Compact Track Loader
Compact track loaders currently sell an incredible 90,000 units a year. The compact track loader, or CTL, has leapfrogged the skid steer loader (sales of which are 50% down on a decade ago), which has long been popular in the U.S. The upward trajectory of CTL sales in recent years has been near vertical.
“I think it’s particularly popular in the US because it can cover ground and move material so fast – this is a big country with big sites!” said Buck Storlie, Yanmar Compact Equipment (CE) product manager for North America. “The tracks give the edge over skid steers’ wheels, in that they can work more days a year, even in very damp conditions, thanks to the tracks’ much lower ground pressure. With their much greater traction, they are also more stable and have a higher ability to push into a pile. And they are extremely versatile tool carriers, which give them the flexibility to do a wide range of jobs, with minimal tool change-over times. And, at the end of the day, you can put it on a trailer and tow it home behind an average pick up.”