Capital Equipment News September 2017

SKID STEERS

When one identifies the need to have a skid steer loader on site, an important primary consideration would be to consider what the primary function of the loader is.

T he skid steer loader continues to be one of the most favoured pieces of equipment on many local sites, if not across the world. One thing for sure is skid steer loaders have moved well beyond their founding purpose, as today’s models are more powerful, comfortable and versatile, and future models will continue to build on these traits. While all these features appeal to every fleet manager, it is very crucial to determine whether the unit you are buying will meet your application’s needs to remain productive To meet the changing needs of end users, skid steer loader designs have evolved over the years but, one of the challenges facing buyers today is selecting the right machine for the right job, owing to the array of options available. OEMs size skid steers by rated operating capacity, but that’s just the starting point of other key considerations. There are various other deliberations, ranging from lift type to knowing attachments you will be using, among others, writes Munesu Shoko . SKIDDING TOWARDS INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

and boost the bottom line. When one knows that they have a job that needs a skid steer, what should be the primary consideration before they even start shopping around for one? Vijayakumuran Rengaraju, market devel- opment engineer at Caterpillar, tells Capi- tal Equipment News that the jobsite and the tasks that need to be carried out, to a large extent, inform the buying decision. “It is worthwhile to consider the appli- cations the machine will be used for, the work tools that will be needed and then decide on the size class and configura- tion, as well as, of course, value and build quality,” says Rengaraju, adding that first- class product support also helps maximise uptime and productivity, and this should be an important factor in any buying decision. Jan Stansfield, sales manager at Bobcat South Africa, reasons that when

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