Wheeled skidsteers.

Mick!

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http://www.tobroco.com/en/products/skid-steer-loaders/giant-sk-251-d/

Sooo.

The search continues, having done some tests on my kubota tractor it appears that it lifts more than I imagined, at least 400kg no issue.

This means that the sort of articulated wheeled loader I've been looking at it not really that much of a leap forward lifting wise, once you look at official specs, add on the weight of the attachements etc. It's much of a muchness.

I'd keep the tractor whatever happens.

Now I'm looking at one of these, advantages are it could fit either in the back of my truck or alongside the grinder in the trailer, so an everyday tool.

Tip weight is 300kg which means what it will tip it at maximum lift, what it'll actually lift off the ground is much more. I'm going to use it with a branch manager (not a rotator as research shows they're heavy and not necessary)

Tracked skids are hors la question, 'cos of ground damage.

I know Squish had one that he swore by, and the pics were impressive.

What say youse? Any experiences
 
Probably be good all around for what it is, except turning on lawns.

I owned a full size skid steer, I could go pretty much everywhere with it but driving strategy was necessary and multi point turns were the norm. And all that stuff takes time. Time is money.
 
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  • #3
Turning on lawns is one of its advantages I'd have thought, especially with turf tyres.
 
Its a 'skid steer' not 'articulated', right?
 
Tip weight is 300kg which means what it will tip it at maximum lift, what it'll actually lift off the ground is much more.
Careful with that !
Tip weight isn't the max weight at max lift, but the smallest load which makes the thing begins to fall on its nose. Due to the geometry of the arm mechanism, this point is roughly when the load is horizontal in relation to the first arm's articulation (put the arm's weight in the math).
It can lift off the ground a little bit more, according to the geometry (the arm travels along part of a circle), but it never will pass the tipping point to get more height.
Actually, the max load possible could be at the max height, check the geometry, but you can't get it there from the ground. Or if it's already there, you can't lower it down to the ground without tipping. (And never never drive with the load at max height).

To illustrate that, there is a vid with a big log truck being unloaded by a giant loader. All the logs at once!
He struggled a long time because even if he lifted the log's load off the trailer, barely, he can't pass the tipping point to lift enough to clear the ranchers, just in balance on the front wheels. Finally he succeeded, lifted the load all the way up so he can put the four wheels back on the ground and then went away.
 
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Its a 'skid steer' not 'articulated', right?

They call it a skid steer, it's 4wd, I just assumed it was an ordinary "driven" vehicle.

I've never used a skidsteer so I'd never considered that aspect of it.

Marc Antoine, thank you, good explanation, more to consider.
 
Yes Mick that unit similar to the ramrod I had in that I believe it is skid steer. all wheel drive all the time.

I loved mine and I was fantastic at running it with minimal turf damage. But that took great skill, I know I know, what a braggart. But I've watched employees tear the hell out of terrain with it, whereas I could do the same job with minimal impact by feathering, arcing, and planning. As well as just being a smooth operator.

Not tying to sound like an ass. But I have always had fantastic abilities with machines, one of my real strong attributes. I never had an employee who could utilize the miniskid anywhere near like I would. The learning curve was steep. First time running my mini skid most people would 'toss' themselves off atleast once.
 
Wide turns whether it's wheeled or tracked. one also needs to know when a lawn is to wet to enter. The thing I really like is that I can spin around on a single sheet of plywood if I need to.
 
I would have no doubts that an articulated machine would be easier to do less turf damage with. But for me a seat that you have to get up into and sit on wouldn't have worked. I very much enjoyed the standing position and step on/off. So like when feeding a chipper as I described if a piece gets jammed up somehow or trips the feed bar or something. Step off and deal with it, step right back on. It's been my experience in work that once an ass is seated, it tends to stay that way. One of the benefits of machinery for me was less need for employees. I wasn't going to pay someone to 'run' the chipper while I fed it from a seated position.
 
Wide turns whether it's wheeled or tracked. one also needs to know when a lawn is to wet to enter. The thing I really like is that I can spin around on a single sheet of plywood if I need to.

My ramrod could do that too. So if a tight turn was needed. You could make a straight shot across lawn to the one piece of plywood. Turn to your desired direction of travel and head off straight again.
 
Plywood is not that tough to work with...especially if the machine can carry it (I can stack plywood on my loader arms/grapple without being on the hoses). Mats will pay off over time. Both can be moved on a cart, easily enough.

Depends on what you're trying to get out, limbs or big logs. If you're trying to drag out big logs, you're going to need ground protection any way.

I can spin my mini on a half sheet of plywood 4'x 4'.

How much do you work in wet conditions? How is your soil, typically?



A machine that can go on any job is like having 1-3 extra guys that can't drive or rake, but that do everything you ask of them, never getting tired.
 
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  • #15
Justin, what did the Ramrod weigh? What kind of foot print?

That interests me as well.

Sean, there's no need to convince me of the merits of hydraulics, the kubota does a great job but is a bit of a ball ache to take to a job day in day out.

If I'm honest I have I money I have to spend and am looking carefully at bottlenecks in the daily work.

A second chip truck might be the smartest move, but that doesn't really send the blood racing.
 
What about that articulated mini offered by (I think) Top Notch?
 
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Yes, I looked at these, got a price as well, delivery was too long, and it was not significantly more lift than the tractor.

Hence why I started looking a bit smaller, for convenience.
 
I can't get that Compact Giant site to be stable enough to look at all the info on that skid steer right now but that's a good looking machine Mick. Glad to see those are still made. I thought the small units like that that people already owned were the last of their breed.
 
Yup, that one. Looks like a beast for the work. Thx for the link, Sean
 
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