There has long been a feeling that farmers could perhaps make better use of skid-steer loaders. Okay, so some farmers have cottoned on. And those that have, tend to swear by them. To get a feel for skid-steer potential, we tested three units in the 45hp class back in 2001. Gehl and JCB machines are still current, while market leader Bobcat has subsequently designated the test 773 as the S175

Construction, landscape work, engineering, farming. Just some of many UK industries that have put the diminutive skid-steer to good use. And it’s not difficult to see why.

Not only are these mini machines compact in overall dimension, but their split hydrostatic drive – to offside and nearside wheel pairs – enable them to get into places that would leave almost all other types of mechanical hardware standing at the gate. They are, quite literally, capable of turning about on the spot, which makes them the ideal handler for getting in and out of very tight traditional farm building layouts. In some AI pen-type situations they are the only mechanical alternative to a pitchfork and wheelbarrow.

Those are the strengths, yet there are clearly big downsides too. Most obvious is a lack of lift height, but even this issue has been addressed on some larger, high hp models. For our test, though, we went with a compromise – models in the 45hp mid-range skid-steer sector that offer reasonable power and lift while still retaining at least a fair degree of the compactness of the entry-level units. Incorporating a few stats, all of our machines lift to almost 3m high and measure between 1.5 and 1.6m wide.

Operator safety
When compared with the compact Weidemann/Schaffer type of artic mini loader, the skid-steer gives a feeling of greater security. Seated between two booms – to the left of the boom in the case of JCB – the operator does at least have a bulky cage around him in the event of an overturn or any hefty material falling out of the bucket from a height. The cabins on our test machines were open at the front, and protected by grids on the side. Bobcat and Gehl machines added glass, while fully enclosed cabins appear within the options lists of all three makers.

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