Tires vs Tracks on a skid steer

[lone wolf]

I rented a Cat last week: visibility is so poor that they mounted a camera that comes on every time you go backwards. Without the camera, you cannot see anything at all.
My operator backed into a truck, claiming the camera made him misjudge the distance.

Well if the camera showed the truck and he knew it was there so its his fault simple as that.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

I rented a Cat last week: visibility is so poor that they mounted a camera that comes on every time you go backwards. Without the camera, you cannot see anything at all.
My operator backed into a truck, claiming the camera made him misjudge the distance.

Yeah I ran a cat 299D for about 6 weeks last summer clearing brush on the pipeline. That particular machine also has the big wings in the back that stick up over the cab. I think we lost 4 operators last year with those skidsteers because they either backed into the pipe, or hit the pipe with those wings while turning.

 

[pdqdl]

Eh. That's still on them.

If your visibility is poor, the operator should still know where the expensive stuff to not back into is located. Back away from the pipeline, not toward it.

 

[pdqdl]

Well if the camera showed the truck and he knew it was there so its his fault simple as that.

Yep. I never said that I fell for that lame excuse. He wasn't looking at all.

 

[lone wolf]

Yep. I never said that I fell for that lame excuse. He wasn't looking at all.

They always have a stupid excuse no matter what. Best one is "because you didnt tell me not to" You actually have to tell some people every single detail!

 

[les-or-more]

One gets a little nervous when working in this kind of close quarters.
I was digging for the plumbers and electricians while the steel guys were setting the iron.

 

[catbuster]

I couldn't be further removed from expertise myself. Just watched a BUNCH of youtube vids and more flexibility with smaller machines was discussed. The podcaster runs a landscaping company. A smaller machine in back and side yards would be advantageous. Sometimes a couple inches makes all the difference (that's what she said).


My 2012 Tak is only ~74" wide. Very unusual in the 12,000 lb. class of skid steers. Due to DEF etc they are now up to ~13,000 lbs. Bobcats T870 may have a larger frame than others but its weight is ~ the same as the biggest by Cat, ASV, Tak, Deere and others.

I consider Bobcat at times. So many for sale and so many Bobcat specific attachments. No adapter needed. They had a good rep prior to the Doosan purchase. Their reliability rep has suffered. I think mostly due to issues with emission related technology.

When did DEF become a requirement on engines over 74hp?

1. When I don’t have space, I’ve generally opened up fences to get where I need to go. I’m not a landscaper, thank whatever deity you believe in. Picking a machine that suits your needs is a good idea, but for most things the smaller machines aren’t really that much smaller.

2. Your machine is still wider than a 72” bucket, so you can’t put a smaller one on to grade in and out of narrower spots than an 84” bucket. Takeuchi machines are also pretty tall, so it’s just more liable to fall over.

3. Bobcat’s reputation was earned when they were either the only machine on the block or only competing the the archaic 18 series Case and New Holland LX series machines. That’s why they use a proprietary plug. They’ve been well surpassed by a lot of machines by a long time. They’ve been cheap to run and would run broken, which does not equate to being a quality product.

4. Bobcat’s T870 weighs 13,000 pounds. A 299 or T770 weighs less than 11,000. It’s over a full ton lighter.

5. Tier 4 for off road engines 75 and greater horsepower was rolled in between 2012 and 2014.

I hate not being able to see out the back. It’s the biggest problem with Cat’s D series machines. But yeah, backing into stuff is your fault.

 

[pdqdl]

I hate pretty much any electronics on a machine that sits in the sun all day, waiting for some dirt to dig in. You want me to look at a 6" tv screen while I'm backing up?



Back in 2007, I bought a brand new VW diesel (2006 version). It had all the features I wanted! NO electronic screens, manual knobs & switches for every control, a manual transmission, and no DEF nor other crazy exhaust-reburning tricks to conform with the rules.

 

[softdown]

View attachment 967274
One gets a little nervous when working in this kind of close quarters.
I was digging for the plumbers and electricians while the steel guys were setting the iron.

Snow can make things a lot more hazardous. Spent a month waiting for Colorado mountain snow to melt. It may not melt until May. So I just bought a snowblower. The show must go on.

Running into things seems to be one of the biggest hazards in construction.

 

[les-or-more]

I will agree for the most part but I like the rear camera's, it saved me twice from backing into a pallet of block that the masons operator sat down behind me. I drove in watching out for people and objects, dump a bucket of stone and start to back out and there is a pallet of of block in the tv. Ya get out and yell at the freaking yahoo that put it there, and tell him to move it!

 

[les-or-more]

Snow can make things a lot more hazardous. Spent a month waiting for Colorado mountain snow to melt. It may not melt until May. So I just bought a snowblower. The show must go on.

Running into things seems to be one of the biggest hazards in construction.

That job had 5 rows of column's with 4 pairs of squaring cable sets, 67 pvc pipe stub outs, a dozen electrical stub outs, generators, welders, ladders, extension cords and various building materials along with 20 to 50 persons at any given time. Three months and didn't hit a thing, knock on wood and thank my lucky stars!

 

[pdqdl]

View attachment 967294View attachment 967295
I will agree for the most part but I like the rear camera's, it saved me twice from backing into a pallet of block that the masons operator sat down behind me. I drove in watching out for people and objects, dump a bucket of stone and start to back out and there is a pallet of of block in the tv. Ya get out and yell at the freaking yahoo that put it there, and tell him to move it!

SURE! I love me a good rear camera. But not as the only way to look backwards. That damn Cat I rented didn't even give me a rear view mirror, which would have been helpful, even if not adequate.

Consider if you will, a skilled operator with excellent vision and a rather mild case of "old-guy-can't-see-very-close" (presbyopia). That means I need reading glasses to see stuff well that is only two feet from my face. Then put a 6" screen that contains about 120° view of everything behind the machine, and expect me to read that stupid thing at 18 inches from my face. Oh! You need your reading glasses to back up... ARRGGGHH. Let's just squint a bit and go slow... Going forward now, speed 'er up. ...avoiding backwards, 'cause it's safer, yet also slow.

Damn! Now I'm getting motion sick in this stupid box, because I'm turning the machine around too much to avoid the backup camera, can't see where I'm going because I'm all boxed in, and I have to keep focusing close on some tiny screen (displaced over onto the far right side ), which throws off my 3-dimensional perceptions.

Ever put on a pair of virtual reality glasses, and then try flying a drone? Most people get motion sick very quickly. The effect is similar inside a skid-steer cab with no rear view at all and a tiny monitor, just not quite as severe.

 

[Ian178]

Ever put on a pair of virtual reality glasses, and then try flying a drone? Most people get motion sick very quickly.

I have. I keep moving my head around like an idiot, I cant help it lol. I got into building 5" quads, but figured out I liked building them more than flying (read destroying) them. I haven't flown in at least a year but I still have a couple. I'm gonna get out and fly this week, but I digress.

I can turn around in my machine and see out when backing up, which is one thing I like about it.