 Going in the Dumps
Dedicated Site Dumpers Are Arriving on American
Shores — Be the First on Your Block to Buy One
I was so close to having a hilarious lead to this editor’s message (something icky with the word dump), but I realized that would probably detract from the seriousness of this subject matter and the high bar the CE team sets with this publication (tongue firmly in cheek). So in the spirit of the theme, I dumped it. Just like a no-nonsense dedicated dumper would.  While the North American market is certainly dominated with compact loaders that are great at performing pick, load and dump applications — it’s mostly of the skid steer variety. But those zany Europeans (who have given us great mini machines such as compact excavators and telehandlers) utilize a different style of loader, dubbed a dedicated dumper. These site dumpers are single-minded machines, that could care less about wielding an attachment like a trencher or set of pallet forks. Dedicated dumpers are committed to constant pick and placement of spoils or construction materials. When a project calls for moving and distributing dirt, viscous concrete or maybe scabrous construction debris, a dedicated dumper can do it 24/7 and better than almost any construction or landscape piece of equipment on the market today.
Right now, only a handful of companies bring these machines to the U.S. market — namely Terex and AUSA (the Spanish equipment manufacturer). When you see these machines, you can understand their advantages when it comes to load and unload operations. First off, they offer excellent jobsite visibility. The operator sits up much higher than nearly any compact piece of equipment on the market. Unlike a skid steer, site dumpers offer multiple modes of steerability — rear wheel, articulated steer and all-wheel drive (adding traction or sensitivity to your particular jobsite conditions). Many have what’s called “power swivel,” which allows the bucket (which can typically carry capacities from 4,000 to 13,000 lbs) to rotate 180 degrees from side to side, tipping for accurate placement of 1.5 to 4 cu yds of material.
Speed and efficiency is what every crew craves in a machine — along with any easy-to-operate platform that can endure slave labor shifts. Dedicated dumpers can do all of those things (for a price of about $30,000 to $50,000). Use them to load sand bunkers for golf courses, pour concrete and fertilizer or work in tandem with a mini excavator, ferrying spoils to their final resting place (which is a popular European application).
Of course, we Yankees are obstinate folks and change is a scary and intrepid endeavor. Even with superior haul and place abilities, will these dump-obsessed machines ever bring a dominating presence to the American marketplace? It’s tough to say. Of course 20 year ago, mini excavators had the same stigma — now that market sells 25,000 units a year in North America, with more than 15 major manufacturers. So if your operations call for devoted material shuttle, be progressive and invest in a dedicated site dumper, and watch your operations move material better than anyone in the business — at least on this continent.
Keith Gribbins
Managing Editor
kgribbins@benjaminmedia.com
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