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On Track: Understanding
Attachments Best Suited
for Compact Track Loaders
Terrain plays an important role in determining
which machine/attachment combination will best
suit your application.
By Brad Stemper, solutions marketing manager, CASE Construction Equipment; and
Perry Girard, product marketing manager-construction equipment, CNH Parts & Service
Successful skid steer loader and compact
track loader (CTL) operation depends
largely on the type of terrain you are
operating on. For example, concrete,
asphalt and rocky surfaces are typically
best suited to skid steers, while softer,
more sensitive surfaces are better suited
for compact track loaders.
But a closer look at attachment use
with CTLs sheds more light on specific
applications that are best suited for use
with tracked machines. Landscapers,
residential contractors, and certain utility
and agricultural users will benefit from
the low ground pressure and stability afforded by CTLs. In this article we’ll
look at specific applications and attachment combinations best suited for
these machines.
Applications and attachments not suited
for CTL use
While CTLs can operate effectively on rocky ground and “improved surfaces”
such as asphalt, concrete and paver stones, these surfaces significantly shorten
the lifespan of tracks. As such, the use of asphalt-related attachments, such as
rock saws and cold planers, is not recommended. In addition to the abrasion
of the surface to the tracks, the vibrations of the attachments also vibrate the
tracks, further creating friction and speeding deterioration on improved surfaces.
It is always a wise choice to use a wheeled machine when using attachments
designed for use on improved surfaces.
© 2013 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case and CNH Capital are registered trademarks of CNH America LLC.
For more information on CASE products, please visit www.casece.com
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Good application #1: lifting with forks
Many wheeled skid steer operators
have been in a position on rough
terrain where they lift a load on to
a truck or other surface and the
machine “porpoises” – that unsteady
action where the machine pivots with
the weight of the load and a wheel
or two leave the ground. The main
advantage: there is no compression
of the front tires, and any associated
distribution of weight to the rear.
This allows the operator to lift and
operate with greater confidence. This
is further improved when operating
a CTL with a vertical lift arm design,
which lifts the load in such a way that
evenly distributes the weight of that
load throughout the machine. These
principles apply equally to those in
farm and ranch applications with
attachments such as bale spears and
bale forks (see picture). A general rule
could be made that any application that required lifting and articulating a load on
a soft and uneven surface would be best suited for CTLs.
Good application #2: dozer blades
As CTLs feature an undercarriage that is similar to
that of a compact dozer, it would only make sense
that it would have certain advantages in grading
applications, and be more practical and versatile for
some landscapers to own compared to a compact
dozer. CTLs also offer more surface contact with the
ground and greater stability and weight distribution
compared to skid steers, which makes it safer to
operate on slopes. The tracks also create a solid
platform to operate on. Instead of four individual points
of contact as provided by skid steer tires, the tracked
machine provides consistency in the blade cutting
edge position as the operator moves along a path.
Tires tend to roll up and over individual obstacles,
which creates up and down movements. Tracks bridge that movement to create
a smooth ride. The same principle could be applied to grader attachments.
© 2013 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case and CNH Capital are registered trademarks of CNH America LLC.
For more information on CASE products, please visit www.casece.com
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Good application #3: trenchers
Trenchers are often used to create a trench that
causes minimal disruption to the ground immediately
around it. These are often dug in finished yards and
environments where tire ruts and ripped up grass
are undesirable side effects. CTLs provide excellent
flotation over the ground so as not to create ruts,
and the tracks are not as prone to the spinning and
twisting motions that cause tires to rip up grass.
CTLs also move the trencher across the ground in an
even and stable manner due to the better “platform”,
ensuring a uniform and well-dug trench.
Good application #4:
Harley Power Box Rakes; preparator landscape
grader rakes, auto rakes
One of the best feelings a landscaper gets is when the job is nearly done and all
that’s left to do is finish the seed bed preparation, seed the lawn, apply the straw
covering and then move on to the next job. These final grade/bed preparation
attachments work very well on skid
steers, but similar to trenchers,
wheeled machines in this application
increase the chances of rutting and
other soil disturbances that will
require the finished bed to be fixed by
hand. CTLs run these tools just as well
as skid steers and without as much
disruption to the final seed bed.
© 2013 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case and CNH Capital are registered trademarks of CNH America LLC.
For more information on CASE products, please visit www.casece.com