "We had two kids straight out of high school working for us, and they ran them really well. They had a good routine down. What was funny is that some experi- enced guys got to working on them and had a little trouble because they hadn't gotten the drill down." Flyway has two Morooka MST 2200VD models and has com- mitted to a long-term rental of a larger Morooka MST 3000VD. "They don't sit around – you've got to get them lined up," Clubb says. "We waited two years to get the 3000." Versatility Versatility is the most identifi able advantage with crawler carriers. "There aren't many types of equipment that can be con- verted in a matter of minutes to tackle a different part of a project. With a crawler carrier, you have that fl exibility," says Monica Coenen, marketing manager for Terramac in Elburn, Illinois. Terramac has made an impact on the crawler carrier market in the past couple of years with its RT9 machine. Coenen references the ability to add different attachments to their machines. In addition to the traditional dump bed, Terramac's RT9 can be used for several applications, includ- ing as a drill rig, bark blower, personnel carrier, vacuum excavator, tac welding, dust suppression, hydroseeder, fuel tank, pipe heating, compressor, crane and water tank. On the drawing board is a boom lift and digger derrick. Michael Knoblett, con- struction equipment product manager for Yanmar America, echoes this sentiment. "Util- ity and versatility are the best aspect of carriers," he says. Yanmar offers some small and midsize crawler carriers, but recently has seen more interest in their biggest models. Knoblett adds that when a crawler carrier is used for its main purpose in transport- ing material, and then uses an additional excavator attach- ment, it becomes an effi cient machine. "Additionally the many specialty applications for the machine make it extremely versatile," he says. One top feature is how little impact these machines have on the ground. A typical person has, in fact, a higher pounds- per-square-inch impact on the ground than a crawler carrier. "They are able to operate on soft ground conditions and right of ways," Knoblett says. "Carriers can be equipped to carry tools and supplies to jobsites where other equipment cannot travel." Demand and customer profi le Crawler carrier use is following a heavy growth pattern recently, particularly as contractors dis- cover their usefulness. "Inter- est has been very steady with demand increasing over the past crawler carriers | continued A sampling of crawler carrier models Rig Source/Terramac www.terramac.com Model: RT9 Base specifi cations: Length: 20 feet Width: 8 feet, 5 inches Minimum ground clearance: 20 inches Machine weight with bed/without bed: 26,000 pounds/21,000 pounds Carrying capacity: 18,000 pounds Ground pressure full capacity/unloaded: 5.1 psi/3 psi IHI www.ihicompactexcavator.com Model: IC-120 Base specifi cations: Length: 19 feet, 10 inches Width: 9 feet, 4 inches Minimum ground clearance: 19 inches Machine weight: 31,085 pounds Carrying capacity: 24,250 pounds Ground pressure full capacity/unloaded: 8.5 psi/4.7 psi