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Take 60 or so products from almost the same number of manufacturers, divide them into four distinct areas and what have you got? You've got the entry list for the SED2000 Silver Medals competition. It's the biggest entry list to date and manufacturers have come up with a terrific spread of kit.

Our five judges have more than 200 years' experience between them and they know they have a job on their hands.

"I've never seen such a pile as this," said one as he surveyed the table groaning under the weight of entries. Although each year we have new blood among the judges we also have the benefit of experience - without it judging would simply take too long.

One of our judges this year is a crane expert: after all, this year is "crane year", when the top crane firms bring their wares to SED. This has brought a lot more medal entries than usual, as crane makers tend to save their new model announcements for SED. This year is no exception, and our 'new' judge has his work cut out explaining the finer points of crane development to his less experienced colleagues.

So who are the five judges? Eugene Lee is a director of Independent Access Supplies. He has 30 years' plant experience, with the last 20 in access equipment.

Eugene has been here before and he knows exactly what's required of him.

As does judge number two, Mike Maddox a divisional director of Hydrex Group. He's very experienced, with 40 years in general plant sales and hire behind him. His specific knowledge is bigger kit with companies such as Case-Poclain and O&K.

Currently, he is responsible for Hydrex Rentequip, Hydrex's specialist hire arm. Mike's been with us before, so he knows the key is to get stuck in to the work - pronto.

Third man up is George Crompton, managing director of AMPL, the plant division of the Alfred Mc Alpine Group. George is hugely experienced, having worked his way to the top from the workshop floor. He's been with us before - it's this triumvirate we rely on to keep the judging process flowing smoothly.

Our two new kids on the block are no slouches when it comes to industry knowledge or the ability to get stuck into a given task.

They are Derek Stephens, divisional director of Baldwin's Industrial Services, the crane services provider. Derek, our crane specialist, has been around a long time (I know he'll forgive me for that). His crane expertise is second to none.

Our fifth judge is a bit of a wild card. He is Stuart Allen, formerly sales director at Bomag and latterly ex-MD of Ammann Equipment. What Stuart doesn't know about compaction isn't worth knowing and he has lots of general experience too. He's as sharp as a tack is Stuart and very little escapes his attention.

EARTHMOVING

This is a broad church, covering much more than earthmovers, encompassing the whole of the general show area.

The winners were CAT for the 908 compact wheeled loader. The judges liked its "clean lines, good maintenance accessibility and low noise level abilities". And as one succinctly put it: "If CAT can't sell compact wheeled loaders, no one can."

JCB had success with the new Robot 170 skid steer loader and the 8052-midi excavator. Sceptics among you might be thinking, "trust the big names to win again". But that's the point: they became big names by focusing on research and development.

JCB ensured the judges got maximum information in a readable, concise format - sticking strictly to the rules, of course.

One judge said: "If it says JCB on the packet you know exactly what's going to be in the packet - and so do customers."

Another added: "They've stuck to the Robot concept and now they've improved on it - that's dedication and progress. The 8052 is in a red-hot sector and it will sell like hot cakes."

Kubota has been a market leader in mini excavators ever since it introduced the concept - at SED 1979, as it happens. Now it is leading the way in zero tail-swing technology: the U-45 is the largest model in that format. "It's not revolutionary," said one judge, "but it's neat, well-built and, being Kubota, it will retain a good used value".

CRANES & ACCESS

The judges weren't too taxed by this category; in fact, the winners stood out a mile.

Liebherr's LTM1300 is a big crane (300t) but it's also neat. It has Liebherr's high-tech boom system and a cracking sticker price. "What more could a crane salesman want," said one judge.

But hold on. Mannesmann Demag's AC100 has all those characteristics, except it is only a 100t capacity tool. "There's a place for this kind of crane on tight sites with biggish lift requirements," said our crane expert. "This one will run and run, believe me."

Alimak has been coming to SED for many years. But this year was different because it entered our Silver Medal competition - a rare event. It paid off handsomely: it was successful with the CT16-30, a member of Alimak's hugely successful twin-masted access platform portfolio. "Just watch the cladding guys lap this one up," said our judges.

Genie's S-125 is one great boom and the judges loved it. "It's high-tech, looks good and just look at that boom length in such a neat package," was the verdict.

SUPPORT/COMPONENTS

This is a grey area, but the entrants know who they are and where they're coming from.

Sensor Vision is a radar/CCTV system from Vision Technique.

"It's a simple idea," said one of our more experienced judges. "It links the in-cab camera-on system to a tough radar scanner. It makes you wish you'd thought of it first because it's a winner."

Tyres are black, round and boring. Wrong. They're black and round, sure, but they're not boring.

"They're vital to a machine's healthy performance and economy," said a judge with some compact kit mileage under his belt. "This little Michelin is going to make the other rubber manufacturers sit up and take notice of a wide-open market."

Spectra Precision has been at the forefront of laser technology for years, but it's always refining the systems it offers. And this year it's simple but invaluable XDS - Excavator Display System - impressed our judges hugely. "It's been proven to work and the price seems eminently reasonable," said one judge.

Imer Direct managed to produce one of those dream winners that don't come around too often.

The Securpulley braked ginny wheel is a small, simple but brilliant piece of kit that will sell by the truckload - hopefully.

NON-OPERATED PLANT

Ausa is a Spanish company that used to build solid, dependable but boring kit like dumpers. Even its dumpers wouldn't have set the world alight. But, suddenly something happened and Ausa came hurtling into the 21st century. Its dumpers sell big-time and now the new tracked 250CHR is catching hirers' imaginations and wallets.

Add to that the new EH 150 rough terrain fork lift, which can be configured to suit almost any specification (OK you can't have it jet-powered - yet), and you can see why our judges thought it well worth a medal.

HPC-Kaeser has been upsetting the applecart of portable compressor suppliers in the UK for a little while now. As one judge said: "Some have tried and failed but these guys have shown it can be done with the right attitude." HPC-K's M25 and M31G portables look to have what it takes for continued success into the new millennium.

Screening and crushing has suddenly become sexy and now Abyss has introduced a neat portable unit called the Saxton Mk II. "The future of this sort of easily portable screen is assured," said our sages. "As recycling legislation bites harder demand will grow exponentially."

That's all for another year, but don't forget to keep your entries coming. Not everyone can win, but if you don't enter you're making non-winning a certainty.