Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/85706
equipment matters MAJOR PLAYERS Isuzu and Mitsubishi manufacture popular lines of LCFs, so we interviewed Brian Tabel, retail marketing manager of Isuzu Commer- cial Trucks of America, and Leighton Good, manager of product and applications with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, to learn what distinguishes their trucks from others. Tabel emphasizes Isuzu's drivetrain op- tions. Engine choices include two inline, turbocharged, intercooled, four-cylinder diesels and a 6-liter V8 that can be confi g- ured for gasoline or CNG/LPG fuel. Standard transmissions across the line are six-speed automatics; six-speed manuals are optional on two of the diesel models. "If a contractor is driving less than 20,000 miles a year, the fuel savings of diesel may not offset the higher initial cost," Tabel says. "That's why we offer the gas engine. And while manual transmissions comprise only a small percentage of our sales, operators in hilly terrain appreciate the ability to hold a gear longer with a manual and the increased engine braking that manuals provide." Good points out Mitsubishi Fuso offers the only four-wheel-drive LCF, the Canter FG4X4. Four-wheel drive yields benefi ts anytime road conditions are not ideal, but Good says owners fi nd their trucks especially well-suited for plowing snow. "It's the perfect plow vehicle," he says, "with excellent sight lines and maneuverability." A six-speed Duonic is the only transmis- sion offered by Mitsubishi Fuso, which is an electronically controlled automated manual that operates just like an automatic. Yet, from an engineering perspective, the Duonic is different because it has dual clutches instead of a torque converter. The design reduces shift shock, improves effi ciency and, there- fore, fuel economy. It also has a PTO-drive gear, so mounting a hydraulic drive, such as those offered by Muncie Power Products and Parker Hannifi n, is a straightforward task. Austin Marcum Isuzu Test Drive Just down the road from TLC magazine in Tusca- loosa, Alabama, is Proscape landscaping, owned by Austin Marcum. We asked him to try out an Isuzu NPR truck made available to us for a few days, and size it up from a landscaper's point of view. Proscape's fl eet consists of Super Duty pickup trucks, plus a few fl atbeds and box trucks. The com- pany serves predominately residential accounts. The truck had a 132-1/2" wheelbase, 6-liter 297 -hp, V8 gasoline engine and six-speed automatic transmission. It came with a 16-foot deluxe land- scape body (12-foot fl atbed with a 4-foot dovetail) with fold-down sides built by K&K Manufacturing, Griffi n, Georgia. Marcum likes the attributes for which LCFs are known, the great frontal visibility and easy maneu- verability. "Since our market is almost entirely urban and suburban area, the benefi ts of the low cab forward design are immediately apparent in the driving situ- ations we encounter," he says. He also notes favorably the features of the land- scape body. Examples include traction bars on the dovetail, a 36-inch underbody gas can box and a 24-by-24-by-96-inch toolbox with shelf underneath. He especially likes the locking feature on the ramps. "Locks are standard on toolboxes," Marcum says, "but locking ramps are just as important. They keep thieves from simply rolling your equipment off the truck." The ramps had spring assist to make deploy- ing and retracting them much easier. Marcum says an LCF truck would work well on ir- rigation and landscaping projects and would be his fi rst choice to replace a box truck in his fl eet. 12 TOTAL LANDSCAPE CARE / June 2012