![Jcb High Flow Skid Steer Jcb High Flow Skid Steer](/uploads/1/2/4/2/124259671/898448501.jpg)
Also optional are the high-flow hydraulics, raising the flow from the standard 28 gpm to 41.5 gpm. Rounding out the more-than-3,000-pound operating capacity skid-steers are the Gehl 7800 and 7600 and the Mustang 2105 and 2095.
Skid steers have so much standard and optional equipment in common it may seem all machines are created equal, or nearly so. But look closely at the details and you’ll uncover real differences that will affect how well a machine fits your needs. The similaritiesThe market has settled on a number of features shared among nearly all machines.Tier 4 Final compliance is one example.
While flexibility in the EPA’s program allows some manufacturers to bring some models into compliance at a later time, for the most part skid steer loaders had to meet Tier 4 Final standards as of January 1, 2015.Another example is the configuration of optional cabs; they’re bigger, quieter, and cleaner. Controls are our third example: foot pedals, levers, and joysticks are offered.Joystick control patterns can be changed by flipping a switch or via an in-cab touch-screen monitor.
With so much standardization, what besides paint color and decals separate one manufacturer’s machines from those of another? And do those differences matter?Tier 4 FinalMarketing materials and advertising often tout the simplicity of a machine’s emissions control system. The implication is that this machine from this manufacturer is simpler and therefore less costly and easier to maintain than a competitor’s.Emissions standards for machines of less than 75 horsepower, however, are different than those for machines of 75 horsepower and greater.The emissions control system on a sub-75 horsepower machine will likely be simpler than that of a more powerful machine. To be valid, comparisons must be made on machines in the same power class (under 75 horsepower or 75 horsepower and above). Skid steers are among the types of equipment powered by engines on either side of the 75 horsepower break point so their emissions control systems vary widely.Case’s new SR240 and SV280 models are rated at 74 horsepower. The new SR270 and SV300 are rated at 90 horsepower.
“The Tier 4 Final solution on the 74-horsepower models is entirely maintenance free with no filter to maintain or fluids to add,” says Scott McElroy, product sales training manager, skid steer and compact track loaders, Case Construction Equipment. The system uses a combination of diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and high-efficiency flow-through filter.