I am often amazed to find so many small companies who are competing for a share of the market against the major players like Caterpillar, JCB, Komatsu, etc.

This situation is especially prevalent in America. Whilst surfing the web recently I came across yet another such business that appear to be carving out a name for themselves, in what has to be a niche market.

 

TMX (Towable Mini-Excavator), is the brand name for the product which is made by Extend Manufacturing LLC in Schofield, Wisconsin, USA.

The machine is described as having “Big power in a compact package” and although it’s a rather unusual looking machine, I am sure there are many small builders and groundwork outfits for whom it could be a very useful and versatile piece of kit.

According to Extend, the Kohler 20 horse powered TMX produces around 6,600 pounds of digging force, which is impressive for a machine of this size; its versatility is further enhanced with the addition of a 4-way dozer blade for quick back filling and stabilization when digging.

When on site the machine is fully mobile using its own hydrostatic drive system, and is able to turn on the spot within its own length. The rear wheels do look like they would be well suited to a modern shopping trolley and I would be worried about the amount of stick they would take personally.

The cab area is described as “Business class” with a comfortable operator’s seat and full servo controls fitted in front of the armrests. The seat is slightly offset 4” from the centre to allow the operator an unobstructed view of the digging arm and backfill blade operation.

 All in all quite a handy little machine but not really something that I could ever see catching on here in the UK.