COUNTY OF PLACER

Placer County Public Works Dept. in California trialled a Multihog CX 75 HD on an eight month rental before purchasing the multipurpose tractor along with a snow blower, hydraulic V snow blade and pressure washer in the fall of 2017. Keeping a 3 mile stretch of the Kings Beach area clear of snow in winter is the CX’s primary task, with pressure washing the sidewalks keeping it busy in spring and summer.

Multi Purpose Attachments, Year Round Maintenance  

Having seen the machine in operation for almost a year, Dan LaPlante, Associate Civil Engineer in Placer’s Public Works Dept. is certain that it’s the right choice for year-round maintenance: “We have a lot of decorative sidewalks in the Kings Beach community and that was a major concern when I looked at new machines. Since the CX is a no-chain vehicle with rubberized tires, our coloured concrete and pavers on the sidewalk aren’t damaged at all during snow clearing. We also have planters and benches which create a lot of narrow areas, and a big advantage is that the CX is articulated and can fit into and around these spaces to clear and clean them.”

Placer’s snowfall can vary year on year, but 2016-2017 was the biggest yet with heavy storms bringing a massive 500 inches. Previously, the County used manually-operated, walk behind blowers to clear snow in Kings Beach, but according to Dan they were less efficient and much slower than the CX, which makes short work of clearing the area in just 1-2 hours. Apart from efficiency, the CX is also a much safer option for the winter operators, who previously used the walk behind blowers on roundabouts and crosswalks – and for Dan, the increased protection is important: “From a health and safety point of view, I’d much rather have our operators enclosed in the Multihog cabin than walking behind a blower, as the risk of accident or injury is vastly reduced. Of course, they’re also happier to work in a warm, dry cabin instead of being out in the elements during a snowstorm.”

In the summer, the CX is fitted with a pressure washer for cleaning the sidewalks, which operates well without damaging any nearby shopfronts or amenities. Placer considered other machines on the market, but in the end opted for the CX 75 thanks to its multifunctionality as well as excellent customer service from the local dealer: “Alpine Smith have been super – they tweaked the machine to suit our operations when required, we’ve had great communication and really fast service”.