Anybody know exactly how SS manufactures determine tipping wieght

[steven_ucf]

I need a skidsteer that weighs as little as possible, can safely lift a 50" 2,500 root ball of the side of a flatbed truck.

I have a mustang 2064 that has an operating capacity of 1900, (tipping 3,800) but it tips unloading a 44" root ball off the truck. But a guy I know has a New Holland ls160 and “he says”, he can lift the 50" root balls, but a New Holland 160 only has an operating capacity of 1600 lbs (tipping 3500). So what gives?

Is the tipping capacity determined at ground level or fully raised. At what point is the weight determined (is it right where the quick attach is located or do they push down at the end of a bucket)

I'm looking for a new skidsteer, but looking at the specs doesn't mean a whole lot to me.

Anyone have some insight?
Thanks!

[Gravel Rat]

It all depends on the wheelbase of the machine. Just like a excavator you need the weight to counter act the front. So your fulcrum is the front tires so as you lift the weight behind the front tires is the counter balance for what is ever on the bucket.

A short wheelbase machine will never make a good forklift it also helps if you have a radial lift or a vertical lift.

[Tigerotor77W]

I need a skidsteer that weighs as little as possible, can safely lift a 50" 2,500 root ball of the side of a flatbed truck.

I have a mustang 2064 that has an operating capacity of 1900, (tipping 3,800) but it tips unloading a 44" root ball off the truck. But a guy I know has a New Holland ls160 and “he says”, he can lift the 50" root balls, but a New Holland 160 only has an operating capacity of 1600 lbs (tipping 3500). So what gives?

Is the tipping capacity determined at ground level or fully raised. At what point is the weight determined (is it right where the quick attach is located or do they push down at the end of a bucket)

I'm looking for a new skidsteer, but looking at the specs doesn't mean a whole lot to me.

Anyone have some insight?
Thanks!

This has been discussed before, but to address your primary concerns:

The tipping capacity of a SSL or MTL is rated to be the load in a specified bucket that will cause the rear tires to begin to lose contact with the ground or the rearmost roller to stop making contact with the track at the lift height at which the reach of the loader is maximum. Therefore, ALL three of these conditions MUST be specified* somehow:

1) Bucket specified.
2) Loader JUST begins to "tip," whose definition depends on whether it's an SSL or CTL.
3) Loader bucket is at the height at which maximum reach occurs.

There are various caveats -- operator weight; standard tires; level ground; full fuel; loader not chained down, but the asterisk above notes that manufacturers may or may not publish this information. Similarly, going from a long-floor bucket to a foundry type bucket will change the tipping load, so a single tipping load number with no information about the attachment configuration doesn't mean that you'll hit the *exact* tipping load in any situation.

You asked about the Ls160. Remember that the tipping load is determined based on the maximum reach of the loader: at truck bed height, both NH and Deere have very little reach (about 2/3 or less than that of maximum reach), and as a result are able to carry more weight without tipping at THAT height. For this reason, the Ls160 may not tip until, say, 4,200 pounds when lifting objects off a truck bed. However, a radial machine (or any competitor's vertical lift models) will have a good deal of reach at this height, and so their tipping load will be close to the actual tipping load of the machine. Due to lift path differences, two loaders that share tip loads may not share the same stability.

For your situation specifically: if you are using pallet forks to lift the 2,500 pound ball, then a Deere 325+ will be able to handle the load. Other alternatives include the Bobcat S300 (and larger); Cat 262C (and larger); Case 445 and 465; NH L185 (and larger); Gehl V2700 (and larger); and various track models.

Of these, I'm pretty confident that you could lift pallet forks with that much weight, but I can't be a consultant on this... you'd do best to check with your dealer and see if your salesman can provide you with additional information.

Edit: I see that you wrote you want the lightest machine possible... while I don't work for Cat (or anyone else), it would be somewhat irresponsible of me to try to recommend a downsized machine with zero experience actually putting the skids to use. I know what the small models are capable of -- and which would be able to lift your intended weight -- but simply to be responsible, I'll let people who have done this sort of work (or who have had this sort of experience) to suggest models that would be appropriate.

[steven_ucf]

Wow, that is a post! Thanks for taking the time to type all that, it was very informative and helpful.

[YellowDogSVC]

A bobcat s220 would lift that root ball. I believe that machine to be underrated. It is fairly light for a large-frame loader.

[Mr. Rain]

The lift rating system is a safety factor. A lot of machines rated less than 2500# will handle that load to truck bed height. A Deere 320 (medium frame) will easily handle that task at a 1950# rating. Adding counterweights will give you a little insurance for less experienced operators and the occasional oversized tree. If that's among your primary use for it, definitely look for a vertical lift machine.

[steven_ucf]

Thanks for all the advice! Yes, 95% of my skidsteer usage comes from unloading and loading trees and running a big auger.

[YellowDogSVC]

Thanks for all the advice! Yes, 95% of my skidsteer usage comes from unloading and loading trees and running a big auger.

from my experience, you will want a radial path machine for running an auger.

[BIGBEN2004]

Just got to try heavy lifting with my Takeuchi today. I unloaded 16 pallets of stone delivered from northern PA Tunkanic. Each pallet weighed around 3,000 pounds. My TL130 took them off with out a sweat. It even was able to reach all the way across the trailer and pick up the pallets on the opposite side on only the last 2 feet of the forks and pull them to my side of the trailer. I was more afraid that the pallet forks were going to snap. I don't know many other machines that give you such a good reach like the Takeuchi's do. It is their weak spot for lifting though since it looses your leverage. I always put buckets on trailers with my machine and then I can get them back off with New Hollands or Cats since their reach away from the machine is very little. I must say though I think it is rated lower then my buddy's Cat 257B but it will out lift it every day. We have had them side by side and his will not even budge something off the ground where as the Takeuchi will lift it to full reach. Simply amazing how some manufactors will over rate their machines and others under rate them.

[duke12]

Just got to try heavy lifting with my Takeuchi today. I unloaded 16 pallets of stone delivered from northern PA Tunkanic. Each pallet weighed around 3,000 pounds. My TL130 took them off with out a sweat. It even was able to reach all the way across the trailer and pick up the pallets on the opposite side on only the last 2 feet of the forks and pull them to my side of the trailer. I was more afraid that the pallet forks were going to snap. I don't know many other machines that give you such a good reach like the Takeuchi's do. It is their weak spot for lifting though since it looses your leverage. I always put buckets on trailers with my machine and then I can get them back off with New Hollands or Cats since their reach away from the machine is very little. I must say though I think it is rated lower then my buddy's Cat 257B but it will out lift it every day. We have had them side by side and his will not even budge something off the ground where as the Takeuchi will lift it to full reach. Simply amazing how some manufactors will over rate their machines and others under rate them.

Was that off a tractor trailer? If so, I am amazed.
How do you you like the machine?
It looks as thou these machines are very stout.
Congrats...

[Tigerotor77W]

Simply amazing how some manufactors will over rate their machines and others under rate them.

It's not about overrating or underrating... I think that most machines will pick up their ROC in a bucket to full height. Not all machines will pick up their tipping load to full height, but machines aren't "rated" on their tipping load.

I'm arguing semantics here: yes, some manufacturers end up limiting the lift capabilities of their machines, but I would be surprised if there was a single machine that couldn't lift its ROC in a bucket.