Is that a Kaiser chief?

by Nick Drew | Tue 02 Sep 2014

Is that a Kaiser chief?

Owner operator Ben Miller who runs his own Steelwrist equipped Caterpillar 312D hydraulic excavator was on an overseas trip recently when he did what many of us do when abroad… go digger spotting!

Ben was staying in Morzine enjoying his passion for mountain biking in the Portes Du Soleil. He and his mates travelled all over the place but whilst out and about he spotted these unusual Kaiser S2 Spyder machines, which he had not heard of before. Some were spotted in Avoriaz in France and some in Morgins in Switzerland.

The Kaiser is the less well-known machine with most people associating this concept with the Menzi-Muck models. But the association between the two company’s goes back a long way. In 1963 Josef Kaiser Jr was visiting England when he spotted a British built Smalley climbing excavator at one of the trade shows. On his return to Liechtenstein he set about designing a similar machine in co-operation with a one Ernst Menzi of Switzerland. This arrangement lasted until 1967 when the two parties separated and went their own ways, which saw both companies develop their own models.

These days there is a fierce and sometimes bitter rivalry between the two Spyder excavator manufacturing companies. But whether you are a Kaiser or a Menzi fan, there is no getting away from the fact that these machines, in the right hands, are incredible to watch when working on steep hills and embankments.

We thank Ben for sharing these photos with us here on the Digger Man Blog.

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