Track skid steers are useful to operators who need the flexibility of a skid steer on hilly, muddy, or other terrain where traction and flotation would prove challenging for wheel skid steers.
Read More (About Track Skid Steers)Sometimes referred to as “compact track loaders” or “multi-terrain loaders,” track skid steers feature rotating tracks designed to operate on difficult surfaces. From rocky and sandy terrains to mud and snow, the extra ground contact of track skid steers makes them a better choice than wheel skid steers for jobsites where traction and flotation are concerns.
Although the first skid steer was built in the late 1950s, it’s thought that first track skid steer wasn’t produced until 1986, when Takeuchi introduced the TL150. Another big milestone date was in the early 1990s when ASV introduced its Posi-Track loader, which featured lighter, rubber tracks, resulting in less ground pressure and minimal surface damage. Modern tracked skid steers are often equipped with rubber tracks, due to the greater versatility of the rubber material, but steel tracks are also available for jobs where the skid steer needs added counterweight, additional traction on hilly terrain, or harsh surfaces with jagged rock or debris.
Track skid steers are commonly found on construction, forestry, roadway, and agricultural jobsites. They can accommodate a wide range of attachments, including augers, buckets, hammers, brooms, trenchers, grapplers, and forks, which makes them versatile across numerous industries. Track skid steers also have the ability to enter and work in tight spaces. The reduced ground impact of rubber track machines allows skid steers to support landscaping duties and other surfaces where you need high manoeuvrability and want to avoid ground damage.
Skid steers generally differ by vertical and radial lift types. Vertical lift skid steers are often designed to move taller loads and to move loads to spaces not easily reached by radial lift skid steers. The radial lift design, however, has fewer moving parts and tends to perform better when digging dirt or leveling ground.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) breaks down skid steers into three frame categories, defined by rated operating capacity and horsepower. Large-frame skid steers often feature greater than 70-horsepower (52-kilowatt) engines and a minimum rated operating capacity of 1,007 kilograms (2,220 pounds). The medium-frame category is defined as having a rated operating capacity between 793 kg (1,750 lbs) and 1,007 kg and between 50 HP (37 kW) and 70 HP. Small skid steers fall under a 793 kg rated operating capacity, typically with horsepower ranges around 50 HP.
MarketBook is a great resource for new and used track skid steers from leading brands like Bobcat, Caterpillar, Deere, Kubota, New Holland, and Takeuchi, among many others.