Milton CAT held a Compact Equipment Field Day June 25 at its Batavia, N.Y., facility.

The event, which was co-hosted by the New York State Landscapers’ Association, provided New York State farmers, contractors and landscapers and their families an opportunity to learn which work tool would help them make the most money, how it feels to operate the new Caterpillar steel undercarriage compact track loader and hoe to service appropriately their compact equipment.

The food tent was busy for lunch as well as for dinner, with guests enjoying their choice of pulled pork or barbecued chicken. Also well-attended throughout the day was the operation and maintenance tent, where Milton CAT parts and service sales representatives demonstrated the correct way to handle the servicing of Caterpillar compact equipment — skid steers, mini-excavators, and multiple-terrain loaders.

More than half of the attendees participated in an operators’ skill contest, which involved navigating a challenging obstacle course. Don Smith of Don Smith and Sons Excavating, Alexander, N.Y., won with a time of 43.44 seconds, just .06 seconds faster than the closest competitor.

Another favorite item for guests was the work tool demo where they could see up close the function and advantages of above-ground as well as below-ground work tools such as hammers, augers, rakes and bale grapples. Guests also toured the Milton CAT’s Batavia facility, which, according to the company, was built to meet the most demanding specs through an innovative layout and design. And finally, guests tried their luck at the “Wheel of Fortune,” which provided some fortunate participants an additional 10 percent off already discounted, one-day only prices on machines and work tools.