When Spartan Construction started working on a job at a large dairy farm in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, they knew they would have to turn the project around quickly — the farmer depended on it with his heifers scattered sporadically throughout the farm.
Serving the commercial, residential and agricultural markets, the general contractor out of Luxemburg, Wisconsin, needed to break up and remove concrete in each of the barn’s stalls. The farmer wanted to put softer flooring in to make it more comfortable for the heifers.
Spartan Construction realized that their compact excavator, which they have owned for eight years, did not have the reach capability that they needed, nor was it able to run a hydraulic breaker to break up the concrete. The aisles in the barn were too tight for an excavator to fit through, so they needed to have a machine that possessed greater maximum reach. They talked to Eric Wisnicky, a territory manager at Kelbe Brothers Equipment in De Pere, Wisconsin. After hearing what the job entailed, Wisnicky recommended a Takeuchi TB240 hydraulic excavator.
“I have been around construction equipment for 20 years, and the Takeuchi excavators and track loaders have become two of my favorite products,” said Wisnicky. “After hearing what they needed, I immediately thought of the TB240 excavator — it offers a long reach, as well as power and good visibility.”
The Takeuchi TB240 is one of the newest models in the Takeuchi lineup of hydraulic excavators. Weighing just over 8,000 lbs. with a Yanmar 35.8 horsepower Final Tier 4 engine, the TB240 features a maximum reach of 18 ft. 2.3 in., digging depth of 11 ft. 4.4 in., and dump height of 12 ft. 6.7 in.
“The TB240 excavator that we rented was brand new and the first Takeuchi that I have ever operated,” said Randy Vanden Plas, co-owner of Spartan Construction. “We haven’t worked much with Kelbe Brothers, but we rented some equipment from them in the spring and it worked out really well for us, so we trusted them to recommend an excavator for this project.”
The TB240, fitted with a Kent FX55 hydraulic breaker, was delivered to the dairy farm within the next day and Spartan Construction went to work. The project timeline called for a quick turnaround. With urgency on their mind, they started on a Wednesday and the diligent contractor completed the job by the weekend.
“The TB240, saved the farmer a lot of money, that is for certain,” Vanden Plas said. “It did what five guys couldn’t do in a few weeks, in just a matter of three days. The excavator offered a lot of power, it was quiet, and overall, it was a really nice machine. The TB240’s reach allowed us to reach over and break up the concrete without having to remove the partitions manually with saws.”
Life on the farm has more normalcy now with construction officially behind them. The heifers can go back to a more comfortable setting with softer mats. Yes, life is pretty good on this Manitowoc dairy farm, pretty good indeed.