Capital Equipment News July 2017

Last year, Bell Equipment launched its 315SL, an entry-level TLB ideal for general earthworks.

KING OF THE SITE

While the fundamentals have remained the same over the six decades it has existed: the backhoe loader, a single machine that can do both loading and excavation, has advanced in many ways over the years. While there is mounting competition from other pieces of equipment, there is general consensus that the versatility of this machine will be hard to beat for years to come. Thus it remains ‘the king’ of the local yellow metal equipment sector, writes Munesu Shoko .

I n line with global trends, the African construction equipment market declined significantly in the past year on the back of a difficult economic spell, but the market for backhoe loaders, better known as TLBs (trailer loader backhoes) in local circles, remained resilient in the face of a challenging sales environment.

The backhoe loader definitely commands a stable sales base in South Africa, serving the specific needs of contractors, rental companies and municipalities, to mention a few. The South African market is currently about 1 400 units per annum, according to Stephen McNeill of Bell Equipment, who adds that the construction industry is by

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