The units can clean sewer systems or excavate soil for potholing and small excavation projects in a safe, productive and non-destructive manner. However, many cities realise that once they have a unit, the other departments begin borrowing the vacuum truck for projects.

President of McLaughlin Dave Gasmovic said, “What we find is when a council or utility buys its first vacuum, whether it’s a truck or trailer unit, everybody starts coming up with different ways to use it.”

In most cases the city soon realises it needs another unit. But they don’t need to spend up to $A500,000 for a truck-mounted unit. Trailer-mounted vacuums are ideal for small- to medium-sized potholing, excavation and cleanup work.

“Councils and utilities should look at trailer units as a second unit, as it is more cost-effective to mobilise a smaller unit than a big truck,” said Mr Gasmovic.

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Small but versatile

Vacuum excavators are quite versatile, but a wide array of attachments can expand their applications. Different size reduction tools allow cleaning of smaller water valve boxes and catch basins.

An expanding application for vacuum excavators is excavating post holes for road guard rails and traffic signs, as well as small excavation projects. Using a vacuum helps eliminate the chance of damaging an existing underground line and requires less labour and time than using an auger.

According to Mr Gasmovic, today’s trailer-mounted vacuum excavators are well suited for these applications because they are more portable compared to units in the past. Councils and utilities can choose a 455 litre (L) unit that fits into the bed of a one-tonne truck or trailer units up to 5,460 L. These units also have the power to move displaced soil up to 62 m from the source with one person required to operate the unit.

Getting Xtreme

McLaughlin Group Inc has introduced an Xtreme line of combination air/water vacuum excavators which allow contractors the advantage of both systems in one self-contained unit.

The Xtreme line of combination air/water vacuum excavators from McLaughlin offer a class leading 1,200 cfm positive displacement blower that provides unsurpassed power in difficult ground conditions. A 73.8 kW diesel engine produces up to 381 mm of mercury and 3,000 psi of water pressure.

Customers can custom build a unit to meet their needs including a choice among 1,893, 3,028 and 4,542 L spoil tanks, and the unit can be set up in either a trailer or skid-mounted configuration. The Xtreme line also features the industry-exclusive, three-stage filtration system that allows for both wet and dry vacuum excavation.