Top 5 construction news and reviews of 2018

It has been a mixed bag of a year for the construction industry, to say the least. While housing construction, particularly apartments has dropped significantly, engineering construction is on the rise and is not slowing down anytime soon.

The demand for machines therefore remain high and has prompted manufacturers to produce more efficient machines with more technologies in the cab and under the bonnet than ever before.

Here are the top five news and reviews that got you clicking and talking in 2018.

The Bobcat name is synonymous with skid steers and compact track loaders, so it’s only right that we check one out for ourselves.

Obviously, there is a reason Bobcat is so well known for its machines, because they are simply quality, well-built and very versatile units.

Tasmanian contractor Allan Willis, for one, can’t say enough about his Bobcat S590 skid steer, which he has taken on an array of jobs ranging from roadworks to domestic landscaping. Read his appraisal of the machine.

We have heard about MB and its range of buckets but to really witness how well they work and how sturdy they are, we headed out to the quarries of Tasmania.

Otta Excavations had a BF90.3 crusher bucket attached to a 20-tonne JCB JS200SC excavator which it uses to crush rocks to smaller chunks according to customer specifications.

“In a nutshell – it works and works well. Basically, it does what it says on the box,” Otta Excavations’ Graeme Viney said.

Read the full review

ACE Machinery House is a newcomer to the wheel loader market but it seems to already have made quite an impression on local operators, mainly thanks to the great price points on its loaders.

While more affordable than big brand machines, ACE Machinery House’s wheel loaders feature well known components such as Cummins engines.

The company even laid claim to offering the “most powerful loader in its class” with its AL400 unit launched earlier in the year.

Watch the launch and walkaround video

You read right, that was TWENTY FIVE new machines launched in one go. Komatsu is certainly not holding back when it comes to asserting its market dominance in Australia.

One of the biggest updates it has made to its 2018 machines is new Tier 4 engines under the bonnets which the company said give lower emissions and reduce operating costs.

Some other great technologies available in its new generation machines include the Intelligent Machine Control feature which makes the machines semi-autonomous, therefore significantly increasing productivity and efficiency.

If a 25 product launch does not capture your attention, I don’t know what will.

Watch the launch video

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Caterpillar takes the top spot with the launch of its next-gen 20 ton excavators Down Under.

Laden with technologies to increase efficiency, the Cat 20-ton range of excavators consist of three models - 320 GC, Cat 320 and the range topping Cat 323.

In addition, comfort features such as air conditioning, large touchscreen monitors with jog dial and push start button make the operator experience easier and more enjoyable.