I'm investigating the possibility of purchasing a new skid steer. I would prefer something with a cab and a/c this time around. Does anyone know which manufacturers are offering this? Are skid steer cabs sealed very well like a car or are there holes all over the place? I'm looking for a ~6000 pound machine give or take. I would like to drive this skid steer into dry van trailers to unload my scrap tires with a grapple. The problem is that if I try to unload one with my current skid steer (no cab or a/c), I get teary eyed due to the exhaust. :beatsme Because of this, we've been unloading most of our enclosed trailers by hand (3 hrs., 3 people) while a skid steer with my grapple would do it in around 30 minutes. Can anyone recommend a suitable gas mask that might save me a 40k dollar skid steer? TIA!
??????? dont tell the workcover man that your using it inside a confind place , . face mask want help if low oxegan inside, cabin want help ,you need to find a tipper truck or a better way to unload before you gas your self .bruce oz
asv cat gehl bobcat hew holland deere etc etc etc all make machines that have AC...how well the cab is sealed depends on the use...for your purposes yea they are ok for us doing clearing with brushcutters not so much...the ac in our RC100 is marginal at best...now in our Tak Excavator its positively frosty!
What about adding and exhaust purifier to your skid steer? I know Bobcat offers them as a direct bolt-on replacement for the existing muffler. Here is a link to their Exhaust Purifier Brochure
Get a telehandler and use it:beatsme. Extend the arm in there load the tires and the rest of the machine sets outside with you in the cab with the a/c running !!!!!:usa
a cab with a/c is only goning to help keep you cool. its going to take air from the outside and just cool it down, maybe filter it for dust. i would watch oxygen levels if those are ok you might look at gettin something like this. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...12H2_nid=JW14R5GPQ6gsF3RH7CD92NglKQN8M9TBKMbl
it sounds like you need a propane powered forklift or dual fuel/propane conversion on your current machine.
why not just get walking floor or dump bed trailers? Other than that for use in a confined space your going to need an exhaust scrubber. I don't know what machine you have, but I can put you in touch with a company that has converted several case 1845c's to run on propane.
From what i recall of Serv's posts, I think ventilation isn't an issue, except for in the trailer itself. What about either an exhaust fan drawing air away from the trailer doors, and another one forcing air into it? You could rig the bay up with a telescoping pipe that extends into the trailer as you go, forcing the fresh air in past the area you're unloading.
Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions and ideas guys. :usa As for a tipper, I've pondered that idea but the dock of my new warehouse dock is too high for the tires to dispense into the building where I need them. I really like the telehandler suggestion, but I can't imagine how to grapple tires without being directly behind the grapple. The 3m air purifying system looks like a very valid option. The propane conversion sounds VERY interesting. Is the exhaust from a propane powered machine safe to breathe? I was unaware that a small diesel engine could be converted to propane. Is there any more info you guys could share with me on this? To address the walking floor/dump trailer suggestion, these trailers I need to unload are ~2,500 dollar dry vans that I park at tire generators tire shops etc. Sometimes they sit for a very long time, sometimes they don't. I have about 30 or so parked around my region here and the rest of the business I handle with open top 50 yd. grain trailers. The grain trailers are usually top loaded via front end loader or back hoe. I would imagine that walking floor trailers are probably going for 50k plus dollars these days. In my case, they wouldn't be making any money sitting at a tire shop for a month or a county road and bridge dept for 2 months. I happen to own an East Unloader 110 yd. walking floor trailer and it is one of the few pieces of equipment I own that I can honestly say "I wouldn't still be in business after all these years" without it. They are a great product. This is also a very valid suggestion, but one of the problems I see with it is blocking the doors of the trailer so the skid steer might have problems getting in and out of the trailer. There's gotta be an easier way to do this. :beatsme John Di Martino and stumpjumper83, I'd love to hear more about the propane conversion and maybe pros/cons of running it if you guys find the time. :drinkup
Best thing I can do is have you talk directly to the mechanics that did it. They are a case dealer too btw. You wanna call Binkley & hurst (800) 414.4705 ask to talk to ray or elvin in the service department, and they will fill you in on the propane do's and dont's. As for propane as power, its almost universal as the fuel used in truck depots.
You could maybe look into Bobcats remote control system that would solve your problem!
If I am correct, you will blow up a diesel engine if it gets any propane gas in it. It runs away to an uncontrollable speed and blows up! You will need a tank of air with a mask similar to what a fireman uses, gas mask will not provide you with fresh O2, just purifies the air.