<b>It has been a busy year in the plant sector, with new machines coming from all areas, including mini excavators, telehandlers, tracked dumpers and backhoe loaders. Geoff Ashcroft reviews some of the new equipment on the market</b><br><b>Interest in compact equipment continues to gather pace. And it is a point not lost on machinery manufacturers who are eager to take a bite from the cherry.</b><br>JCB, for example, is one of the most recent firms to focus heavily on the compact end of the market with the introduction of its tracked dumper and the Micro models of mini excavator.<p></p><p><b>compact and sophisticated</b><br>&amp;“We have identified potential at the lower end of the market for sophisticated but compact equipment,&amp;” says JCB&amp;’s Francoise Rausch. &amp;“Given the choice, most people would prefer to work with a machine, rather than their hands, and this is where our new Micro 800 and 1200 models fit in.&amp;”</p><p>With vital statistics that include an overall width of 700mm with its undercarriage retracted and a digging depth of 1.82m, the 17hp Micro 800 is the smallest model in the range. The larger Micro 1200 can dig to a depth of 2.13m and measures 970mm across its tracks when retracted.</p><p>&amp;“There has been a big …