Team Eagle offers airports a high-end snow removal vehicle with the ability for year-round usage.
The Eagle CLAAS removes snow and can be used as a ramp plow and cleaner. Equipped with a 520HP Mercedes engine, it converts into a heavy-duty turf and agriculture product to handle other airfield maintenance tasks, such as grass cutting and pavement sweeping during warmer months.
“Instead of purchasing one piece of equipment just dedicated to one thing, this machine can quickly change between attachments and save the airport a large amount of capital,” said Ben McKeown, commercial business manager for Team Eagle. “If you take a traditional piece of equipment and if you take the lifecycle into account, it can cost $100 to $200 per hour of its lifespan. We’ve done costs analysis with some major airports in the U.S. and Canada and the Eagle CLAAS cost is between $20 and $50 per hour.”
All of the hydraulics use Stucchi quick connects to speed up the conversion of the unit between uses. Hydraulic controls are located on the fenders of the unit, so crews don’t have to go into the cab of the CLAAS to control the system while installing attachments. The cab is also designed to spin 180 degrees so an operator can look down at hitching while it’s taking place.
“There is no other product on the market that you can use to blow snow, sweep and push a plow and cut grass in the summer,” McKeown said. “If you’re going to spec out a 4,000 to 5,000 ton per hour snowblower that can also cut grass, this is the only option you’re going to find.”
McKeown said the Great Sudbury Airport used to use three operators on three pieces of equipment to clean its aprons in three hours. The airport purchased a CLAAS with a 36-foot ramp plow and snow blower and now one operator can clean them in less than an hour.
Using one piece of equipment for multiple duties cuts down on training time as well. Instead of learning about three different machines, operators and mechanics only need to train on the one unit.
The CLAAS eliminates the need for storage of dozens of snow removal units in the warmer months for larger airports as they’re continuously used for different operations throughout the year. Smaller airports save on capital investments by cutting down on the amount of equipment they’re purchasing.
“If they’re looking to buy a snow blower, they can buy the CLAAS and then they don’t need to purchase a tractor for the summer,” McKeown said. “If an airport really needs a blower and a loader to remove snow on the apron, but they have to pick only one because of the cost, they can just go with the CLAAS and purchase the different attachment the next year.”
McKeown said airports need to think past just snow removal when considering the CLAAS and if it’s the best investment for them.
“You need to look at your future capital acquisition list. The CLAAS might be more than a standard snow blower unit, but next year it could save $300,000 on buying a tractor and the year after when you need to buy a ramp plow.”
