The annual Contractors Select Top 50 Products a Peer Driven awards program, hosted by Equipment Today and ForConstructionPros.com, represents one of the most respected recognitions in construction equipment. Unlike awards judged by editors, the Contractors’ Top 50 New Products program relies on equipment owners and end users to determine which new products deserve recognition. The 2018 edition showcased 50 winning products across eight categories, with each manufacturer limited to a single award. This ensures winners represent the highest-ranked offering from each company, making the list a genuine reflection of what contractors value most.
How the Contractors’ Top 50 New Products Awards Program Works
The selection process for the Contractors’ Top 50 New Products differs fundamentally from other industry awards. Rather than relying on a panel of experts or editorial staff, the program bases its winners on reader interest signals collected over a 12-month period. Products featured in Equipment Today magazine and on ForConstructionPros.com throughout the year are tracked for engagement, and the products generating the strongest interest from construction professionals become candidates for recognition.
The one-award-per-manufacturer rule is a defining feature of the program. This constraint prevents any single company from dominating the list with multiple products, which in turn creates a more diverse and representative selection of equipment innovations. The result is a curated collection that spans the full breadth of the construction equipment market, from compact excavators to heavy haul trucks and from attachments to fleet management tools.
Awards Categories and Their Significance
The 2018 winners were grouped into eight categories that reflect the major equipment segments contractors engage with daily. Understanding these categories helps contractors see where innovation is concentrated.
| Category | Number of Winners | Primary Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Earthmoving | 13 | Excavators, dozers, wheel loaders |
| Attachments | 6 | Couplers, buckets, breakers, mulchers |
| Trucks and Transportation | 10 | Service trucks, utility vehicles, trailers |
| Road Building | 5 | Asphalt pavers, slipform pavers, milling machines |
| Lift Equipment | 4 | Telehandlers, rotating telehandlers |
| Fleet Management | 4 | Engines, lube skids, cleaning tools |
| Technology | 4 | Drone mapping, grade control, asset tracking |
| Worksite | 4 | Trenchers, skid steers, mud buggies |
The Earthmoving category received the most winners with 13 entries, reflecting the intense competition among excavator and loader manufacturers in 2018. Trucks and Transportation followed with 10 winners, highlighting the growing attention contractors were giving to fleet mobility and jobsite logistics.
Earthmoving and Attachment Innovations Lead the Winning Categories
The Earthmoving category produced the largest number of winners in the 2018 program, featuring 13 products that span the full range of heavy equipment types. Compact excavators featured prominently, with the Bobcat E85 R-Series, Case CX145D SR, Hyundai HX130LCR, KATO 85V-4, and Takeuchi TB290 all earning recognition. These machines represent a shift toward versatile, space-efficient excavators that operate in confined jobsites while delivering the power contractors demand.
Larger earthmoving equipment also featured heavily. Caterpillar earned recognition for its 320 GC, 320, and 323 Next Generation Excavators, a series that introduced significant improvements in fuel efficiency and operator comfort. Doosan won with the DL280-5 Wheel Loader, while Kobelco took honors for the SK350DLC-10 Demolition Excavator. Komatsu’s D375A-8 Crawler Dozer and Liebherr’s PR 766 Crawler Tractor rounded out the heavy equipment entries, alongside the Link-Belt 145 X4 MSR Excavator and Volvo L260H Wheel Loader.
The JCB Teleskid: A New Equipment Category
One of the most notable winners was the JCB Teleskid, which combined the compact footprint of a skid steer with the reach of a telehandler, creating a hybrid category. It demonstrated how manufacturers are rethinking equipment boundaries to create multi-function machines, reducing the need for contractors to own separate pieces of equipment.
Attachment Innovations That Expand Equipment Capability
The Attachments category featured six winners that show how contractors extract more value from existing equipment. Key winners included:
- Amulet Xboom Coupler System — A hydraulic quick coupler designed for rapid attachment changes without requiring the operator to leave the cab.
- Eterra BMX-600 Mix-and-Go Cement Mixer — An attachment that turns skid steers and compact loaders into mobile concrete mixing stations.
- John Deere Roll-out Buckets — Buckets with a roll-out floor mechanism that enables efficient material discharge in tight spaces.
- Loftness Battle Ax Mulching Attachment — A heavy-duty mulching head designed for land clearing and vegetation management.
- Montabert SC-Series Hydraulic Breakers — A new series of breakers engineered for improved efficiency and reduced vibration.
- Steelwrist Tiltrotators — Hydraulic tiltrotator systems that give excavator operators 360-degree rotation and 40-degree tilt capabilities.
These attachment winners highlight a broader industry trend toward equipment versatility. Rather than purchasing dedicated machines for each task, contractors rely on attachments that transform loaders and excavators into multi-purpose tools, reducing capital expenditure and simplifying fleet management.
Trucks, Transportation, and Road Building Equipment Advances
The Trucks and Transportation category featured 10 winners, the second-largest category. The diversity illustrates how transportation equipment extends well beyond dump trucks and flatbeds. The winners included heavy-duty Class 8 vehicles, light-duty pickups, utility vehicles, service bodies, and specialized trailers.
The Acela Extreme-duty Monterra Trucks earned recognition for their rugged construction and off-road capability. Chevy’s 2019 Silverado 1500 and Ram Truck’s 2018 Hydro Blue Sport Edition represented the pickup truck segment, which remains a critical component of contractor fleets. Hino’s XL Series Class 8 Vehicles and Navistar’s International HV Series with Big Bore Engine addressed the heavy truck segment, while Kubota’s RV-XG850 SideKick Utility Vehicle provided a lighter-duty option for jobsite transport.
Service vehicles also earned recognition. The Stellar TMAX 30K Aluminum Service Body offered a lightweight platform for field maintenance. Thunder Creek Diesel/DEF Transfer Tank provided on-site refueling combining diesel and DEF storage. Tuffy Security Products earned recognition for its Console Insert Model 334 for Ford F-150, adding secure storage to work trucks.
Road Building Innovations
The Road Building category featured five winners that showcase technological advances in asphalt paving, concrete slipforming, and milling operations. The Carlson CP100 II Asphalt Paver earned recognition for its material handling capabilities. Dynapac’s CC1100 and CC1200 VI Roller Range introduced new vibration technologies that improve compaction quality while reducing operator fatigue. GOMACO’s GP4 Slipformer and Power Curber’s 7700 Slipform Paver represented the concrete paving segment, offering precision in curb and barrier construction. Wirtgen’s Large Milling Machines completed the category, demonstrating continued innovation in pavement removal and surface preparation equipment.
These winners point to a clear trend: manufacturers invest in technologies that improve pavement quality and speed. As projects face tighter deadlines, contractors need equipment that delivers consistent results at higher rates.
Lift Equipment, Fleet Management, and Technology Solutions
The Lift Equipment category produced four winners, all in the telehandler segment. The JLG 1644 offered a 16,000-pound lifting capacity. Manitou earned recognition for its MRT 3050 and MRT 2470 Rotating Telehandlers, combining lifting with 360-degree rotation. Skyjack’s SJ1256 TH and Wacker Neuson’s TH627 Ground-engaging Telehandler rounded out the category.
Rotating telehandlers allow a single operator to handle material placement from any angle, reducing ground personnel needs and improving safety. On congested sites, this translates to direct productivity gains.
Fleet Management and Maintenance Solutions
The Fleet Management category featured innovations aimed at keeping equipment operational and reducing downtime. The Briggs & Stratton Vanguard 200 brought commercial-grade power to smaller equipment, while Detroit’s DD8 Medium-duty Engine offered a new mid-range option. The Maintainer Redesigned Lube Skid provided an improved platform for on-site equipment servicing, and the Track Hoe Track Cleaning Tool addressed a specific but persistent maintenance challenge: keeping track undercarriages free of debris.
Effective fleet management depends on the right combination of equipment, maintenance tools, and operational data. The winners in this category, Construction Equipment and Project Controls Equipment Selection Earned demonstrates how maintenance equipment and fleet management strategies work together to improve equipment availability and reduce lifecycle costs.
Technology and Worksite Tools
The Technology category featured four winners that reflect the growing role of digital tools on construction sites. DroneDeploy’s Live Map Feature allowed contractors to generate real-time orthomosaic maps from drones. Topcon’s X-52 2D Grade Control System offered an accessible entry point for machine control. Triax Technologies’ Spot-r EquipTag provided a wearable asset tracking system for locating equipment and monitoring utilization. Trimble’s T10 Rugged Tablet Computer gave field personnel a durable platform designed for construction environments.
The Worksite category rounded out the winners with four products designed for specific jobsite tasks. Barreto’s 13STKH and 16STKB Track Trenchers offered compact trenching solutions. Ditch Witch’s SK1550 Mini Skid Steer combined trenching expertise with a loader platform. The MiniTrencher GeoRipper provided a lightweight shallow trenching option. Toro’s MB TX 2500 Tracked Mud Buggy moved materials across soft or wet ground.
When evaluating equipment purchases, contractors should consider how technology investments complement traditional equipment. As New Equipment From Lingong Group Sdlg and Lgmg shows, the equipment market continues to evolve with new entrants and innovations across all size classes. Similarly, Flooring Equipment Consolidation National Flooring Equipment Acquires Syntec illustrates how market consolidation changes the availability and support landscape for specialty equipment.
Lessons from the 2018 Winners for Equipment Buyers
The 2018 Contractors’ Top 50 New Products winners reveal several patterns that remain relevant for equipment purchasing decisions:
- Versatility matters more than specialization. The JCB Teleskid, rotating telehandlers, and quick-coupler attachment systems all point toward equipment that can perform multiple functions, reducing the number of machines contractors need to own and maintain.
- Compact equipment continues to gain ground. Six compact excavators earned recognition, reflecting the growing demand for machines that can work in confined urban and residential spaces without sacrificing productivity.
- Technology is becoming standard equipment. Drone mapping, grade control, asset tracking, and rugged computing are no longer optional additions. They are becoming integrated into how contractors plan, execute, and monitor their work.
- Fleet support equipment matters. Service bodies, lube skids, DEF transfer tanks, and secure storage solutions received recognition alongside primary production equipment, highlighting the importance of keeping the entire support ecosystem operational.
- Road building innovation is accelerating. With five winners in the road building category and significant advances in both asphalt and concrete equipment, contractors in this segment have access to better tools for meeting infrastructure project demands.
The peer-driven nature of the program makes it a valuable reference for equipment buyers. When owners identify the same products over 12 months, the collective signal carries more weight than any single expert opinion. Contractors can use these results as a starting point for their own research, comparing products against their specific requirements.