Case Construction Equipment is launching an all-new, industry-first equipment category with the introduction of the Case Minotaur DL550 compact dozer loader.

Weighing in at more than 18,000 pounds and working with 114 horsepower, the new first-of-its-kind machine delivers true dozing and grading performance, as well as powerful site loading capabilities and compatibility with hundreds of attachments. A single platform has never delivered this level of versatility, power and precision — all culminating in an entirely new product category created by Case: the compact dozer loader.

“The Minotaur is truly a fleet of one, that is second to none,” says Jeff Jacobsmeyer, product manager, Case. “Business owners and fleet managers looking for a compact solution that delivers countless benefits in a single footprint will immediately see the versatility this exciting new machine brings to their fleets and will quickly understand what a ‘compact dozer loader’ is capable of accomplishing.”

The hallmark advancement of the CASE Minotaur DL550 is the chassis-integrated C-frame with six-way dozer blade. The C-frame hydraulically couples into both the chassis of the machine, as well as the attachment coupler. This design provides the stability and smooth operating plane of a small dozer while ensuring that all operating power is channeled through the whole body of the machine. This establishes greater performance and long-term reliability than the simple combination of a dozer blade attachment to a traditional compact track loader.

It also comes standard with Case Universal Machine Control, which makes the machine ready for any of the major three providers of machine control technology, which are sold separately. It’s also available with an optional, industry-exclusive fully integrated ripper for tearing up tough terrain to simplify dozing and earthmoving operations.

The C-frame is then detached to allow the operator to use it as a loader with a heavy-duty 1.25-cubic-yard bucket, or with hundreds of common loader attachments many equipment owners already have in their fleet.

The Case Minotaur DL550 compact dozer loader holds 29 patents and has pushed through more than 10,000 hours of field tests, in addition to countless customer clinics and typical lab and engineering testing.

“We’ve put this machine through hell and back — pound for pound, there’s no machine like it that delivers the dozing power and precision, as well as the dynamic loading performance,” says Jacobsmeyer. “This groundbreaking, all-new machine demonstrates Case’s commitment to delivering real-world innovation rooted in customer need.”

Dozer performance in a compact footprint

Built on a dozer-style undercarriage and pushing with more than 25,000 pounds of drawbar pull, the CASE Minotaur DL550 delivers true dozing power and performance. The machine is available with three different track options to meet operator preference and jobsite profiles:

The 90- or 96-inch six-way blade connected to the integrated C-frame is the same blade featured on the Case 650M dozer and gives the operator a full range of dozer controls and movements. The machine’s electro-hydraulic controls also deliver responsiveness like full-sized Case dozers, with the ability to adjust blade, steering and shuttle sensitivity to smooth, moderate or aggressive to meet the operator’s preference. Blade responsiveness can be further dialed in to operator preference by independently setting the speed of the blade tilt, lift and angle.

The industry-exclusive, fully integrated rear ripper is easily controlled from within the cab — it comes standard with three shanks and can be expanded to five shanks for more aggressive ripping. The rear ripper feature must be selected when ordering as it cannot be added after the time of purchase.

“The Case Minotaur DL550 is built like a dozer with the full control and operator experience of a larger machine,” says Jacobsmeyer. “That includes the ability to deploy a full range of 2D and 3D machine control solutions that turn this machine into a compact fine grading solution that can get into areas and jobsites where it’s not practical to bring in a full-sized dozer.”

Case Universal Machine Control provides universal harnesses and brackets to integrate machine control solutions from any of the big three providers of precision construction solutions — Leica Geosystems, Topcon and Trimble. This allows equipment owners to add the machine to their fleet with the confidence it can be integrated directly into preferred/existing machine control ecosystems. It also provides rental fleets the ability to easily switch between machine control brands, which allows for excellent rental flexibility based on customer preference.

In its loader configuration, the Case Minotaur DL550 features a 5,500-pound rated operating capacity (50 percent of tipping load) with 12,907 pounds of breakout force. It features a vertical lift pattern and operates in the ISO control pattern. It also features advanced electro-hydraulic control capabilities where operators can easily dial in total machine responsiveness to low, moderate or aggressive; or independently set tilt, lift and drive speed, as well as loader arm and drive control to best meet the demands of the work.

Case builds the machine standard from the factory with enhanced high-flow auxiliary hydraulics for running the most demanding and high-powered attachments — such as mulching heads and cold planers. Minotaur’s enhanced high-flow hydraulics can deliver up to 41.6 GPM at 4,100 psi via the ?-inch hydraulic quick couplers.

The machine also allows operators to harness all that power with “Hydraulics on Demand”, where the operator can easily select the percentage of auxiliary hydraulic flow to the attachment via the machine’s multi-function display. This allows the operator to dial in attachment performance to their preference or the recommendation of the attachment manufacturer — ensuring both effective and proper operation of the attachment.

“The front coupler featured on this machine is the same as you will find on most compact loaders — this opens the machine up to be used with hundreds of attachments,” says Jacobsmeyer. “We’ve given operators the ability to turn this compact dozer loader into one of the industry’s most versatile and powerful compact machines, and deliver on the awesome capabilities that other manufacturers tried to emulate after the original concepts were announced.”

Case has taken fleet management of compact equipment to an entirely new level with the inclusion of the Case SiteConnect Module — a powerful device that improves the volume, flow and integration of data to the Case SiteWatch telematics platform for real-time monitoring and management of maintenance and service intervals, as well as the analysis of equipment utilization and performance.

It’s also the foundation from which CASE has made the collaborative fleet management and remote diagnostics of compact equipment a reality. This enhanced connectivity allows the machine owner to share — with permission — real-time machine information with their Case dealer and the Case Uptime Center in Racine, Wis.

“With both Case and the local Case dealer monitoring machine performance, we’re able to be proactive and anticipate potential equipment needs to maximise uptime,” says Jacobsmeyer. “The goal of these advances is rooted in customer need for maximum uptime, and the Case Minotaur DL550 compact dozer loader delivers that — including the ability to remotely diagnose machine events and drastically shorten response times when service is needed.”

Saul Wordsworth is deputy editor of the iVT brand - which includes digital and print editions of a quarterly magazine and Off-Highway Annual, as well as ivtinternational.com. He is a keen cyclist and lives in north London.

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