Hi everyone! I am a designer looking for insight into how to improve current compact track loaders. This goes from everything to improving the track system to making the cab more comfortable. What I am looking for it people's opinions on what they look for in CTL's, what problems they have had in the past, and what have been their favorite features of either the current model they own/use or a previous one. I have done quite a bit of research but nothing is better than hearing from the users. I have 9 questions that can be answered very quickly, and I would appreciate it if anyone here would give me their input. You guys would know best! Thank you in advance for your help!! 1)What brand/ model do you use? 2) What are you primarily using your CTL for? 3)What is the biggest problem you have with the model of CTL that you are using? 4)Is there anything that you would like to change about your CTL that would improve usability and increase productivity? 5)What is your and your co-workers favorite feature(s) of the compact track loader you use? 6)If you could change anything about the interior and controls what would it be? 7)What other brands/ models have you used? 87)What is biggest problem that you have with the previous CTL痴? 9)If money weren't a factor, and you could make any changes you can think of,what would you like to improve/change about your CTL? ***Also if you have pictures you can post to me as well, of anything having to do with your CTL I would appreciate that as well!
Questions about CTL's
- Thread starter pennina2
- Start date
- Views: 5158
Scooby074
Super Member
Throw a post in the land clearing forum. Those guys are HARD on their CTLs. Any weakness is exposed by the mulchers they run, From overheating to hydraulic flow to track wear to airtightness of the cab.
they'll give you all the answers you need, most of them arent shy
they'll give you all the answers you need, most of them arent shy
Bob Rooks
Elite Member
Curious who is funding your endeavor?
PAfarmer
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2003
- Messages
- 91
- Location
- Norteastern Pa.
- Tractor
- JD CTL 319D, JD 5420, JD4700, JDM665
WOW ! Thats allot of information to put down in words. May I ask Who are doing this study for ?
Bison
Platinum Member
Don't waste your time.
I will never buy another CTL again to run a mulcher,no matter how good you build them.
These itty bitty machines are only good for rototilling a garden
Design a hydrostatic full size wheel loader and put a mulcher on it,..don't be shy with the HP.
I will never buy another CTL again to run a mulcher,no matter how good you build them.
These itty bitty machines are only good for rototilling a garden
Design a hydrostatic full size wheel loader and put a mulcher on it,..don't be shy with the HP.
excav8ter
Bronze Member
Here's my thoughts on CTL's .....I have a Takeuchi TL130, which I use almost every day. Its about 5 years old, so its not the most up to date machine. It does have heat and a/c as well as a radio. I love this machine for the type of work I do, which is pushing dirt, grading, spreading gravel and loading my dump truck. I use the machine in mostly sandy/gravel and clay soil. I have run newer ASV SR 80,cat 277's and john Deere 323's. I have found that I do NOT like the controls in any machine that is "drive-by-wire", I LOVE my TL130 with the pilot controls. It is much more controllable to me. The suspension UC of the Cat and ASV is nice but way too costly to repair, in my opinion. Most cabs of CTL's are to small to be comfortable for a 10-12 hour day, my TL130 is the biggest cab of the machines I have run, and I can move my legs enough to be comfortable for a long stretch. My TL130 actually was purchased to replace my Caterpillar D4C, because I was doing more work on projects that required a machine that could grade, load and carry material on small site. I also was having to do a lot of work where I would need to carry sand or topsoil down a concrete or asphalt driveway to get material to the area we are working.
If i could make improvements to my TL130, it would be a better radio, that is built into the machine, the cab would be sealed better to keep out dust and dirt, and it would have a high flow option to use with some attachments that require it. The cab would also have some type of insulation inside to deaden some of the noise.
If i could make improvements to my TL130, it would be a better radio, that is built into the machine, the cab would be sealed better to keep out dust and dirt, and it would have a high flow option to use with some attachments that require it. The cab would also have some type of insulation inside to deaden some of the noise.
DIRTROAD
Platinum Member
If I could build the ultimate CTL it would be the spitting image of a CAT 953 trackloader.
-Scale everything down proportionately to work on a 10k-12k pound frame.
-Pump up the HP and Hyd Flow
-Make sure it has the option of a Steel Undercarriage and tracks.
-Make sure it is made in America with quality parts.
-Keep the price under a $100k.
-Scale everything down proportionately to work on a 10k-12k pound frame.
-Pump up the HP and Hyd Flow
-Make sure it has the option of a Steel Undercarriage and tracks.
-Make sure it is made in America with quality parts.
-Keep the price under a $100k.
boggen
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
- 3,789
- Location
- Trivoli, IL
- Tractor
- SSTT (Sideways Snake Tain Tractor) and STB (sideways train box) tractor, dirt harvester
never worked one, but tractors overall....
find "vibrations" to be a killer in any machine. for the entire body. like being on a riding lawn mower and after you get off, your entire body is tingling afterwords. long term day in and day out. it takes a toll on your body and joints and nerves.
another thing while hitting mirrors and other things with stuff doing work is one thing. but long haul. the screws or small bolts and thin metal tend to tear and shear off. from vibrations the unit is put through. other words make it so a person can grab a hold of and not rip it off. or step on it and break it.
exhaust from engine. always not so nice to get a face full of exhaust. and having to work through the exhaust to perform duty.
space, and being able to stretch.
wire harnesses and general wiring overall. dealing with lights, horn, and like. while it is nice that most things get hidden and routed through frame and everything from factory. trying to re pull wire through frame and every were else to redo a light. that was snagged and pulled out. is a pain in rear. if impossible with out major work. and will more likely see a wire just tie wrapped to stuff with a hole or 2 drilled here and there to run the new wire for a light. other words it would be nice to have wires for like lights. come out of the frame or what ever. and then attached to small rubber block. with a screw per wire. so if light does git ripped out. only the light and wires coming from the light to the small rubber block gets pulled out. vs wiring clear down inside the frame. (other words there is no quick plug, for end of wiring harness, for factory lights. but something you actually need to deal with a couple screws)
cleaning out the floor in cabs. be nice for like a "drain plug" like a 2" shower drain in your bathroom. with a simple metal plug with little handle you can lift up and unscrew. so it easier to sweep or some cups of water to flush the floor of dirt and grim carried in from boots.
to note it first. prefer direct old school hyd levelers and steering wheel, but electronic levers (think a game controller or electronic joysticks), that control a secondary motors or electronic valves. while may make things more costly for price and then repair time figuring things out. does help remove vibrations coming back into your hands and arms. the headache for me is. first thought is to place electronics right into the levers. and would prefer a stronger levers with some cable running some place else that larger size switch. or rather make that stronger, heavy duty switches used. that are to bulky to be placed directly within the levers / joysticks themselves.
find "vibrations" to be a killer in any machine. for the entire body. like being on a riding lawn mower and after you get off, your entire body is tingling afterwords. long term day in and day out. it takes a toll on your body and joints and nerves.
another thing while hitting mirrors and other things with stuff doing work is one thing. but long haul. the screws or small bolts and thin metal tend to tear and shear off. from vibrations the unit is put through. other words make it so a person can grab a hold of and not rip it off. or step on it and break it.
exhaust from engine. always not so nice to get a face full of exhaust. and having to work through the exhaust to perform duty.
space, and being able to stretch.
wire harnesses and general wiring overall. dealing with lights, horn, and like. while it is nice that most things get hidden and routed through frame and everything from factory. trying to re pull wire through frame and every were else to redo a light. that was snagged and pulled out. is a pain in rear. if impossible with out major work. and will more likely see a wire just tie wrapped to stuff with a hole or 2 drilled here and there to run the new wire for a light. other words it would be nice to have wires for like lights. come out of the frame or what ever. and then attached to small rubber block. with a screw per wire. so if light does git ripped out. only the light and wires coming from the light to the small rubber block gets pulled out. vs wiring clear down inside the frame. (other words there is no quick plug, for end of wiring harness, for factory lights. but something you actually need to deal with a couple screws)
cleaning out the floor in cabs. be nice for like a "drain plug" like a 2" shower drain in your bathroom. with a simple metal plug with little handle you can lift up and unscrew. so it easier to sweep or some cups of water to flush the floor of dirt and grim carried in from boots.
to note it first. prefer direct old school hyd levelers and steering wheel, but electronic levers (think a game controller or electronic joysticks), that control a secondary motors or electronic valves. while may make things more costly for price and then repair time figuring things out. does help remove vibrations coming back into your hands and arms. the headache for me is. first thought is to place electronics right into the levers. and would prefer a stronger levers with some cable running some place else that larger size switch. or rather make that stronger, heavy duty switches used. that are to bulky to be placed directly within the levers / joysticks themselves.
Robbie Hegwood
Platinum Member
Of all the mountain's you choose to climb you just picked Mt. Everest. Think of this way. If Rayco, Fecon, Bron, FAE, Prentice, JD , and all the other's are building machine's, and doing an OK job and still not able to produce the perfect machine, then that tells you something. Now enter Bobcat, Caterpillar, Terex, Takiuchi, Kubota, now with there unlimited resource's they can't do it either. There are multiple reason's for that. If you find someone on here that will tell you those reason's for free good luck, I am not one of them.
I will assist other mulcher's all day, I will not R & D for someone for free. There has always been and sizable gap between engineering and real world application of machinery in general. The mulching world is a niche inside a niche in this regard.
I will assist other mulcher's all day, I will not R & D for someone for free. There has always been and sizable gap between engineering and real world application of machinery in general. The mulching world is a niche inside a niche in this regard.
