Weekly Iron Welcomes Miles Cooksy as Lead Anchor for a Conexpo-Packed Episode
Welcome back to The Weekly Iron, your Friday rundown of the biggest machines, smartest tech, and coolest stories in construction equipment. This week, we’ve got a familiar face stepping into the lead anchor seat. Miles Cooksy takes the helm for today’s episode — and if you’ve watched the show before, you already know he’s no stranger to the desk. Miles has jumped in on Weekly Iron episodes in the past, and for now one he’s running the whole show.
And it’s a perfect week for it. The dust is still settling from Conexpo-Con/Agg 2026, the biggest equipment gathering on the planet — a once-every-three-years universe where cranes tower skyscrapers, iron fills entire city blocks, and contractors roam miles of booths searching for the next great machine. We just got back, and here are the stories that are already rolling in.
Conexpo Draws 140,000 as Equipment Manufacturing Adds $415B to U.S. GDP and Data Center Boom Continues
Last week, I visited a parallel universe called Conexpo. It’s a world ruled by construction equipment, and it only appears every three years. Imagine a city skyline shaped by cranes and asphalt mixing plants. Picture booths, like city blocks, filled with every kind of iron from every kind of industry, connected by concrete and carpeted avenues filled with people. Listen closely and hear earthmoving machinery clanking in the distance. The proper name for this realm is Conexpo-Con/Agg. Read more…
This 22.6-Ton Prinoth Crawler Carrier Was One of Conexpo’s Wildest Machines
I just got back from Conexpo, and only the coolest equipment earns such early copy. So, I’ll start months of coverage with a monstrous crawler carrier. This mechanized beast packs a 22.6-ton payload and a patent-packed undercarriage dubbed the “PowerForce.” The West Hall at Conexpo was full of interesting machines, but one of the wildest sat inside the Prinoth booth. It was the new Panther T23r rotating crawler carrier, and it looked ready to roll over mountains. New Prinoth CEO Marc Lepage took to the stage at Conexpo for the unveiling. Read more…
John Deere Launches Building America Excavator Contest at Conexpo
The silver lot at Conexpo is loud, busy, and full of awesome yellow iron. I know this because the Construction Equipment crew spent serious time exploring the massive John Deere booth this week — the crown jewel of the silver lot. There, we learned that John Deere just launched the Building America Excavator Contest, a nationwide competition celebrating contractors and operators helping shape their communities. Submit right here. The program ties into the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States and puts the spotlight on the real builders of the country. The idea is simple. Tell your story. Show the work. Win a new excavator. Read more…
Kubota Launches Beastly SVL110-3 Compact Track Loader with 45 gpm Aux and Anti-Stall Brain
Kubota hasn’t overhauled its compact track loader lineup overnight. It has rebuilt it deliberately, stacking smart upgrades model by model. The SVL97-3 debut in 2024/2025 signaled the shift, bringing 8.2-mph top speeds, Kubota Shockless Ride, a sealed one-piece cab, keyless start, and a heated air-ride seat as standard equipment. Late last year, the SVL65-2S 2s followed with the same tech-forward mindset, keeping the proven core specs of the SVL65-2 but elevating the operator experience with the dash-3 generation’s cab refinements, smarter displays, and improved service access. Read more…
Caterpillar Sees More Demand for Compact Radius Excavators, Releases New Model
Caterpillar has noted increased customer demand for compact radius excavators, and knowing that it had a gap between its 15-ton 315 and 25-ton 325, has launched the new 319. "The industry is loaded up with 15- and 25-ton machines," said Brian Stellbrink, senior market professional for Caterpillar. "Customers have said they need more power in a smaller package than 25 tons, and a lot of that is utility-driven for lifting." Cat's 319 will be chock full of technology and options for a variety of applications beyond utility work. Read more…
About the Author
Keith Gribbins
Keith Gribbins is the head of content at Construction Equipment, where he leads editorial strategy across print, digital, video, and social channels. An award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience, Keith has won 17 national and regional editorial awards and is known for his hands-on reporting style, regularly visiting manufacturers, operating equipment, and covering major industry events worldwide.