Skid Steer Comparisons

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Mark Novak
• 2007 National AgrAbility Workshop

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Todays Presentation
• Classroom
• Some slides and discussion about skid steers
• Outdoor gt hands on
• Complete skid steer comparison tool data
  gathering sheet

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Classroom
• History
• Definition/Uses
• Safety
• Features
• Manufacturers
• Web sites
• Marketing
• Attachments
• Discuss skid steer data gathering sheet

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Outdoor
• Have four skid steer models
• Break into groups
• Take some measurements and fill out skid steer
  data gathering tool
• No driving
• Turn data gathering tool results at end of
  session

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• History
• 1st product was three-wheeled loader used to
  clean turkey barns in early 1950s
• Original rights sold to E.G. Melrose Co.
• In 1958, the Bobcat skid-steer loader was
  introduced by the Melrose Co.
• Change direction quickly
• Turn within its own wheelbase
• In 1995, Ingersol Rand bought Bobcat

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• History
• Today Bobcat Co. is a business unit of Ingersoll
  Rand
• Many companies have developed their own skid
  steer loaders for agricultural and construction
  equipment use

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Definition/Uses
• Skid steer, skid loader, skid-steer loader, etc.
  is a rigid frame, engine-powered machine with
  lift arms used to attach a wide variety of
  labor-saving tools and attachments.
• The term bobcat is sometimes used as a generic
  term for skid-steer loaders.
• Four-wheel drive vehicles, with the left drive
  wheels independent of the right drive wheels, so
  that wheel speed and rotation determine direction
  of the loader and allow the loader to turn within
  its own tracks

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Uses
• The safe operation of skid steer loaders can
  address limitations including
• Lifting
• Carrying
• Pushing
• Pulling
• Use of only one hand
• Walking
• Reaching and bending

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Safety
• Web is full of great resources on skid steer
  loader safety and safe operation

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Safety Hazards (short list)
• Loader or loaded front mounted buckets, roll
  over, tilt back and onto operator
• Lots of control levers in a tight space, easy to
  bump unintended
• Lift arms close to operators area
• Pinch, shear and crush points close to the
  operators area
• Entry and exit over the attachment and past
  operators controls

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Safety Features
• FOPS/ROPS (falling object protection, roll over
  protection)
• Safety belt and/or restraint bar
• Lift arm lockouts or lift arm supports
• Seat interlocks
• Back up sirens
• Read the operator instructions

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Features
• Rigid frame
• Operation (left independent of right)
• Mostly diesel motors
• FOPS/ROPS (all new designs)
• Cab, some enclosed with heat, AC, etc.
• One or two lift arms
• Auxiliary hydraulics

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Features
• Turn within their own wheel base
• Most have hydrostatic (variable) speed
  transmissions
• Low center of gravity (by design)
• Most offer hand/foot control, or dual hand only
  control for operation
• Some also offer T-bar hand control and joystick
  controls

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Features
• Wheels versus tracks

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Manufacturers
• Some estimates say there are as many as 40
  companies that label or sell skid steer loaders
• Some of the more common names of skid steer
  loader companies in the United States

• Bobcat
• John Deere
• Gehl
• JCB

• Mustang
• New Holland
• CaseIH

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Manufacturers
• Web sites
• http//www.bobcat.com
• http//www.deere.com
• http//www.gehl.com
• http//www.jcb.com
• http//www.mustangmfg.com
• http//www.newholland.com
• http//www.caseih.com

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Manufacturers
• Examples of Skid Steer Loaders marketing brochures

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Attachments
• Skid steer attachment list is almost endless and
  continues to grow
• Most attachments have specific purpose (e.g.,
  post hole digger, walk-way sweeper, etc.)
• Newer skid steers include the hydraulic
  capability to operate these attachments, while
  older skid steers may not

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Attachments
• Some of the more popular (even standard)
  attachments are
• Bucket (different styles)
• Forks (for pallet moving)
• Blades (snow, dirt, etc.)
• Brooms (snow, dirt, etc.)
• Jack hammer (for construction/demolition)

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Attachments
• At http//www.skidsteersolutions.com
• counted about 60 kinds of attachments, some of
  the less well know might be
• Brush mowers
• Log splitters
• Post pounders
• Rock saw
• Tree shears

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Why did we develop the skid steer comparison tool
  data gathering sheet
• Look at skid steer features that maybe important
  to farmers and ranchers with a disability
• As weve seen, this information is not typically
  found in standard marketing brochure (i.e.,
  number and placement of hand holds/hand rails,
  etc.)

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• What does the Skid Steer Comparison Tool Data
  Gathering Sheet look like?
• 7 pages long
• First 3 pages have 13 questions
• Last 4 pages have sample pictures to assist with
  data collection
• Requires tape measure, pencil/pen, and clipboard
• Suggest including a digital camera
• Requires about 15 minutes to complete

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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Other Features Important to AgAbility
• Are there places to safely step
• Are there multiple hand holds/hand rails
• What are the operators opening (doorway or door
  width and height) minimum and maximum
• What kind of foot room is allowed
• What kind of issues might arise accessing the
  common service areas (e.g., filling with fuel,
  checking oil levels, etc.)

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Skid Steer Comparison Tool Data Gathering Sheet

• Skid steer manufacturers produce very detailed
  marketing brochures which you can review to
  compare one brand of skid steer against another.
  The marketing brochures include everything from
  basic machine measurements, turning radius,
  engine size, hydraulic flow, attachment
  capability, operating controls available (hand
  only, hand and foot, etc.) and whether the cab
  (ROPS/FOPS) is totally enclosed to allow it to be
  heated and cooled. Armed with this information,
  if a user is interested in purchasing or
  recommending a skid steer they will have most of
  the information necessary to make an informed
  decision.
• Almost all makes and models of skid steer require
  the operator to be able to climb into the skid
  steer from the front of the machine in order to
  operate it. Therefore, the few questions
  gathered below are notes about the availability
  of hand holds, steps, and some general
  measurements which may affect an individuals
  ability to climb into and out of a skid steer, or
  do maintenance. Also, even with hand holds and
  steps, skid steers in general are not easy to
  access and may not be the proper machine for
  individuals with severe mobility limitations.
  (Please see the attached pictures for assistance
  with the questions and where/how to perform the
  measurements below.)
• Skid Steer Data Entry
• Skid Steer Manufacturer ___________Model
  ___________ Date __________
• 1. Do you enter the skid steer from the front?
  ____ yes, ___ no
• (if yes, go to question 3)
• 2. Do you enter the skid steer from the side?
  ____ yes, ___ no
• (if yes, go to question 4)
• 3. If there is a bucket attached to the skid
  steer that you must step over to enter the skid
  steer, how high must you step (top of the
  bucket)? ___ inches
• (Note When recommending a skid steer, be sure
  you understand all the different types of
  attachments not just a bucket that a
  farmer/rancher might wish to use and thus you may
  have to step over to enter and exit the
  operators area. If one of these attachments
  makes entering or exiting the skid steer even
  more difficult when attached, this may help you
  decide to use a manual versus an automatic
  attachment mounting system. With an automatic
  mounting system, it should be easier to remove
  and re-connect any attachments, and without the
  attachments it may be easier for the
  farmer/rancher to enter/exit the operators area.)

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5. Measure from the ground to here, the bottom
of the doorway opening the operator must step
across to enter the skid steer operators area.
4b. With or without the bucket attached, this
would be an example of a second step or platform,
on the side or front of the skid steer measured
from the ground.
3. Measure from the ground to here, this is the
first step if the bucket is attached.
4a. If the bucket was not attached, measure from
the ground to here would be the first step.
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9. Three sets of hand holds, one inside and two
outside the ROPS/FOPS (located on both sides).
7. Maximum doorway width.
8. Doorway height.
6. Minimum doorway width is here, due to inside
design of the door.
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10. Notice the entrance and exit door latches,
describe each.
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11. Area to measure for operators feet.
11a. Width area for feet, front to back.
11b. Width area for feet, side to side.
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Skid Steer Comparisons

• Pictures of things you may wish to look for if
  you are thinking about purchasing a skid steer
  loader

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References

• A 100-Year March of Progress AEM ASABE. By
  James H. Ebbinghaus.
• Web sites
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skid_loader
• http//www.agrabilityproject.org/