Rich Droste (L) of Hummerbee and Bob Best, owner of Best Excavation, with the Hummerbee 721R 4-wheel drive compact articulated loader.
At a recent equipment demonstration hosted by Bandit Industries near its headquarters in Remus, Mich., the manufacturer's extensive line of tree chippers and stump grinders weren't the only machines to catch the attention of Bob Best, owner of Best Excavation, based in Alma, Mich. Best took notice of the stout, compact articulated loader busily feeding the Bandit machines and was immediately impressed.
As it turned out, the loader was on loan from another Michigan-based manufacturer, Hummerbee Rough Terrain Equipment.
Brian Kulling, president of Hummerbee, also was on hand at the Bandit demo event and Best sought him out to learn more about the company and its compact articulated loader.
Over the 35 years that Hummerbee has been in business, the company has gained a worldwide reputation as a premier manufacturer of rugged and reliable 4-wheel drive articulated forklifts for the beekeeping industry.
With the rising popularity of compact machines in the construction, tree care, farming, forestry, landscaping and municipal maintenance industries, Hummerbee saw an opening for a U.S.-made, heavy-duty, compact articulated loader. Applying its decades of experience in the design, engineering and production of rough-terrain machines, the company set about the development of a telescopic, compact articulated loader that would bridge the gap between skid steer loaders / mini-wheel loaders and full-sized wheel loaders. The goal was to design a compact loader that is cost-effective yet rugged enough to meet the challenging demands of wide-ranging work applications.
The result is the Hummerbee 721R, a 4-wheel drive compact articulated loader equipped with a 126-in. telescopic, dual- arm boom, 4,500-lb. tipping load, and is capable of getting around the job site at a speed of up to 14 mph. Powered by a Tier IV Final, 74 hp Kohler turbo diesel engine, Hummerbee's articulated loader employs a 2-speed hydrostatic transmission with on-the-fly shifting.
Best Excavation specializes in post construction site work to prepare projects for final landscaping. Much of the company's work consists of backfilling around foundations and site development, material placement and leveling on projects within a 40-mi. radius of the company's home base.
Established in 1987 by Fred Best, he grew the company into what it is known as today. Best Excavation is now owned and managed by Fred's nephew, Bob Best. As the new owner, he brings a new scope to the projects that Best Excavation has been completing for more than 30 years.
Best hopes to continue to find new ways to complete daily operations more efficiently and deliver the same quality service his uncle built the company around. That's why the Hummerbee caught his attention, but will it fit the bill?
Eager to test the new Hummerbee compact articulated loader in a real-world work application, Kulling readily agreed to provide Best Excavation one of its machines for an extended trial period. Best's immediate impression when operating Hummerbee's compact articulated loader was that getting accustomed to the machine was extremely easy.
"The controls are like a cross between a wheel loader and a garden tractor," said Best. "The forward / reverse rocker foot pedal, joystick controls and steering wheel are intuitive and very responsive."
Best also was impressed with how much weight the Hummerbee compact articulated loader could lift. The 721R can manage a 2,500- to 3,000-lb. operating load, depending on the tire size and counter weight package.
"Unlike many machines of this size, the Hummerbee isn't tippy or forward heavy at all," he said. "The telescopic boom offers an advantage in loading a truck, providing access to the full truck bed as opposed to just the back half."
Best found that another advantage of the Hummerbee is that the location of the operator's position, which is higher up, provides exceptional sight lines on the job site, making it safer to operate.
Best also liked the fact that the Hummerbee is a wheeled loader as opposed to a track machine.
"With a tracked machine, you have to watch how you turn to avoid tearing up the ground on a finished grade, we didn't have that issue with the Hummerbee. And because it's articulated, you can really operate in tight spots," he said.
A multitude of skid steer-style attachments are compatible with the Hummerbee compact articulated loader to equip the machine for a wide range of job functions. And the true, 21-gpm auxiliary hydraulic oil flow extends the machines capabilities, which is a unique feature in the compact articulated loader world.
"The Hummerbee articulated loader is easy to operate," said Best. "An entry level person could jump on and go to work. It's versatile and robust enough to meet the needs of professional contracting companies."
For more information, call Brian Kulling at 800/943-8677 or visit hummerbee.com. CEG
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