The Belgian city of Bruges is pesticide free, and has been since 2015. The City has been operating two Multihog MX units for chemical-free weed control since April 2017, and Jan Slabbinck, (an expert in organisational management) was responsible for sourcing the units to replace an older machine which used a less eco-friendly weed burner.
The City’s previous weed burner method wasn’t the most ergonomic, comfortable or safe option for the operators. They often had to get out and manually burn weeds whilst working in busy urban areas. With the arrival of the Multihog, fitted with the Heatweed chemical-free weed control attachment, a better option was found.
The Heatweed attachment is fitted to the front of the Multihog with a water tank on the rear. It administers boiling water to weeds on a sensor-system, and uses no chemicals. Since the sensor is only triggered when the camera system spots a weed, it’s very economical with water, reducing water wastage, emissions and refill times.
Having seen it at a demo, Jan was impressed by the high build quality of the Multihog compared to their existing tractor. “The cabin was really comfortable. I noticed that when I jumped in during the demo. You’ve got to think about the comfort of your operator when they’re doing long shifts, often in bad weather. The warm cabin is invaluable for wet or cold days. They’re also no longer straining their backs to get hand lances in places where the old tractor couldn’t go. Everything is done via joystick from inside the cabin. The Heatweed attachment is great because it is sensor-triggered, my operators don’t have to guess when to spray. It’s clever – it does all of that for you, saving a lot of wasted water. All of these are small but significant bonuses when we are trying to be as environmentally-friendly as possible on a daily basis.”
Staying inside the cabin when treating the weeds saves the crew a lot of time, which means they can cover a larger area in less time, giving the City’s taxpayers better value for money.
The weed control season generally runs from March to October, so the Multihog is out in force during that period. Jan mentions that they are considering watering arm attachments for the front of their Multihog units. “With efficiency in mind, we are thinking about using the Multihog to water the City’s hanging baskets in the summer, as their height means they require a bit of organisation for manual watering to take place. It could be another way we can save time and money for our residents.”
The best advantage of the Multihog for Jan comes from a more personal viewpoint. “Apart from the environmental benefits, it’s also really, really comfortable to drive, which means a lot when an operator is spending 5 days per week in it. For me, I’m relieved that it has improved our operational safety. Busy streets and sidewalks in a large city brings a set of risks which can’t be removed completely, but now that my crew are stationed inside a cabin instead of standing out on the kerbside/roadside, it’s certainly more reassuring for me.“
“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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