Magdeburg is a large city in the centre of Germany with approximately 240,000 residents. There, they face an issue which is prevalent in almost every city and town in the world: dog fouling.
Having searched far and wide for a motorized solution to this issue, Magdeburg came across the Multihog CL 75 & CityVac combination. The CityVac attachment, developed by Multihog, is a rear hopper (collection container) with a suction hose attached which is positioned to the front of the machine for collection. Vacuum power allows the suction tube to collect dog mess as it travels along.
Andreas Stegemann, Operations Manager for the City, explains why they chose the Multihog.
“Previously, we had been using a hand-held, self-propelled vacuum machine to do this job, but the process was slow as we had to transport it between locations using a van and trailer. The machine also did not have an enclosed cabin for the operator, so bad weather made for a really unpleasant working environment. In 2020 we found ourselves facing increased dog-fouling (thanks to a rapid increase in dog ownership), and we realised that the manual collection method was simply no longer workable. We searched all over the market for a solution but kept hitting brick walls. Although it’s a big problem for towns and cities everywhere, it seems that there aren’t any solutions on the market. When we found the Multihog, we knew it would be perfect for the dog fouling problem, and it was delivered to us in June 2021. We purchased the compact model, so it can operate on sidewalks, cycle lanes, down tight alleyways and along narrow paths in our parks. This machine is used every single day of the year (except in snow), and the large suction nozzle makes collection very easy, which is great.”
What does the operator think of the new collection method? “Harriet Dittman is our Multihog operator and she is the sole operator (except for holiday cover). It doesn’t matter if it’s rain, wind or sunshine – she’s inside the cabin so she can work in comfort. She switches on the air conditioning in summer and the heating in the colder months. She finds it really simple to operate.”
Health and safety is a big priority for Magdeburg, and the Multihog ticks a lot of boxes for Andreas in this respect. “Obviously from a health and safety perspective it’s great, as the clean-up is no longer a heavy, manual operation, and it’s much faster too, which means that we can cover more area each day, delivering better service for the residents of our city.”
When asked about expanding the remit of the Multihog, given its versatility, Andreas is unsure. “It took us a long time to find this solution. So, I think for now we will keep it solely for servicing the dog-fouling problem. Maybe in the future we could look at adding a leaf collector attachment but collecting the dog mess keeps our Multihog quite busy as it is!”
One year later, how are things going? “Everything is pretty good. Both service and quality are very important to us, we get a lot of support from Multihog’s personnel on the ground in Germany. They are only a phone call away if we have any questions.”
“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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