Bomag stepped into the big leagues of commercial pavers (those with operating weights less than 19,000 pounds) with the product of recent investments in the acquired Gilcrest manufacturing facility. Replacing its 813 RT with the 814-2/815-2 (one tractor with either 14- or 15-foot maximum screed width), Bomag gained half a ton of hopper capacity, ability to use electronic grade controls, and 58 feet per minute of paving speed (an increase of nearly 50 percent). It's the only commercial-class paver with Cummins power.
This introduction also pits the 815-2 at 15,700 pounds against LeeBoy's 8500 and 8515, the Mauldin 1750-C, and Ingersoll Rand's 3020/3120. Bomag is following the category creep, as machines at the large end of the commercial asphalt paver class continue to grow. Two years ago, only LeeBoy's 8500 and the Mauldin 1750C were heavier than the 15,400-pound 814-2, and none were more powerful than its 85-hp Cummins. But in the past two years, Ingersoll Rand claimed the heavyweight title with machines approaching 17,000 pounds, and LeeBoy added the 15,900-pound 8515.
Despite weighing in as much as 1,200 pounds lighter than these competitors, Bomag's 815-2 matches their key capacity specs -- maximum paving width and depth -- and delivers unmatched paving speed of 180 feet per minute and 4-mile-per-hour travel speed.
The standard screed is the new UNIMAT 2, offering paving widths that can be adjusted hydraulically on-the-go from 8 to 14 or 15 feet. Material augers mounted directly to the screed extensions deliver asphalt consistently at all paving widths. The augers are reversible and can be automatically or manually controlled.
The vibratory screed can be crowned or inverted 2 inches and is heated by propane. Hydraulic depth controls come standard.
The 815-2 is available with Topcon's System Four Screed Automation. Using a non-contacting sonic sensor, Screed Automation matches joints without skis or string lines.
A low deck with dual control stations keeps the operator close to the work. The new paver tractor has an 8-ton hopper, Bomag's largest, and dual-slat conveyors carry the material to the screed. The hopper can be raised more than 6 feet for access to the undercarriage and the conveyor system.
The 814-2/815-2 is expected to retail for about $100,000, and Bomag's standard 12 month/1,000-hour warranty applies.
