Top 6 construction news and reviews of 2020

In a very challenging year, there was no shortage of content and news on the construction industry, with a constant stream of new equipment being released despite the challenging circumstances.

Unsurprisingly, some of our top stories revolved around the implications of COVID-19 on the industry, and the measures available to help people weather the storm.

From strange-looking excavator spotlights to heart-warming bushfire recovery stories, here are some of our most popular stories for 2020.

6. What can you do with a bulldozer?

A very valid question and search term, we thought, as the bulldozer- commonly known as dozer in Australia, is more versatile than most people think.

It not only pushes dirt around but can be used to move material in a landfill, build fire containment lines, clear land, tow stuff and more.

We delved into the different types of dozers available on the market and explored the plethora of uses dozers present. You might even be surprised by some of the applications!

5. COVID-19: FAQs on buying machinery

The novel coronavirus has wreaked havoc on almost all aspects of life, and that includes work on construction sites and how someone goes about buying machinery.

When the pandemic struck earlier this year, the entire country was plunged into a state of lockdown, and everyone was left confused as to what they can do, what they can’t do, and what they should be doing.

To try to ease the confusion and provide answers to some of your burning questions, we put together a series of FAQs and answers on what people need to know about the operational status of dealerships and how one can go about purchasing machinery in lockdown, what kind of incentives are available and more. Suffice to say, it struck a chord with our audience and we hoped our work helped make life that bit easier for you.

4. How the Morrison Government’s economic support packages will help your business

This is a year of absolute uncertainty but also a year of never-before-seen incentives and sweeteners thrown around by the Government in a desperate attempt to get people to spend and stimulate an economy in tatters.

Perhaps the most significant one of all, for machinery operators and fleet owners, is the extremely generous instant asset write-off incentive that has been increased to $150,000 from $30,000. That means business owners can purchase and deduct an item for their operations in its entirety in the very same financial year, if it is worth $150,000 or less. That means a much smaller tax bill come tax time.

In addition, the Government also introduced a raft of financial support for businesses affected by the virus in the form of cash flow support or wage subsidies etc. This article compiles all the measures introduced by the Government that will help construction businesses stay afloat in these very hard times.

3. CNH donates money and muscle for bushfire rebuilding

Amid all the pandemic chaos, it’s easy to forget another soul crushing tragedy that happened in Australia earlier this year- the horrible bushfires.

CNH Industrial, whose customers have been affected by the fires, decided to partner up with BlazeAid to help affected communities rebuild fences and infrastructures on properties that have been damaged by the fires.

We love a heartwarming story of the community banding together to do good, and it seems you do too!

2. JCB 19C-1E electric mini excavator review

Coming in at number two is our exclusive first look at a working unit of JCB’s very first electric machine – the 19C-1E electric mini excavator.

Electric machinery is emerging as the machines of tomorrow, with more and more companies zooming in on environmental sustainability. While many organisations have launched several electric earthmoving machinery prototypes, JCB was the first in the world to commercialise its electric excavator.

Going into the review, we knew we were expecting to see a much quieter machine in action but we weren’t quite expecting a machine that quiet to the extent that we had no idea it has started up and is ready for work. You can’t miss the massive roar of a diesel engine coming to life but this unit, being electric powered, made no noise whatsoever except for a quiet whirring sound in the background.

Want to know more about this machine? We invite you to click through to read the review in full to find out our verdict and to watch the video of the 19C-1E in action.  

1. Menzi Muck M5 spider excavator: Machine spotlight

It was described by our writer, Neil Dowling, as resembling a Transformer looking like it’s about to break into dance at any moment, but the Menzi Muck certainly does not look like your conventional excavator.

It’s in fact an all-terrain excavator- termed a “spider excavator”-designed for use in precarious locations such as cliff faces and on dangerous slopes.

As you can imagine, it takes a person with the heart of a lion to operate one of these, considering the situations and locations the machine will most likely be working in.

It earned its nickname – spider excavator because it is literally all arms and legs resembling an arachnid.  

Read our very interesting review on the Menzi Muck M5 excavator to learn more about the unique machine. We can’t say we’re surprised it has taken out the top spot in our most read list this year!