EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY BY CURT BENNINK
AVOID A SKID STEER /CTL & Attachment Mismatch
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niversal skid steer and compact track loader (CTL) couplers allow you to mate an attachment with any brand of equipment, but they can also allow size mismatches between the carrier unit and attachment. Improper attachment use can lead to accidents, downtime and unnecessary expenses. Perhaps the most important consideration is the physical size of the attachment and how it sizes up to the capabilities of the loader. “As far as the attachment fitting to the machine, we always recommend that the customer has an awareness of what the machine capabilities are, as well as the attachment capabilities,” says Mike Fitzgerald, loader product specialist, Bobcat. “On the machine, you have the rated operating capacity. You want to take into account what that attachment might weigh. We have an approved attachment list for each of the different sizes of machines.” Attachments are carefully vetted. “One thing we evaluate from the attachment side is the different
operating positions,” says Travis Kidder, product specialist, Bobcat. “Even if an operator is grabbing an attachment just to move it around and potentially load it onto a trailer, that operator can get into a lot of trouble.” When lifting an attachment to put it onto a trailer, the center of gravity changes as you get higher and further away from the loader. So, you really need to pay attention to the rated operating capacity versus the weight of the attachment, as well as how far that weight is sitting out from the center of the machine. “The one thing that we push our sales staff when we’re training [them on] matching attachments with tractors is knowing the rated operating capacity of the machine,” says Ryan Ruhl, team lead for compact construction equipment and training, John Deere. “Some of those attachments are very heavy. [How] to keep the tractor good and stable is a conversation that needs to be had.” Some attachments may require counterweights. “With our lineup of attachments
and our tractors, we make notes when counterweights could be a benefit to the machine,” says Ruhl. “We are being more proactive about training our sales staff on matching not just the flow and horsepower, but also the weight and understanding what rated operating capacity is versus maximum lift weight.” In some cases, attachments that are too large can result in structural damage to the machine. “If you have a snow blade that’s far too wide for a smaller skid steer, you could catch a curb or rock going across the parking lot and damage the loader arms,” says Kidder. It is not always the attachment that is too large. “You can definitely get the opposite side, where the carrier is too big for an attachment,” says Kidder. In this case, the attachment may not be able to hold up to the applied downforce or hydraulic horsepower of the carrier.
Flow and Pressure Considerations
In terms of hydraulic system performance compatibility, consider the performance and limitations of
Bobcat
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