MARKET REPORT COMPACT PLANT continued
installation, agriculture and utilities, representing a resilient customer base. And the fact that they can be used with so many different attachments extends their usefulness. Many customers hire a machine for a week and keep it for a couple of months, once they appreciate just how much they can do with it.”
Several of the suppliers we spoke to in preparing our Market Report pointed out that raw material costs continue to rise, which will inevitably be reflected in manufacturer’s prices.Volvo’s David Munns suggests this highlights the necessity for hirers to address the much discussed issue of maintaining sensible hire rates that adequately reflect the real cost of machinery.
And one issue that was constantly mentioned was the disparity between the economic situation as reported by the national media, and people’s own experiences. Geoff Hamlen of Skidsteer Hire Solutions said, “Many of our customers simply do not recognise the word
Sales of compact dumpers have also risen this year.
“Our 1.5 tonne machines continue to be popular with tool and equipment hirers, who report that their customers are busy and that utilisation levels are rising. Furthermore, a lot of old machines remain in fleets, which will need replacing soon.We have also seen more sales of our Dumpster tracked dumpers this year.”
It is also pleasing to report that, with increased mini sales, purchases of new compact dumpers show have also risen. “Hirers we visit are generally more confident and are reporting good business levels,” said Ian Brown, Sales Director of Thwaites. “They are replacing older equipment and, if they are buying mini excavators, in many cases they need new compact dumpers to go with them. Demand has been very good this year for our 1 tonne Hi-tip models, which appeal to contractors for weekend work at domestic properties, as well as being used potentially up to five days a week on other construction sites.”
Steady skid steer sales
The skid steer and tracked loader market remains steady, if unspectacular, with estimates of 600-800 annual machine sales. Jonathan Vaines of Wacker Neuson reports that users in markets like agriculture and quarrying continue to appreciate the versatility of these machines, and Yvette Henshall-Bell says that JCB aims to promote the concept of using them more widely in the UK when it launches new, smaller skid steer loaders, planned for introduction early next year.
Geoff Hamlen, MD of the specialist hirer Skidsteer Hire Solutions, told EHN, “We have had a tremendous year. These machines appeal to many markets, including forestry, grounds care, demolition, fencing
‘recession’, but the negativity of politicians and economists makes people generally pessimistic.” Similarly, JCB’s Yvette Henshall-Bell comments, “the hirers we speak to are positive, but the gloomy stories in the newspapers and on television make others
overcautious.Yet as you travel the country there are still hospitals, schools and roads being built, as well as all the existing facilities that need to be maintained and developed, representing a resilient market.”
Ammann Equipment’s Robert Brown advises people to remember that “the television and newspapers focus on what might, not what necessarily will, happen. This is making too many people worry about things they simply cannot influence. They should just roll up their sleeves, work hard and make steady progress.”
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The variety of attachments available for skid steer loaders extends their hire potential.
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