Some companies offer tilt attachments for skid steers, allowing you to tilt the bucket (or other QA device). The idea sounds very useful for me since one of my ss uses is to build or maintain horse and 4wheeler trails across hillsides. It would be a way to level out a hillside trail. Do these attachments work reliably? Or do cause any problems? Is there another (or better) way to level out a trail on a hillside (other than a bulldozer or excavator)? Thanks, Ken
I have a Bobcat Tilt-Tach. This attachment has replaceable wear bars where the two half's slide against each other. The Bobcat model is not designed to operate with attachments that are pulled with significant force. (I.E. a U-Digger bucket being pulled into the cut, which is trying to pull the TiltTach apart.) The attachment is designed handle excavation forces trying to push it together. The only problem is you loose capacity because the additional weight of the attachment. They have their strengths in being able to quickly put your cutting edge on the cross-slope, especially when you don't have room to turn the loader 90 degrees to establish the cross slope. They can save you a lot of time if you have limited room. They will definitely help you get into the side of a hill you can't operate up and down on. Once you establish a pad large enough to put the loader on you can then just extend the cut down the road and will have the bucket level to the loader. If you can't tilt the cutting edge then you can use the method shown in Pic 1 to tilt the loader. Maintaining trails is a grading job and best done with a grader attachment or 6-way blade. You really need the ability to control the side cast. Using a TiltTach and bucket to back-drag will give you some ability to control the cross-slope. I have also used the TiltTach with a Landplane to trim and smooth while making minor adjustments to the cross-slope.
Thanks for the information. When I said "maintaining trails" I meant ones that were either never graded right in the first place, or are deeply eroded (we have some trails in the state park where the stirrups can drag the sides of the rut). I appreciate your sketches. Thanks, Ken
There are 6 way dozer blade attachments for skids. But I haven't used one to advise how well they work.
Yes, I thought about those too and wonder how well they work. They are also more costly. There is a Bobcat tilt adapter on Craig's List for $1200 right now. I would be using this on a JD 325 with OTR tracks. Ken
I haven't tried a 4-way dozer on a skid steer. There are a number of threads including Dozer Blades on Skid steers? and Dozer blade on a skid, has anyone used one? and Anyone tried/use a skid steer with a blade. that have some discussion on the subject. I have a 4 in 1 bucket. Using it as a dozer is tough if you want to fine grade. The wheel base on skid steers is too short. Any bumps and dips your wheels hit will cause the cutting edge to jump or dive significantly. At least with the 4 in 1 bucket you can open the bucket and use the pan as a depth gauge to limit the cutting edge from diving into the grade (Pic 1). I planned to try mounting the 4 in 1 bucket to the TiltTach and using a hydraulic selector valve so I could control both. Before I got that far, I bought a used Bobcat Industrial Grader attachment which gives you a lot more control. The TiltTach is a handy attachment. If you are looking at a used one make sure you look at the wear bars and have them hook it up and see how much play is in it. I have seen a couple used ones that the wear bars were gone and part of the frame worn away.
Thanks for the additional information. Very useful. I'll read those other threads. Good point about the short wheelbase causing an irregular surface with a 4-n-1 in dozer mode. I would guess that using the bottom of the bucket (4-n-1 or regular) would help avoid a lot of that since it won't gouge if you run it flat. Ken
I think a tilt bucket on mini excavator is more useful in those situations.
I have a tilt hitch on my cat 216 that is made in nz, no slides to were out it has a large bearing in the center, ive done about 1800 hrs maybe 2000hrs with no trubble other than the hoses that go to the hitch . it dose lesson your tipping point but its the best thing since sliced bread!!! no more backing on to lumps to get the angel wright ,you can get all angel at all times regardless of space. its done for the skid steer what the tilt ram did for dozers ,and tilt buckets for diggers! wont go back! thay are made by progressive equipment in hamilton, new zealand.