Steering Ahead!

The ability to work in tight spaces, coupled with lower operating costs makes Skid Steer Loader a preferred option at construction and mining sites. Owing to the compact size and flexibility provided in the process, demand for skid vehicles is expected to increase. Equipment Times looks into the varied range of skid steer loaders being promoted by companies, import, varied attachments provided with skid steer loaders that makes them suitable to work for high rise building construction projects, competitive attributes of skid steer loaders in terms of their compactness and manoeuvrability, challenges and suggestions to iron out those challenges in the skid steer market.

skid steer is a small, multipurpose piece of construction equipment used primarily for digging. Skid loaders are compact and can operate in tight spaces that helps in construction activities where large vehicles cannot reach or are hard to operate. Skid steer loaders have light and controllable arms, which can attach to a range of tools for various construction and landscaping jobs. Moreover, using different attachments, skid steer loader can perform a range of tasks, from excavation and leveling to demolition and debris removal, to overhead work and lifting. In addition, ability to work in tight spaces, coupled with lower operating costs makes them a preferred option at construction and mining sites. Hence, owing to the compact size and flexibility provided in the process, demand for skid vehicles is expected to increase.

Demand trends…

The demand for skidsteers is also anticipated to gain momentum owing to the compact size and versatility offered in operations. Skid loaders are compact and can maneuver in tight spaces which helps in construction activities where large vehicles cannot reach or are difficult to operate. Additionally, these loaders can be outfitted with different attachments such as forks, buckets, hydraulic hammers, auger, stump grinder, trencher, and landscape rake, depending upon the specific task to be performed. Their ability to perform multiple tasks just by changing attachments has positive impact on their adoption across industry verticals.

According to Grand View Research, Skid loaders are popular in North America and are used on a large scale in many construction and mining activities. However, the use of skid steers in other regions is still in the nascent stage. According to the head of sales and marketing, Caterpillar India, high price perception among customers as compared to traditional backhoe loaders is one of the major reasons for the limited adoption of skid steer loaders in emerging economies like India. The company is focusing on creating awareness about the applications and features of its product. Thus, increasing awareness about various applications of the machine is expected to gradually drive the Asia Pacific market.

Market performance…

The skid steer loaders market is expected to experience considerable growth owing to technological advancements with respect to engines used, telematics integration, and operator comfort. For instance, in October 2018, Bobcat announced the new S100E skid steer loader with stage V emission standard compatible engine. The machine included a rear camera, auto ride control, cushioned cylinders, LED sidelights, heated cloth air seat, and auto-reversing fan among other prominent features. The advent of technologically advanced machines is anticipated to propel the demand for skid loaders.

On the other hand, the demand for skid loaders is facing tough competition from the rising adoption of Compact Tracked Loaders (CTLs). According to data published by ASV Sales & Service, CTLs outsold skidsteers in 2015. However, the growth of skidsteers is expected to be steady over the forecast period owing to better operating costs. The total cost of ownership of skid loaders is less as compared to CTLs due to the high price associated with tracks. Additionally, the CTLs are limited to sandy terrain and are rendered useless on concrete or asphalt surfaces. Thus, low cost of ownership and versatility of usage is anticipated to drive the skid steer loader market growth.

Application Insights

The ability of skid steer loaders to allow use of various attachments makes skid loaders extremely useful on agricultural fields. Depending on the task requirement on-field, a skidsteers can be attached with manure scraper, bale handler, rotary cultivator, seeder, mower, and livestock feed pusher among others. Use of skid steer loaders across multiple agriculture applications is expected to contribute towards the significant growth of the agriculture segment.

The construction and mining segment is expected to witness relatively stronger growth, expanding at a CAGR exceeding 3% from 2019 to 2025, attributed to the increasing construction activities across the globe. North America and Middle
East and Africa are investing huge amounts on infrastructure development. Landscaping and ground maintenance is also expected to record significant growth owing to the increasing number of commercial and residential spaces with gardens and lawns.

Rise in construction projects

With fast development of infrastructure, demand for skid steer loaders is on the rise. Increase in population is creating a major demand for infrastructure, which leads to rise in demand for skid steer loader. However, these loaders are used in a wide range of activities such as forestry, including agriculture, mining, and ground maintenance. However, use of these loaders in construction industries is the most. Skid steer loader manufacturers are paying more and more attention to adaptability of this equipment, manufacturers are cooperating with large construction companies by supplying skid steer loaders at effective rate on a rental basis. Accelerated pace of public and private sector investments in construction projects will help the skid steer market to grow.

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