September 2003
BID LIST
Compact Crawlers Step Lightly
by Kirk Landers, V.P./Editorial Director

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Manufacturers listed in this feature responded to a special mailing by Better Roads and do not necessarily represent the entire market for this product. 

They have a lighter footprint than the average adult human and they can do anything a skid-steer loader can do.

Gehl
Mid-size loaders combine power and agility

Gehl says its CTL60 and CTL80 track loaders are engineered from the ground up with the power and strength of a track loader, but with the compact size to maneuver around any job site. Both machines feature rubber crawler tracks. The CTL60 weighs 7,497 pounds and has a rated operating capacity of 1,620 pounds; the CTL80 weighs 10,692 pounds and has a rated operating capacity of 2,470. Both machines have a lift height of 126 inches, and a dump height of 93 inches.

Standard equipment includes two-speed travel, pilot-operated servo joystick controls, and a spacious cab with a full suspension seat. A tilt-back operators compartment and a swing-out rear door provide maintenance and component access.

Bobcat
3,000-pounder tops three-model line

Bobcat topped off its three-model line of compact track loaders a year ago with the addition of the T300. The 9,354-pound machine has a rated operating capacity of 3,000 pounds and a tipping load of 8,571, yet its 17.7-inch-wide rubber tracks produce just 4.1 psi of ground pressure.

Stable mates of the T300 include the T190 G, with a rated operating capacity of 1,900 pounds, and the T200 G, with a rated operating capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The production-class T300 has a lift height of 126.4 inches that follows a vertical path, making truck loading easier than traditional arcing path designs. The lift arms are uniquely designed to give the operator a clear view of the attachment and all four corners of the machine, enhancing precision work.

Standard equipment includes an 81-horsepower turbo-diesel and a high-pressure, 3,300-psi hydraulic system with a flow rate of 18.7 gallons per minute. Approved attachments include a stump grinder, the Brushcat rotary cutter, a dozer blade, and a landscape rake.

Caterpillar
New loader features elevated drive system

Cat rolled out the fourth and largest model in its line of multi-terrain loaders in April. The 287 weighs 9,860 pounds and has a rated operating capacity of 2,450 pounds (35% of tipping load). It features a suspended undercarriage for optimum traction, speed, and load retention on rough terrain, and an elevated drive system that keeps drive components away from ground debris, improving service life. Its closed-loop hydrostatic drive is complimented by an exclusive anti-stall system, which the company says delivers maximum torque to the tracks for aggressive performance.

Cat’s rubber tracks feature positive-drive design with rubber lugs inside the tracks. They are reinforced with high-tensile strength cords for durability but use no steel, eliminating corrosion problems. The track edges are beveled to prevent scuffing or damage when maneuvering on sensitive surfaces like turf.

Cat describes the 287 as a “high lift, long reach” machine with “a near-vertical lift path.” The loader has two additional links per side, allowing the loader arms to move forward during the lift cycle; the company says this provides 55% more reach when fully raised than a radial-lift loader.

Mustang
Helps operators get efficient, fast

Mustang’s MTL 16 and MTL 25 track loaders have pilot-operated joystick controls for the travel and loader functions, quick-attach mounting capabilities, and a hydraulic self-leveling system, making them easy to operate efficiently, the company says. Fingertip button controls adjust the boom float and hydraulic circuits, making operator adjustment effortless during grading operations and other applications. Mustang’s Multi-Tach mounting system lets the machines use a wide variety of attachments, from buckets to breakers.

The MTL 16 weighs 7,500 pounds and has a rated operating capacity of 1,620 pounds (35% of tipping load). It has a two-speed travel system and a 67-horsepower diesel engine, and exerts 4.86 psi of ground pressure.

The MTL 25 is powered by a 97-horsepower engine; it has an operating weight of 10,692 pounds and a rated operating capacity of 2,470 pounds (35% of tipping weight).

Ditch Witch
Walk-behind loader walks softly

Ditch Witch has expanded its line of underground construction equipment to include a track-mounted mini skid-steer loader. The SK500 is powered by a 24-horsepower gasoline engine and has a 500-pound lifting capacity. It measures 36-inches wide and slightly over 72-inches long. Its 36-inch-wide bucket holds 3.4 cubic feet; an optional 44-inch-wide bucket holds 4.3 cubic feet. Maximum dump height is 60.5 inches. Other attachments equip the unit for augering, trenching, and forklift work. The 40-inch-long tracks produce ground pressure of just 3.3 psi.

Ramrod
Mini-loader lifts 1,150 pounds

Ramrod’s line of mini skid-steer loaders includes the track-mounted 1150, which is said to have a lift capacity of 1,150 pounds and a lifting height of 6 feet. It has an 8-gallon fuel tank, a 12-gallon-per-minute hydraulic pump, parallel lift-arm linkage, and compatibility with more than 40 attachments.

Polaris
High-feature powerhouse fits in a pickup bed

Polaris says its ASL 300 is twice as productive as a walk-behind loader, yet can fit in the bed of a pickup. Weighing about 3,000 pounds, the machine has a 35-horsepower diesel engine, an 80.25-inch lift height, and a rated operating capacity of 560 pounds (35% of tipping load). It develops 2.5 psi ground pressure — less than the average pedestrian.

The loader’s undercarriage platform features 24 rubber-on-rubber track inserts and wheels that reduce wear and prolong life. The machine has a 10-gallon-per-minute auxiliary hydraulic pump and a top travel speed of 6 miles per hour. Available attachments include a snow blower, snow blade, 48-inch flail mower, and power rake.

Thomas
Small crawler packs lots of breakout force

Thomas says its 1,900-pound, 25-horsepower 25GT has more breakout force than many full size skid-steer loaders — over 1,680-pounds with a 42-inch-wide bucket — while its 9-inch-wide rubber tracks let it work in soft ground conditions. Its universal attachment mounting system accepts attachments from many different brands. Thomas’ own attachments for the machine include a trencher, snow blower, post hole auger, tree spade, broom, and hydraulic breaker.

The ride-on 25GT has a power selector valve that lets the operator direct power either to the drive or the hydraulic system. One hand-control steers the machine, while the other operates the boom and bucket. The unit has two auxiliary hydraulic circuits, one featuring a motor spool for operating motorized attachments — such as a sweeper — while protecting them from shock loads.

ASV
Super-productive compact loader

When ASV introduced its RC-100 last February, the company billed it as “the first rubber tracked loader that combines high flow, high speed, high lift, high torque, and high horsepower in one machine...” The unit features 38-gallon-per-minute hydraulic flow (at a maximum pressure of 3,300 psi), a 125-inch lift height, 304 foot-pounds of engine torque, and a 100-horsepower diesel engine.

Its top forward speed of 10 miles per hour is enhanced by a proprietary suspension system employing torsion axles that allows the machine to travel much faster over rough terrain than traditional track systems. ASV claims their track system also produces better traction, increases load retention, and results in faster cycle times than conventional designs.

The RC-100 weighs 10,150 pounds and exerts a ground pressure of just 3.5 psi using standard 18-inch-wide tracks with 72.5 inches of ground contact on each side. Its tipping load rating is 7,600 pounds, giving it a rated operating capacity of 2,660 pounds.

ASV claims its rubber tracks do not contain metal like other track designs do, and that their design results in an operation that is smoother and quieter.

Rayco
High-flow, high-production workhorse

Rayco’s 82-horsepower C85L mini crawler is available with a steel or rubber track system. The machine weighs 9,800 pounds but creates ground pressure of just 4.4 psi. Designed for high production applications, the unit has a 120-inch lift height and a 36 gallon-per-minute high-flow hydraulic system.

Rayco’s C85FM takes the same basic mini-crawler design and adapts it to a dedicated tree and underbrush mulcher. The unit features a fixed-tooth, drum-style cutter head with a 52-inch cutting width. The C85FM weighs 12,000 pounds with the cutter head and can handle trees up to 4 inches in diameter.

JCB
Safety firsts: side access and clear side vision

JCB’s 190T and 1110T are the first Robot skid-steer loaders to be equipped with high-drive track systems. Introduced at Conexpo-Con/Agg 2002, the 70-horsepower (net) 190T weighs 9,702 pounds and has a rated operating capacity of 1,985 pounds (35% of tipping load); the 82-horsepower (net) 1110T weighs 10,198 pounds with a rated operating capacity of 2,250 pounds. Both machines feature hydraulic systems with 20-gallon-per-minute pump flow and 2,682 psi maximum pressure.

Ground pressure for the 190T is 4.5 psi while the 1110T is slightly higher at 4.8 psi.

Both models feature JCB’s exclusive single loader-arm design that allows side entry into the cab; JCB touts this access feature as a unique safety benefit and says the loader arm design also provides unmatched operator visibility to the rear and both sides of the machine.

Toro
Simple controls and lots of attachments

Toro says its 20-horsepower ride-on Dingo TX 420 is ideal for tree planting, material handling, demolition, fence installation, and irrigation system installation. It features simple controls and a family of 35 quick-change attachments. The unit weighs just under 2,000 pounds and has a rated operating capacity of 500 pounds (35% of tipping load). The compact unit can pass through a 36-inch-wide gate and features a four-pump hydraulic system that can deliver 11.2 gallons per minute of flow at 3,000 psi to any circuit.

Reprinted from the September 2003  issue of Better Roads Magazine