Skid-Steer Supplement: New & Improved

Contractors constantly seek new-and-improved machines to ease their workloads. “They are always looking for what’s new and different that will make their jobs easier,” noticed Doug Laufenberg, business analysis manager, John Deere, Moline, Ill.

The multitude of models available on the market cover contractors’ needs. Photo: Caterpillar.

More comfort with controls, air conditioned cabs, more power with two-speed options and larger, heavy-duty models, and more convenience with hydraulic quick-attach and service plans dress this year’s new-and-improved machines. “Skid steers are still evolving and the things customers are still asking for and manufacturers are responding to every year are increased performance, increased reliability and increased comfort,” Laufenberg observed.

And though the stock market might be down, manufacturers aren’t shying away from new introductions that meet these needs, added Scott McGuigan, sales manager, Briggs Construction Equipment, Racine Wis. “The smart people get ready when it’s darkest so when the sun comes out they’re ready to go,” he pointed out.

CREATURE COMFORT. Rugged work sites take a toll on operators, and many manufacturers are tweaking equipment to improve ergonomics, so jobs that are rough on the outside are comfortable on the inside where operators control the machine. Air conditioning is a luxury some skid-steer loaders offer – one growing in popularity among contractors, pointed out Larry Foster, business analysis manager, John Deere.

A few manufacturers offer this feature today, and he suspects this number to grow in the next 12 months as demand increases. “One way to keep an operator in a skid steer is to maintain a clean environment – one where they can have four seasons of temperature control, where they can climb in clean at the start of the day and at the end of the day they are just as clean,” he identified. “Noise abatement is another big one. This is something manufacturers are working on.”

Comfort extends into ease of operation and servo-assisted controls, where an electronic module monitors the hydraulic flow for the hand valve, McGuigan said. “Instead of having a rod down in the hydraulic valve that opens and closes the valve, the operator wears controls on their wrists and arms to run [the machine], which is easier on a day-in and day-out basis,” he said. “Pretty much the whole industry has gone to the servo-assisted controls, although other manufacturers use pilot controls – one joystick that controls the whole function.”

POWER & PERFORMANCE. Speeding around job sites isn’t always a priority for skid-steer loaders, but when contractors want to move about quickly, two-speed travel can double the 6- to 7-mph pace, noted Doug Johnston, sales manager, skid-steer loaders, Caterpillar, Peoria, Ill. “If you are moving a fair amount of distance, like transporting pallets across a yard or moving material a half- or quarter-mile, people like to travel at higher speeds,” Johnston pointed out.

Performance also includes durability, which is always on consumers’ shopping lists, added Marc Bowers, marketing manager, Toro Sitework Systems, Bloomington, Minn. “When they are in season, they’re out there hard,” he remarked. “[Manufacturers] are making the equipment bullet-proof so you can do the job in any environment you are working in.” Laufenberg agreed.

Durability always tops the to-do list when tweaking equipment, and some contractors are asking for larger-class equipment to handle construction jobs. “We responded to customer feedback that they need larger, more powerful machines that have lots more breakout force and lifting and carrying capabilities, and that still fits into the contractor/landscape contractor-type segment,” he said, adding that one new machine in Deere’s largest class did not increase in dimension from other sizes, but the boom placement allows for more maneuverability.

Furthermore, hydraulic quick-attach combines comfort and performance, as manufacturers that offer this quality realize that operators boost efficiency and reduce fatigue when they aren’t manually changing attachments, Laufenberg noted. “You can stay in the cab all day and snap on and off between bucket and pallet forks,” he explained. “It’s easier, faster, safer and more comfortable.”

SIZING IT UP. While some manufacturers extend their product lines by bulking up machines, others explore equipment that caters to tight jobs. Compact mini-wheel loaders can “bridge the gap from the skid-steer loader and the big wheel loader,” Johnston explained. “[It is] very close in horsepower to the skid-steer loader line, but it is a bigger machine with greater breakout force and greater reach capacity.”

Flexibility and maneuverability characterize skid steers’ smaller cousins, the compact utility loader. “Compact utility loaders are designed to get into tight spaces where previously only hand-labor could fit,” Bowers noted. “If you look at your financials and you have a piece of equipment that replaces some hand labor, that saves money in your most expensive area of your profit and loss statement.”

RIGHT ON TRACK. Skid steers notoriously eat up tires – they are rough machines working on rugged terrain. Manufacturers offer a slew of tire options for each model, in most cases, but some are tapping into a new type of tread: rubber tracking. The reduced ground pressure these hybrids offer is appealing for those who traverse existing landscapes, Johnston added, comparing 3½ pounds per square inch (psi) of ground pressure on a track loader to the 10 to 20 psi ground pressure on traditional skid-steer loaders. “The advantage is also in soft underfoot conditions,” he pointed out. “[Track loaders] can go in places where skid steers might get stuck.”

In the last year and a half, track loaders have steadily gained popularity among landscape contractors, Bowers reported, adding that these rubber-band looking models offer them flexibility on the job site. “If you are working in new construction and you still have open trenches, you can cross them at an angle,” he said. “The wider track reduces ground pressure and damage to existing landscapes. You also get greater ground force, so if you are going on slopes, you have better traction and stability.”

While track tires are more expensive, driving up the cost of the machine, this doesn’t sway interested contractors from choosing this option. “They are especially strong in the industry this year,” Bowers noticed.

RELATIONSHIPS. Little things still count with contractors – like service point accessibility, mentioned John Van, vice president, chief operating officer, Briggs Construction Equipment. “The cab tilts forward so it is easier to work on equipment,” he said. “We made it simple to do daily lube checks, hoping that it will reduce maintenance costs.”

Consumers are also shopping for service agreements, finance options and warranties, Bowers agreed. “Service and serviceability are getting to be big issues,” he observed. “People don’t want down-time, so we work with our dealers to have zero down-time programs and loaner equipment for contractors while they are doing maintenance. This demand is not new. It’s just an example of customers pushing back on the supply chain and asking for greater service.”

The author is Managing Editor – Special Projects for Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at khampshire@gie.net.