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Bobcat may have been the first, but today there is a healthy competition among skid steer manufacturers. And the markethas grown not only in the number of players, but also in the variety of sizes, shapes and creature comforts that are available.Gehl, which started in the agricultural business, firstbranched off into construction in the early 1980s. Lastyear, the company phased out its agricultural implementsto focus fully on its line of compact equipment. The movecame on the tails of the revamping of its skid steer offeringearlier in the year, with the introduction of six new E-Series skid loaders.“Today, we have seven models total in our E-Series,”says Moore. “The two smallest machines are 35 and 46hp, which are lightweight and as narrow as 4 to 5 ft wide.They’re good for doing a variety of jobs on a smaller scaleand provide very economical options. Our mid-rangemachines go from 60- to 82-hp turbo diesel engines and1,650 to 2,900 lbs in rated capacity. Our largest modelis the 7810E, which is used for large-scale, highproductivityjobs.”A New MarketJust in the last five to 10 years, the bulk of the heavyhitters in the equipment business have followed suit.John Deere got the ball rolling in 1999 with four newloaders dubbed the 200 Series, then upped the ante witha new and improved 300 Series late last year. Komatsufirst entered the North American skid steer market in2000 and now offers four wheeled models (SK815-5,SK820-5, SK1020-5 and SK1026-5), in addition to twocompact track loaders (CK30 and CK35). In addition,Bobcat introduced its latest line of skid steer loaders withthe K-Series (S130 to S330), now with 12 different modelsranging from 700 to 3,300 lbs.Caterpillar introduced its first four skid loaders into thefray in 1999 and now offers a total of 10 loaders ranging18 Utility Contractor | August 2007from 50 to 90 hp and operating loads from 1,400 to 3,250lbs. The company upgraded the line again this May withthe introduction of the C-Series loaders, which consist offour new skid steers (246C, 256C, 262C and 272C) andthree tracked units, or “multi-terrain loaders” (the 277C,287C and 297C).With a rated operating capacity of 3,250 lbs, the 272C isthe largest capacity skid steer Caterpillar has produced todate. The vertical lift 272C is joined by the smaller 262C,which has an operating capacity of 2,700 lbs and also featuresvertical lift for enhanced truck loading capabilities.The 246C and 256C are radial lift machines with ratedoperating capacities of 2,150 and 2,350 lbs, respectively.“Over the years, we added several new units to ourproduct line, including high-flow and vertical lift units,”notes Kent Pellegrini, skid steer and multi-terrain loaderindustry manager for Caterpillar. “Skid steers serve as avery useful aid for any type of construction for the utilitywork, most of the jobs need prep and cleanup work to bedone. That can include things like backfilling gravel for anew drainage ditch to finish grading. It comes down toavoiding overkill, where the machine you bring with youdoesn’t fit the job.”Over the years, the market has also expanded into variationson the original theme. In the last five years, manyskid steer manufacturers have incorporated dedicatedtrack machines called compact track loaders. Track loadershave taken the idea of over-the-tire tracks to the nextlevel with a fully dedicated undercarriage, which was firstinvented in the 1980s by ASV and Takeuchi.Outside of the undercarriage, manufacturers build theirtrack loaders to the same specifications as their skid
steers, but provide extra traction and stability, a smootherride, more pushing power and a lighter footprint. Theirdisadvantages include a higher purchasing price, higheroperating costs and the inability to roll over hard surfaceslike concrete and asphalt without major wear.The other variation takes the versatility and maneuverabilityto a new level. Referred to as a mini skid steer orcompact utility loader, the miniaturized versions of theconstruction site standby works are also becoming popular— especially for rental uses.The little loaders are fitted with tracks or wheels andequipped with little arms that could run a variety of differenthydraulic work tools (buckets, breakers, augers,trenchers, pallet forks and any other implement).Designed to work in very cramped residential or constructionworksites where only wheelbarrows could fitbefore, the loaders can adapt to almost any work application— boring holes, loading material, trenching and simplycutting down on manual labor that’s usually donewhere a machine won’t fit.Fully LoadedTraditional skid steers still come in a variety of sizes,but there are also a few fundamental differences in skidsteers that potential buyers (and even renters) need toknow about. For example, skid steer loaders can eitheruse lift-arms with radial lift or vertical lift designs. Radiallift arms are connected to the machine with a single pinon each side, which allow the bucket to follow an arc asit rises.“On a radial lift, the bucket sits close to the machinewhen it is in the down position to make the machinemore stable and compact whenmoving loads around,” says GreggZupancic, product marketingmanager for skid steers and compacttrack loaders at John DeereConstruction & Forestry. “As thebucket is raised, it moves awayfrom the machine and thenstraight up. This gives themachine extra reach, making iteasier to dump a load into themiddle of a pickup or place a palletinto a deep shelf.”According to manufacturers,radial lift machines are typicallybest-suited for digging in hardsoil and are more conducive torough and abusive conditions. Onthe other hand, vertical liftmachines are better suited forhandling, loading and palletwork. While both types can beutilized for any application, lifecycle and productivity determinewhich unit is a better match forthe job and the contractor.Variation in operator controls is another important factorto consider. Most skid steers are controlled by eithersingle- or two-lever steering. The single lever system isbest suited for pilot control systems and allows the operatorto “split” the control of the machine into their rightand left hands. All travel is accomplished by the left leverwhile the right lever controls the lift and tilt. With twoleversteering, the left travel and lift is accomplished bythe left lever and right travel and bucket are controlled bythe right lever.“Komatsu uses pilot-proportional controls as standardon its models and offers a pattern change valve as anoption that allows the operator to choose between singleand two lever steering,” says Beesely. “Pilot controlsappear to be the latest change to sweep the market. Whilesome have had pilot controls from the beginning, all othersare now introducing or planning introduction of thissystem. They allow very fine control with little operatoreffort. All in all, control systems are mainly based onoperator preference and operators simply prefer controlswith which they are familiar.”In the last few years, joystick controls have been integratedinto the operator controls, providing more intuitiveoperation. Caterpillar used joystick controls in itsfirst loaders back in 1999, and other manufacturers havetaken similar approaches. Bobcat currently offers threetypes of operator controls, including traditional (footpedals and steering levers), advanced controls(advanced hand and foot controls) and selectable joystickcontrols (ISO-pattern or H-pattern controls). Theyare also designed with what is referred to as Bobcat’s“selectable joystick controls” or the SJC System, whichThe skid steer market has expanded on its original theme, with many manufacturersadding dedicated track machines called compact track loaders. They are built to thesame specifications as skid steers, but provide extra traction, stability and pushing power.August 2007 | Utility Contractor 19
Page 4: AUGUST 2007CONTENTS1616AUGUST 2007
Page 8: GROUNDBREAKING NEWSWinner of NUCA M
Page 12 and 13: GROUNDBREAKING NEWSIndustry Leaders
Page 14: GROUNDBREAKING NEWSUnited Rentals h
Page 17: truck) all the way to putting on a
Page 22 and 23: All the Small ThingsThe Latest Crea
Page 24 and 25: Gehl Zero 383Z Compact ExcavatorThe
Page 26: Terex TC50 Compact ExcavatorVolvo B
Page 29 and 30: “Instead of buying severaldedicat
Page 32 and 33: SubstanceControlComprehensive Drug
Page 34: The following components are typica
Page 37 and 38: enhance performance. In the radialt
Page 39: It is our responsibility to prepare
Page 43 and 44: INSIDE WASHINGTONCooperation vs. An
Page 45 and 46: SAFETY MANAGEMENTThis NIOSH photo c
Page 47 and 48: NUCA NEWSNUCA Launches New HDD Safe
Page 49 and 50: NUCA NEWSUpton, who invited him to
Page 51 and 52: EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHTDitch Witch Intr
Page 53 and 54: THE PIPELINEMichael Latas &Associat

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