Equipment manufacturers push parts commonality

Equipment manufacturers are modernizing their products with more universal parts and faster services. 

The commonality of parts in newer equipment helps the service departments of both manufacturers and dealers keep up with servicing rental fleets, James Gill, product manager at JCB North America, told Equipment Finance News on Jan. 30 during the 2025 American Rental Association Show in Las Vegas. 

“JCB manufactures its own engine, gearbox and axles, and the engine that’s in our backhoe, the 109-horsepower Ecomax engine, is also fitted to our telehandlers and our skid steers,” he said.  

Having “serviceable” items like filters that can be used on more than one machine, “makes it easy to stock, easy to manage and easy to service,” he said. 

Improving vehicle uptimes, or time to ready, can play a key role in increasing fleet productivity, which in turn boosts profitability for rental businesses, Dorrie Fryman, director of rental services for Ohio Cat, said during a Jan. 15 presentation at the AED Summit in Orlando, Fla. 

 “My goal is to rent the same piece of equipment three times in a day,” she said. “It hasn’t happened yet, but I want to.” 

In addition, as commonality of parts increases, OEMs and dealers can better prepare fleets for the future, Sara Vincent, marketing director at JLG, told EFN. 

“We architect our equipment in such a way that it’s serviceable, so that a new electric construction boom has an internal combustion companion, and there’s 90% parts commonality between those two machines,” she said. “When you think about it from a serviceability standpoint, that makes it a whole lot easier because your technicians know what they’re dealing with.” 

The third annual Equipment Finance Connect at the JW Marriott Nashville on May 14-15, 2025, is the only event for both equipment dealers and finance providers. Learn more and register here.