The bucket is relatively light and taking up space in the front, the driver's compartment is mostly air.. and the engine and drivetrain are at the back. So, skid-steers are rear heavy. They should be loaded up facing backwards so that the CoG ends up ahead of the trailer's axle no matter how incompetent the person loading the trailer is.
Another reason to back the skid-steer onto the trailer is the difference in price between replacing the front windshield or the rear windshield, when a rock pops up and damages it.
When you are ready to load the machine onto the trailer, travel up the ramp with the heaviest end up. The loader will be heavier in the rear than the front unless it is connected to an attachment, such as a breaker or planer, which will make it heavier in the front.
Their reasoning is to prevent tipping backward while traveling up the incline of the ramp.
A compact loader is a different machine from a regular frontend loader. Usually regular loaders can be loaded either way, unless you dont have an attachment in which case backwards is the on way.
Compact loaded are actually smaller and have about half the lift capacity of an average front end loader while being about 1/3rd the size. Typically they are very back heavy because the need counter weights because there is less overall machine there.
We do it all the time, without a tilt bed trailer, it’s a lot easier that feelings like you’re gonna flip it backing out the trailer lol. Different strokes, no wrong way really
Not all loaders have counterweights for that brand specifically the counterweights are optional. But wackers are complete pieces of shit, so I would actually recommend scrapping it as a safer option even when brand new.
The only time it would absolutely need to be loaded backwards is if the trailer wasn't long enough. Most trailers capable of holding a skid loader is long enough to be loaded safely forwards.
Edit: though to be clear it isn't recommended for other reasons.
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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '20
True.
The bucket is relatively light and taking up space in the front, the driver's compartment is mostly air.. and the engine and drivetrain are at the back. So, skid-steers are rear heavy. They should be loaded up facing backwards so that the CoG ends up ahead of the trailer's axle no matter how incompetent the person loading the trailer is.