Capital Equipment News July 2018

EarthMaster TLB in two variants – 6-in-1 bucket and a standard bucket offering. The 4WD TLB comes with an 80 hp engine, 4-forward and 4-reverse transmission. The major talking point is its banana boom which offers 7% more reach. “The TLB is built with components from globally renowned suppliers such as Carraro from Italy (axles and transmission), Parker from the United States (hydraulic pump), Husco from the US (hydraulic valves) and Gates Imperial from the US (hoses),” says Nair. New kid on the block Manitou SA officially launched its new TLB844S backhoe loader at Nampo 2018, although several units had already been sold prior to the show. Although Manitou is an established name in the local market, this is the company’s first venture into the backhoe loader market. This follows Manitou Group’s acquisition of Terex Equipment Private Limited (TEPL), of India. The acquisition, from Terex Corporation, was finalised during the first half of 2017. Since bringing the first units in the country in November 2017, Manitou SA already has an estimated 3% of the market. “We officially introduced the TLB844S in May 2018 at Nampo and, therefore, no significant share of the market has been established yet as it is fairly a new kid on the block. Going forward, we aim to gain a good chunk of the market share,” says Leask. Two of Manitou SA’s key target markets are naturally the plant hire and construction companies. “However, we will continue to look for other niche markets where we already have existing relationships with our customers through our full range of equipment, such as the agriculture sector and the African market. Manitou has a large range of attachments that are adaptable to our TLB and this will also create new opportunities,” reasons Leask. Leask believes Manitou’s strong support footprint will be its key strength in its quest to seize a sizeable share of the TLB market. “Manitou is well established in South Africa and southern Africa at large, and our quality products, coupled with our relentless drive to satisfy our customers through offering what we believe to be the highest standard of aftermarket support, will result in a good market share in the TLB space. The Manitou TLB adds another aspect to our compact equipment product range of skid steer loaders, track loaders and articulated loaders,” concludes Leask. ❂

Mahindra SA has launched its EarthMaster TLB in two variants.

ability to turn 360 degrees on its own axis, a banana boom on the backhoe, standard additional auxiliary hydraulic lines, make the HMK 62 SS mini-TLB an ideal solution for urban construction sites and agricultural applications where space is often limited. However, speaking about the Hidromek TLB range at large, Ellis says the target market is very diverse as the product appeals to all sectors of the industry. “We have machines working in sectors such as forestry and demolition due to their robustness and strength,” he says. Feeling the terrain Feeler Africa embarked on its backhoe journey in January 2016, with the launch of its 4WD HD96, the bigger of the two BULL models the company offers locally. This was followed by the introduction of the HD SMART 60 TLB just before the end of 2017. “Currently we offer two models. The smallest of the range, the HD SMART 60 delivers 45 kW of power and 120 ℓ /m oil flow at 210 bar pressure. The larger HD96 delivers 71,5 kW of power and 134 ℓ /m oil flow at 230 bar pressure. The power of the machines allows for fitting of any of our 26 different attachment options, including a compaction roller,” says Griesel. Griesel says the early days into the market have been challenging, considering that this is a competitive market where the major five players are already well entrenched in the South African buying patterns. Feeler Africa has, however, already sold 30 units of the HD96 and about 10 HD60 units. “We see real opportunity for the HD SMART 60 in Africa’s affordable rural development applications,” he says. Griesel says the key target market at this stage is the plant hire sector with the HD SMART 60, which he believes is a low

hanging fruit. “The HD SMART 60 offers a basic non-electronic operating platform, mainly hydraulic and diesel driven. It also comes with world-class components, such as Carraro transmission and axles, Kilorskar engine, Danfoss braking system, Casappa Pumps and AKG Radiators, to name a few. We have had some success into the construction industry as well, mainly in the road construction industry where we found the HD96 to be well accepted,” says Griesel. Expanding support footprint has been a major area of focus for Feeler Africa. The company currently has 42 dealers across South Africa, mainly comprising independently-operated businesses. “The dealer network is capable of delivering a full sales, service and parts to our client base. We cover all major cities and rural areas. In my opinion, this is the real benefit of what we offer as Feeler Africa. We can service at arm’s length anywhere in South Africa, as well as in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Swaziland,” he says. TLB offering for the first time at bauma CONEXPO AFRICA in March this year. However, the first units will be available for retail from mid-July this year. “We received good response at bauma, with lots of customer and dealer enquiries. We have a few orders for the first units on hand,” says Nair. Nair says plant hire and smaller construction companies are key target markets, while a reach into mining and farming sectors will be sought to some extent. “We are busy establishing our dealer network and we are hoping that by the end of our financial year we will be present in all provinces of South Africa,” he says. Mahindra SA has launched the Grand debut Mahindra SA officially launched its

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