STAND K40 LITTLE AND LARGE
It’s all change at C&F Mini Dumpers, including a revised product range and a snappy new name – ‘CNF’. We were obviously keen to find out more...
W
hat’s with the new name, you might reasonably enquire? Well, as looking
a bit smarter in logo form, it also works better as far as internet search engines are concerned – the added ‘n’ being a contraction of ‘and’. Perhaps of even greater interest are the two new machines in the range, being the diminutive Traker T70 and the heavy-lifting T150.
We kick off with a quick question about trading – how has it been since the company exhibited at the 2022 Executive Hire Show?
“It has been a period of expanding our dealer network, but we sold a number of machines at the show,” explains Philip Oldham, MD of Arnold Plant, which distributes CNF dumpers in the UK. “Also, our product range has been updated this year – we’ve always had a smaller dumper, although never with the hydraulic joystick controls as seen on the larger machines. The T70 runs on a Yanmar or Honda petrol engine and tips to the same height as the other dumpers, but it is narrow enough to fit through a conventional doorway.”
“We’re also bringing in the T150, which is a 1.5tonne capacity high-tip. We’ll have one of these on display at the Executive Hire Show. We’re using the 2023 show to almost relaunch our range, which is now the T70, the T95 and the T150.”
“It will be a bit of a squeeze on our stand,” adds Sales Director, Andrew Buckley. “However, we’re near the end of the aisle and we’re not boxed in, so there is space to
move around and chat to customers off the stand if we need to.”
Material shortages and lengthening lead times remain an issue for some manufacturers, but has this been a problem for you?
“We have more machines available from stock now – which is nice – and we have already ordered for the first quarter of 2023. Lead times are usually 12 weeks, but if a customer asked us for one today, they could have it,” says Philip.
Which of your machines is the biggest seller at the moment?
“It’s always the T95, as that’s what we’ve always had most of. However, the T70, being smaller and narrower, looks set to overtake it. We have ordered more T70s than T95s for 2023.”
The larger T150 is competing with wheeled mini site dumpers. What are the other advantages?
“I see the T150 is a replacement for such equipment,” says Andrew. “It is more stable, it has much lower ground pressure and the lower height means it is more manoeuvrable. It can still tip into a standard skip, though.”
All of your machines are petrol or diesel fuelled. Is CNF also thinking about battery power?
Hydraulic joystick controls make steering a breeze.
“Funnily enough, CNF is already working with a company on this, but there’s nothing to see or announce for the time being.”
You previously told me that you have been able to influence the design of the machinery to better suit the UK market. Is this still the case with the new machines?
“We think the products are now right for the UK, as much as they can be, but in 2023 we will be introducing an electric handbrake to replace the manual version. Cables can stretch or break, so this is definitely a move in the right direction.”
Wrapping up, how do you see company and the CNF brand developing in the year ahead?
“We have around a dozen UK dealers at the moment, so we want to appoint more in 2023. We have six large dealers, the others being smaller companies. However, our dealer network map will look quite a bit different by the time we come to the show!”
And that promising note is where we leave it. See CNF on Stand K40 at the show, where the new machines will make their official UK debut. n
www.cfminidumper.co.uk
46 Executive Hire News - January/February 2023
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