Why don't they make a cross between a mtl (tracked skid steer) and a traditional large track loader. Keep the following from the mtl: 1. Ground speed 2. Rubber track or steel with rubber pad option 3. standardized hydraulic quick change 4. hi flo aux curcuit Keep the following from the large track loader: 1. traditional loader linkage 2. machine weights from 16k-40k 3. bucket capacities to match the higher weights. A mtl is perfect for me but I just cant get past the small bucket and having the load above me when loading a truck.
Look at some of the forestry mulcher manufactures. I know rayco makes a CTL style mulcher that uses standard skid steer front mount and has higher HP and weight. Also look at Gyrotrack, Primetech, Fecon, ect.
Check out Barko
A couple of problems: High travel speeds equals rapid track wear, very expensive to replace conventional track loader tracks every 1-2000 hrs A 16,000 lb trackloader with a bucket to match would destroy a skidsteer quick attach the first day, if not in the first 10 minutes. A 40,000 pounder would destroy any that was practical for a 16k loader.
What Mitch said. Also a 40K track loader would destroy rubber tracks.
What I'd like to see is a scaled down track loader in a 953 style. Side entry behind the boom and the weight balance more like a 953. CTL's are better than rubber tired skid steers but I imagine if you go up too steep of a hill, they'll want to tip backwards and you still have to climb over the bucket to get in. JCB's have side entry but still don't have the weight balance or total visibility. Small machines like JD 350 loaders got dropped because skid steers got bigger and were a lot faster. Make a compact 953 with rear engine and CTL like hydrostat and it think you'd have an extra heavy duty loader that would be really nimble. You could always make a stronger quick attach.
I think JCB was going in the right direction with this: https://www.jcb.com/en-gb/products/backhoe-loaders/1cxt ...but they are NOT available in North America!!
Cat had the 939 and 943, which they dropped due to lack of sales. Deere has the current production 605C which is comparable. I love my 953 and my TL130 but I would think something somewhere in the middle would be awesome. I set out looking for a 939, but ended up buying a 953 because I could get soooo much more machine for the money. My 53 was half the cost of a big CTL, but will work rings around it. I'd love to have something in the middle that I could easily move with my single axle truck and dual tandem trailer, that wasnt built before I was born... Just my thoughts John
From what I can remember the 943 wasn't a lot less to manufacture than the 953 so for not much more money you buy a 953. I don't think the 939's were hugely popular and don't have the visibility of the rear engine loaders. A 923 Cat at 12-14,000lbs. and maybe 66" wide would be the right size. Tons of pushing power and easier to transport.
We have a 450 JD with a h-l-r tranny that weighs around 17k iirc. I'd love to have something that size with a hydrostatic drive. It's a dead simple machine, parts aren't to expensive and it's very nimble with enough power to dig into a bank.