Mastenbroek will unveil its first-ever utility trencher designed specifically for North America at ConExpo. The designer and manufacturer of self-propelled trenchers and crawler trucks will use North America’s largest construction trade show to unveil the Bulldog, a small footprint, compact yet incredibly powerful trencher designed to meet the need of utility cable and pipeline layers.
The Bulldog, which is 38 feet 7 inches (10.9m) long, is designed to work in confined areas, and its forward discharge conveyor system retracts to give an 8 foot 2 inch (2.5m) width making it is easy to transport.
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Borrowing much of Mastenbroek’s engineering prowess from the existing 17/17 trencher, the new Bulldog features a new engine and enhanced digging mechanism.
The new US-specific trencher features a US EPA Tier 4 final compliant Volvo 8-litre engine offering the ideal combination of power, efficiency and emissions.
Complementing the Volvo engine is a new diesel hydrostatic drive system developed by Mastenbroek to power the new heavier digging mechanism, which can achieve the six-foot trench depth required by US cable layers.
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The Bulldog also features an offset cutting head and forward swing conveyor making it ideal for operating in cities and on highways where access is restricted and excavated material needs to be loaded onto trucks for removal offsite. A steerable undercarriage enables curved trench lines, and the track lift allows the machine to straddle raised pedestrian walkways.
As well as revealing full details of the Bulldog, Mastenbroek’s commercial director, Christopher Pett, will be talking to visitors to ConExpo about the company’s intention to establish a regional dealer network to sell and service the machine.
“The Bulldog has been designed with the needs of companies laying underground power cables along the west coast of America firmly in mind,” says Pett. “Our 17/17 has proved incredibly effective in Europe, where it has been used to perform a similar role to what is required in the United States. That’s why we have based the Bulldog on that platform. Both the 17/17 and the Bulldog are competitively priced. Introducing a new engine, enhanced digging mechanism, and hydrostatic drive system will ensure the Bulldog delivers impressive performance daily.”
