Electric Compact Equipment Just Hit Its Tipping Point
Battery costs are falling fast, every major OEM has skin in the game, and rental fleets are buying in. The electric compact equipment market isn't coming — it's here.
#CONEXPO 2026
20 articles
Kioti Just Entered the Mini Excavator Market. Here's What They Brought.
The Korean tractor maker unveiled three mini excavators at ConExpo 2026, marking its first push into the excavator segment after entering CTLs and skid steers in 2023.
The Mini Excavator Arms Race: Why Every OEM Is Fighting Over Your Backyard
ConExpo 2026 was a coming-out party for micro and mini excavators. From Cat's 1-ton 301 CR to Kioti's surprise debut, here's why the smallest machines are driving the biggest competition.
Komatsu's New PC158USLC-12 Brings iMC 3.0 Machine Control to Tight-Tail Excavators for the First Time
Komatsu debuted two new tight tailswing excavators at ConExpo 2026 — and the PC158USLCi-12 is the company's first compact-radius machine with factory-integrated iMC 3.0 automation.
The 500,000 Worker Gap: How Construction's Labor Crisis Is Forcing an Automation Reckoning
The construction industry needs nearly half a million new workers in 2026. It's not going to get them. Here's how that reality is reshaping what equipment manufacturers build and what contractors buy.
Caterpillar Unveils the D8 XE: Electric-Drive Comes to the Big Dozer Class
Cat's new D8 XE brings electric-drive technology to its large dozer lineup, promising 10% fuel savings and 6% more material moved per hour. Here's what it means for contractors.
JCB's New 250T Compact Track Loader Has a Side Door — And That Changes Everything
JCB brought a new 74-hp compact track loader to CONEXPO 2026 with their signature side-entry cab and single-arm boom. Here's why it matters for contractors shopping the mid-size CTL market.
Bobcat Just Split Its Entire Loader Lineup in Two — Here's Why
Doosan Bobcat dropped 17 new skid steers and compact track loaders at CONEXPO 2026, killing the M-Series and R-Series names in favor of a new Classic vs. Pro structure. The Pro models get AI voice commands, radar-based safety systems, and automotive-style drive modes.
Cat Just Entered the Mini Skid Steer Market — And the Toro Dingo Should Be Nervous
Caterpillar unveiled the TUL100 at CONEXPO 2026, marking its first-ever stand-on compact utility loader. Here's what it means for landscapers, contractors, and the companies that have owned this segment for decades.
Husco Just Won CONEXPO's Top Award — And Most Contractors Have Never Heard of Them
The Wisconsin hydraulics company behind the GenSteer steer-by-wire system has been building the guts of your equipment for 80 years. Now they're changing how it steers.
Steelwrist Is Betting Big on North America — And Building the Factory to Prove It
The Swedish tiltrotator maker just opened a U.S. assembly hub in Connecticut, launched new products at CONEXPO 2026, and is pushing hard to make American contractors rethink how they use their excavators.
ConExpo 2026 Wrap-Up: The 7 Biggest Reveals from Las Vegas
From tracked telehandlers to AI-powered cabs, ConExpo 2026 delivered some genuinely surprising product launches. Here's what actually matters.
The $160 Billion Question: Why Equipment Rental Is Eating Ownership Alive
The equipment rental market is on track to hit $160 billion this year. That's not a blip — it's a structural shift in how contractors think about iron.
HD Hyundai and Develon Just Dropped 9 AI-Powered Excavators at CONEXPO
HD Construction Equipment rolled into Las Vegas with nine next-gen excavators across its Hyundai and Develon brands. The headliner? An autonomous digging system called Real-X that's no longer a concept.
CASE Just Bought Its Way Into the Grader Game — And It Might Actually Work
CASE Construction Equipment partnered with South Africa's Bell Equipment to launch three motor graders above 200 HP. Here's why this deal matters for the North American grader market.
Hitachi Drops a Battery-Electric Excavator Right Before CONEXPO — and Itochu Is Betting Big on What Comes Next
The new ZX135-7EB is a 13-tonne electric excavator with dual-mode power. Meanwhile, Itochu is raising its stake in Hitachi Construction Machinery to 33.4%, with eyes on North America.
MAJOR Wire Industries Debuts Game-Changing Thermo Screen Technology at ConExpo 2026
Oklahoma-based screen media manufacturer unveils OptimumWire Thermo Screen capable of withstanding 2,192°F, promising 35% throughput gains for asphalt and mineral processing operations.
Mining Equipment Market Poised for $194 Billion Future as Electrification and Automation Reshape Industry
New analysis projects the global mining equipment sector will reach $194.2 billion by 2033, driven by battery-electric vehicles growing at double the rate of diesel and autonomous systems becoming standard across operations.
Diamond Mowers Enters Municipal Equipment Market with Revolutionary DM360 Platform
The South Dakota manufacturer expands beyond attachments with its first dedicated carrier—a 360-degree rotating municipal maintenance machine designed from customer feedback.
CONEXPO 2026: OEM Innovations Drive Future Construction Efficiency
The heavy equipment industry converges on Las Vegas for CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026, the triennial construction trade show recognized as North America’s largest event