Mastenbroek has unleashed The Bulldog, its first-ever utility trencher designed specifically for the North American market.
The compact but powerful trencher is ideal for operating in cities and on highways where access is limited and excavated material needs to be hauled away by truck.
While the Bulldog borrows much of its engineering from the company’s 17/17 model, Mastenbroek gave it a new 8-liter, Tier 4 Final Volvo engine and a diesel hydrostatic drive system to power the beefed-up digging mechanism. The trencher is capable of cutting the six-foot-deep trench required by U.S. utility cable and pipeline layers.
An offset cutting head and forward swing conveyor allow it to work in tight spaces; a steerable undercarriage enables curved trench lines, and the track lift allows the machine to straddle raised pedestrian walkways.
The Bulldog is 38 feet 7 inches long. Its forward discharge conveyor system retracts, giving it an 8-foot 2-inch transport width.
"The Bulldog has been designed with the needs of companies laying underground power cables along the west coast of America firmly in mind," said Christopher Pett, commercial director for Mastenbroek. "Our 17/17 has proved incredibly effective in Europe, where it has been used to perform a similar role to what is required in the United States. That's why we have based the Bulldog on that platform. Both the 17/17 and the Bulldog are competitively priced. Introducing a new engine, enhanced digging mechanism, and hydrostatic drive system will ensure the Bulldog delivers impressive performance daily.”
During the trencher’s launch at ConExpo 2023, Pett told attendees that the company plans to establish a regional dealer network to sell and service the machine.
