Customer perception makes all the difference.
Rough ‘n ready, turbo tires translate to property damage and heavy-duty machines mean mud-slinging, dirt-dredging destruction, right? George Forni, president, Aquatic Environments, Alamo, Calif., said this impression is common, but his equipment choice has countered some of these opinions. His track loaders, low-pressure cousins of skid-steer loaders, offer the same results as the popular construction equipment without leaving trench-like tread marks.
“We changed the thoughts of the engineers on one of our projects in terms of how we could pursue the work,” he explained, adding that the bid originally called for mitigation of noxious vegetation by hand. “When they saw the machines and how they were working, they opened up areas that were classified as ‘by hand’ to machine, because the [track] prints were so small. We could also remove the root matter with the machines, so we decreased fragmentation and spread of the vegetation.”
Forni isn’t the only contractor clicked on to track loaders’ benefits. In fact, a number of industry professionals are recognizing the value of a machine that exudes less ground pressure, noted Marc Bowers, marketing manager, Toro Sitework Systems, Bloomington, Minn. “Track loaders have really gained popularity are especially strong in the industry this year,” he recognized. “Landscape contractors realize they can get better traction and do less damage to the grass.”
Flexibility draws loyalists to these machines, he added, noting their benefits on rough terrain and new construction sites. “If you still have open trenches, you can cross them at an angle, but if you are on a wheeled machine, it will get stuck in the trench.”
And, while skid-steer loaders handle jobs on established landscapes sufficiently, track loaders can tip-toe over turf, leaving fewer damaging marks – a primary benefit of the machines. “In a skid steer, if you went by the tire pressure, it could be as high as 10 to 20 pounds per square inch (psi),” reported Doug Johnston, sales manager, skid-steer loaders, Caterpillar, Peoria, Ill. “Our track loaders might have 3½ psi of ground pressure. If you’re going across a lawn, you won’t leave ruts.”
While track loaders suit properties with established landscapes, there are applications where contractors might prefer skid-steer loaders, Johnston added. “If you are working on hard surfaces – cement, pavement or gravel – where a skid steer would work fine, this is a lower-cost option,” he said, noting that track loaders generally run higher in price because of their tire technology.
The author is Managing Editor – Special Projects for Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at khampshire@gie.net.