Top 7 construction news and reviews of 2021

Readers were hooked on innovative technologies such as remote controlled excavators and low emissions trucks

While 2021 proved to be another challenging year with multiple lockdowns across the country due to the pandemic, we here at constructionsales.com.au were still committed to bringing you the latest product releases and informative reviews.

We were still lucky enough to be able to visit some leading trade expos such as the Diesel Dirt and Turf expo in New South Wales and the Civil Construction Field Days in Queensland earlier this year to show you some of the latest products and brands on the market.

From remote-controlled excavators to a distributorship handover, these are the top content pieces that caught your attention this year:

7. Carter CT16-9B Mini Excavator Review

For those of you not familiar with the Carter brand, it hails from China with a focus on small earthmoving machinery that is affordable, sturdy and gets the job done.

We sent Evarn Covich out to Guanaba, QLD, to sus out one of the brand's most popular model for us - the Carter CT16-9B Mini Excavator, courtesy of QLD-based machinery distributor, Machinery Direct. Having driven earthmoving machinery all his life, Evarn was certainly the right man for the job.

While not perfect, the machine is more than capable of executing all the little jobs you might need to do around the property, farm or job site, he said. Read the review for Evarn’s thoughts on the machine.

6. SharpGrade 1.6 leveller: Machine spotlight

We’ve done a fair bit on actual earthmoving machinery such as excavators, loaders etc so we thought we’d do something a little different for a change. Howard Shanks stumbled upon the opportunity to check out a nimble little leveler attachment ideal for use with skid steer loaders for road levelling purposes.

The SharpGrade 1.6 box leveller is made in New Zealand and essentially transforms a standard skid-steer loader into a precision laser grading machine.

This machine combination works best for grading work in smaller spaces where a traditional grader will struggle to fit in.

5. Komatsu unveils electric remote-controlled excavator concept

Everybody loves an innovation story, which is not a surprise that this piece turned out to be one of our top hits for the year.

Komatsu is one of a long line of manufacturers that have publicly voiced its ambition to help transform the construction industry into a more environmentally responsible one.

In celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2021, the company released a mini excavator concept that is not only fully electric, but is also remote controlled and as a result, is completely cabless.

The 3-tonne machine is powered by lithium-ion batteries therefore emits no harmful emissions unlike a conventional excavator.

4. Cat debuts D7 dozer

Caterpillar’s new and improved 29.7-tonne D7 dozer took out the fourth spot on our list, boasting a whole new suite of technologies over the predecessor D7E model.

Like the D6 and D8T, the new D7 is driven by a fully automatic 4-speed transmission which continuously adjusts for maximum efficiency and power to the ground without added operator input.

With increased weight and horsepower over the previous D7E model, the new D7 is capable of pushing eight per cent more material per hour than its predecessor, according to Cat.

3. Australia’s first low-emission ultra-class mining truck

This is the second Komatsu story on the list, proving the brand’s popularity amongst Australian customers.

Komatsu earlier this year commissioned the first Tier 4 Final version of its 930E-5 ultra-class mining truck in Australia for a local customer, as part of its commitment to designing and manufacturing mining equipment that advances its corporate social responsibility aims.

Komatsu's Tier 4 Final compliant 930E-5 incorporates an on-board after-treatment system that significantly reduces the Scope 1 emissions produced during the haulage process at mines, the company said.

2. How to keep your Cat® equipment running for longer

No matter if you’re buying a new or used machine, aftersales service and support should be a key consideration when making your decision, so as to make sure you and your machine will be well looked after for years to come.

With that in mind, Cat launched its Customer Value Agreements (CVAs) product that helps customers stay on top of all maintenance and servicing requirements so as to keep downtime as low as possible.

The product provides customers with several benefits including having genuine Cat parts sent to your door when they are required, access to expert dealer support and extensive machinery info in the palm of your hands.

1. McIntosh Group takers over Case CE distribution

Taking out the top spot this year is some breaking news about Case Construction’s new distributon agreement with McIntosh Distribution.

The Perth based business has set up a new business division – McIntosh CE - to focus on the construction part of the business.

As part of the agreement, McIntosh has acquired the Dandenong-based construction equipment dealership, Case Vic, that was formerly managed by CNH Industrial.