Skip to main content

Dressta’s new dozers part of ambitious growth vision

Earthmoving equipment manufacturer Dressta is launching the first of three new hydraulic crawler dozers later this year, and has ambitious growth plans funded by parent company LiuGong, the Chinese construction equipment manufacturing giant. Guy Woodford reports Dressta’s trio of new hydraulic crawler dozers represent exciting additions to the dozer market and are the first results of parent company LiuGong’s significant R&D investment in the Polish firm, which it bought in 2012. Being launched in Q
May 13, 2015 Read time: 4 mins
Dressta dozer: Polish made from global parts
Earthmoving equipment manufacturer Dressta is launching the first of three new hydraulic crawler dozers later this year, and has ambitious growth plans funded by parent company LiuGong, the Chinese construction equipment manufacturing giant. Guy Woodford reports  

Dressta’s trio of new hydraulic crawler dozers represent exciting additions to the dozer market and are the first results of parent company LiuGong’s significant R&D investment in the Polish firm, which it bought in 2012.

Being launched in Q3 2015, the TD-9 is the first of the bunch and, like the two other hydrostatic crawler dozers to follow, has key components from globally renowned suppliers such as Cummins, and Rexroth, while the structural design and DNA are said by Dressta to be a natural progression in building on its decades of experience in building crawler dozers and other construction equipment such as wheeled and backhoe loaders.

Equipped with Cummins Tier IV Final engines, the three new dozer models cover a power range of 54-74kW. This innovative engine technology boasts ultra-clean after-treatment systems while simultaneously providing claimed excellent fuel efficiency.

Power, performance, reliability and durability are all said to be delivered with the new crawler dozer line-up, which are also said to offer the highly prized gains of enhanced productivity and a reduction in overall operating costs.

The new TD-9 model is said by Dressta to have been validated by expert operators at a series of pre-launch performance trials at the firm’s Polish proving grounds. The state-of-the-art crawler dozer was presented to equipment owners and dozer operators from the key markets of the US and Canada. They put it to the test in a series of challenging trials designed push the performance of the new hydrostatic dozers to the limit, and provided their feedback to help perfect the machine’s performance.

“The operators’ input in regards to ergonomics and command of control played a key role in refining the design.  As a result, the low-effort controls for the blade and dual path hydrostatic drivetrain deliver the required response in all applications of machine performance.” said Howard Dale, Global Vice President of Sales at Dressta, which also includes wheeled loaders, backhoe loaders, and pipelayers among its four main product lines, with conveyor belt movers a complementary product.

Speaking at a recent Dressta Media Event at the company’s Stalowa Wola HQ in southern Poland, Dale added: “With these new models we’re targeting the important markets of North America and Canada, where there’s pretty good demand. The size of industry is around 1,800 units a year, at the shipment level last year. Main applications are residential, landscaping and for rental operations.”

Held on March 25-26, the Dressta Media Event also included an impressive presentation of more than 25 of Dressta’s latest crawler dozer, wheeled loader and pipe layer models, some of which will be showcased at INTERMAT 2015 in Paris this month.

Dale emphasised how the new hydrostatic crawler dozers were just part of the exciting “game changer” R&D programme being followed by the ambitious brand. “Dressta and LiuGong have identified a strategic investment plan for the business, this covers the areas of R&D, product development, and manufacturing. The R&D investments are targeting new designs and new concepts to revitalise the range. I’ve seen some of the work going on behind the scenes for the next generation of machines and you’ve really got a game changer in the industry.

“If I look back through the history of construction equipment, it was probably the horizontal directional drills in the 1980s which were the first new machines we’d seen in a long time. What we’re developing with the new dozers is as significant as that.”

Focusing on LiuGong, Dale said investment in manufacturing facilities will be used as a platform to launch further products from the Chinese construction equipment manufacturer into the European market, to extend the company’s reach and improve sales penetration in both southern and northern Europe, and also North America.

The former Shanghai, China-based Regional Director for CNH Industrial outlined how further investment was also developing LiuGong and Dressta sales channels, including moving sales and after-sales people closer to the dealers and the customers they serve.

Meanwhile, of Dressta’s standing among competitor OEM crawler dozers, Dale said: “If you look at the competitive landscape it’s quite polarised. You’ve got the volume players like Komatsu and Caterpillar, but there really isn’t a strong Number Three. Our strategy is not to attack on price or volume, but to provide customers with products for niche and extreme condition applications.”

Related Content

  • Dressta’s new hydrostatic drive dozers
    January 6, 2017
    Dressta is introducing new hydrostatic drive bulldozers in the shape of its TD-8 and TD-9 models. These S-series dozers meet the latest Tier 4 Final/Stage IV emissions requirements and are powered by Cummins QSF 3.8 diesels rated at 73kW for the TD-8S and 84kW for the TD-9S. Key features for both models are the new cabs, some 30% larger and with 15% more glass area as well as larger doors than before. Ergonomic controls are fitted and an LCD touchscreen in the cab also gives the operator access to key machi
  • Chinese construction machine manufacturers bullish as market recovers
    April 23, 2018
    Chinese manufacturers are increasing sales of construction machines both in their home market and also for export. This is the claim from Wang Guiqing, vice president of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME). Wang said that demand for machines in China has increased as market conditions have improved, while the impact of the Belt and Road strategy for developing infrastructure is a massive benefit for export sales. As many projects are now commencing
  • Low temperature asphalt and aggregate options’
    February 7, 2014
    At what point does ‘some technology’ become ‘enough technology’? Less than four years ago industry publications were filled with a persistent message, the reluctance of UK based contractors to adopt machine control to the same extent as near European neighbours, particularly close ones such as Ireland and Holland. However from 2009 onwards we have seen a huge shift in demand for machine control as the success of high profile road and rail jobs such as the M25 widening scheme and Airdrie – Bathgate rail
  • Liebherr’s dozer factory in Austria
    May 4, 2022
    Liebherr is seeing strong demand for earthmoving machines, with healthy output at its earthmoving equipment factories