FTS’ Battery-Operated Platform ‘Eases’ Rail’s Environmental Impact

By removing hydraulics from the equation, Focused Technology Solutions is not only improving safety and production for the rail worker, but is improving safety for the environment as well.

Let us paint a picture for you.

On any given day, rail workers all over the continent are using hydraulic spike pullers and tie drills to get their jobs done. Sure, the tasks of pulling spikes or drilling into wooden ties aren't too difficult in and of themselves, but it’s all the preparation, all the hoses and generators and all those nasty hydraulic fluids that make the job extremely undesirable. When you throw in the unforgiving summer heat into the equation, all of those pain points make the job even worse. 

But often forgotten—or ignored—  by rail yards, workers and even tool developers is the effect that using these hydraulic-powered tools has on the environment. To be blunt, they’re a disaster. 

At each of the 350+ Class I rail yards in the U.S., multiple hydraulic tie drills or spike pullers, among other products using these toxic fluids, are in use. It will takes at least a gallon or two of hydraulics per day, per tool, to get the job done. We’re talking, at minimum, 350-700 gallons of hydraulic fluid being used at US rail yards per day! 

When those fluids leak out of the machines or hoses and make contact with the ground, they can penetrate the soil and contaminate the groundwater supply. According to one study by one of the world’s biggest hydraulic hose manufacturers, over 370 million litres of hydraulic fluids leak every year. 

These fluids are deemed hazardous materials and are regulated by the EPA for a reason.

That’s what makes our battery-operated spike puller and tie drill, the SpikeEase and DrillEase, respectively, a necessity for the future of rail. 

Of course, when you try these two products, you’re going to see an increase in production immediately as they both weigh under 30 lbs, are ready to go right out of the box, and require just one worker and no setup time to operate. 

But from an environmental standpoint, there are, simply put, no other tools on the market that compare to this duo. 

And luckily for the class ones, there is no recurring cost when you use these revolutionary products, unlike hydraulic units, where you constantly need to spend extra money to get more fuel. 

It’s time to leave your hydraulics in the past and join the safer and more productive future of rail.