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45-521: The company sells skid steer loaders , compact excavators , side-by-sides , compact tractors , mowers , and other small hydraulic equipment under the Bobcat brand name. It is one of the few major manufacturing companies operating in North Dakota. In the 1950s, Louis and Cyril Keller operated Keller Welding and Repair near Rothsay, Minnesota . In 1956, Eddie Velo, a turkey farmer in the area, described to

90-410: A compact design. There are no truly "vertical lift" designs in production. All loaders use multiple links (that all move in radial arcs) which aim to straighten the lift path of the bucket as it is raised. This allows close to vertical movement at points of the lift range, to keep the bucket forward of the operator's cab, allowing safe dumping into tall containers or vehicles. Some designs have more arc in

135-488: A compact, powerful and agile loader or tool carrier in confined-space work areas. Like other front loaders , they can push material from one location to another, carry material in the bucket, load material into a truck or trailer and perform a variety of digging and grading operations. The first three-wheeled, front-end loader was invented by brothers Cyril and Louis Keller in Rothsay, Minnesota , in 1957. The Kellers built

180-642: A driver to change between a variety of terrain handling, shaping, and leveling tools without having to leave the machine, by using a hydraulic control mechanism to latch onto the attachments. Traditionally hydraulic supply lines to powered attachments may be routed so that the couplings are located near the cab, and the driver does not need to leave the machine to connect or disconnect those supply lines. Recently, manufacturers have also created automatic hydraulic connection systems that allow changing attachments without having to manually disconnect/connect hydraulic lines The original skid-steer loader arms were designed using

225-428: A female householder with no husband present, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between

270-452: A hinge near the top of the loader frame towers at the rear of the machine. When the loader arms were raised the mechanism would pivot the loader arm up into the air in an arc that would swing up over the top of the operator. This is known as a radial lift loader. This design is simple to manufacture and lower cost. Radial lift loaders start with the bucket close to the machine when the arms are fully down and start moving up and forward away from

315-478: A lot of work at lower height of lift arms, such as digging and spreading materials at low heights. Radial lift designs have very good lift capacity/stability when the loader arms are all the way down and become less stable (lower lift capacity) as the arms reach mid-point and the bucket is furthest forward. Static stability increases as the arms continue to rise, but raised loads are inherently less stable and safe for all machine types. One downside of radial lift design

360-743: A more robust clutch -based transmission system in 1958. The new transmission became the basis of the Melroe M60 loader. The Kellers' uncle, an equipment dealer for the Melroe Manufacturing Company based in Gwinner, North Dakota , suggested that Melroe market the machines, resulting in Melroe inviting the Kellers to exhibit at the 1958 Minnesota State Fair . Melroe introduced the four-wheeled M400 model "Skid-Steer Loader" in 1960, and began using "Bobcat" as

405-484: A ramp leading to the edge of the desired excavation. It then uses the ramp to carry material out of the hole. The skid loader reshapes the ramp making it steeper and longer as the excavation deepens. This method is also useful for digging under a structure where overhead clearance does not allow for the boom of a large excavator, such as digging a basement under an existing house. Several companies make backhoe attachments for skid-steers. These are more effective for digging in

450-414: A seven-year relationship. In July 2021, Doosan Infracore was acquired by Hyundai Heavy Industries , which paid approximately $ 722.45 million for a 30% controlling stake in the company. Doosan Infracore will become a subsidiary of the newly created Hyundai Genuine group. However, Bobcat remained a part of Doosan Group, as its majority shareholder has changed to Doosan Heavy Industries on July 1, 2021, before

495-562: A skid steer, they should be assessed on their ability to safely operate the machine and trained in its safe operation. In the US, it is illegal for youth under age 18 employed in non-agricultural jobs to operate a skid steer. For youth hired to work in agriculture, it is recommended they be at least 16 years old and have an adult assess their abilities using the Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines   before being allowed to operate

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540-437: A skid steer. Another thing to consider are beacon lights and reverse signal alarms that offer a warning to co-workers about the skid steer’s movements. These alarms are not always standard equipment on all farm or landscape skid steer machines, depending on factors like the age of the machine. Use and continued maintenance of these alarms greatly reduce the risk of incidents involving running over and/or pinning co-workers between

585-599: A small area than the method above and can work in the same environments. Other applications may consist of transporting raw material around a job site, either in buckets or using pallet forks. Rough terrain forklifts have very poor maneuverability; and smaller "material handling" forklifts have good maneuverability but poor traction. Skid steer loaders have very good maneuverability and traction but typically lower lift capacity than forklifts. Skid steer loaders excel at snow removal , especially in smaller parking lots where maneuverability around existing cars, light poles, and curbs

630-417: A trade name for such products in 1962 on the 440-model loader. Les Melroe and advertising agent Lynn Bickett settled on the "Bobcat" name while exchanging name ideas during a drive between Minneapolis and Gwinner. Bickett and Sylvan Melroe developed the "tough, quick, and agile" slogan used in advertising the early loaders. In 1969, Melroe Manufacturing Company was purchased by Clark Equipment Company which

675-559: A variety of specialized buckets or attachments, many powered by the loader's hydraulic system. The list of attachments available is virtually endless. Some examples include Dura Graders, backhoe , hydraulic breaker, pallet forks, angle broom, sweeper, auger , mower, snow blower , stump grinder, tree spade, trencher , dumping hopper, pavement miller, ripper, tillers, grapple, tilt, roller, snow blade, wheel saw, cement mixer, and wood chipper machine. Some models of skid steer now also have an automatic attachment changer mechanism. This allows

720-507: Is an issue with larger snow plows. Skid steers also have the ability to actually remove the snow rather than just plowing it and pushing snow into a pile. Rothsay, Minnesota Rothsay is a city in Otter Tail and Wilkin counties in the State of Minnesota . The population was 498 at the 2020 census . One of Rothsay's major tourist attractions is the large prairie chicken statue near

765-475: Is secured in the operator seat when the seat belt or seat-bar restraint is utilized, keeping them within the zone of protection. Safety features and safe operation are important because skid steer loaders are hazardous when safety practices are not observed. Rollover incidents and being crushed by moving parts are the most common causes of serious injuries and death associated with skid steer loaders. The conventional bucket of many skid loaders can be replaced with

810-465: Is that when fully-raised the bucket is back closer to the machine, so it has relatively poor reach when trying to load trucks or hoppers or spreaders. In addition, the bucket is almost over the operator's head and spillage over the back of the bucket can end up on top of the machine or in the operator's lap. Another downside of radial lift machines is that the large frame towers to which the loader arms are attached tend to restrict an operator's visibility to

855-449: The Mecanum wheel . Skid-steer loaders are sometimes equipped with tracks instead of the wheels, and such a vehicle is known as a compact track loader. Skid steer loaders, both wheel and track models, operate most efficiently when they are imbalanced – either the front wheels or the back wheels are more heavily loaded. When equipped with an empty bucket, skid steer loaders are all heavier in

900-605: The National Register of Historic Places , the 1903 J. A. Johnson Blacksmith Shop . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 0.88 square miles (2.28 km ), all land. Interstate Highway 94 / US Highway 52 , Center Street, and Main Avenue are three of the main routes in the community. As of the census of 2010, there were 493 people, 211 households, and 140 families living in

945-528: The Keller loader in 1958 and hired the Kellers to continue refining their invention. As a result of this partnership, the M-200 Melroe self-propelled loader was introduced at the end of 1958. It featured two independent front-drive wheels and a rear caster wheel, a 12.9 hp (9.6 kW) engine and a 750-pound (340 kg) lift capacity. Two years later they replaced the caster wheel with a rear axle and introduced

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990-419: The Kellers a need for a machine small enough to maneuver inside a pole barn and light enough to operate on its upper level. The brothers developed a small, three-wheeled design with a belt -driven transmission, and delivered it to Velo on February 4, 1957. Velo gave the Kellers full access to his operations, and after the Kellers learned of drawbacks with the belt-driven transmission, they developed and patented

1035-591: The M-400, the first four-wheel, true skid-steer loader. The M-440 was powered by a 15.5 hp (11.6 kW) engine and had an 1,100-pound (500 kg) rated operating capacity. Skid-steer development continued into the mid-1960s with the M600 loader. Melroe adopted the well-known Bobcat trademark in 1962. By the late 1960s, competing heavy equipment manufacturers were selling machines of this form factor . Skid-steer loaders are typically four-wheeled or tracked vehicles with

1080-466: The ages of 18 and 24; 28.8% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 497 people, 201 households, and 125 families living in the city. The population density was 123.5 inhabitants per square mile (47.7/km ). There were 231 housing units at an average density of 57.4 per square mile (22.2/km ). The racial makeup of

1125-476: The arms are raised from fully-lowered to fully-raised position since the bucket (load) has a similar distance from the machine from bottom to top of the lift path. As a side benefit to constant stability, most vertical lift machines have larger bucket capacities and longer, flatter low-profile buckets that can carry more material per cycle and tend to provide smoother excavating and grading than short-lip buckets. Vertical lift designs have grown rapidly in popularity in

1170-499: The city was 97.59% White , 0.40% Native American , 1.01% from other races , and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population. There were 201 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who

1215-479: The city. The population density was 560.2 inhabitants per square mile (216.3/km ). There were 250 housing units at an average density of 284.1 per square mile (109.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% White , 0.8% Native American , and 0.4% Asian . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population. There were 211 households, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had

1260-468: The front and back wheels on each side mechanically linked together to turn at the same speed, and where the left-side drive wheels can be driven independently of the right-side drive wheels. This is accomplished by having two separate and independent transmissions; one for the left side wheels and one for the right side wheels. Earliest versions of skid steer loaders used forward and reverse clutch drives. Virtually all modern skid steers designed and built since

1305-475: The left and right wheel pairs are operated at different speeds, and the machine turns by skidding or dragging its fixed-orientation wheels across the ground. Skid-steer loaders are capable of zero-radius turning, by driving one set of wheels forward while simultaneously driving the opposite set of wheels in reverse. This "zero-turn" capability (the machine can turn around within its own length) makes them extremely maneuverable and valuable for applications that require

1350-517: The lift arms in these machines are alongside the driver with the pivot points behind the driver's shoulders. Because of the operator's proximity to moving booms, early skid loaders were not as safe as conventional front loaders, particularly due to the lack of a rollover protection structure . Modern skid loaders have cabs, open or fully enclosed which can serve as rollover protective structures (ROPS) and falling object protective structures (FOPS). The ROPS, FOPS, side screens and operator restraints make up

1395-400: The loader to help a farmer, Eddie Velo, mechanize the process of cleaning turkey manure from his barn. The light and compact machine, with its rear caster wheel, was able to turn around within its own length while performing the same tasks as a conventional front-end loader, hence its name. The Melroe brothers, of Melroe Manufacturing Company in Gwinner, North Dakota , purchased the rights to

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1440-473: The lowest part of the lift arc while other designs have more arc near the top of the lift arc. One downside of vertical lift designs is somewhat higher cost and complexity of manufacturing. Some vertical lift designs may also have reduced rear or side visibility when the arms are down low, but superior visibility as the arms are raised (especially if the design does not require a large rear frame tower). Most Vertical lift machines provide more constant stability as

1485-541: The machine and an obstacle.  Construction sites and their business contract requirements often call for landscapers to have operational skid steer reverse signal alarms and beacon lights. The extremely rigid frame and strong wheel bearings prevent the torsional forces caused by this dragging motion from damaging the machine. As with tracked treads , the high ground friction produced by skid steers can rip up soft or fragile road surfaces. They can be converted to low ground friction by using specially designed wheels such as

1530-520: The machine as the arms are raised. This provides greater forward reach at mid-point in the lift for dumping at around four to five feet, but less stability at the middle of their lift arc (because the bucket is so much further forward). As the loader arms continue to raise past mid-height the bucket begins to move back closer to the machine and becomes more stable at full lift height, but also has far less forward reach at full height. Radial lift machines are lower cost and tend to be preferred for users who do

1575-413: The machine more heavily loaded on either the front or the rear of the machine. When the weight distribution is 50/50 (or close to it) neither the front set of wheels nor the rear set of wheels wants to pivot or slide and the machine starts to "buck" due to high friction, evenly divided between front and rear axles. Tire wear increases significantly in this condition. Unlike in a conventional front loader ,

1620-488: The mid-1970s use two separate hydrostatic transmissions (one for the left side and one for the right side). The differential steering, zero-turn capabilities and lack of visibility often exacerbated by carrying loads with these machines means that their safe operation requires the operator have a good field of vision, good hand eye coordination, manual dexterity and the ability to remember and perform multiple actions at once. Before allowing anyone, including adults, to operate

1665-641: The northwest outskirts of the town. The Otter Tail County portion of Rothsay is part of the Fergus Falls Micropolitan Statistical Area , while the Wilkin County portion is part of the Wahpeton , ND —MN Micropolitan Statistical Area . A post office called Rothsay has been in operation since 1880. The city was named after Rothesay , in Scotland. Rothsay contains one property listed on

1710-409: The past thirty years and now make up a significant proportion of new skid loader sales. When controls are activated, the loader or lift arm attachments can move and crush individuals who are within the range of the machinery. To prevent injuries, it is strongly advisable for operators to not start or operate controls from outside of the cab. When in the operator’s seat, the operator should always fasten

1755-472: The rear and back corners of the machine. The radial arm is still the most common design and preferred by many users, but almost all manufacturers that started with radial lift designs began also producing "vertical lift" designs as well. "Vertical lift" designs use additional links and hinges on the loader arm, with the main pivot points towards the center or front of the machine. This allows the loader arm to have greater operating height and reach while retaining

1800-446: The rear and the rear wheels pivot in place while the front wheels slide around. When a bucket is fully loaded, the weight distribution reverses and the front wheels become significantly heavier than the rear wheels. When making a zero-turn while loaded, the front wheels pivot and the rear wheels slide. Imbalanced operation reduces the amount of power required to turn the machine and minimizes tire wear. Skilled operators always try to keep

1845-450: The sale of Doosan Infracore. Skid loader A skid loader , skid-steer loader ( SSL ), or skidsteer is any of a class of compact heavy equipment with lift arms that can attach to a wide variety of buckets and other labor-saving tools or attachments. The wheels typically have no separate steering mechanism and hold a fixed straight alignment on the body of the machine. Turning is accomplished by differential steering , in which

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1890-437: The seatbelt and lower the safety bar to stay securely in the cab and avoid being crushed. Operators should also ensure that any helpers or bystanders are clear of the machine before starting it. A skid-steer loader can sometimes be used in place of a large excavator by digging a hole from the inside. This is especially true for digging swimming pools in a back yard where a large excavator cannot fit. The skid loader first digs

1935-459: The “zone of protection” in a skid steer, and are designed to reduce the possibility of operator injury or death. The FOPS shields the operator's cab from falling debris, and the ROPS shields the operator in the case of an overturn. The side screens prevent the operator from becoming wedged between the lift arms and the skid steer frame as well as from being struck by protrusions (such as limbs). The operator

1980-452: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.20. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for

2025-521: Was then purchased by Ingersoll-Rand in 1995. In 2007, Ingersoll-Rand sold Clark Equipment Company to the Doosan Group of South Korea , along with the rest of its construction equipment group for US$ 4.9 billion. The Clark Equipment Company now does business as Bobcat Company. Bobcat Company owns worldwide trademark registrations for its "Bobcat" name. On January 1, 2018, Doosan Infracore and Doosan Bobcat were separated into independent companies, ending

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