Maintenance Matters
By Doug Snorek, Mustang Marketing Manager

Skid steers are jobsite grunts. Because these overachieving machines are tool carriers (taking hundreds of different attachments), they can work all day long in a zillion different applications — digging, sweeping, augering, hammering, cutting, hauling, loading and ever onward. To keep these workaholics running day in and day out, preventative and routine maintenance is a must. Keep these five tips close and ensure your loader rolls large for years to come.

1. According to the Operator’s Manual — The better one takes care of a machine, the better it will provide for needless downtime, plain and simple. The operator’s manual, although sometimes not looked at very much, is the bible when it comes to keeping any piece of equipment in its top form. Keep it accessible and follow the procedures the manufacturer suggests. In most instances, warranty coverage on equipment is based on material and workmanship. It doesn’t cover lack of maintenance.

2. A Few Beginner Checks — Aside from the operator’s manual important information, many machines have an abbreviated decal in the engine compartment area for key maintenance — follow what it recommends!

3. Engine Oil Levels — Changing oil and filters at the recommended intervals is vital (again, it’s in the operator’s manual). It’s no different than keeping oil and filters changed timely, according to mileage on cars on trucks. Equipment depends on this maintenance based on the hours of operation. Watching fuel cleanliness and the changing of the fuel filter is important as well.

4. Engine and Air Filter — Check your engine’s coolant fluid level, checking air flow while cleaning the radiator and coolers on an as-needed basis. Working regularly in dirty and dusty conditions? Than it’s most likely that the coolers are getting clogged and need that important cleaning with either compressed air or low flow water pressure (pressure washers can and do damage cooler fins). The air filter is generally not recommended in routine service, but watch the monitoring system for the air filter and only conduct maintenance when indicated to do so.

4. Other General Machine Checks — Hydraulic filter monitoring and replacement hydraulics are the “life-blood” of any skid steer or compact track loader, no different than our blood flow to keep us going. With clogged filters, a machine isn’t keeping its oil in proper condition and will consequently have problems. Other checks include the usual proper tire pressure and torquing of wheel bolts, ensuring all hydraulic fittings are tight so there are no leaks.

Buckets of Knowledge
By Jim Hughes, Marketing Manager of Case Construction Equipment

Maximum productivity does not necessarily mean running at maximum RPMs. Ingrain that idea into your skid steer operators and their productivity will increase. Smooth, controlled operation is just one important aspect of skid steer training for your crew. Training programs are available from a variety of sources, including your equipment dealer and manufacturer. The following are some important productivity tips that your training program should address.

1. Use the Bucket’s Full Capacity on Every Load — A full bucket is more important than speed. Fill a skid steer’s bucket as you would a wheel loader. Lower the bucket until it’s flat on the ground or work surface, then drive into the bank or pile as far as you can before losing power or traction. Raise the bucket slightly to make sure that all tires are firmly on the surface; then roll the bucket back to keep it fully loaded. If the skid steer loader approaches the pile without enough down pressure on the bucket or with the bucket not flat on the ground, a “ramp” of material may accumulate at the front of the pile, reducing loading efficiency. Setting a slight downward angle on the bucket can eliminate this problem. Ordering your skid steer with ride control will also help increase productivity. Ride control acts like a shock absorber, cushioning the bucket from the front-to-back rocking motion that a skid steer experiences under load. It not only helps you retain more material per load, it also reduces operator fatigue.

2. Load Loose Material with a Scooping Motion — When loading from a pile, a scooping motion of the bucket will result in more productive loading than a gouging or cutting motion, which is more appropriate to digging and loading sticky materials.

3. Keep Loaded Buckets as Low as Possible — Keep your loader’s center of gravity low by keeping your loaded bucket low. Drive straight up and down slopes with the heavy end of the machine always uphill. When the loader is carrying its rated capacity, you can drive it forward up slopes, but drive down slopes in reverse.

4. Keep the Bucket Level While Unloading — A very full load can spill over the back of the bucket. This reduces productivity and the spillage can land in the operator’s compartment or on the operator’s feet, resulting in a potential safety concern. When dumping into a truck, bin or container, drive forward slowly, lift the arms until the bucket has cleared the container side walls and dump the load by tilting the bucket fully forward. If your skid steer is not equipped with self-leveling, be sure to level the bucket while raising the loader arms. If your operation involves a lot of truck loading, be sure to order your skid steer with a self-leveling option.

5. Understand Your Options for Attachments and Tools — Skid steer loaders are among the most versatile of construction machines. Look into the dozens of attachments and tools that are available and understand the impact of each attachment on your application and the effect it may have on your productivity. If you switch out buckets and attachments frequently, be sure to order a hydraulic coupler. It allows you to switch attachments without ever leaving the seat of the machine, which makes you much more productive than manually releasing the coupler while changing attachments. Talk to your equipment dealer to make sure you are using the correct attachments for every application, that your machine is configured correctly and that you understand the correct installation and operation for maximum efficiency, productivity and safety.

6. Maintain Your Equipment Properly — Following your skid steer operator’s manual for daily service checks and routine maintenance will keep your machine in top condition. Performing these checks daily and changing the fluids at the proper intervals means that your skid steer loader will operate at peak productivity.

7. Find the Ideal Machine — The most productive skid steer is the one that provides the operator with ease of operation, high operator comfort, high visibility and high productivity so he or she can feel confident on the jobsite. A confident operator is a productive operator and that means more money in your pocket. A productive skid steer is also properly matched to the application and conditions. Providing your operator with training, along with appropriate tires, auxiliary hydraulics, bucket and specialty attachments, as well as options like A/C, highway safety equipment (rotating beacons and backup alarms) will maximize productivity.

Check the Flow                                                                     
By Keith Gribbins, Managing Editor of Compact Equipment

Skid steer loaders often are the go-to earthmover for landscape, agriculture and construction projects thanks to their small size and versatility with work tools. Buyers have a wide range of choices when it comes to manufacturers and models — even when it comes to hydraulics. Manufacturers offer high-flow and standard-flow machines, usually in a variety of sizes for each configuration.

1. How It Works — A diesel engine and a set of hydraulic pumps (drive and implement/auxiliary) comprise a skid steer loader’s power train. Hydraulic pumps are connected to the engine; variable displacement pumps provide power to the hydraulic drive motors and fixed displacement pumps provide power to the loader arms, move hydraulic fluid through filters and provide pressure to run the pilot controls. Engine speed will determine the amount of power the system can generate.

2. Hydraulic Ground Drive — When an operator is not running a work tool, the drive pumps can direct full power to the wheels or tracks. A lot of power is needed to propel the machine into a dirt pile and break the load out, but if the implement pumps were to supply pressure and flow for this operation while the drive pumps were still drawing max power, the engine could stall. To combat this, some machines automatically reduce the displacement of the pumps preventing the engine from stalling while maintaining torque to the wheels or tracks at a reduced speed, providing maximum power to the implement circuit.

3. Gear and Piston Pumps — When selecting a machine, contractors should consider the type of pump the high-flow system is using. Most high-flow systems are designed by adding a gear pump to the standard flow circuit to add incremental flow at the same system pressure as the standard system. This increases the available hydraulic horsepower by increasing the speed of the work tool, but it does not provide additional torque to the work tool. Additional torque would require the high-flow system to provide higher system pressure too. Variable displacement piston pump high-flow systems are currently the only such systems that provide higher system pressure.

4. High and Standard Flow — Each manufacturer may have different criteria for “high flow” or “standard flow” among their own machines. A machine with a high-flow circuit typically exceeds 26 gpm and 3,300 psi. The typical flow for a standard-flow machine is 22 gpm.

5. Keeping Things Cool — When considering a machine with high flow, it is important to take the cooling capability of the machine’s hydraulic system into account. Because high-flow machines generate more hydraulic horsepower they can also generate significantly more heat in the hydraulic system. Gear pump high-flow systems generally will produce more heat than a variable displacement load sensing pump system. This is due to the gear pump system utilizing a relief valve to manage pressure in the auxiliary circuit.

6. Know Your Tool’s Flow Needs — Generally, a machine with high-flow hydraulics is able to operate work tools designed for standard-flow hydraulic machines, but the reverse pairing (high-flow tools with a standard machine) is not recommended. The hydraulic system of the standard-flow machine will be unable to supply the flow needed to properly operate the work tool.

7. Rent to Own — For contractors who work most often in medium-duty applications, owning a standard-flow machine and work tools and renting a high-flow machine for the occasional heavy-duty projects may prove the best solution. Contractors may also consider renting both types of machines in order to test their capabilities on real jobsite conditions.

The Complete Cab                                                                
By Dave December, Brand Marketing Manager for New Holland Construction’s Skid Steers

If your office is stuffed inside the cab of a skid steer all day long, shouldn’t you be comfortable? When faced with dusk till dawn work shifts, cold and hot seasonal swings and daily dust and debris, a complete cab package for a skid steer is often a necessity — not an option. Comfort, visibility, intuitive controls, low noise levels and key operational features will add to the everyday skid steer experience and keep your team pleasant and productive. 

1. Allow for Increased Visibility — Any operator will tell you, good visibility from the cab is crucial in order to get the job done easily and efficiently. For maximum visibility, skid steer cabs should feature large, see-through doors, which provide visibility to all corners. Another feature that can maximize visibility is a see-through cab roof that allows for a clear view of the bucket or attachment, even when it is positioned at its full height. Rear visibility is equally important, so look for a machine with good rear visibility, a low engine hood and no rear frame to block the view. The lights on the machine are not to be ignored either, so make sure they will be efficient in dark, dusty or foggy conditions. The same features that increase visibility will also give your operators an open, uncluttered sense of space, helping them increase their focus.

2. Ease-of-Use and Precision — Cab design is sometimes overlooked, but is a vital contributing factor to the machine’s ease-of-use and precision. Look for instrument panels and operator controls that are logically labeled, highly visible. Also, operator controls that are vertically positioned will provide easier accessibility and avoid obstruction of the operator’s view. When it comes to precision, controls are key. Look for a machine with hydraulic pilot controls that are low-effort and provide instant control response with minimum movement, which will not only offer more precise control, but lessen operator fatigue.

3. Creature Comforts — If your skid steer crew isn’t comfortable, they won’t be productive. While contoured arm rests, contoured suspension seats, climate control and even more comfortable controls might seem like a luxury, they are features that allow your crew to focus on the job at hand, rather than an aching back, sore arm or the sweltering (or freezing) temperatures. The more comfortable your operators are, the less fatigued and distracted they will be, greatly increasing overall productivity, not to mention employee retention.

4. Decreased Noise Levels — Another distraction and discomfort to your operators can be exterior noise from the jobsite and from the machine itself. Choose a skid steer with an enclosed cab or one that features noise-absorbing or noise-eliminating trim. These will allow for increased concentration, especially important in challenging jobs that require absolute precision.

5. Room to Stretch Your Legs — Tied to operator comfort is the spaciousness of the cab. A larger cab with increased head and elbow room is not only more comfortable for your crew, but also allows operators to more easily navigate the jobsite. But bigger is not always better. With more spacious cabs, it is important that the percentage of see-through surface space is also high, to provide maximum visibility.

Tow to Tow                                                                            
By Keith Gribbins, Managing Editor of Compact Equipment

One morning your skid steer is hauling dirt and gravel, the next afternoon it’s cold planing asphalt on a job across town. Versatility is what makes a skid steer such a popular and productive piece of equipment, but it’s also what makes it a machine on the move (to the next jobsite). While a commercial driver’s license is not needed to haul most skid steers, good towing and hauling practices are a prerequisite for owning such a mobile machine. Before you load up, strap down and roll off to your next skid steer job, be sure you follow the safe and smart guidelines below.

1. Size the Machine and Trailer — Selecting the right trailer for the job always begins with identifying the dimensions, weight and loading characteristics of the piece of equipment you will be hauling. Today’s skid steers are classified into nine categories by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). They’re classified by rated operating capacity, which is 50 percent of the loader’s tipping load (tipping load is the capacity at which the rear wheels lift off level ground). Most skid steers fall into a wide range of operating capacities — from 600 to 3,700 lbs. But more important to your crews is the operating weight of the skid steer (the weight of the unit including tires, bucket, a full tank of gas and a 175-lb operator). Most skid steers fall between 4,000 and 9,900 lbs in operating weight.

2. Hauling Attachments? — Along with your skid steer, you will need to contemplate what other attachments or accessories you will be carrying on the trailer. Backpack blowers? Cold planer attachments? Shovels? Bags of mulch? Take a backhoe attachment for instance — most weigh about 2,000 lbs. That extra weight will need to be added into the trailer formula. After you’ve assessed your average weight requirements for towing, you will need to find a trailer with a corresponding GVWR, which is the gross vehicle weight rating. A 6,000-lb axle weight trailer, utilizing two 6,000-lb axles, has a GVWR of 12,000 lbs. But then you have to subtract the weight of the trailer and that would give you the weight of what you could haul.

3. Add a Little Extra GVWR — Picking a GVWR that leaves about 1,500 lbs of excess payload is always a smart idea. That allows your driver greater margins in safety and flexibility in what he or she is hauling that day. And it adds longer life for the components of the trailer (constant heavy loads will take their toll).  

4. Size the Sides — Along with choosing the best GVWR is making sure that the length and width of your trailer is suitable for your crew’s needs. Most skid steers range anywhere from 4 to 6 ft wide and 10 to 12 ft long, depending on the make and model, so size your trailer specs accordingly. Many machine owners go with 16-, 18- or 20-ft long trailer beds for their skid steer operations, always considering extra room for attachments. These trailers usually cost between $1,500 and $6,000 and that price tag gets even higher once options and hydraulic lifts are added.

5. Getting Hitched — When looking for the right hitch, your main concern is the weight of the trailer and its payload. You have two weights to be concerned about here — gross trailer weight (GTW) and tongue weight (TW). GTW is the trailer weight plus its contents. The TW is the amount of weight applied directly on the ball. Once you know these two weights, you can choose the appropriate hitch in the right class (typically Class 3, 4 and 5 when considering skid steer towing). Just make sure your towing vehicle can handle that weight rating too.

6. Chains and Thangs — Double check to make sure you’ve got safety chains and that you’ve got them hooked up. You’re better off to cross those chains, going underneath the tongue of the trailer diagonally, so that if anything does happen to the hitch, when the hitch drops, it catches on those crossed chains rather than digging into the ground.

Safety First                                                                             
By Kelly Moore, Gehl Product Manager for Skid Steers and Compact Track Loaders

Skid steers are agile and powerful machines, which means they need to be handled with equal parts safety and experience when on a busy jobsite. Not to mention, these little loaders have the stigma of mediocre visibility, so extra attention and training is needed to handle a skid steer with professional-like performance. In the end, a trained operator is going to be a more productive operator, which means these five tips will help streamline your crews, as well as keep them safe. 

1. Heads Up for Safety — Always be alert, pay attention to the jobsite surroundings and follow all safety and operational direction for the machine by the manufacturer.

2. The Basics — Ensure to train any operator properly before allowing them to get into the machine. It’s essential to have competent and careful operators who are trained in the safe operation of the machine and handling of loads. It’s recommended that an operator have in possession or be capable of obtaining a valid motor vehicle license.

3. Jobsite Hazards — The use of skid loaders are subject to certain hazards that cannot be eliminated by mechanical means, but only by exercising intelligence, care and common sense. Hazards include, but are not limited to, hillside operation, overloading, instability of load, poor maintenance and using the equipment for a purpose that it is not intended or designed.

4. Various Applications — Different applications may require optional safety equipment such as a backup alarm, mirror, strobe light or an impact-resistant front door. Be sure your operators know the jobsite hazards and that you equip the machine as needed.

5. Machine Operation — Last, but not least, is proper machine operation. Ensure all operators know the basics of the loader they are to operate. Know how to stop the loader before starting it. Properly fasten and adjust the seatbelt, in addition to lowering the operator restraint bar. The controls and operation section of the loader’s operator’s manual will best cover the proper techniques to safely and productively operate the loader.

Versatile Buckets                                                                  
By Joel Powell, Product Specialist Group Manager for Compact Volvo Construction Equipment

1. Ballad of the Multipurpose Bucket — This adaptable bucket is very often shortchanged by calling it a four-in-one bucket or a clamshell bucket. However, their use and popularity seems to be fairly regional across North America for some reason.

2.  Load Like a Normal Loader Bucket — The multipurpose bucket will be heavier than a normal general purpose bucket, and you may lose a little bucket capacity or lift capacity due to the difference in design. However, once you try one, you won’t go back to general purpose buckets, and no worries, the skid steer has plenty of power to handle this attachment.

3. Crane It Up — You can open the bucket, mount a hook on the top lip or just simply wrap a chain or strap around the back edge and lift materials such as pipe like a crane.

4. Now Scrape It Up — Open the bucket and place both cutting edges flush with the ground. Imagine the two
sections forming a “tent” or “triangle” shape above grade. Then driving in reverse, you can start to peel layers of material.

5. Time to Doze — Open the bucket and drive forward. Now the back edge becomes the dozer blade. It is contoured in a dozer shape already and allows for good material “roll.”

6. Move onto Backfiling — As with any bucket, place the loader into the float position, typically by locking the left pedal or right joystick fully forward and angle the bucket edge to your preference against the ground. Then you can drive backward (or forward) and the loader arms will allow the bucket to float along the contour of the ground and fill in the low spots.