Focus on functionality

Patrick Brehmer believes too many manufacturers think in terms of machines – he says Mecalac thinks instead of the jobsite.

Brehmer, the company’s head of design and product management, told green industry media so much at their recent press event in Golden, Colorado. Mecalac North America unveiled its brand-new line of compact loaders to the North American market at the event.

In addition to the six new machines – the MCL2, MCL4, MCL4+, MCL6, MCL8 and MCL8+ – the company also showcased some of its other products like wheeled excavators and swing loaders. But Brehmer says this focus on functionality is what led to creating all of these machines.

“When most people just see machines on jobsites, we see functions,” he says. “We see digging, we see loading, we see transporting material. We always imagine how those functions work together.”

COMPACT LOADERS. As Brehmer understands it, there’s mostly three main appeals to machines like common skid-steer loaders and articulated loaders. For skid-steer loaders, operators can boast about the machine’s better space management and versatility, but they’re often sacrificing ergonomics. The articulated loader users are proud of their machine’s power, but those machines might be much harder to transport or occupy too much space on smaller jobsites.

“Today, you have the choice and you have nothing all at the same time,” Brehmer says. “Our proposal was, ‘How can we do something in one product that can combine space management, versatility, and ergonomics?”

The MCL machines are compact enough for landscaping jobsites, as they only range from just over three feet wide to just over four. They also weigh between 3,836 and 6,282 pounds, depending on the model, and have a clearance radius of less than four feet. The lower height is only improved when operators use the machines with a folded canopy – the MCLs are still operable when the canopy is folded.

Each MCL in the series has an option for auxiliary hydraulic lines on the boom and at the rear of the machine as well as 12V 3 pole plugs, further enhancing versatility by allowing the ability to use hydraulic attachments on either end of the machine. The MCL series maximizes attachment possibilities with 7.9 gpm flow on the MCL2 and MCL4 models and 15.9 gpm flow on the MCL6 and MCL8 models.

The ”plus” on the MCL4+ and MCL6+ stands for short boom, which offers a better tipping load, whereas the other four models come with a long­ ­­— standard — boom which maximizes tipping height. The MCL2, MCL4 and MCL4+ all feature a 25-horsepower engine, while the MCL6, MCL8 and the MCL6+ are 49hp.

The machines can travel up to 12-18 miles per hour depending on the model, but M-Drive and Speed Control allows operators to more precisely control the RPM via hand throttle and speed via foot pedal. The Speed Control function comes standard on the MCL6 and MCL8 and is an option for MCL2 and MCL4 models.

The machines feature job versatility through Mecalac’s quick-coupling technology, which can quickly attach augers, mowers or loader buckets to the machines. For snow removal, operators can pair snow blades on the front and salt spreaders on the back.

Mecalac also allowed media to take a closer look and try out some of their other equipment on the Global Machinery site.

CRAWLER SKID-EXCAVATORS. Brehmer says research has shown a significant market interest in mini excavators and compact tracked loaders, estimating that one in two machines purchased in America is one of those two machines. He believes they’ve replaced those two machines with one concept in the MCR.

Mecalac showcased its line of crawler skid-excavators — the MCR Series. Comprised of three models, the 6MCR, 8MCR and 10MCR, Mecalac’s line of compact skid excavators provide the 360-degree rotation of an excavator and travel speeds two times faster than any small excavator.

The MCR Series features a hydrostatic transmission, and a dedicated pump drives the motor. All three machines can travel up to 6.2 miles per hour. The MCRs also feature a quick coupler, CONNECT, which operators can use to switch between attachments without leaving the cab.

WHEELED EXCAVATORS. This series of wheeled excavators consists of three models (the 7MWR, 9MWR and 11MWR).

Each of the three models in the MWR series offers speed in a compact footprint. The smallest of the three, the 7MWR, offers variable speed between zero and 19 mph. Two of the larger models, the 9MWR and 11MWR, provide contractors standard travel speeds between zero and 12 mph with an option for enhanced speed up to 22 mph on the 9MWR and up to 19mph on the 11MWR.

Meanwhile, the MWR series machines have a center of gravity that is 20% lower than competitive models. The machines feature four-wheel steering and a turn radius 2.5 times more compact than a traditional wheeled excavator.

A 75-horsepower (55.4-kilowatt) engine is standard on each model. The smallest model is able to lift 3 metric tons at ten feet (3 meters) through 360 degrees.

SWING LOADERS AND SITE DUMPERS. The AS750, AS850 and AS1000 models recently joined the previously released swing loaders, the AS600, AS900tele, AS1600 and AS210.

Mecalac’s swing loaders feature a rigid chassis and three steering modes – 2-wheel, 4-wheel and 4-wheel crab – that allow for tighter turns than a standard articulated loader. The machines feature a Mecalac swivel boom, and the company estimates a complete rotation in a footprint that is 20% smaller than a conventional loader.

Mecalac also showcased its TA3SH Site Dumper, which features a payload capacity of over 6,600 pounds. The machines are also compact, as they measure roughly 13 feet long and just over six feet wide.