Day: November 10, 2021

Construction Blogs

Top Tips for Trailering Your Compact Track Loader

David Oliver

You can’t get to work with your compact track loader until you effectively haul it to the jobsite. Here are some tips for correct trailering.

Weight Matters: If you haven’t already chosen a trailer, the operating weight of the loader should be your first consideration. Also, make sure your tow vehicle is rated for pulling weights equal to or exceeding the trailer’s rating. Keep in mind that the trailer’s rating often includes the trailer weight, so you may have to deduct the weight of the trailer itself to get the actual load capacity. Finally, choose a trailer type. Gooseneck trailers offer high capacities, but flat decks may accommodate more vehicles.

Loading & Unloading: Park on a level surface and lock the parking brake. Slowly maneuver off or onto the trailer, being alert to the point when the loader rocks onto and off the trailer ramps. If available, a spotter can help guide you to make the process easier.

Got Attachments? You should typically place the machine with the center of gravity slightly ahead of the axles. Evenly balance the attachments on either side to distribute the weight.

Before Hitting the Road: Tape or plug the loader’s exhaust outlet if it’s facing the tow vehicle to prevent damage to the exhaust or turbocharger. Stop and check chains and tie devices occasionally to make sure nothing has moved during hauling.

Ease-of-Use Features: Some loaders have design features to make your job easier. For example, some equipment features built-in tie-downs on the outside of the machine. Some other loaders have tie-downs under the loader, which are useless unless the bucket is detached.

Hauling can be even easier with some of today’s smallest sit-in compact track loaders, which are light enough to be loaded on a trailer and pulled by a ½-ton pickup. Use these tips for effective hauling so you can focus on the job at hand.

Buck Storlie is the product manager at ASV Holdings Inc. ASV Holdings Inc., a Yanmar Compact Equipment company, designs and manufactures compact track and skid-steer loaders primarily for the construction, landscaping and forestry markets.

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Construction Services

Ditch the Shovels with the Mud Dog 700 Vacuum Excavator

David Oliver

For contractors who want to prevent underground utility strikes but don’t need big equipment, Super Products is rolling out its new Mud Dog 700 vacuum excavator.

The company equipped the Mud Dog 700 for working in tight, small spaces without sacrificing payload, with its 7-cubic-yard debris body and a 600-gallon water tank. It’s also much safer and faster than using shovels, the company says.

The vacuum excavator can dump at up to a 50-degree angle and into a 48-inch container. It has a low overhead height and center of gravity. The dump body also has an electric vibrator to shake material out of the bed and an auto-deploying tailgate.


The Mud Dog 700 vacuum excavator features a 7-cubic-yard debris body and a 600-gallon water tank.Equipment WorldThe boom can extend to 18 feet and rotates 270 degrees. At 8 inches in diameter, it is mounted to the rear of the truck. It can tilt 10 degrees.

The Mud Dog 700 comes standard as a hydro excavator but can be equipped with an air excavation package. It can be operated by wireless or wired remote control.

The water system pumps up to 11 gallons per minute at 3,000 psi. The vacuum system produces 3,100 cubic feet per minute of suction. A 3,700 cfm vacuum pump is an available option.

Other options include a scale system, grounding system, a debris body level sensor, a toolbox and safety cameras that give a 360-degree view around the truck. A variety of truck chassis configurations are available in either manual or automatic transmission. The Mud Dog 700 displayed at the Utility Expo in September was mounted to a Peterbilt tandem-axle truck.

A 4,000 BTU water heater is also available with heated lines for working in freezing temperatures. 

Mud Dog 70 vacuum excavator
The Mud Dog 700 vacuum excavator from Super Products is designed to be compact yet powerful for smaller jobs.Equipment World

Construction Management

Wacker Enters Compact Utility Loader Market with SM100

David Oliver

Wacker Neuson has entered the compact utility loader market with the SM100, which has a 1,000-pound rated operating capacity.

“We feel this machine fits our channel well,” says Joe Miller, vice president of sales and marketing, Wacker Neuson. He also notes that this machine category has seen significant growth in the past few years.

Featuring 9-inch-wide tracks for applications requiring low ground pressure, the 35.5-inch-wide SM100 easily fits through doorways and gates. Powered by a 24.7-horsepower Yanmar diesel, the 3,000-pound-operating-weight unit has a radial lift path and a hinge pin height of 85.7 inches for dumping into high-sided trucks. 

The step-up-and-go spring-loaded operator’s platform uses an operator presence system to prevent accidental movement of the lift arm and travel functions. If an operator steps off the platform, these functions are no longer operable. “Some of the early designs in the industry required an operator to hold on to operate, which is taxing to your hands,” Miller says. “Now you simply stand on the machine.”


The Wacker Neuson SM100’s controls and hand rests are designed to reduce operator fatigue.Equipment World”We spend a lot of time on the controls,” Miller says. Forward-angled joysticks position the operator’s hand in the neutral position. The left hand rest circles the left joystick, and the right hand rest provides a straight segment for grabbing, giving additional stability when going over rough terrain. “You can rest your hands on here and get full mobility with the machine,” Miller says. “Especially in rental, you’re dealing with a lot of novice operators, so you want the controls to be ergonomic and simple to use.”

A sloped hood gives visibility to attachments and the front work area. A common industry attachment interface allows the use of compatible attachments. Front-mounted coolers keep hot or dirty air off the operator’s legs. In addition, the triple-flanged rollers on the undercarriage reduce wear and de-tracking. “The raised drive motor is out of the dirt, which helps provide undercarriage reliability and long life,”  Miller says. 

Wacker Neuson has several entries in the compact equipment field, including skid steers, compact track loaders and compact excavators, and started looking at adding a compact utility loader four years ago, he says. (Wacker calls the machine a “utility track loader.” The exact nomenclature for these machines is still shaking out; competitive machines have also been called compact track loaders, mini skid steers, mini track loaders and stand-on skid steers.)

The SM100 is produced in the company’s Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, plant.

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