The City of Beringen in Belgium has around 46,000 inhabitants and covers an area of approx. 78 km2 (30 sq. miles). In December 2018, the City purchased its first Multihog, a CX 75 compact multi purpose tractor, with a second, identical model purchased in September 2020. The two Multihogs are used to keep the City’s bike paths clear of dirt, weeds and snow in the winter time, and the base tractors share a fleet of seasonal attachments, including a leaf blower, weed brush, front sweeper, brine sprayer and a 1.5 metre (60 in) snow plow.
Brecht Rabijns, an expert in Public Space & Workspace, influenced Beringen’s decision to opt for two Multihogs, which are now used around the municipality every day of the year. As the bike paths are also used every day, they must be kept clean and clear for Beringen’s residents.
“We tested a lot of machines before we settled on the Multihog, because we wanted to be sure that we were getting the best machine, and the best value for money for the City. In the end, the Multihog outperformed the other machines during our testing process – it’s as simple as that really, it was the best machine in its class.”
Ergonomics and comfort were key factors in the City’s purchasing process, with the Multihogs replacing older, non-articulating municipal vehicles from competing manufacturers. Additionally, the compact profile of the Multihog CX tractor was much better suited to narrow bike paths, where its articulated design is useful for accessing restricted areas.
The Multihog have vastly improved productivity for Beringen thanks to their ability to clean multiple paths in one shift with the sweeping brush and leaf blower. Operational speed has also definitively increased, something Brecht is really happy with it. “With the leaf blower, we can clear the paths so much more quickly than we used to with manual labour. Leaves are guaranteed every year – we have to deal with them, and now we have a really good solution to do that.”
The health and safety benefits are obvious too, with leaf clearing no longer an arduous task calling for manual labour. “Our cycle paths are very neat in just one sweep/working passage. This ensures the safety of our residents, especially during the autumn and winter seasons.”
“My operators love the Multihog. Even the bigger operators tell me how much more comfortable it is."
"We’re cleaning the streets more efficiently, so that is definitely an environmental benefit for our city."
"The Multihogs were ideal for us. As they’re much lighter than our old machines, we can use them to remove snow from our boardwalks and sidewalks."
"The driving experience absolutely convinced me. I love driving it, the suspension is amazing. To be honest, the comfort level could not be better."
I knew it must be a really good piece of equipment, and my instincts were right - our two machines have been operating flawlessly.
“Since the purchase of our first Multihog in 2019, they have proven to be a valuable asset in our machinery fleet."
"I recognized straight away that a Multihog could serve our city well. We’ve got 8 attachments for it, and it’s taken the place of multiple machines."
"Apart from the environmental benefits, it’s also really, really comfortable to drive and I'm relieved that it has improved our operational safety."
“Our cycle paths are very neat in just one sweep/working passage. This ensures the safety of our residents, especially during autumn and winter."
“From a maintenance standpoint we have far fewer problems and downtime than other similar equipment in our fleet."
“Our MH outperforms our older snow blower by at least 200%. It can handle all types of snow with a greater output and much faster.”
"The suspension really allows an incredibly high level of driver comfort, and we’re amazed by the performance of the PTO hydraulics."
"The Multihog has performed very well on the reliability front compared to other machines. It’s a really solid and extremely strong machine."
"My colleagues are so much happier using this machine. It’s more ergonomic, warm and comfortable for them."
"Our 2 machines can do so many things, and although they’re small and compact, they’re so well built that they do the work of much larger equipment"
"The Multihog puts us at a professional level that’s unmatched by our competition"
"The Multihogs are working really well for us. The operators have found them straightforward to use and we hope to add to our range of attachments."
"The Multihog doesn’t vibrate like our old machine, and it’s so quiet I don’t even need to wear ear protection - no post-shift fatigue anymore!"
DHL at Leipzig-Halle airport operate a fleet of 12 Multihog tractors equipped with combi snow plough & brush attachments, de-icing sprayers and V snow
"It’s one machine that does it all - safely and efficiently. Very comfortable in the cabin too, which makes work more enjoyable for the operator."
"The only way to compare the Multihog to other machines is to compare the comfort of an old vintage car to a brand new car. - there is no comparison"
"At that point the snow is super dense, icy and solid; it’s pretty hard to shift, but it’s no problem for the MX. This tractor is really, really good"
"Our asphalt grinding process is faster and more efficient now, we tested it and we’re definitely covering more feet per hour than before"
"The Multihog is a different animal from anything we’ve ever had – the articulation, rubberised tyres and 4-wheel drive ticks a lot of our boxes."
“We try to improve our operations with each new purchase of equipment & this has certainly been the case with the acquisition of our Multihogs"
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