Taylor Excavation purchased a Mecalac 6MCR machine, combining mini-excavator and skid steer capabilities, expanding services. Taylor praises its versatility, hydraulic power, and unique features. Considering a Mecalac wheel loader, he finds the machine essential for various tasks, including road maintenance and bridge demolition.
Photo courtesy of Woods CRW
Terry Taylor with his Mecalac 6MCR skid steer/excavator.
Taylor Excavation, a general construction company located in Trout Run, Pa., and owned by Terry Taylor, recently purchased a Mecalac model 6MCR from Woods CRW Corp's Carlisle, Pa., facility.
The Mecalac 6MCR is a compact machine that combines the best of a mini-excavator and a skid steer in one machine using its uniquely engineered articulating boom.
Photo courtesy of Woods CRW
After a three-month rental of the machine, Taylor was so impressed he made the decision to purchase it.
During the course of the rental, Taylor discovered that with the Mecalac's powerful hydraulic system he could put any skid steer attachment on the machine, many of which would require a 24-gal. per minute flow, and it was easily handled by the Mecalac.
"Once I experienced that, the decision to purchase was easy," he said. "The Mecalac is truly two machines in one. I can do anything with it that any excavator or skid steer can do, and I only have to bring one machine to the job site and work on a small but complex project with one machine and one operator.
"With one machine I can put in footers; scoop up spoils; load, scoop and spread stone; or reach over a block wall," he added. "I really can't think of anything that a skid steer or an excavator can do that I can't do with this machine. There are things that I can do with this machine that I would never be able to do with just a skid steer. A skid steer has a hard time reaching high enough to load a tri-axle dump. With the unique articulated boom of the Mecalac, I can load a tri-axle or go even higher, if needed.
"When I saw the Mecalac machine, I knew right away that it would make a great addition to my equipment fleet if it truly operated as described. The machine is manufactured in France, and I knew that no one else was making a machine like it that was available in the United States. I did some research and found out that Woods CRW in Carlisle, Pa., had been named the distributor for my area."
According to Taylor, after initially investing in the machine, it took him a little bit of time to get comfortable with the controls, but it was a short learning curve and he soon found the Mecalac to be a unique and highly productive machine for the types of work that he is involved in.
Taylor found some surprising and unique aspects of the Mecalac machine that have been very useful.
"With the articulated boom and a 72-inch skid steer bucket, I use the Mecalac to clean the berm of a road," he said. "When you rotate the boom to the left it cocks your bucket 10 degrees, so you are actually putting a crown back into the road. I had been considering putting a tiltrotator on the machine and once I experienced this, I decided I didn't need it for the type of work I do, although I certainly can understand where a landscaper or someone who handles a lot of brush could see the benefits of a tiltrotator."
Taylor is so impressed with the Mecalac 6MCR that he is now considering purchasing a Mecalac compact wheel loader.
"They make some really impressive loaders that will travel down the road at over 20 miles per hour.
"I am now doing work for our township that I would not have been able to look at before. With the reach of the Mecalac, I am mowing for the township that they could not reach with their traditional boom mowers. I am able to reach out 18 feet with the Mecalac. I have a pole saw, which has a 24-inch blade and will give me a 28-foot reach for me to trim trees for the township.
"What we are looking at is areas on town roads where trees have formed a canopy over the highway that does not allow any light in. With this setup, I will easily be able to trim those areas with out putting any men in a bucket or lift. This pole saw is designed to work on a skid steer, but when I put it on the boom of my Mecalac, I have gained an additional 14 feet."
Currently, Taylor Excavating is using the Mecalac to demolish a small road bridge.
Photo courtesy of Woods CRW
"The Mecalac is using a hammer to break up the concrete with the great hydraulic flow that the Mecalac produces I am going through 8 inches of concrete like it was nothing," he said. "I have a bit that I had manufactured that allows me to drive 24-inch schedule 40 steel pipe into the ground. We use it for a structure pole to install gates. We've used it to hold rip rap in place along creeks that we build. For the gas industry I have driven thousands of these for supports to hold valves."
The coupling system on a Mecalac is unique unto itself.
"I had to make a couple of modifications on some of my attachments to make it work, but my gut feeling is telling me that this coupling system is going to hold up longer than your standard pin grab system."
Taylor is certain he has received tremendous value using his Mecalac.
"I have had other local contractors stick up their nose at what I'm doing," he said. "But they can go out and purchase a skid steer and pay $80,000. I am getting a skid steer, an excavator, a loader, a telehandler, all-in-one machine and with some of the Mecalac features, I can execute many jobs that you wouldn't be able to do at all with a standard skid steer or excavator." CEG
Today's top stories
