News and Updates on Caterpillar Equipment

Construction EquipmentSeptember 14, 2008 12:35 pm

Construction Equipment Financing Takes Planning

Establishing or expanding an existing construction business can be an overwhelming experience.
In deciding the proper direction you’ll need to plan out what type of equipment to purchase but more importantly how to pay for it. Are you able to pay cash or will construction equipment financing be necessary? Is it better to buy new equipment or will refurbished or used equipment be a better value.

Unable to pay cash is not unusual and often the need to seek out a construction equipment finance company is the best alternative. In researching equipment financing you’ll want to have a clear understanding of what your company needs in the way of equipment and how your cash flow will allow you to pay for it.

Determine The Type Of Equipment You Need

Your construction equipment finance company will need to know exactly what type of equipment you intend to purchase, as they will tailor the finance terms to match the need. Different types of equipment will have different types of financing. For example, if you plan to upgrade your computer system the finance company may offer shorter term financing as computer equipment becomes obsolete in a short amount of time. The purchase of a bulldozer or cement truck may have a much longer life span and be eligible for longer term financing.

Consider Used Or Refurbished Equipment

Once you decide how much equipment to buy, the brand you want or need, how much your budget can support, etc. you will then need to decide if buying new or used equipment is the best route to follow. Refurbished or used equipment may be an ideal solution, especially if the primary use is to be used as a back up to your existing construction equipment and not put into use on a daily basis. Not all used construction equipment will be reliable enough if you plan on making it your primary equipment. Just as you’d research the pros and cons of purchasing a used car you should perform diligent research on your proposed used equipment purchase.

Not All Financing Companies Are The Same

Now that you know what you want or need and have decided between refurbished or new it’s time to start researching financing companies. A good place to start is the bank that maintains your business checking account. Although they may not offer the most attractive financing options it may offer a good comparison to a company that is a construction equipment finance specialist.

Because it’s all that they do, an equipment financing company will be more knowledgeable than a commercial bank with regards to your specific business and equipment needs. Seek out a company that maintains its own underwriting department since these companies are more able to respond to your request for equipment financing quicker than if they had to send the application out of the department for review. The end result will be you have your financing quicker and delivery of your new equipment will not be delayed due to financing.

If you’re not in a position to purchase new or refurbished equipment another option often offered by equipment financing companies is equipment leasing. This is a great option for a seasonal business, someone just starting out or where tax advantages come into play. If you’re concerned about tying up liquid assets as you establish or expand your current construction equipment fleet, look to a construction equipment finance company. They have the experience and knowledge to help guide you in financial decisions that are right for you.

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Construction EquipmentAugust 5, 2008 5:17 am

Heavy Duty Coil Binding Machine Review

Overview:

  • Most spiral coil binding machines are designed to punch sheets of standard bond papers and up to a few plastic covers at a time. However, even the strongest models have a difficult time punching through chipboard and other thick materials.
  • With this in mind, DFG (Document Finishing Group) developed the TitanCoil Ultra. It is equipped with a stronger punching mechanism that makes it ideal for use in punching hard board covers.
  • This opens up a whole new world of opportunities for quick printers, copy shops, print on demand operations and large corporations.
  • Suddenly, the concept of producing your own coil bound hard cover documents can be a reality.

Strengths / Features:

  • At first glance, the TitanCoil-Ultra looks a whole lot like the regular TitanCoil binding machine. It uses the same heavy duty  construction equipment and even has the same shell. In fact, if it didn’t say Ultra on the machine, it would be impossible to tell the two apart by looking at them. Both machines utilize heavy duty metal components and are extremely durable.
  • Although the punching capacity of the TitanCoil Ultra is only three sheets higher than the capacity of other DFG Titan machines, it includes a larger punching throat. This larger throat is designed to allow users to insert a piece of chipboard or a custom made hard cover into the throat of the document. This is important since most coil binding machines don’t have a large enough throat to fit a piece of chipboard inside.
  • This machine includes fully disengageable dies. This means that it can be set up to bind almost any size of hard cover document. It can punch any size sheet up to eleven inches in a single pass or you can use the open throat design to punch longer sheet sizes using a two step process. This means you can use the TitanCoil-Ultra to punch and bind documents as short as two inches and as long as twenty inches.
  • Although the Titan-Coil Ultra is designed specifically for users who need to bind hard covered documents, it is also an excellent machine for binding regular reports, presentations and proposals with coil. It includes a coil sizing guide that helps you select the correct diameter of coil for your books. It also includes an adjustable depth of punch margin control and a foot pedal operated spiral coil inserter on the top of the machine. These features make this a great machine for binding both soft covered and hard covered documents.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

  • Although this machine includes a larger punching throat and can accept thicker materials such as chip board, it can be extremely difficult to pull the handle if you load too much paper into the throat of the machine. Most individuals will have a hard time punching more than fifteen to twenty sheets of paper or two or three clear plastic covers at a time. Depending on the thickness and density of the chipboard that you need to punch, this machine may handle it easily or may require a great of force. If it is too hard to pull the handle on the machine it is a good idea to reduce the thickness of the material that you are punching so that you don’t damage your equipment.
  • The TitanCoilUltra includes a foot pedal operated coil inserter that is located on the top of the machine. However, the design of this inserter and the quality of the foot pedal are less than ideal. The coil inserter uses a single roller design (as opposed to two rollers) and is only about six inches in length. This shorter length and single roller design make the inserter less effective for use with larger coils or for high speed inserting. The foot pedal is also not nearly as strong and durable as the foot pedals on other similar pieces of binding equipment.
  • The chip tray or waste drawer is also fairly small on this machine considering the punching capacity that it offers. It is important to remember to empty the chip tray on a regular basis. If the chip tray becomes full it may become difficult to punch items.

Recommendation:

  • Apart from a heavy duty modular binding punch which costs thousands of dollars, this machine is one of the only options available for organizations looking to punch hard covers for use with coil binding.
  • It includes a larger than normal punching throat and a great set of features that make it an excellent spiral coil binding machine for handling both hard covers and soft covers.
  • Although the design of the spiral coil inserter is not optimal, this machine is still an excellent choice for companies that might need to punch chipboard or thick materials.
  • However, it is important to remember that if the handle is too hard to pull, you are probably punching an item that is either too dense or too thick.
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Caterpillar Equipments, Construction EquipmentJuly 10, 2008 10:51 am

Construction Equipment – Buy, Lease or Rent

Construction equipment is also known as engineering vehicles. These heavy-duty vehicles are specially designed to carry out construction and engineering tasks.

The finance needed for buying construction equipment is arranged through an equipment leasing association. The construction market is buoyed by a boom in the construction business after experiencing a couple of slow years.

Only those corporations or smaller businesses who are flush with cash can afford to buy the construction equipment on an outright basis.

Renting or leasing is the traditional best option for contractors who do not have large reserves of cash. The contractors who could not afford to buy the construction equipment have these methods as an alternative arrangement. Renting of construction equipment is an option to face a short-term need whereas leasing is the option suitable for long-term needs.

According to a survey conducted by the industry, there is less desire on the part of the contractors to own construction equipment and they always go through reviewing the concepts – leasing or renting – to select the best option.

Leasing or renting should be seen as a forerunner to buying since it gives a chance to test the construction equipment without the burden of large cost or long-term investments. Normally the rental of construction equipment for six months leads to out right purchase to avoid the loss of equity investment.

In a typical example for a project with three contractors bidding for the work, the contractor with equipment owned outright has to consider only the interest amount spent on financing the purchase while costing the project.

Whereas a construction company which opted for leasing only has to consider the recurring monthly payments for leasing while making the estimate for the project. The contractor who rents the construction equipment has only to calculate the rent he is going pay and he is not saddled with equipment, which is not incurring loss when left unused.

Complicating the matters further, there are too many types of finance plans, with offers of a wide range of schemes beckoning the contractors with repayment terms averaging from 3 to 5 years. Manufacturers such as John Deere and Caterpillar have their own sub division for financing, which permit the contractors to lease the construction equipment directly from the manufacturers. These types of sources serve nearly twenty percent of the market.

Leasing opportunities are also offered by banks. Because of the inherent risk, most of the banks steer clear of the construction industry. Still around sixty percent of the financing of construction equipment is carried out by banks or companies affiliated to the banks.

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Caterpillar, Construction EquipmentJune 24, 2008 11:47 am

Chipping Farm Equipment

Anyone on the road has heard of a performance chip. Most would recognize that if they see a truck on the road blowing black smoke that the truck has been chipped. Trucks blowing black smoke usually have aggressive performance programs on them. There are also fuel economy programs that will add some power but are more geared towards improved fuel mileage. Now these same fuel saving performance enhancers are available for diesel farm equipment. Yes, I said farm equipment.

TS performance opened its doors in 1997 and was created by Dennis Perry, a man with extensive background in computers and computer programming. He started the company to deliver products that gave safe and effective horsepower and torque gains. They started out with a chip for the 7.3L powerstroke and now have them for the Ford, Dodge, Chevy, International, Caterpillar, Jeep, and John Deere Diesel Engines. Their farm applications include Case , John Deere, and Caterpillar Challenger engines.

These applications range from cotton pickers, hay bailers, tractors and just about anything else you can think of that you might see on a farm. TS performance continues to create programs for farm equipment and will most likely have one for anything on a farm soon enough and they have their TS performance MP-8 for just about everything else.

Why would you chip a tractor you ask? For the same reason you chip a truck, to get better fuel economy and have a little extra power. Farms are big and require big machinery with big engines to run them. Thus farmers spend big money on fuel.

With a TS performance Agri Power module farmers are now lowering their fuel consumption by an average of twenty percent per day, and they can install it themselves in about 20 minutes with its simple plug and play design. Some people will never understand chipping. The rest of us can’t help but see it.

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Caterpillar Equipments, Construction EquipmentJune 6, 2008 2:09 pm

Information on Construction Equipment

The secret behind running a successful construction business heavily lies on using the best construction equipment. Realizing this truth, the world’s best construction companies possess high-class construction equipment. Construction equipment is the best ally that a company can depend on. This equipment facilitates and provides the best assistance when working against a tight deadline. Some common construction equipment needed for any construction business includes bulldozers, wheel loaders, backhoes, pavers, excavators, cranes, and tractors, rollers, forklifts, trucks, generators, pressure washers, welders and air compressors.

Well-known companies such as John Deere, Volvo, Caterpillar, New Holland, Bell, Komatsu, Bobcat, Terex, Kawasaki, Hyundai and International Harvester manufacture construction equipment. They are the most popular and well known construction equipment manufacturers. These companies are known for making high quality construction equipment. Parts for construction equipment are as vital as the equipment themselves. Any breakdowns during work will seriously affect the work schedules.

Stocking vital equipment parts in adequate numbers will help in executing the projects on time. New parts or reconditioned parts are important equipment and should be in stock, as sourcing them at the time of break down would prove difficult and expensive. Many companies offer genuine high quality parts. Often they guarantee for high performance and long life. Keeping enough stock in their warehouse to meet any demand will be beneficial. Normally, most reputed manufactures have remanufacturing programs that takes failed components, fixes them, tests them, and then sells them as used parts.

Most of these parts will be like new ones and adhere to original specifications. This is a cost saving method for buyers without compromising the quality and contributing to environmental protection by reducing waste. Major construction equipment manufacturers have distribution networks that help buyers to get the parts as and when possible without wasting time which is crucial for their business. Online support systems help them in locating and transferring the parts which are in great demand in one place but lying idle in another place without any buyers.

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CaterpillarJune 5, 2008 12:44 pm

Construction Equipment – Buy, Lease or Rent?

Construction equipments is also known as engineering vehicles. These heavy-duty vehicles are specially designed to carry out construction and engineering tasks.The finance needed for buying construction equipment is arranged through an equipment leasing association. The construction market is buoyed by a boom in the construction business after experiencing a couple of slow years.Only those corporations or smaller businesses who are flush with cash can afford to buy the construction equipment on an outright basis.

Renting or leasing is the traditional best option for contractors who do not have large reserves of cash. The contractors who could not afford to buy the construction equipment have these methods as an alternative arrangement. Renting of construction equipment is an option to face a short-term need whereas leasing is the option suitable for long-term needs.

According to a survey conducted by the industry, there is less desire on the part of the contractors to own construction equipment and they always go through reviewing the concepts – leasing or renting – to select the best option.Leasing or renting should be seen as a forerunner to buying since it gives a chance to test the construction equipment without the burden of large cost or long-term investments. Normally the rental of construction equipment for six months leads to out right purchase to avoid the loss of equity investment. Find more info at www.construction-financing4u.info

In a typical example for a project with three contractors bidding for the work, the contractor with equipment owned outright has to consider only the interest amount spent on financing the purchase while costing the project.Whereas a construction company which opted for leasing only has to consider the recurring monthly payments for leasing while making the estimate for the project. The contractor who rents the construction equipment has only to calculate the rent he is going pay and he is not saddled with equipment, which is not incurring loss when left unused.

Complicating the matters further, there are too many types of finance plans, with offers of a wide range of schemes beckoning the contractors with repayment terms averaging from 3 to 5 years.
Manufacturers such as John Deere and Caterpillar have their own sub division for financing, which permit the contractors to lease the construction equipment directly from the manufacturers. These types of sources serve nearly twenty percent of the market.

Leasing opportunities are also offered by banks. Because of the inherent risk, most of the banks steer clear of the construction industry. Still around sixty percent of the financing of construction equipment is carried out by banks or companies affiliated to the banks.

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CaterpillarJune 2, 2008 12:40 pm

Caterpillar Construction Equipment

Caterpillar Equipment
Caterpillar Incorporated, also known as CAT is a United States based corporation that is based in Peoria, Illinois. The company commonly known as CAT is known around the world as the largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. Well known and famous for their products that feature the Caterpillar track and distinctive yellow paint, CAT produces a wide range of heavy equipment for all types of jobs, including the very popular Caterpillar D9 bulldozer.

The story of CAT dates back to the late 19th century, when Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt were experimenting with different ways to fulfill the promise that steam tractors held for farm work. Prior to 1925, the Holt family had pioneered track tractors and gasoline powered engines. After the companies of Best and Holt were merged, the company went through several changes then at the end of World War 2, they began to grow at a very fast pace, launching the first venture outside of the country in 1950, which marked the beginning of CAT development into a big corporation.CAT equipment ranges from track type tractors to hydraulic excavators, backhoes, motor graders, off road trucks, wheel loaders, tractors, diesel and gas engines, and gas turbines. CAT equipment is used in construction, excavation, building roads, mining, energy, forestry, transportation, and material handling companies.

Over half of CAT’s sales are to customers in overseas areas. CAT products are sold in almost 200 different countries. The company has a worldwide network of over 200 dealers - 63 in the United States and over 150 in other countries. CAT equipment and components are manufactured in 42 plants in the United States and 58 plants in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, and several other countries.

CAT almost went down in the early 1980s due to the massive union strikes and a down turn in product demand. At the time, several news reports indicated that products were piling up so high in facilities that temporary workers hired to work the lines could barely get to their stations to perform their jobs.

In the 1990s, CAT suffered yet another long strike in which the company hired what it deemed to be permanent replacements for union workers that were on strike. During both strikes, jack rocks were placed in the home entrances of many of CATs top executives and employees, puncturing the tires of their vehicles and making things worse for the company.

Not long after the strike of the 1990s ended and the economy started to get back up again, CAT adopted the "6 Sigma" quality management program, to help reduce costs and inventory and identify and correct the defects in processes and products.

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CaterpillarMay 23, 2008 8:16 am

Caterpillar Equipment

Caterpillar Incorporated, also known as CAT is a United States based corporation that is based in Peoria, Illinois.  The company commonly known as CAT is known around the world as the largest manufacturer of construction equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines.

Well known and famous for their products that feature the Caterpillar track and distinctive yellow paint, CAT produces a wide range of heavy equipment for all types of jobs, including the very popular Caterpillar D9 bulldozer.

History The story of CAT dates back to the late 19th century, when Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt were experimenting with different ways to fulfill the promise that steam tractors held for farm work. Prior to 1925, the Holt family had pioneered track tractors and gasoline powered engines.  After the companies of Best and Holt were merged, the company went through several changes then at the end of World War 2, they began to grow at a very fast pace, launching the first venture outside of the country in 1950, which marked the beginning of CAT development into a big corporation.

CAT equipment ranges from track type tractors to hydraulic excavators, backhoes, motor graders, off road trucks, wheel loaders, tractors, diesel and gas engines, and gas turbines.  CAT equipment is used in construction, excavation, building roads, mining, energy, forestry, transportation, and material handling companies.

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Caterpillar 7:45 am

Caterpillar Equipment – Buy, Lease or Rent

Construction equipment is also known as engineering vehicles. These heavy-duty vehicles are specially designed to carry out construction and engineering tasks.

The finance needed for buying construction equipment is arranged through an equipment leasing association. The construction market is buoyed by a boom in the construction business after experiencing a couple of slow years.Only those corporations or smaller businesses who are flush with cash can afford to buy the construction equipment on an outright basis.Renting or leasing is the traditional best option for contractors who do not have large reserves of cash. The contractors who could not afford to buy the construction equipment have these methods as an alternative arrangement. Renting of construction equipment is an option to face a short-term need whereas leasing is the option suitable for long-term needs.

According to a survey conducted by the industry, there is less desire on the part of the contractors to own construction equipment and they always go through reviewing the concepts – leasing or renting – to select the best option.Leasing or renting should be seen as a forerunner to buying since it gives a chance to test the construction equipment without the burden of large cost or long-term investments. Normally the rental of construction equipment for six months leads to out right purchase to avoid the loss of equity investment.

In a typical example for a project with three contractors bidding for the work, the contractor with equipment owned outright has to consider only the interest amount spent on financing the purchase while costing the project.Whereas a construction company which opted for leasing only has to consider the recurring monthly payments for leasing while making the estimate for the project. The contractor who rents the construction equipment has only to calculate the rent he is going pay and he is not saddled with equipment, which is not incurring loss when left unused.

Complicating the matters further, there are too many types of finance plans, with offers of a wide range of schemes beckoning the contractors with repayment terms averaging from 3 to 5 years. Manufacturers such as John Deere and Caterpillar have their own sub division for financing, which permit the contractors to lease the construction equipment directly from the manufacturers. These types of sources serve nearly twenty percent of the market.

Comments (0)