The 5,768 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Trenchers to be produced in the U.S. in 2020.
This information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink™ , which provides information on engines, and OE Link™, a database of equipment manufacturers.
Market Share: With combined plant totals of 49.5% Charles Machine Works leads in production of trenchers in the United States. In second position is Vermeer with 13%; third, is Ground Hog with 11%.
Exports: Collectively, up to 30% worldwide, with buyers in South Africa and Russia making up the two largest segments.
Trends: In 2019, production of Trenchers in the United States increased nearly 3%. Production is expected to remain flat in 2020 with a slight decrease of 2%. Trenchers, typically wheeled or chain, are utilized in a variety of applications and these machines are quite diversified for various markets having a wide range of clients. Rental companies are hanging on to their trenchers longer, due to increased replacement costs. Also affecting production is the impact of Tier 4 engines that significantly increase trencher unit costs.
One more driver: trenchers go head to head with compact excavators. Many users prefer excavators because they are considered a more versatile machine. As market factors fluctuate, expect trencher production to gain up to 5% by 2025. PSR
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, at Power Systems Research
