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Skid Steer Loaders For Versatility And Maneuverability

By Robert Cook


If you do not work on a farm or in some type of construction, you may never have heard of this vehicle and all the jobs it is capable of doing. It is called a skid steer loader or excavator. Unlike most four wheeled vehicles the wheels on the left side are mechanically locked as are the wheels on the right side. The left and right wheels are aligned with the side of the machine and do not turn at an angle. The skidding motion is what enables the machine to move over soft terrain.

It is the process of operating one set of wheels faster than the other that causes the vehicle to skid into motion. It was first invented in 1957 by two brothers who worked with this type of heavy machinery. They created it for a farmer who needed to clear a significant amount of turkey manure. With its skidding movement it was able to go over the soft terrain, load the manure and move it to the appropriate location. The brothers and other collaborators continued to refine the newly designed vehicle.

The frame of the machine is exceptionally rigid, and the wheel bearings incredibly strong. These features prevent the dragging motion from damaging the vehicle. The machines function very well in small spaces. As the saying goes, they can turn on a dime, or more technically stated, they are capable of zero radius turning. If this is difficult to envision, watch some YouTube videos and you will get the picture.

These little worker machines are pretty incredible. They can accomplish jobs that other machines simply cannot. Due to its size, versatility and maneuverability this mighty little excavator can fully function with very little overhead space or surrounding space. Relatively speaking, this is a good thing in a small package.

There are many attachments that can be purchased to increase the versatility of this loader. You can get buckets to move earth, rakes, levelers, mowers, pallet forks, and several attachments to move snow. Putting a new attachment on the vehicle, is almost like having another machine.

Caterpillar, Bobcat and John Deere are just a few of the well known companies that manufacture these machines. They are available in many sizes with a price range of less than twenty thousand up to over sixty thousand dollars. The attachments are purchased separately and cost anywhere from three thousand to fifteen thousand dollars. If the price is too much, used machines are also available.

The vehicle can make easy work of mowing a lot of land with soft terrain. Other machines would sink into the surface below, but this machine skids right over it. With the right attachment it can become a mini cement mixer. It can perform heavy drilling with the auger attachment. They are the perfect tool for moving earth and creating different levels in larger landscaping jobs.

If needed, the loaders can be purchased with tracks. These are known as multi terrain loaders. The tracks versus the wheels are the only difference between the two machines. If you cannot afford the purchase price or only need the excavator one time, the machines can be rented. These are unique and excessively useful vehicles, but you will need some training to operate the machine.




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