Bigger is not always better and in the case of construction equipment, the rule is to select the size of the equipment to match the size of the job. However, more and more contractors use compact equipment on job sites today for a variety of reasons.

More compact construction equipment is being manufactured, according to Chad O'Donnell, branch manager at Bierschbach Equipment & Supply Company, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. "In mini excavators, we're seeing more various manufacturers making them; it used to be a specialized manufacturer but, now, Mustang, Gehl and other companies make compact excavators too," he said. O'Donnell stated that there's more demand for compact equipment and that's why more companies manufacture smaller sized equipment.

"We have a high demand for compact excavators, for various attachments to skid-steer loaders and for smaller compaction construction equipment. The compact excavators, for instance, are rented for the smaller, specialized jobs that contractors' regular equipment can't manage. Either the space is too confined for larger equipment or contractors keep all their equipment working and need to rent compact equipment to supplement their work."

Most equipment at Bierschbach's four stores is considered compact equipment, from forklifts to skid steers, compact excavators, rough-terrain lifts, and hand tools. The equipment serves general, highway and specialty contractors and also subcontractors working on plumbing, heating and electrical projects.

O'Donnell said that utility contractors use compaction equipment and concrete saws for underground work, but skid-steer loaders and compact excavators for commercial projects also are very popular with utility contractors.

More and more construction and agriculture equipment manufacturers have introduced compact track loaders that handle a specific job on commercial sites versus the skid steer which is an all around utility machine. ASV, Bobcat, Case, Caterpillar, Gehl, John Deere, Mustang, and New Holland produced similar compact track loaders based on customer demand. Contractors — general, building, landscape, utility — wanted more compact loaders on their job sites and manufacturers continue to meet their requests.

Gehl, for example, has three models of compact track loaders with different capacities. General and landscape contractors are the largest users of this equipment. Equipment operators say that Gehl's track loaders have better flotation, traction and low ground pressure offered by their dedicated tracks and is an excellent alternative to the skid-steer loaders in wet or rainy weather.

John Deere listened to its customers when they said they wanted increased track and undercarriage durability, a smoother ride and increased machine performance. Engineers designed Deere track loaders to use all steel rollers, idlers, sprockets, and steel imbedded rubber tracks which make the undercarriage stronger and more durable compared to competitive models, said Deere officials. With the help of double flange rollers and idlers, Deere track loaders are some of the smoothest operating units in the industry.

Bobcat, a leader in compact equipment, introduced a track loader in 1999. For years, Bobcat was known for its skid-steer loaders but the designers wanted a better alternative that could extend the working season with superior traction and flotation. They developed five models of compact track loaders with dedicated track undercarriages driven by two powerful direct-drive hydrostatic motors that minimize moving parts and eliminate axles and chains.

All models have lift capacity that, with their compact size, allows them to work in tighter spaces and still have lift and reach. Bobcat advises customers to look at the ground and weather conditions and then decide on the type of compact equipment best suited for the job.

"One of the pieces of equipment we handle is a compact utility loader manufactured by Toro, called Dingo," said O'Donnell. "A person walks behind the loader or stands on the back, depending on the style, and that's a piece of equipment in demand. We're seeing more manufacturers making equipment similar to the Dingo."

O'Donnell says that when contractors work on remodeling projects inside of a building, they need smaller equipment to work. "Instead of having more manual labor within a remodeling project, contractors are using machines. Labor is very difficult and expensive to hire and instead of having someone working with a shovel, contractors can use a compact excavator to do the work. This reduces time spent on the job, saves on labor and their employees are fresh to work on other projects."

Compact lifting equipment is another popular rental at Bierschbach Equipment & Supply. "We rent a lot of lifts working on commercial projects where the reach is only 40 feet to 50 feet in the air. They work on two- or three-story buildings or bridges that don't require a high lift," said O'Donnell. Another popular rental is the scissor lift with various sizes of platforms that have a higher weight capacity. "Contractors rent the four-wheel-drive rough-terrain type of units that can get around in many types of ground conditions and support large platforms to carry materials and supplies they need as they're working.

"The scissor lifts have such features as leveling jacks to help level the lifts on rough terrain and keep the lift stabilized. Platform sizes can be as large as 8 feet long with extendable decks to reach to 11 feet or 12 feet long and as wide as 6 feet." Bierschbach carries JLG scissor lifts with those features.

Some of the new features on compact equipment include zero tail swing on more and more equipment that allows them to work in very tight areas. Controls provide more options to operate equipment in several ways using one lever, similar to some cars. O'Donnell says he sees more lifts with different capacities and functions built in, such as welding attachments that make contractors' work easier.

Operator comfort receives more attention from equipment manufacturers. "There are simple changes, such as arm rest and more functional seating that takes stress and shock off the body when an operator has to be in the equipment all day," said O'Donnell. "The comfort features do affect cost of the equipment but the workers can be more productive and the result may be that operating cost has not increased."

Bierschbach Equipment & Supply is not tied to one particular manufacturer. In addition to the manufacturers of compact track loaders, the rental store carries Lull, SkyTrak, JLG, IHI, Multiquip, and Atlas-Copco brands of equipment. "Our rental business in Sioux Falls is a growing market and business has steadily increased every year for the past five years as rental demand increased," O'Donnell stated. "We do business with local contractors, of course, but we do have out-of-town contractors from other areas working here and rent from us because they don't want to transport their equipment.

"We supply equipment to six states: the western half of Minnesota, western half of Iowa, northern part of Nebraska, eastern part of Wyoming, and all of North Dakota and South Dakota."

Bierschbach's stores are in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Sioux City, Iowa; and Fargo, North Dakota. Currently, the company has no plans to expand.