Choosing the right high-performance skid steer loader

The skid loader is known as the "sharp knife" product among small construction machinery. With its powerful functions and flexible and maneuverable characteristics, it is widely used in infrastructure construction, road and bridge, dock loading and unloading, municipal maintenance, sanitation, residential and other small construction environments... It is a multifunctional work platform that can meet different tasks.

So, how to choose the right skid loader equipment for the construction site? The key is to understand the performance of the equipment and what the project needs to do, such as simple soil piling, lifting objects, material handling, etc.

Ryan Ruhl from John Deere likes to use the efficiency of the equipment to choose a skid loader. "It is the most reasonable method to figure out the size of the project and then choose the most suitable equipment to complete it." He believes that using inappropriate skid loader equipment will not only get half the result with twice the effort, but also cost more. For example, if the selected skid loader has insufficient lifting performance (insufficient power or hydraulic flow), it will reduce the efficiency of the equipment and extend the construction period.

Therefore, when choosing a skid loader, you should pay attention to the following points.

1. Model and power size

What engineering project you do determines what kind of equipment you choose. Does the equipment need to work in a narrow building space? Does it need extra traction to push piled items on soft or muddy ground? Does it need a higher lift height and dump distance to load materials onto a truck? Does it need to pass through narrow door frames or perform foundation backfill operations?

Mr. Wang, product manager of Meilian Heavy Industry, said: "Some construction site owners will only buy the highest power equipment they can buy, but they are only suitable for certain working conditions and may not be the best choice in terms of comprehensive cost." His advice is that if you are considering adding attachments, doing heavier work or expanding your company's business, just buy a higher power equipment than you already have.

Small skid steers generally have a power of less than 50 horsepower, medium-sized products have a power range of 50 to 70 horsepower, and large skid steers usually have more than 70 horsepower. Understanding the needs of the work can help us choose the right machine.

2. Selection of radial lift arm and vertical lift arm equipment

The radial lift arm of the skid steer loader swings to the highest point in an arc before reaching the highest point, while the vertical lift arm directly rises up and then reaches the highest point outward. If your equipment only works from the ground to the top of the cab, then a radial lift machine is a good choice. If you often need to work above the cab or higher, then you need a machine with a vertical lift arm to get the job done.

For example, a radial lift skid steer is better for short-distance gravel transfers because the bucket is closer to the machine at the lowest point, providing extra power. However, if you often use your equipment to shovel materials to load dump trucks, a vertical lift skid steer is better because the bucket can reach a higher position.

3. What attachments do you plan to use?

Many customers will purchase different attachments additionally, and a high-flow hydraulic system can provide a larger flow for the attachments. So if you expect the equipment to do more work, then the hydraulic system is very important. It is worth mentioning that the performance of the attachment is affected by the hydraulic flow and the engine horsepower, and these two factors determine the best performance of the work attachment.

Our experience is that when the attachment is a trencher or milling machine, a larger flow from the hydraulic system and a larger engine power are required. In addition, other attachments that require high-flow hydraulics include: wheel shovels, trenchers, snow blowers, etc.

4. Driving comfort and equipment automation

Many manufacturers have found that users are paying more and more attention to driving comfort and equipment control automation. When operators have comfortable seats, quiet cabs, good visibility and convenient automated controls, they can make work easier, so work efficiency will also be improved to a certain extent.