Morooka used the recent ICUEE show to bring out its largest crawler carrier, the MST4500VDL, to demonstrate the company’s capabilities.
The 4500 was first built for Custom Truck One Source as a custom machine, and the company decided to display it at ICUEE to see if there was wider interest in the utility market for the large tracked carrier.
“It’s a big, impressive machine,” says David Byrd, Morooka marketing director. “We wanted to show the customers what we can do.”
The 4500 has a 23-ton max load capacity, a 350-horsepower Cat Tier 4 Final engine and 3-foot-wide rubber tracks. But its biggest selling point could be its ability to handle up to a 125-foot aerial work platform.
“Its ability to put a crewman safely and comfortably at a job as far as 125 feet from the rig has some calling the MST4500VDL ‘a real game-changer for the utility industry,’” the company says. VDL represents the company’s utility line, which also includes five other models, with payloads of 10,000 to 39,000 pounds.
Other features on the carrier include a heated and air conditioned ROPS-certified cabin, backup camera, video information display, remote mirror and joystick control.
At this point, the 4500 is a custom-order machine and will come from Morooka’s U.S. factory ready to be equipped with whatever attachment the customer chooses. The one-piece frame is manufactured to the customer’s required length, so the attachment installer does not have to fabricate rear of front extensions, the company says.
The 4500 has a ground clearance of 22 inches. It can travel up to 7.5 mph and has ground pressure of 3 to 6.2 pounds per square inch.