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“We work in some
really tight spots where we don’t have the luxury of a half-acre
to turn around,” says Mike Carter, president of EarthForms,
a land clearing and site preparation contractor in southeast North
Carolina. “We come onto a job site, establish our path, and
fly. Our 257B, a Caterpillar compact track loader, accommodates
exactly what we need to do.”
Carter is not alone.
Across the nation, contractors are discovering compact track loaders
and buying them. Industry volume has soared from a few hundred units
in the ’90s to more than 11,000 units in 2004, says John Deere,
which also builds this new breed of machine. “We see the compact
track loader market as growing at a rate of 30% annually,”
says Gregg Zupancic, Deere’s product marketing manager for
skid-steer loaders. “The skid-steer market is currently growing
at a rate of about 10%.”
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PHOTO: CASE |
What’s behind the
boom in compact track loaders? They have extended working seasons.
They enable contractors to get onto job sites earlier in the year
and work in wet and soft conditions. Superior tractive effort allows
the compact track loader to keep pushing a load on wet or soft surfaces,
says Mike Fitzgerald, Bobcat loader product representative.
Plus, tracks offer improved
flotation compared to tires; low-pressure tracks don’t damage
sensitive surfaces. “They are ideal for niche markets such
as parks, playgrounds, nurseries, and golf courses, where ground
disturbance must be kept to a minimum,” says Jorge DeHoyos,
a marketing manager for New Holland Construction.
Caterpillar says its
compact track loaders can work on slopes up to a 3:1 angle and have
very low ground pressure. Caterpillar multiterrain loaders, as the
company calls them, feature ground pressures ranging from 3.1 to
4.3 pounds per square inch.
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PHOTO: GEHL |
John Deere’s research
shows that customers buy a compact track loader in lieu of another
skid-steer. “Their primary objective was to increase their
operational days [during the wet seasons] over a skid-steer,”
says Larry J. Foster, Deere’s product marketing manager for
skid-steers. “In addition, track loader customers want a machine
platform that provides increased productivity and capability not
only when operating on wet and steep environments, but also in dry
conditions and level applications.”
Just this year, various
manufacturers have introduced either their first compact loader
or new and improved models. For example:
At Conexpo-Con/Agg in
March, Case Construction Equipment brought out its first line of
compact track loaders, which combine technology from the new Case
400 series of skid-steers with undercarriage technology from Case
crawler dozers and excavators. “Our compact track loaders have
been selling well,” says Jim Hughes, Case product manager.
“Sales have exceeded our forecasts.”
In August, John Deere
began shipping compact track loaders to its dealers. “Overall
dealer and customer reception has been overwhelming,” says
Foster.
Last January, New Holland
Construction introduced two models of compact track loaders, the
LT185.B and the LT190.B, with 2,400 and 2,900 pounds of rated operating
capacity, respectively. “Our compact track loaders are retailing
at a fast pace, which is what we expected,” says DeHoyos. “The
turnover between wholesale and retail is less than a month. The
fast pace will continue for the next year as the New Holland Construction
distribution pipeline fills up.”
Bobcat in March introduced
the T140, an entry-level compact track loader. With a 1,400-pound
operating capacity and 46-horsepower diesel engine, the T140 complements
the four track loaders already manufactured by Bobcat. The company
says track loader sales continue to grow across many markets, including
construction and sales to rental yards.
Gehl Co. recently introduced
a new track loader—the 81-horsepower CTL 70, which fills the
gap between its other compact track loaders, the CTL 60 with 66
horsepower, and the CTL 80 with 97 horsepower. “We’ve
been marketing compact track loaders for about three and a half
years, and we’ve seen considerable increases in sales,”
says Kelly Moore, Gehl product manager.
Price Comparisons
The initial price of a compact track loader runs some 30% to
45% more than a comparably sized skid-steer loader. Case puts that
figure at 30%; DeHoyos at New Holland says the difference is 40%
to 45%.
But compact track loaders
(CTLs) offer a payback, says Deere’s Foster. “If customers
calculated the actual costs per yard of material moved per hour,
they would find CTLs deliver excellent if not superior value to
skid-steers,” he says. “Keep in mind that there will be
days that a customer is generating income with a CTL versus no income
if they only had a skid-steer.”
Undercarriage Differences
Caterpillar says the most significant difference between its
track loader undercarriage and those of competitors is that Caterpillar
offers undercarriage suspension systems on all five of its track
loader models. The company says most of its competitors use an undercarriage
that is hard-mounted to the frame of the machine with no available
suspension. The suspension provides a smoother ride, Caterpillar
says.
The Caterpillar compact
track loader uses an internal positive drive sprocket in concert
with an all-rubber track that allows the machine to be operated
efficiently at high speeds, says Todd Lynnes, marketing manager
for the Skid Steer Loader/Multi-Terrain Loader Commercial Marketing
Group. The company’s design also places the maximum amount
of track on the ground through longer track frames and wider tracks.
The result is low ground pressure. For example, the Caterpillar
277B has an operating weight of 9,371 pounds, but because its 18-inch
tracks have 80.5 inches of track length on the ground, it exerts
only 3.1 pounds per square inch.
Deere says its track
loaders “deliver an ultra-durable track system with all-steel
rollers, idlers, and sprockets utilizing the same technology as
the company’s industry-leading 450H dozers,” according
to Foster. “A robust four-planet planetary final drive delivers
the superior torque to the tracks while at the same time evenly
distributing the shock loads that CTLs encounter.
“Deere’s power-train
planetary motor bearing support is massive compared to the competition,
ensuring long life under the most strenuous conditions,” says
Foster. “Deere CTLs are not only faster and more powerful,
but deliver a smooth ride not found on the competition. This is
accomplished by utilizing double-flange idlers and rollers, allowing
the flanges to ride on the rubber track—not on the track cross
links or steel pads like the competition.”
Bobcat says its track
loader undercarriage “is what makes [the loaders] so successful
in mud, sand, or other loose material.” Bobcat’s track
machines are driven by two direct-drive hydrostatic motors. This
feature minimizes moving parts and eliminates axles and chains,
says Fitzgerald. The two motors include internal tapered roller
bearings to help carry heavy load stresses.
On a Bobcat CTL, triple-flange
rollers guide both sides of the track lugs to maximize contact between
the rollers and tracks and to help minimize any detracking. The
rollers are permanently lubricated and require no periodic maintenance.
Operators should be aware of the track tension prior to using the
machine each day. The track tension is adjusted by adding grease
to the adjustment cylinder.
Like a Bobcat CTL, Case’s
two track loaders feature triple-flange rollers. On a Case, tapered
track covers help shed material. Steel scrapers near the front and
rear idlers push off material before it can accumulate around moving
components.
The undercarriage also
features rigidly mounted rollers between the idlers. “This
reduces complexity and increases reliability versus high-maintenance
suspension designs,” says Case’s Hughes. “It also
provides superior machine support and fewer moving parts for lower
cost of ownership. Duo-cone seals with built-in seal guards for
permanently sealed, lubricated rollers and idlers—like we use
in crawlers—ensure low maintenance and long life.”
Hughes also says Case
track loaders have less steel embedded in the rubber tracks, which
makes for a more comfortable ride. And Case offsets the track lugs,
which ensures a more comfortable ride. The track is rated to 500
horsepower, and Case compact track loaders have less than 100 horsepower.
The average life for a set of tracks under typical conditions is
about 900 to 2,000 hours.
Range of Attachments
Compact track loaders mount the majority of attachments that
are fitted for skid loaders, says Gehl’s Moore. Certain attachments,
like a cold asphalt planer or a rock saw, are better operated with
a skid-steer fitted with severe-duty tires. That’s because
pavement or rock surfaces will cause accelerated wear to the rubber
tracks of a track loader. The tracks are a rubber material that’s
reinforced with steel, Moore says.
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PHOTO: NEW HOLLAND |
Through Gehl dealers,
attachments are provided by CEAttachments Inc. in Cedarburg, WI.
“They have a vast variety of attachments, including post augers,
sweeper brooms, and a whole group of grading and landscaping tools,”
says Moore.
Gehl offers seven models
of skid loaders, ranging from 36 to 115 horsepower and from 1,050
pounds of capacity to 3,675 pounds. In spring 2004, Gehl introduced
the 40 Series of skid-steer loaders—four new models called
the 4640, the 4840, the 5640, and the 6640. New features on the
series include a newly styled cab with better ergonomics and new
high-efficiency Tier 2 Deutz oil-cooled engines. Power detachment
is available on the 40 Series as well as on the 7810, Gehl’s
largest model. The 7810 has 115 horsepower and a 3,675-pound operating
capacity, which Gehl says is the highest-powered and largest-capacity
skid-steer loader on the market.
The company’s two
largest skid-steer loaders are the Model 7610 with 86 horsepower
and a rated capacity of 3,400 pounds, and the Model 7810.
In November 2004, Bobcat
expanded its skid-steer loader line with the addition of the S205.
It’s a vertical path lift machine designed for the construction
industry, the company says. The S205 is just 66 inches wide, or
60 inches with optional offset rims. The machine has a 2,050-pound
capacity and a 118.2-inch lift height.
The S205 offers a 16.3-gallon-per-minute
auxiliary hydraulic flow and is powered by a turbocharged 61-horsepower
diesel engine. It also has a high-flow option to increase auxiliary
hydraulic flow to 25.5 gallons per minute when needed.
Last March, Caterpillar
introduced the 268B skid-steer loader with a high-flow hydraulic
system that is load-sensing and pressure-compensating. The system
delivers maximum power regardless of work tool speed or load. The
machine also features vertical lift linkage for efficient truck
loading and materials handling.
The 268B has a rated
operating capacity of 2,700 pounds and a maximum lift height of
127 inches. The Cat 3044C diesel engine has 3.3 liters of displacement
and produces 76 net horsepower. It is direct-injected, turbocharged,
and EPA Tier 2 compliant.
Also last March, Caterpillar
announced its B-series of five skid-steer loaders—models 216B,
226B, 236B, 246B, and 248B. Four of the five B-Series radial lift
machines have new Cat engines, and all five feature power increases
ranging from 2% to more than 18%, compared to their prior models.
All of the engines are EPA Tier 2 compliant.
Caterpillar says the
248B is the most versatile of the radial lift machines, with a rated
operating capacity of 2,000 pounds and net engine horsepower of
76. The 248B joins the all-new 268B, mentioned above, in its use
of the high-performance XPS hydraulic system. A variable-displacement
piston pump provides hydraulic flow and pressure up to 33 gallons
per minute and 4,060 pounds per square inch. The load-sensing system
can provide high hydraulic power whether the engine is at low or
high idle.
Komatsu offers six models
of skid-steer loaders, ranging in operating capacity from 1,125
to 2,650 pounds. The largest model is the SK1026-5, which boasts
84 horsepower and has an operating weight of 8,068 pounds. The machine
features low-effort proportional pressure control joysticks to control
travel and loader operations. A universal quick coupler allows common
attachments to be changed quickly. The vertical lift loader arm
facilitates truck loading and unloading operations; the front reach
is kept virtually constant through the lifting cycle.
About a year ago, New
Holland Construction announced two new skid-steer loaders, the LS185.B
and the LS190.B, rated at 2,500 and 2,800 pounds, respectively.
The new models feature a new, simplified power train design and
are Tier 2 compliant. At 78 gross horsepower, the LS185.B fits between
the LS180 and the LS190.B. The latter is New Holland Construction’s
largest skid-steer model and is rated at 81 gross horsepower.
Both new models feature
New Holland’s SUPERBOOM technology, says DeHoyos. With the
vertical lift linkage of the SUPERBOOM, the higher the load is lifted,
the farther forward the load can be placed, which provides excellent
reach at maximum dump height. The longer wheelbase and the lower
center of gravity of these machines provide an outstanding lift
capacity per pound of machine, says New Holland.
In sum, the industry’s
range of compact loaders—whether they’re on tracks or
tires—has never been greater. As John Deere says, not all machines
are created equal. It will pay you to research your purchase, and
buy accordingly.
Daniel C. Brown is
the owner of TechniComm, a communications business based in Des
Plaines, IL.
GEC
- November/December 2005
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