The town of Granby is located in southwestern Québec, east of Montréal. With a population of almost 70,000 and a climate of enjoyable summers but harsh winters, Granby is well-versed in the art of snow removal. During the 2020/2021 winter season, 129 kilometers of sidewalks and trails were maintained. In the same season, and with the support of the town’s inhabitants, Granby also experimented with blowing snow on to adjacent land, instead of trucking it away. Not only did this method maximise the efficiency of their snow removal operations, but it also reduced the environmental impacts of winter maintenance, with less round trips made by trucks to snow depots, and also transporting snow by truck increases its contamination, puts pressure on the snow dump, and increases runoff.
Granby was the first municipality in Québec to opt for Multihog. Having seen it at the 2018 APOM municipal trade show, they purchased their first Multihog in 2019, an MXC model, for their winter maintenance fleet. Based on its performance, Granby then purchased another, identical model in 2020. Both MXC units are primarily used for sidewalk snow removal, and they are fitted with a range of attachments, including snow plows, drop spreaders and a snow blower. In summer, the winter equipment is removed, and boom mowers are fitted for verge mowing.
In April 2021, Granby added a third Multihog to their fleet, this time opting for the super compact CX model, in order to clear snow on particularly narrow sidewalks in the downtown area.
Francis Lacasse, Public Works foreman at Ville de Granby, is impressed with the units. From the beginning of the purchase process, he was adamant that he wanted to procure a multifunctional machine, which would provide the best value for the town’s equipment budget. “Since the purchase of our first Multihog in 2019, they have proven to be a valuable asset in our machinery fleet. I am quite determined to make our equipment budget work as hard as possible for our residents, so buying a multi-purpose machine which would operate all year was a must for me. I’m happy to say that we’re using it as often as I hoped we would, and our Multihog collection has now grown to three, all of which are integral pieces in our fleet.”
One of the other major factors in the town’s decision was the availability of parts and service locally. “Machineries Forget have a reputation for really good after-sales service, and they assured me that parts availability for the Multihogs wouldn’t be an issue. True to their word, we’ve had no issues getting parts or service for the machines, which is a major bonus for essential equipment like this.”
“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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