Tech
Kubota shows glimpse of new SVL75-3 compact track loader (Video)
Kubota unveiled the next generation of its top-selling SVL75 compact track loader this week.
The SVL75-3 comes with a host of new features and improvements for easier operation, maintenance and efficiency. It made its sneak-peek debut at Kubota Connect in Grapevine, Texas, attended by 3,000 Kubota dealer representatives from all over the country who came to see the company’s latest products and innovations. (To watch a demonstration of the SVL75-3 in action, check out the video at the end of this story.)
In rolling out the third-generation CTL, Kubota focused on operator comfort and functionality, said Tom Turner, product operations manager. It is expected to hit dealerships in May after its official launch at ConExpo 2023 in March.
The improvements begin with more car-like features in the cab. There’s a new 7-inch color touchscreen and keyless push-button start. The start is password protected.
Operators can make all their settings on the touchscreen as well as watch vital signs such as fuel level and operating temperature. It displays the new standard rearview camera.
“It’s just like your car, your pickup truck now,” Turner said. “That’s what users want. That’s what they expect in equipment.”
Kubota also left a jog dial available for times when you might not want to touch the screen. The cab is Bluetooth-enabled and has a microphone for answering phone calls.
One-piece cab
Kubota made the cab all once piece for pressurization to seal out dust and noise. Also new, when you raise the cab for maintenance, the entire cab including the floor goes up.
“There is plenty of room in there for people to sit down in there,” Turner said of the opened up compartment.
Blane Burroughs, Kubota construction equipment business development manager, demonstrates the extra service space in the SVL75-3 beneath the cab. He is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds.Equipment WorldThe CTL comes in enclosed cab and ROPS options.
The controls are backlit and better labeled for evening work and for helping less experience operators get adjusted. Kubota also added LED lights at all four corners outside the cab.
Standard on the CTLs is a rearview camera that can be adjusted from the cab to move up, down, left or right. Its view is in the monitor and can be set to operate full time or only when operating in reverse.
Kubota made all of the controls in the cab easier to get to. The climate controls that were located under the arm bar have been moved for easier access. There is a cupholder and USB outlet.
The lights’ shut-off on the machine can be delayed via timer so the operator can still see when exiting the cab when it’s dark out.
Kubota also kept controls and functions in a place where operators don’t have to move their eyes from their work to see them. “We pride ourselves on really never having to take the operators’ eyesight away from their working and operating,” Burroughs said.
Changes to the rear
The rear of the SVL75-3 has been rearranged for more space, counterbalance and better visibility.Equipment WorldKubota opened up the engine compartment by putting the fuel tank on the inside of the rear door. That can also add counterbalance for the machine. The fuel tank can be locked.
For even more weight, Kubota added optional 50-pound ballasts on each side at the back of the CTL.
Optional 50-pound ballasts on the sides.Equipment WorldThe optional reversing fan was also relocated to the top rear of the machine for more service space. It can be controlled from the cab. The operator can set time intervals for automatic cleaning or can manually operate it.
When turning around in their seat, operators will now get a better view out the back, as Kubota raised the crossbar.
Kubota also added a feature from its larger SVL97 by putting a new pre-cleaner on the rear of the SVL75 to improve performance. The new track pattern on the SVL75 is also similar to the SVL97 to improve traction.
Smoother operations
Equipment WorldThe SVL75-3 comes with a new track response system, which has three settings: mild, normal and quick.
Normal will act like the dash-2 SVL75, says Blane Burroughs, Kubota construction equipment business development manager.
The mild mode will restrict track response for working in tighter spots near object. “You have a little bit more give in that joystick before the machine starts moving,” Burroughs explains.
For those who want faster response, they can kick it into the quick setting. “Some of our operators like to get in there and go from the moment they get in,” he says.
Another new feature for the SVL75 is auto-downshift. When activated, it will automatically shift the CTL into a lower range for easier turns. After the turn, it resumes higher range.
The SVL75 now also comes with self-leveling, which the operator activates, for such tasks as unloading pallets.
The CTL also gets a boost of a couple gallons per minute in hydraulic flow in standard and high-flow settings. For attachments, multifunction grips and 14-pin connectors are standard on high-flow models and an option on the standard loaders.
Watch it in action
Check out this sneak peek of the SVL75-3 in action at the Kubota Connect event:
Caterpillar is bidding farewell to its 259D3, 279D3 and 289D3 compact track loaders with the introduction of its new, next-generation 255 and 266 models.
The completely redesigned models debuted at media and customer events at Caterpillar’s Edwards, Illinois, Demonstration and Learning Center last week. The 255 and 265 offer improved engine performance, more lift height, a roomier cab and more standard technology than their predecessors.
“We kept the DNA of the D3 series while reimagining the possibilities of loader performance using voice of customer feedback to lead the way,” says Trevor Chase, product application specialist for Caterpillar. “Both next-generation models leverage the many benefits offered by the vertical lift design. The new Cat 255 replaces the 259D3, while the 265 replaces both the 279D3 and 289D3 machines.”
The CTLs are the last of Cat’s building and construction products to get the next-generation treatment and simplified nomenclature. The first number (2) represents the skid steer loader and compact track loader machine family; the middle number (5 or 6) designates the machine size; and the ending number (5) is the compact track loader identifier. Skid steers will be identified by a 0 end number. Additional new models will roll out in the coming months, the company says.
CaterpillarMore power and torque
Cat equipped the 255 with a C2.8T engine and the 265 with a C2.8TA engine, both at 74 horsepower. This gives the new machines a significant boost in torque – 13% for the 255 and 43% for the 256 – over their D3-Series predecessors. The engine and cooling package are mounted lower in the frame for added visibility out the rear window and stability while lifting heavy loads.
Customers attest that the added lift height makes truck loading easier. The 255 offers 10 feet 4 inches of lift height, while the 265 can reach 11 feet high.
“The lift height has made a big difference when loading trucks,” said Derrick Roger, owner of Coast to Coast Lawnscapes, who spent several months testing the 255. “You can get on top of that truck now and empty the bucket; whereas, before you would have to shake the bucket to try to get the material to fall out.”
The 255 delivers 36% more tilt breakout, 26% higher lift breakout force and a 24% increase in rated operating capacity (ROC). The 265 also delivers 19% higher tilt breakout force and 22% higher lift breakout force.
Standard hydraulic pressure has been increased to 3,500 psi, allowing the 255 and 265 to operate all Cat Smart Attachments with the standard auxiliary hydraulics provided.
If demanding attachments require additional hydraulic flow, customers can have their Cat dealer activate the high flow functionality on the machine or remotely via software update. This makes it possible for the CTLs to hit 30 gallons per minute of flow at the standard system pressure.
A High Flow XPS factory option increases auxiliary hydraulic system pressure to 4,061 psi for both models, while also increasing the hydraulic flow to 30 gallons per minute for the 255 and 34 gallons per minute for the 265.
The torsion suspension undercarriage delivers better operator comfort, track wear and material retention, plus the stiffer design results in smoother graded surfaces, Cat says. A new 12.6-inch bar-tread narrow track option is available on the 255.
A more spacious cab
Cat says it has increased the cab width by 2.75 inches without making the machines wider and the footwell-to-ceiling height by 1.8 inches. The larger cab gives operators an additional 1.5 inches of hip room and 1.1 inches more width between the joysticks.
A range of new mechanical and air-ride suspension seat options are available, including a ventilated and heated seat. A new automatic temperature control allows operators to set a specific temperature. Relocated vents help cool or heat the machine quickly.
The standard package includes the same 5-inch LCD monitor as the D3 Series CTLs, which offers Bluetooth connectivity and functionality for the rearview camera feed, creep, job clock, and maintenance reminders.
Customers can upgrade to a new 8-inch advanced touchscreen monitor, like the display found in Cat’s next-generation mini excavators and small loaders. It delivers advanced radio control and supports the 270-degree multicamera option. The advanced monitor pairs with the advanced joysticks for integrated control of all machine functions and adjustments.
“You can adjust the movement – or the aggressiveness or the conservativeness – of how your tracks and lift arms work through your advanced touchscreen display,” Dante Thomas, skid steer and CTL marketing manager, said. “And you can control of all of your display functions from the advanced joysticks. There are buttons with enter and select functions on those joysticks that you’re able to change any functionality that is possible.”
Cat also redesigned the entry, making the 255 and 265 easier to enter and exit. The cab door can be opened even when the lift arms are not fully lowered to the frame stops. It can be removed without tools in less than one minute.
Advanced technologies
Calling the 255 and 265 “one of the most attachment-friendly machines on the market,” Thomas says both the standard and advanced monitors can run Cat Smart Attachments, such as the dozer and grader blades and backhoe.
“It has attachment recognition that when you plug the attachment into the machine, it recognizes which attachment is connected. It adjusts your joystick pattern, so it gives you intuitive and simple control,” says Thomas.
The available Cat Product Link Elite system tracks machine hours, location, asset utilization, provides fault code details and delivers advanced monitoring and machine health, that is remotely accessible via VisionLink. In addition, Product Link Elite provides remote flash and troubleshooting capabilities and quickly enables the remote activation of the SEA High Flow feature.
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Quick Data is a snapshot of new and used wheel loader sales trends from Randall Reilly’s EDA equipment financing data, TopBid auction price service and EquipmentWatch market trend reports.
Demand for wheel loaders has softened with new and used financed wheel loader sales down year-over-year from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023 according to Randall Reilly’s EDA equipment financing data.
Financed new wheel loader sales dropped 10%, while used financed wheel loader sales fell by 15% compared to the same period last year.
Cat (22.4%), Deere (21.0%) and Komatsu (12.4%) held their positions year-over-year as the top three sellers of new financed wheel loaders. Top models sold included the Deere 544 P-Tier (401), Deere 624 P-Tier (380) and the Komatsu WA270-8 (364).
[Watch: “A Really Solid Machine” – Test Run of Komatsu’s WA475-10 Wheel Loader]
Cat (28.5%) and Deere (22.9%) also snagged the No. 1 and 2 positions for the highest number of financed used units sold, with Case (14.7%) claiming the third spot. On the date we examined the data, the top-selling models were the Case 321F (340), Cat 926M (164) and the Case 621G (159).
During this period, there were more buyers of new loaders in Florida (955) than in any other state. Buyers of new wheel loaders were also prevalent in Texas (893) and Illinois (665). Those states were also top buyers of used financed machines, with 712 units sold in Texas, 413 in Florida, and 412 in Illinois.
EDA data is compiled from state UCC-1 filings on financed construction equipment. EDA continually updates this data as information comes in from each state.
[Related Content: A Rundown of the Latest Wheel Loaders for 2023]
Used Wheel Loader Market
Used wheel loader prices rose 10.1% for the 12-month period from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023, according to Randall Reilly’s EquipmentWatch market trend data.
The average price for a used wheel loader was $137,465 in July 2022 compared to $151,367 in July 2023. The average age of used wheel loaders fell slightly during the period, dropping from 8.8 years to 8.3 years.
EquipmentWatchThe average age and price were calculated on 153,356 resale listings during the period in the EquipmentWatch database.
Over the last 12 months, prices for used wheel loaders have in general increased, with the largest gains in October 2022 (6.5%) and February 2023 (2.9%).
EquipmentWatch defines fair market value (FMV) as the monetary value of an asset that can be expected in a transaction with a single seller and single buyer, neither of whom is under any compulsion or time restriction to complete the transaction. FMV for heavy equipment is most closely associated with the private resale market, as opposed to the public auction market.
Wheel Loader Auction Prices
Caterpillar also dominated the auction charts, accounting for 18 of the top 20 wheel loaders sold in terms of price for the 12-month period of September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023. Deere and Komatsu were the only other manufacturers to appear on the list.
The top auction price spot went to a 2021 Cat 966M with 2,188 hours. It sold for $400,000 at a Ritchie Bros. auction in Orlando, Fla., on September 21, 2022. The second-highest price paid was $315,000 for a 2019 Cat 980M with 7,836 hours at another Ritchie Bros. sale in Atlanta, on December 1, 2022. Rounding out the top three was a 2018 Deere 944K with 8,941 hours. It sold for $290,00 at a J.M. Wood Auction Co. sale in Montgomery, Ala., on March 21, 2023.
In total, there were 358 wheel loaders sold at auctions tracked by Top Bid during this time, with an average price of $99,747. (This does not include any units sold for less than $5,000.)
EDA, Top Bid and EquipmentWatch are owned by Randall Reilly, parent of Equipment World.
[Related Content: Heavy Equipment Auctions Set for Second Half of 2023]
Volvo Construction Equipment bought Terex’s off-road truck line in 2014, and six years later, it rebranded its articulated haulers under the Rokbak name.
On this episode of The Dirt, we hear from Paul Douglas, Volvo vice president of rigid haulers, who explains the differences between the old Terex line and the Rokbak trucks. He also gives a hint at some of the new things coming from Rokbak, including redesigned cabs and replacing the current trucks with new models. There’s also the possibility of a new size truck to hit the market.
Rokbak, as with other construction equipment brands, is working toward a zero-emissions future. On this episode, he explains where the articulated dump truck market is heading in terms of alternative fuel. He adds that customers will see big changes in emissions and engines in the next five years, with the ultimate goal of reaching zero emissions within 10 years.
So to learn more about Rokbak and what the brand has in store for the future, check out this episode of The Dirt.
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