CE EQUIPMENT CONNECTION - Compact Equipment

Power buggies cost $7,500 to $10,000, depending on the options, says Spears. And, because they do not have gearboxes, transmissions,
driveshafts or clutches to wear out or breakdown, power buggies are low maintenance machines, making them cost-eff ective to own.
The Basics about Buggies
Essentially, power buggies are labor-saving devices
— replacing the physical stress on workers armed with
wheelbarrows. Power buggies basically come in three bucket
capacity sizes — 11, 16 and 21 cu ft. A standard wheelbarrow
only offers workers a 6-cu ft capacity.
“To pick the size of power buggy that is right for you, it
is important to know how much material you need to haul
and how far you need to haul it,” says Jenicek.
The smallest power buggy available on the market is the
11-cu ft capacity, walk-behind model. This model utilizes
an 8-hp engine with a hydrostatic powertrain drive — the
operator only needs to select forward or reverse and squeeze
a handlebar lever for propulsion — and a single-lever
hydraulic dump mechanism. The 11-cu ft power buggy has
the ability to transport up to a 1,600-lb payload capacity and
to travel 3 to 4 mph.
The most popular model on the market is the ride-on, 16-cu
ft power buggy, according to Spears. With a 2,500-lb payload
capacity, this mid-size buggy is engineered with an 11- to 13hp
engine, as well as the hydrostatic powertrain and hydraulic
dump mechanism. This unit travels 6 to 7 mph.
The ride-on, 21-cu ft power buggy is the largest size
available. With an 18-hp engine and 3,200-lb payload
capacity, this size offers the most capacity for the price. Like
the 11- and 16-cu ft models, the 21-cu ft buggy also has the
hydrostatic powertrain and hydraulic dump mechanism.
This unit travels 7 mph.
Little Buggies Off er Big Savings
According to Spears, if you compare using a standard
wheelbarrow to a 16-cu ft power buggy, one power buggy
would be the equivalent of using three wheelbarrows, and a
21-cu ft power buggy is the same as using four wheelbarrows.
Power buggies get more done per dollar, or per hour, of labor.
For example, to move 10 yds of material 200 ft, it would take:
Wheelbarrow…………….50 trips at 3 mph
16-cu ft buggy…………...20 trips at 6.5 mph
21-cu ft buggy…………...13 trips at 6.5 mph
For a 400-ft round trip, it is:
Wheelbarrow…………50 trips x 400 ft = 20,000 ft traveled
16-cu ft buggy………..20 trips x 400 ft = 8,000 ft traveled
21-cu ft buggy.……….13 trips x 400 ft = 5,200 ft traveled
With 5,280 ft to a mile, that equals:
Wheelbarrow……………3.78 miles
16-cu ft buggy…………..1.51 miles
21-cu ft buggy…………..1.00 mile
Translate that into the time it takes to transport the material:
Wheelbarrow…………3.78 miles at 3 mph = 75 min.
16-cu ft buggy………..1.51 miles at 6.5 mph = 15 min.
21-cu ft buggy………..1 mile at 6.5 mph = 8 min.
Now add up the cost of four laborers on the job at $20 per
hour each to load and transport the material:
Wheelbarrow…..$80/hr x 1 ¼ hours = $100 labor
16-cu ft buggy…..$80/hr x ¼ hours = $20 labor
21-cu ft buggy…..$80/hr x 8 minutes = $12 labor
Some manufacturers off er a fl atbed option, instead
of a bucket for their power buggies, which is great for
hauling timber or wooden pallets in a busy supply yard.
30 Compact Equipment January 2008 compactequip.com