Mighty Material Movers

Power Buggies Come in Small Packages but Give USers Full-Size Performance

By Amber Reed

When hauling concrete around a jobsite, many contractors use a specialized little loader like a power buggy. But what most crews don’t realize is that a power buggy can also double up, hauling rock, dirt, mulch, landscaping bricks, trees, shrubberies, sand, sod, fertilizer, gravel and every other small material you need around the work site.

“Power buggies aren’t just for hauling concrete anymore,” says Kurt Jenicek, rental manager at Nu Way in St. Louis.

Dedicated haul and dump vehicles, power buggies are used to reduce cycle times and manual labor when transporting jobsite materials. Traditionally, power buggies have been used for transporting and placing concrete on construction jobs where site restrictions prevent easy access for a dump truck. No longer just a tool for construction contractors, power buggies are also used by landscapers and maintenance crews, as well as weekend warriors and do-it-yourselfers. >> more

Power Hungry

Gen Set Engines Keep the Lights on and Your Crews Working

By Jennifer Oredson

Few applications have a wider range of available horsepower options than generator sets. These units can run anywhere from 1 to 10,000 hp and beyond, but the typical contractor or hobby farmer, for example, is more likely to use a generator in the 20- to 150-hp range.

Gen sets have always been a fairly simple application for engines. Some important application requirements for other equipment — torque, power bulge and fuel economy — aren’t as critical when working with gen sets. What’s most important is that the engine is durable, reliable, cost-effective, quiet and emissions-compliant. For most gen set users, high-performance characteristics are a bonus. >> more