Manoeuvrable, versatile and indispensable are some of the words that describe skid steer loaders. As a result, they’ve become a regular fixture on everything from construction sites to road equipment and recycling centers, and their use shows no signs of slowing down. Equipment manufacturers continue to develop new accessories and find new applications for the venerable miniature, while tire manufacturers keep pace with innovative offerings designed to maximize operational efficiency and productivity, and deliver a long-lasting product with a low total cost of ownership (TCO).
Alliance 550 MultiUse tires on a skid steer
The invention of the minicar
The skid steer was a revolutionary piece of equipment that a wide range of industries have come to depend on, but its beginnings were humble: it was designed to remove manure from turkey barns. Before the skid steer, cleaning out turkey barns was a difficult job that had yet to be fully mechanized. Tractors of the time were too heavy to operate on second floors and not nimble enough to clear corners and move around poles. As the size of the herd increased, a team was needed to keep pace with the expansion.
Turkey farm pioneer Eddie Velo turned to two brothers, Cyril and Louis Keller, to design a piece of equipment to meet the demands of his expanding flock. The Keller brothers were well established in Minnesota’s farming community: they operated Keller Manufacturing, a manufacturing and repair shop where they were known for their skill with machinery and the early developers of the snow blower.
The Keller charger
The brothers conceived and built the Keller Loader, a clever three-wheeled machine with left and right wheels that operated independently of each other and were controlled by levers instead of a steering wheel. The Keller Loader was the prototype for future skid steer loaders and possessed many of the qualities for which today’s machines are revered, such as compactness and maneuverability.
Interest in the Keller Loader grew rapidly and demand soon outstripped the production capabilities of the Keller Brothers. A little over a year after building the first “mini-cart,” in 1957, the brothers struck a deal with Melroe Manufacturing: Melroe would build the machines and the brothers would receive royalties. The brothers also joined Melroe, where they continued to improve the loader and drive sales.
The birth of the minicar and Bobcat
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Melroe Manufacturing continued to modify the Keller Loader, making the most notable change in 1960 when it introduced the M400, the first miniature four-wheeler. The addition of a fourth wheel improved performance on rough terrain and opened the door to many of the applications commonly used today, such as demolition, construction and municipal work.
1962 saw the launch of the M440, the first miniature to carry the Bobcat moniker which, to this day, is still closely associated with skid steers. The name Bobcat is said to have been chosen because the dictionary description of the animal reads “tough, fast and nimble”, all attributes associated with a minicar. He was also the first model to wear white, a color that hid fertilizer dust and indicated cleanliness, factors important to the fertilizer and dairy markets, two markets in which they were to sell.
The mini loader today
Bobcat was first on the market, but today almost every major equipment manufacturer has a miniature in their product line, most of which have an offering for all three sizes of minicarts:
- Small frame: 1,750 pounds, less than 50 hp
- Medium frame:1,750-2,200 lbs., 50-70 hp
- Large frame: 2,200 pounds. and more, more than 70 hp
The size and power of skid steers have come a long way since the Keller Loader of just over six horses. So have the applications in which mini-chargers are used. The skid steer’s compact nature and maneuverability allow it to work everywhere from construction sites to recycling centers to landscaping projects. It has also helped reduce the need for labor, one of its original intentions and a feature that remains vital as labor shortages plague industries around the world.
Development of miniature tires
The increased use of skid steers led to the need for a tire designed specifically for them and Yokohama Off-Highway Tires’ Galaxy brand. Galaxy developed the first tire designed for the minicart market, the Beefy Baby. With rugged, long-lasting construction, the Beefy Baby continues in the Galaxy line today; now in its third iteration, the Beefy Baby III offers the same durability and low hourly cost that launched the original to prominence, with a host of innovations that help make it our best release yet.
As the market continues to develop new applications for the minicar, subjecting them to different environments, terrains and stresses, Galaxy continues to design and produce tires to meet their needs, from traditional pneumatic bias ply to radials of high technology and super-solid resistant tires.
Bias-Ply tire
Bias ply tires remain a favorite among skid steer owners, providing a cost-effective and durable solution for skid steers operating in industries ranging from agriculture to excavation, landscaping and rental. Galaxy offers a wide range of bias ply pneumatic skid steer tires, allowing skid steer owners to tailor their tire choice to the terrain where they spend most of their time. For example:
Pneumatic radial
In recent years, users have opted for radial tires such as the Alliance 550 multipurpose as a way to improve the efficiency and productivity of their skid steer loaders along with maximizing their tire investment. Radials produce a larger footprint than bias tires, providing better traction and allowing the tires to transmit more horsepower to the ground, which to some extent are traits associated with a track loader, but without the high costs of acquiring and operating a track loader.
Another advantage of radial tires is that they dissipate tire-killing heat better than their bias ply counterparts. Radials also offer a smoother ride, which makes for more comfortable operation and puts less stress on the equipment. You’ll find miniature radial tires like our Alliance 550 that work in applications such as road maintenance, agriculture and material handling.
Heavy duty solid
As skid steers moved out of the barn and into demanding applications such as demolition, scrap yards and recycling, they needed tough tires designed to withstand puncture-prone conditions. With impenetrable tread faces and puncture-proof sidewalls, solid tires ensure equipment uptime. They also last three to four times longer than pneumatics, which keeps machines on site, out of the shop and helps deliver a low total cost of ownership. Galaxy’s range of solid tires is as broad as the applications in which they are used, some favorites include:
- Galaxy Beefy Baby SDS: The classic miniature tire with image-proof construction
- Galaxy Hulk SDS: Known for long service life and low total cost of ownership, while working in the toughest conditions
- Galaxy Super Smooth: The flat tread and maximum amount of usable rubber make it a favorite for hard surface applications
rolling along
No matter what app you use the thumbnail in, Galaxy will have a tire for it. Galaxy has been there since the beginning and continues to set the standard for miniature performance by updating their classic offerings, creating new tires and adopting new technologies to handle the growing list of applications they are expected to perform in.
Contact your local Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc. distributor or receive today to learn about our wide range of miniature tires.
