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Cedar Rapids, Iowa | On a forklift, side shift is fantastic. On a skid loader, I personally don't see the value. Turning the machine will change the angle of the box, but only by a few degrees. I think I'd be more inclined to have forks that hydraulically spread or tighten so you could adjust width from the cab.
Volvo and JCB used to have a partnership that ended somewhere around 2019. The one-arm Volvos were built on the same assembly line as the JCBs in Savannah, GA. My local Volvo equipment dealer had 4 of them in their rental fleet. They decided to get out of the skid steer rental business and sold them. The one I bought is 4 years old and only had 500 hours on it, so it would seem they weren't rented out much.
They do look goofy from the outside. Once you're in the cab, you really don't notice that the cab is offset. Using a bucket, the right corner of the bucket is a bit obscured by the front right pillar of the cab. Visibility around the machine is phenomenal except for the right rear area due to the boom.
When I talked to the JCB people at the Farm Progress show, they indicated that not much has changed on the skid loaders from 2018 to now. I think there is a new door hinge design so the door opens a full 90 degrees, but I've not had any issue with the one I have, which probably opens ~70 degrees. I haven't done any major service to it yet to establish an opinion on that. | |
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Who has replaced a forklift with a skid steer?
