The Dirt

Welcome to The Dirt, where you can learn about all things machinery; from construction to landscaping and farming to power systems, all while gaining valuable insights into growing your business and how Ziegler is here to help. Let’s do the work!

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Ziegler History: Great Depression and World War II

Great Depression While the Great Depression wreaked havoc on most companies throughout the United States after the Wall Street crash in 1929, Ziegler remained relatively unharmed until 1932. Around this time, company officers and employees took substantial pay cuts...

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Renting Heavy Equipment – What’s in it for me?

One of the never-ending questions when it comes to heavy equipment is Should I Buy or Lease? While there are many factors that could help to determine the best path for a company, one often-overlooked option is equipment rental.   The reasons to rent are...

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How to Maintain Rubber Tracks on Your Compact Track Loader

Performing track maintenance and inspection on a regular basis is key to getting the most from your Cat® Compact Track Loader (CTL) and Multi Terrain Loader (MTL) machines. Daily inspections should be routine prior to beginning your work shift. Here are some key tips...

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Planning a Large Event? Here’s Your Event Rental Guide

With the summer fast approaching, and social gatherings starting to resume, you may have found yourself placed in charge of planning a large outdoor event. Before you select vendors and hire staff, take a step back to think about all of the logistics involved in...

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Ziegler History: Ziegler Becomes a Cat Dealer

Snow Plowing Believe it or not, in 1924 – the year before Caterpillar was founded – whether or not to regularly plow snow off roads was a hot debate. At that time, horse-drawn plows completed the small amount of plowing that was done. After heavy snowfalls, local...

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Weighing Your Rental Equipment Options

Managing your equipment cost is typically a significant budget item and one that is reoccurring year after year. Formulating a strategy for managing that cost is critical to building a sustainable model and consistent profitability. One strategy in particular that is...

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Cold Weather Tips for Heavy Equipment

Cold weather is tough on your equipment. Fortunately, there are a number of proactive steps to safeguard your machines when the temperatures start to drop. Implementing a cold-weather-plan can save you time and potentially costly repairs. Diesel Engines and Fuel Tips...

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Using VisionLink™ for Preventive Maintenance

We’ve all heard the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Nowhere is that more applicable than maintaining expensive, heavy equipment. Outside of your payroll, the purchase and maintenance of your machines are more than likely two of the larger...

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Ziegler History: Foundations

Foundations After spending six years with the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company and nine years with the Peteler Car Company, Minnesotan William H. Ziegler founded Wm. H. Ziegler Co. Inc. in December, 1914. Ziegler started in an eighty-square-foot office space...

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Marketing Tips for Growing Your Business

For many business owners, marketing is a broad and sometimes vague endeavor. Your strategy can take on many different forms, but there are some fundamental tips that can help you tactically secure new business while also strengthening your company’s reputation for...

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Should I Buy or Lease?

The decision whether to buy or lease equipment can be frustrating for business owners because there are pros and cons for both. In this article, our professionals at Ziegler CAT will walk you through the ups and downs of owning versus leasing taking into account...

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