Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/933470
EquipmentWorld.com | January 2018 35 to accept over-the-tire tracks. Fender clearance, wheel bearings and hub design accommodate the additional size and weight of add-on tracks. ASV acquired Loegering in 2004 and offers Loegering tracks. Tinley says that while track options are mostly limited to width, tires offer many options. While various widths are also available with tires, tread patterns are a more important part of the package, as are solid, semi-solid and pneumatic options. Tire chains are also available. While chains don't improve flotation, they add traction and weight and can improve performance in sloppy conditions. Bolt-on counterweights also enhance SSL performance, and the same counterweight has a bigger effect on the capacity of a skid steer than a CTL. This is because the same weight is a higher percentage of the machine's own weight. Zupancic points out that solid and semi-solid tires also add weight; the elongated holes in semi-solid tires provide some cushioning. Ultimately, the performance level of a skid steer comes down to opera- tor skill, says Mac Intyre. "Operators need to maintain situational aware- ness of jobsite conditions and plan ahead. They need to know how to get un-stuck. They should read the owner's manual, which will give guidance on managing hills, slopes and other obstacles." Even so, says Peterson, the advan- tages CTLs offer are unique to them and cannot be fully replicated on a skid steer, regardless of the skill of the operator. Flattening the slope After years of shifting sales numbers, the turmoil seems to be abating, and sales figures of both skid steers and compact track loaders are normal- izing, albeit to a new normal. "Unit sales of our skid steers decreased in each of the last four years," says Eric Berkhimer, product manager of Yanmar America. "The rate of decline stabilized somewhat beginning in 2016." By comparison, Yanmar CTL unit sales increased over that four- year period, and the rate of increase tapered a bit in 2016, "although it picked up again in 2017." "There will likely be some further softening of the skid steer market," says Storlie. "It will plateau when the market has a solid grasp of which jobs can be done by skid steers." While skid steer unit sales may be down from some past peak, notes Chang, "they're not zero and will never be zero. Not everyone plays in the premium end of the market. Some focus on value, and skid steers provide maximum value." LiuGong's first skid steer, the CLG385B, is now available. He says some customers use CTLs and fully featured skid steers for certain tasks and more plebeian machines for other ap- plications. "We entered the market because we believe there will always be a demand for skid steers." 777 Main Street, Suite 3900, Fort Worth, TX, 76102 | (817) 490-6800 HEALTHY BUSINESS CHECKLIST See his story and strengthen your business at HealthyBusinessChecklist.com/newyear