Ring Power Corporation News

Ring Power Ag Division offers Challenger Roadside Mowing Seminars & Operator Safety Training in March.

Roadside and Boom Mowing Safety Seminars will continue in 2011. Click here to see the 2011 Roadside Mowing Course Schedule.

The Challenger Roadside Mowing Course, offered at five different locations throughout Florida, is taught by Ring Power’s Customer Training Manager, Lon Barfield, CPT.
The Roadside Mowing Seminar uses Challenger Agricultural Tractors, Land Pride bat-wing Mowers and Diamond Boom Mowers. In addition to covering features and safe operation of agricultural/farm tractors and mowers, the roadside mowing course covers the following:
► Clear & Focused Mind - Personal Assessment
► Understanding Risks and Hazards of Roadside Mowing
► Operational Site & Tractors and Mowers Assessment
► Safe Mowing and Tractor Operation Techniques
► In-the-field Training/Hands on Challenger Mowing Demonstrations and tractor and mower walk-around

The Roadside Mowing Seminar concludes with a Course Review and Final Exam. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available.

The Mowing Seminar costs $75 per person and covers: Course Materials, Classroom Training, Hands-on Demonstrations & Field Training, Door Prizes for Participation, On-site Lunch, and a Certificate of Course Completion. Click here to view Challenger Mowing Seminar flyer: Mower Safety Training.pdf (246.64 kb)

All Roadside Mowing Seminars start at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. The Challenger Mowing Course locations and dates are as follows:
► St. Augustine, March 16, 2010
► Ocala, March 18, 2010
► Orlando, March 23, 2010
► Tampa, March 25, 2010
► Tallahassee, March 30, 2010

To register for Ring Power’s Challenger Roadside Mowing Seminar and Operator Training email us at info@ringpower.com or phone our Training Department at  904-494-1376.

Ring Power sells and leases new and used Challenger Agricultural and Farm Tractors throughout North and Central Florida, with service and repair facilities located in Perry, Tallahassee, Lake City, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Ocala, St. Augustine and Tampa. Ring Power also supplies a range of farm implements and attachments from Sunflower disc harrows, field cultivars and grain drills, SprayCoupe sprayers, RoGator ag sprayers, TerraGator, Diamond Boom Mowers, and Land Pride grooming mowers.

Wise management of business costs can help keep you afloat during lean times and growing during good times. Ring Power’s Cat Rental Storeoffers a range of solutions, backed by Cat Financial, that can enable you to obtain the machines you need—any time! Available financing options include:

Installment Sales Contract
The lowest total-acquisition-cost option for contractors who want to take immediate ownership of new or used equipment and get tax deductions for depreciation and interest.
Rental Purchase
For contractors who want the option to purchase the machine at any time during the rental contract period, RPO requires no minimum time frame for the rental and 100% of the rental rate can be applied toward the purchase of the machine. Furthermore, there is no penalty for returning the machine at the end of the rental contract.
Tax Lease—Cat Value Option
The perfect option for qualifying contractors who want to keep their payments as low as possible, while having the flexibility to either purchase the equipment at the end of the lease term (at Fair Market Value), or return the equipment to Cat Financial.
Finance Lease
With this solution, contractors who want to own or have the option to own the equipment under lease can enjoy full 100 percent financing if they qualify, lower-than-traditional monthly payments and interest expense deductions at tax time.
Window Lease
This option offers all the benefits of a tax lease while providing the contractor the ability to purchase the equipment at a specified Early Purchase Option price and date before the end of the lease term.
Flex Lease
This option was created for contractors who want a finance lease with multiple options to return or purchase the equipment at specified intervals or "outs".

With Ring Power’s variety of quick and easy financing solutions, customized payment plans and competitive rates you'll find a way to put the power of Cat to work for you! For details, contact an account manager at your nearest Cat Rental Store in north or central Florida.

Get 0% Financing for 36 months, PLUS an allowance up to $2,000 when you buy a new qualifying Caterpillar construction equipment.*

Now when you purchase a new qualifying Cat construction equipment, you’ll receive 0% financing for 36 months, plus a credit allowance worth up to $2,000 that you can use toward future heavy equipment parts, machine service or repairs, Work Tool attachments or construction equipment rental transactions, plus much more right here at Ring Power.

Receive $2,000 allowance when you buy a new:

• Cat Backhoe Loader
• Cat Small Wheel Loader or Front End Loader
• Cat Track-type Tractor or Dozer
• Cat Hydraulic Excavator or Track-hoe

Receive a $500 allowance when you buy a new:

• Cat Skid Steer Loader
• Cat Multi Terrain Loader
• Cat Compact Track Loader
• Cat Compact Wheel Loader
• Cat Hydraulic Mini Excavator

See how much you could save. Visit, click or call Ring Power, the Cat Rental Store today.

Ring Power, The Cat Rental Store, is North and Central Florida's Caterpillar Dealer. Ring Power rents, sells and leases Cat equipment by the day, week, month or longer. We supply the youngest fleet of construction equipment -- the average age of our fleet is less than 18 months. Our competitors' fleets, like Neff, Hertz, United, RSC, Sunbelt, average more than 40 months and in some cases more than 50 months.

Other rental houses carry multiple lines of equipment, like Bobcat, Komatsu, John Deere, and Kobelco. Ring Power supplies one brand: Caterpillar. If we have to swap machines, it will be a Cat machine. Unlike the competition that will substitute any brand, which creates operator confusion and lowers productivity.

Call any of our 15 locations throughout Florida, including Tallahassee, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona, Palm Bay, Orlando, Ocala, Sarasota, Tampa, and our newest location, Lakeland. Click here to see a map of all store locations. To receive a map and directions to each office, click on a branch location. Email us for more information on any of our machines or special offers.

*Offer good from February 1 to May 31, 2010 on select models at participating dealers. Offer from Ring Power open to customers within North and Central Florida; customers outside these areas contact your local Cat Dealer. Customers in the USA will recieve a credit through Cat AccessAccount for use at participating Cat Dealers. Credits will expire on September 30, 2010; Financing is subject to credit approval through Cat Financial.

To Our Customers…

In these difficult economic times, not many companies are opening new facilities. However, to better serve our customers, Ring Power embarked on a long-term facility improvement plan in 2005, which has benefited every service area in our Florida sales territory.

The expansion and renovation projects continue to improve our ability to meet the needs of Ring Power customers and include the following:

New Construction
- 35,000-sq. ft. facility in Sarasota
- 27,237-sq. ft. facility in North Jacksonville
- 29,787-sq. ft. facility in Midway, near Tallahassee
- 42,449-sq. ft. facility in Pompano Beach for Ring Power Crane and Ring Power Lift Trucks

Renovations & Expansions
- Tampa administrative offices and service bays
- 7,700-sq. ft. crane service facility expansion in Union City, Ga.
- Expansion of the heavy equipment service shop and renovation of the administrative facilities in Orlando and Palm Bay
- The newest construction project, completed this summer, is the new facility located in Lakeland, which replaced the aging building in nearby Mulberry (see article on page 7 for details).

Our investment in facility improvements is a testament to Ring Power’s long-term commitment to providing Ring Power customers the best product, parts and service and maintaining Ring Power’s standing as an industry leader well into the future.

Sincerely,

Randal R. Ringhaver

____________________________________________

In This Issue of Ring Power News  (click to open ---> RPN_Winter_2009_low.pdf (2.16 mb) )

Customer Profiles
- Flying High – Flightstar Aircraft Services - Success is Taking Off
- Lakeland Power Plant Gets New Cat 992K Front End Loader
- All in the Family – Goodwin Brothers Keeping it That Way Since 1987

Division News
- On-Highway Truck Parts & Services Shifts Into Overdrive, Servicing All Makes and Models Diesel Truck Engines
- New Facility–Now Open for Business in Lakeland
- New Faces in New Places

Product Reports
- RoGator Agriculturual Sprayer Receives Some New Creature Comforts
- Forklift Smackdown: Electric Forklift vs. Internal Combustion Forklift
- Air Time – Sullair Introduces New ShopTek™ Air Compressors
- Falcon Tanks: Phoenix Products Newest Product Line Takes Flight

UpTime
- Manage Your Construction Equipment’s Cost Per Hour

Ring Power is north and central Florida's Caterpillar Dealer and encompasses 44 counties. Headquartered in St. Augustine, Ring Power is comprised of seven divisions and has more than 40 years of experience selling, servicing and supporting Caterpillar and allied equipment. Ring Power News is produced for customers, friends and associates of Ring Power Corporation. Your comments, ideas and suggestions are welcome. Please submit correspondence to:

Ring Power News Editor
Ring Power Corporation
PO Box 45022
Jacksonville, FL 32232-5022

or click to send an email to: info@ringpower.com

RPN_Winter_2009_low.pdf (2.16 mb)

Lately, there has plenty of discussion regarding the EPA emissions requirements for on-highway diesel engines. The use of a pollution control device called a diesel particulate filter or DPF is one way to reduce diesel engine pollution emitted from buses, heavy-duty trucks, tractor-trailer rigs and on-highway trucks.

What is a Diesel Particulate Filter?

Diesel Particulate Filter or DPF for short, is a filter designed to remove particulate and soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine. All on-highway diesel engines sold as 2007 model or newer must have a Diesel Particulate Filter installed.

How does the DPF function?

Every on-highway truck that has a DPF installed also has regeneration light on the dashboard. As long as the truck is going faster than 20 mph when the filter gets full, the engine will do an automatic regeneration and burn off the collected particulate. What is left in the filter is a small amount of soot or ash, similar to the ash in a fireplace. If the truck sits at idle for long periods then the light on the dash will come on, alerting the driver to perform a manual regeneration.

The more ash collected in the filter, the less time required between regeneration intervals. As the diesel particulate filter becomes clogged, the diesel engine will begin losing power. Warning lights will alert the driver and if the driver does not get the filter cleaned the engine will shut off completely.

How much is a new Diesel Particulate Filter?

The cost for a new Diesel Particulate Filter varies between $5,000 and $10,000.

Can a DPF be cleaned?

Yes. A DPF is a filter and all filters eventually clog. A diesel particulate filter traps all of the particulate matter (PM) or NOx before exhausted out into the atmosphere. The engine goes through a regeneration process that essentially burns the collected particulate matter at a temperature of about 1500° F. Avoid expensive DPF replacement costs by cleaning your diesel particulate filter. Regular DPF cleaning extends the life of your filter and keeps your diesel engine running at peak performance power.

How often should a DPF be cleaned?

Cleaning a Diesel Particulate Filter depends on the engine manufacturer’s recommendations. Volvo, Cummins, Caterpillar, GMC and Detroit Diesel all have different recommendations for cleaning the DPF used with their diesel engines. Please click here to see our brochure for details.

What are some engine conditions that probably mean it is time for a DPF cleaning?

• Turbo failure
• Excessive regenerations
• Sluggish power

Click here for more information on DPF cleaning and additional truck repair and truck maintenance or send an email to schedule a DPF cleaning appointment.

Our on-highway truck parts and services include repairs to air compressors, air conditioning & heating, alternators & starters, axles, batteries, brakes, clutches, drivelines, electrical instruments & controls, engine cooling & radiators, exhaust, fuel system, steering, suspension, throttle control, transmission, windshields, wipers & washer, wiring. Click for locations and contact information or email us here.

Ring Power’s Full Service Truck Repair facilities are located throughout north and central Florida in St. Augustine, Tallahassee, Perry, Lake City, Lakeland, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Ocala, Daytona Beach, Brooksville, Orlando, Tampa, and Palm Bay. Our services include repairs, or maintenance on all makes of buses, RVs, on-highway trucks, tractor trailer rigs and all types of diesel engines. 

The Sullair System's Air Quality is one of the best in the industry. 

The Sullair System matches a Sullair air compressor, a Sullair dryer and Sullair filters. Sullair assures that its System will meet specific performance levels through its operational life. Sullair offers a one-year test/review period, backed by a purchase refund guarantee, to verify the air cmopressor performance and the air system.

Lowest Fluid Carryover
While others claim a low carryover of 5 ppm (parts per million) or more, Sullair's single-stage air compressor offer a carryover rate of less than 1 pppm–the lowest in the industry. Sullair's Multi-Stage Separation (MSS), uses a sump design, which allows use of oversized dual nested separators.

Sullair Optimizer™ Air/Fluid Separator
A high-efficiency separator that will pay for itself during the life of the separator in reduced compressor fluid carryover and electrical power consumption.

The Sullair Critical Air Quality Guarantee
The compressed air from this Sullair Air Compressor System exceeds the ISO standard (ISO 8573.1, Class1 for oil vapor and Class 2 for Particulate). The system includes a Sullair air compressor, Sullair dryer, and Sullair SCF, SCH, and SCC; or PF, PH, and PC air filters. The odor-free compressed air from this air compressor system contains particulates no larger than 0.01 micron, including water, and oil aerosol content of 0.01 ppm by weight (ppm/w) @ 70°F. The remaining oil vapor content is less than 0.003 ppm/w.

Ring Power is a leading supplier of air compressors, air tools, compressor parts and air compressor service in Florida for over 45 years. Our offices service the Miami and Pompano Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and Tallahassee areas. We carry electric and diesel and industrial air compressors with names like Sullair, Hurricane boosters, and Belaire. See all the air compressors, portable or industrial compressed air, high pressure, or ultra high pressure, at our website compressedair.ringpower.com.

These systems are not intended to remove carbon monoxide, methyl isocynate or other noxious, corrosive or toxic gases, vapors or fumes. The system does not provide breathing air.

St. Augustine, FL; December 1, 2009 – For the eighth consecutive year, employees of Ring Power Corporation, north and central Florida's Caterpillar dealer, joined forces to bring holiday cheer to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year, "Christmas for the Troops" netted 154 individual military APO/FPO flat rate boxes containing snacks, candies, toiletries, games, CDs, books, magazines and gun oil. According to Senior Accounting Clerk Dorothy Case, who spearheads the annual drive, "For those who are serving in harm’s way, those items are a real treat."

On November 19, the packages shipped out of the St. Augustine USPS branch to four military units with a special connection to the Ring Power "family:"

Sgt. Philip Wessels, son of VP/Entertainment Services Division GM Phil Wessels, received 15 care packages to share with his U.S. Army Special Forces unit deployed in Iraq.

Marine Cpl. Kory Diley, son of Cat Rental Store Executive Secretary Nikki McDaniel, received 48 care packages for his Special Operations unit in Afghanistan.

Sgt. Bobby Hendrix, brother of Soyna White, who works in the Credit Department, received 76 care packages for his Army National Guard unit, ARSIC-East Echo Company, serving in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Sean Wright, son of Cat Rental Store Administrative Assistant Sheryl Hand and Warranty Department Administrator Wendel Hand, received 15 care packages for his Army Special Forces unit, also deployed in Afghanistan.

Ring Power Corporation, the Cat dealer for north and central Florida, is proud to support its employees’ loved ones, who so bravely serve our country.

Ring Power Lift Trucks committed to first-class forklift support and service.

Dear Business Partner,

As Director of Ring Power Lift Trucks, I want to send this personal message of thanks and assurance that our commitment to your complete satisfaction remains stronger than ever. I understand this has been a difficult year for all of our customers in the material handling industry.

Our goal is to build an unprecedented level of customer satisfaction by being the "best-in-class" when providing you with forklifts and material handling equipment, forklift service and support. We will achieve this by creating a business culture in which knowledgeable, driven employees can thrive in today’s business climate.

We clearly understand that the success of our business depends ultimately on the success of yours. As your business partner, we expect you to let us know ways we can improve our service to you, and when we get it right too. Please feel free to contact me or any Ring Power Lift Trucks employee with feedback or visit our website. We will be listening!

On behalf of the entire Ring Power Lift Trucks division, I thank you for your loyalty and extend you our best wishes for a happy holiday season and a profitable 2010.

Curtis McClellan
Director-Senior Vice President
Ring Power Lift Trucks

Ring Power Lift Trucks is the forklift division of Ring Power Corporation, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Additional offices service Pompano Beach, Miami, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa, Ocala and Tallahassee. Ring Power Lift Truck represents: Caterpillar® Lift Trucks, Mitsubishi Forklifts, Linde forklifts, Kalmar Industrial Forklifts and Container Handlers, Princeton and Navigator piggybacks, rough terrain forklifts by Noble, specialized products by Bendi and productive Cascade Attachments.

The hydraulic system of your forklift is the heart and lifeblood of your forklift. A forklift with a hydraulic contamination can result in extensive damage and extended forklift downtime – and downtime means less productivity and material handling moving. Use these tips from Ring Power Lift Trucks to keep your forklift healthy and operating smoothly.

1. Hydraulic Control Valve
   Incorrect hydraulic pressure can damage seals and restrict lift capacity. External leaks from the control valve and other sealed areas can contaminate the operating environment, accelerate component wear and reduce performance.
2. Lift Cylinder
   Lift cylinder oil leaks could result in load drift problems and contamination of the operating environment. Low fluid can accelerate wear of a forklift’s hydraulic components. Leaks can occur externally or internally within the cylinder. Be watchful of hydraulic oil on the ground or on components.
3. Tilt Cylinder
   Tilt cylinder oil leaks could cause uncontrolled mast movement and contamination of the operating environment. Low fluid can accelerate wear of hydraulic components. Leaks can occur externally.
   
4. Hydraulic Hoses and Auxiliary Lines
   Missing or damaged forklift hoses, tubes, lines and/or retainers could result in routing and interference problems. Bent or damaged hydraulic hose sheaves can damage the hoses. Both can result in oil leakage into the operating environment.
   
5. Hydraulic Fluid
   Low fluid levels or heavy particles in the hydraulic oil can accelerate wear of the hydraulic pump and other hydraulic system components. Check the forklift’s hydraulic fluid reservoir and maintain proper levels.
6. Hydraulic Filter
   A forklift with a clogged suction strainer or return filter restricts oil flow, increases the forklift’s system pressure and accelerates wear of internal hydraulic components, all of which can lead to premature system failure.
7. Steering System
   Leaking steering cylinders and/or hydraulic connections may contaminate the operating environment and result in loss of steering. Low fluid levels can accelerate hydraulic component wear.

Ring Power Lift Trucks is the forklift division of Ring Power Corporation, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Additional offices service Pompano Beach, Miami, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Ocala, Sarasota, and Tallahassee. Ring Power Lift Truck services and repairs all makes of forklifts including Toyota, Hyster, Yale, Crown, Nissan and others. Click to schedule a service appointment.