INTERVIEW WITH C&F

C&F is an Italian company with deep roots into steel metalworking and machining. The company designs, develops, tests and manufactures compact, high-performance and long-lasting machines. They believe in user-friendly products to be used every day.

Nowadays, C&F supplies a wide range of attachments for compact construction machinery and mini tracked dumpers in more than 25 countries through importers, distributors and local dealers.

Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?

C&F: Since the production is splitted in 2 different main categories, we are able to supply end users from many areas. Our products might find their application mainly on construction sites, agriculture, landscaping and gardening.

E.E: What’s the news about new products?

C&F: Since the company started to manufacture attachments and then (from 2014) mini tracked dumpers, the R&D never stopped to develop new products and solutions. Next Bauma – Germany will be probably the platform to launch on the market a couple of (or more than two) version of minidumpers with an eye on the zero emissions machines.

E.E: What are the ranges of products?

C&F:

1. Attachments for compact machinery 

The attachments range can count 15 different products in more than 200 versions and optional that fits on Skid Steer Loaders, Track Loaders, Wheel Loaders, Backhoes, Telehandlers and Tractors.

2. Mini tracked dumpers 

The tracked dumpers range is currently made of 6 different machines from 450 to 1500kg payload. Available in more than 25 versions, our machines can be equipped with Honda (gasoline) or Yanmar (diesel) engines.

E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?

C&F: Having basically two different catalogs allow us to cover more markets than in the past. We supply dealers from different continents, then different development index that means different experiences on field and needs at the end. Some countries are more focused into attachments for SSL, other are more interested in dumpers. Labour costs influence deeply contractors that decide to invest into a tracked dumper or not for example. We try to do our best to follow every market at his stage, trying to introduce new products and solutions when they really need. 

E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?

C&F: Talking about attachments we noticed that contractors, then dealers are oriented to buy long-lasting products just because machinery downtime cost can be really high. The cost of any attachment cannot be compared with a Skid Loader downtime so having a reliable attachment reduce considerably the total costs.

Mini Dumper markets are completely different and of course harder to please. Rental companies need high reliable machines for one main reason; they often rent a mini dumper along with micro or mini excavator manufactured from big players.

So even if really compact and small a mini dumper is always considered machinery so the challenge for us is high.

In both case we try follow market needs supplying the best in terms of quality an adding innovative and easy solutions that are the real value at the end.

E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?

C&F: Minidumpers without any doubt if compared to attachments. T85 has been the first and still is the only mini tracked dumper on the market equipped with a hydraulic servo-control with monojoystick for the steering controls, and at the same time the most compact in terms of overall dimensions. With a 800 Kg payload is more powerful and reliable than any other competitor.

Following our ideas, then solutions even if harder than we thought, gave us the chance to let users understand that having a mono-joystick is more practical, safe and faster than two levers to control the tracks. Rental companies have been the first to embrace and push this solution even thank to our dealer network with them on field show and test with real users.

E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?

C&F: Good question. The last two years have been unbelievably strange, different from the last decades we can say.

Currently is hard to predict what will happen; we will increase the offer with new products and versions and stabilize our presence in EU and UK. Australia and Canada are basically a new market for us, so we expect an increase in terms of new dealers and sold units.