High requirements for the Schäffer 6680 T in the Alps
In South Tyrol, Italy, Manuel Gschnitzer operates a successful construction company with his two brothers. The company specialises in earthmoving, landscaping, demolition work, and winter services in the region around Gasteig in the province of Bolzano. For about a year now, the brothers have been using the Schäffer 6680 T with a special red paint job in their everyday work and are extremely satisfied with its performance and efficiency.
Manuel Gschnitzer was looking for a flexible all-rounder to support him and his brothers across the seasons in 2022. “We had a number of requirements for a new wheel loader: it needs to work on steep mountain slopes and in tight spaces and it must be suitable to use with a concrete mixing bucket and to transport heavy cyclopean and natural stones. In addition, there are road cleaning and winter services for the local municipality on a contract basis, as well as general transport and loading activities on our company premises.”
The 6680 T is the right machine for the job
Manuel Gschnitzer found everything he was looking for at Staudacher, one of the largest dealers of agricultural machinery, construction machinery, municipal equipment, and forestry technology in South Tyrol, and the importer of Schäffer loaders for Italy. Managing director Philipp Staudacher recommended the telescopic wheel loader 6680 T from the German loader specialist. The 6680 T has an operating weight of 6 tons and is powered by a 55 kW / 75 hp strong Deutz 4-cylinder dieselengine. With a lifting capacity of 3.1 tons, the articulated loader lifts loads to a height of 4.95m.
Manuel Gschnitzer looks back on a successful first year with his new telescopic wheel loader. The 6680 T offers the flexibility in use that the South Tyrolean was hoping for.
Steep ascent, tight spaces, and heavy loads: Building slope stabilisation walls is the speciality of the Gschnitzer brothers.
On the company’s premises, the 6680 T is used for general transport and loading activities.
The Gschnitzer construction company opted for the 40 km/h high-speed model to get quickly to many different job sites. The hydraulic pump provides up to 104 l/min of power for operating hydraulically demanding equipment. The machine is painted in Schäffer red, matching the other machines in the company.
The 6680 T is often used by the Gschnitzers in the mountains. A special area of expertise for the South Tyrolean brothers is the construction of slope stabilisation walls made of cyclopean or natural stones. “It is important for us here that we can bring all the materials such as sand, gravel, cement, and of course the massive rocks, with the loader to the site. The roads up to the construction sites are too steep and narrow for trucks, and the ground is often not paved,” explains Manuel Gschnitzer. The use of a concrete mixing bucket on the 6680 T brings additional flexibility. “We have to mix the material on-site because even concrete trucks cannot drive on the rugged terrain. Sometimes the required amounts are so small that it would not be economically viable to have ready-made concrete delivered.” The telescopic arm of the wheel loader proves its strength when filling the concrete.
Well-equipped for winter clearance service, the 6680 T is the perfect match for a snow blade and 300-litre salt spreader.
Winter clearance service
The Schäffer telescopic wheel loader 6680 T proves to be a reliable partner too in winter maintenance. As a service provider for the Gasteig area, the company operates a hydraulically adjustable 2.90m wide snow blade and a 300l salt spreader. “Reliability is crucial in this area. When it gets serious, we have to go out at 4am to ensure safe road conditions in the area. We need a machine and attachments that are perfectly matched and on which we can rely. This significantly increases the machine’s use in winter,” says Manuel Gschnitzer, explaining the advantages of this equipment.
Manuel Gschnitzer and his brothers are convinced not only of the reliability and versatility but also the efficiency and ease of use of the 6680 T. “The low fuel consumption really surprised us. It is only 6 litres per hour, an excellent figure for a 6-tonne loader with this performance. The machine is also very intuitive to operate and the generously-sized cabin ensures perfect all-around visibility. With 450 operating hours under its belt, the telescopic wheel loader has proven to be an extremely useful addition for our team in its first year. We are already looking forward to the next challenges with our new all-rounder.“
Check out more details at:
Download the PDF of the article here:
