The newest generation of big skid steers is capable of shaking off its utility-machine mantle and competing aggressively for production tasks with electronic-over-hydraulic joysticks and steadily more-refined cockpits. Most sophisticated features are optional, though, and buyers looking to save money on big loaders can still get simpler machines for utility work. Options may come into play when outfitting large-frame loaders for production. But fundamentals such as the distribution of weight between front axle and rear and the choice of radial- or vertical-lift-path still determine the best machine for a given job. All skid steers come from the factory weighted disproportionately on the rear axle. The machine is more maneuverable and tire wear slows when the front and rear are unequally weighted. Manufacturers' designs vary, but the basic objective is for the skid steer to pivot around the rear wheels when it is unladen, and the front wheels when the loader is handling rated capacity. Carrying half of a skid steer's gross vehicle weight on the front axle and half on the rear will make it hard to steer, and tire wear will accelerate. Shifting too much unladen weight to the rear axles reduces the down pressure the machine can generate when digging and using attachments like a dozer blade or landscape rake. Most Bobcats carry about 70 percent of their weight on the rear wheels, although longer-wheelbase, vertical-lift-path machines shift more toward 65/35. Caterpillar and Case tend to design with similar weight distributions. John Deere and New Holland build machines with weight distribution more in the 60/40, front-to-rear, range.
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