Two Locations

Knoxville

865-982-6452

Tri-Cities

423-975-9111

Operating Hours

Parts & Service

M-F 7am - 5pm

Sales & Rentals

M-F 8am - 5pm

Contact Us

865-982-6452

Sales: Blake Wilson

Parts/Service: Terry Nichols

Skid Loader & Mini-Excavator vs Backhoe Loader

Contractors Machinery

Skid Loader & Mini Excavator vs Backhoe Loader – Which is Right for You?

If you’ve got a big job to do, choosing the right equipment is critical. The Skid Loader/Mini-Excavator Combo vs. the Backhoe Loader has been a major change in the construction industry over the last 10 years. They both have advantages and are designed to for a multitude of tasks. Make sure you use the correct one; it will save hours…if not days…of frustration!

Backhoe Loader – Larger, with great excavation capability

Backhoe Loader

CASE Backhoe Loader

 

Versatility is a primary advantage of the backhoe loader. Not only is it capable of driving across large jobsites and the road at speeds exceeding 20 mph the backhoe side of the machine is a powerful, deep digging excavator. The backhoe provides greater reach and digging depth than most mini excavators. Digging 15’ trenches, basements, foundations…? The backhoe loader is capable of these tasks.

The backhoe loader is not only for the use of excavation, however. The front of the machine contains a loader designed for loading, transporting, and dumping construction materials. Overall, it has greater capacity to handle heavy loads than the skid loader.

Although there are some distinct advantages to choosing the backhoe, one disadvantage is its size. It was created for major lifting and excavation; if the site demands navigating tight spaces, the skid loader/mini excavator may be the better choice.

Compact Track Loader/Skid-Steer Loaders & Mini Excavator – Smaller, with greater maneuverability 

CTL

CASE Compact Track Loader or Skid Steer Loader

 

Obviously, with two pieces of equipment owners can have multiple jobs taking place at the same time with two operators. The CTL and Mini-Excavator markets are the largest unit volume markets in the construction equipment industry.

Referred to as Compact Track Loaders or skid-steer loaders, the skid loader has a unique design. The frame is rigid and contains either wheels or tracks. These simply skid on one side while the other side is locked in place, allowing the driver to turn to the right or the left with great agility.

A smaller machine than the backhoe, the skid loader has the capabilities to also lift and perform most loader excavation jobs. This machine contains a quick-attach system for the ease of adding buckets, trenchers, grapples, forks, sweepers. It’s a versatile machine, excellent for smaller excavation and lighter loading jobs. Coupled with a mini excavator for trenching work this is a hard combo to beat.

CMI-Case prides itself in providing the perfect machine for every job! If you have any additional questions about which is best for you, see a CMI dealer today and rest assured you will make the best choice for the construction task at hand.

CASE heavy duty equipment lineup.

What’s What in the World of Construction Equipment

Emily Bieger

It’s spring, and you can hear the engines starting to rev! Construction equipment is in high demand, as building continues to soar throughout the nation! Before you make the substantial investment in heavy machinery, make sure you have the right equipment for your job.

Excavators: Used for digging, demolition, handling materials, trenching, earthmoving…the excavator uses a boom, dipper, bucket, and attachments for a broad range of uses. Excavators come in a range of sizes, 4,000 lbs. to 158,000 lbs. Mini-Excavators are second only to CTL’s as the most popular Case machine in East Tennessee.

Backhoe/Loaders: The Swiss Army Knife of construction equipment and CASE’s flagship product. Utilized for excavation, material handling, demolition, and landscaping, the backhoe has both a front-facing loader bucket or blade and a rear-facing backhoe with bucket.    

Bulldozers: Utilized to clear, dig, and level land. The dozer has metal tracks and a 4 or 6-Way blade that pushes earth, sand, brush, and debris.

Wheel Loaders: Utilized for material handling on concrete, asphalt, gravel, or dirt with a large front-end loader bucket. Wheel Loaders articulate in the middle and offer higher speeds for large jobsite material handling.

Compact Track Loaders: CTL’s are the most sold type of construction equipment on the market today. Extremely versatile rubber track machines utilized on nearly every construction project in East TN. Multitude of attachments are available for every task including buckets, trenchers, mulching heads, forks, brush cutters hammers, dozer blades and more. Although they look like skid steers, they generally have more horsepower and can carry heavier loads.

Skid Steers: Like the CTL but wheeled for use on concrete and asphalt, these also are available with multitude of attachments. The consensus is that tires hold up longer and are far smoother riding on hard surfaces.

Blake Wilson, general manager at Contractor’s Machinery Inc. (CMI), says the most important factor to consider when buying heavy equipment is the type of work you are planning to pursue and what you are looking for from your equipment dealer. Since 1971 CMI has been keeping contractors working in East Tennessee.

Before you make any large machinery purchases, be sure to visit our CASE Equipment page. Review the extensive list of equipment available and talk to a CMI-Case representative! CMI wants this decision to be the very best for you and your business!

Top Landscaping Trends for 2021

Top Landscaping Trends for 2021

Emily Bieger

Customers don’t want “WOW!” these days as much as they want, “Ahhhhh.”  Think less Disney floral gardens and more Natural Tranquility Spa

Staying current with the trends is key to the landscaping business, and we want to supply you with all the keys to success. Here we have compiled some of the top trends in landscaping for the upcoming year and Toro/CASE supplies all the right machines to get it done in 2021!

The endless days of sculpting and weeding are long gone in the landscaping industry. The homeowner wants to be able to open his backdoor and say, “ahhhhhh,” like he has stepped into a weeklong vacation. Today’s customer wants eco-friendly, natural, and low-maintenance…and this means the right Toro/CASE excavation tools to get the job done!

Five landscaping trends that achieve the “ahhhh” factor:

  1. Eco-friendly – There is respect for our natural environment today more than ever before.Customers want garden plants to blend together to form unique transitions in textures and color. Although the landscape can often take tremendous landscaping labor, the end result should incorporate native grasses, plants and shrubs to produce a serene environment that no one would ever suspect didn’t happen naturally. A great attachment for your hard-working CASE skid steer loader or CASE compact track loader is our mulcher. Mulch will reduce the amount of water that evaporates from your soil and adds in texture.
  2. Strategically irrigated – In order for that landscape to look effortless (and BE effortless to maintain), irrigation is everything.Although sprinkler systems are still often necessary,  natural water supply is much preferred.A pond or a slowly-trickling waterfall adds a perfect touch to the desired spa-like surroundings. And a carefully-planned footprint of water flow will provide not only natural beauty, but practical irrigation as well.
  3. Rocks – They are integral in proper irrigation and very appropriate in this trend ofa la naturale! Don’t remove those big boulders…relocate them to showcase a natural transition in your landscape. Do you have huge boulders piling up because of your recent excavation? Put the Toro TXL 2000 to good use and add them to your breathtaking botanical setting!
  4. Native plants – Texture is as critical as color (think tapestry over grandma’s afghan). Gradual transitions of shades of color and intermittent perennials are popular, as opposed to past harsh lines of separation between beds of plants.
  5. Edible – An increased respect for our environment means land that will yield a crop! Raised gardens are ALL the rage right now, and homeowners are putting them EVERYWHERE, and they’re even popping up in some business office courtyards! A natural, mature landscape is the perfect location to place a raised vegetable garden or even a fruit bush or tree! If placed correctly, these plants should thrive and stick around for future generations.

Enjoy the “Spa” life  and let Toro/CASE do the heavy work for you!

Both CASE and Toro offer superior landscape equipment

Spring Into Gear: Landscaping Equipment that Gets the Job Done

Contractors Machinery

As winter moves into our rearview mirror, we prepare to roll up our sleeves for even more earthmoving jobs. To succeed in the landscaping industry, you must have equipment that stands up to the wide range of the conditions you face on the job. We offer the most superior, technologically advanced, innovative, durable, reliable and comfortable land management equipment in the industry bar none. Can you DIG it?

Here are our top picks for any landscaping job that crosses your crews’ schedule:

CASE Equipment:

CASE TV450B Compact Track Loader

The TV450B is the largest and most powerful CTL in the CASE lineup, allowing contractors to lift and load more, run more powerful attachments (like the mulcher-head attachment below), and be more productive when working against the clock. The 4,500-pound rated operating capacity at 50 percent tipping load, matched with high bucket and lift cylinder breakout forces, as well as an extremely powerful enhanced high-flow auxiliary hydraulics option, makes the CASE TV450B your next low ground pressure/high performing workhorse.

All-New CASE Severe-Duty Mulcher-Head Attachment

Case Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader mulching attachment

Compatible with CASE skid steers and compact track loaders, the mulcher features a variable two-speed motor that automatically adjusts the motor displacement to maximize rotor speed and torque to changing material loads. Ideal for land clearing, site prep, right-of-way and trail maintenance applications. The mulcher comes standard with proprietary double-carbide teeth and a severe-duty body construction for enhanced durability in TOUGH applications!

CASE SR160B Skid Steer Loader

The CASE SR160B is easy to own, operate and maintain. It’s light (5,645 pounds), short (just over six-feet tall at the top of the ROPS), narrow (at five-feet width) and compact for easy transportation and access to tight jobsites — all while retaining trademark CASE stability and low total cost of ownership.

TORO Equipment:

TORO Dingo TXL 2000 Non-Telescoping

The Toro Dingo TXL 2000 Non-Telescoping loader arm joystick includes telescoping function, proportional auxiliary control, and directional left/right control for applicable Toro TXL 2000 attachments. Exclusive traction control design is intuitive, easy to operate, and effortless. Rated operating capacity over 2,000-lbs to lift more than any compact utility loader on the market, comparable to larger compact track and skid steer loaders.

TORO Dingo TX 525 Wide Track

Our diesel Dingo TX 525 Wide Track delivers extra torque, longer engine life and increased hydraulic flow for enhanced performance of ground-engaging attachments. It is turf-friendly at only 2,013 pounds and features an effortless traction control system.

With 45 years of experience in the industry, we understand the needs of a landscaping project. As land management experts we can help you find the best equipment for every unique job and hand select the right attachments to meet your needs.

Contact us to today to see how we can help get your crews ready for any landscaping job this season!