Equipment

Struck Revives Mini Dozers with a Powerful New Range

The smallest model, the S-Series, replaces the MD196K Kit.

Updated on

October 20, 2025

Struck mini dozer — Struck is now under Greg Linsmeyer’s ownership. (Photo: Courtesy)

Just over a year ago, Struck Corporation—famed for its build-it-yourself mini bulldozers once featured in Popular Mechanics—looked ready to shut its doors for good.

But thanks to Wisconsin businessman Greg Linsmeyer, the brand has not only survived but is back with a thoroughly overhauled product line for 2025.

Linsmeyer, owner of Niagara Fabrication, had his eye on Struck for years.

“I was looking at this company for seven years before I bought it,” he recalls, having been captivated by the brand’s DIY kits as a child. His first bid to buy the company fizzled when another buyer beat him to the punch. Then, in April last year, fate intervened.

“A vendor told me the company was shutting down,” Linsmeyer says. “I found who was controlling [it] this time. We actually drove up there that weekend, met with everybody, made a deal to keep the place open.”

With a deal struck—pun intended—Linsmeyer wasted no time. He shut down the Cedarburg, Wisconsin plant and relocated the entire operation to his own facilities in Niagara, roughly three hours north. “It’s been a very busy year,” he admits. “We closed the factory down, moved it all to here and then kind of simultaneously started redesigning the models.”

The revitalised firm, now operating as Struck Compact Construction Equipment, has launched two brand-new dozer lines, with a third—its largest yet—set to debut by the end of the year.

The new lineup

The smallest of the trio, the S-Series, replaces the original MD196K Kit. The upgrade introduces a 6.5-hp or 10-hp Vanguard engine, a centrifugal clutch and a foot throttle.

Its transmission system, meanwhile, mirrors that of an ATV or snowmobile, providing flexible power.

“It’s designed to give you more torque when you need it, and higher speed when you don’t need all the power,” says Linsmeyer.

Although fans of the original kits may feel nostalgic, the updates aim to modernise the machines without losing their charm. Indeed, Linsmeyer’s approach is to preserve the essence of Struck while preparing it for the future.