ALL-WHEEL STEER LOADER Moves Trees on Smooth Roads

Mark Marriott

The operation of one of California’s largest wholesale nurseries is smoother these days thanks to an all-wheel steer (AWS) loader.

Previously, a competitive skid-steer loader caused damage to the roads at the Sacramento location of Village Nurseries. That’s no longer a problem with the arrival of a Bobcat® AWS machine.

Mark Marriott, Village Nurseries, has seen roads improve considerably since his staff began moving trees with a Bobcat AWS loader

“There is an extensive road system between the rows of trees we grow,” says Mark Marriott, operations manager of the 200 acres under production. “We used to move all of our trees—about 60,000 a year—with a skid-steer loader. All the wear and tear on the roads caused severe damage, indentations that turned into potholes. Since our irrigation system delivers about a million gallons of water per day in the summer, the water-filled potholes resulted in plenty of drainage problems. Eventually the roads became unusable. We spent a lot of time grading the roads and putting down new rock. It was an expensive job to keep replacing the roads.”

After viewing a video showing the Bobcat AWS system, Village Nurseries purchased an all-wheel steer machine from Bobcat West. Most of the time the machine operates in the all-wheel steer mode, with the inside tires turning at a different angle and speed than the outside tires. the “coordinated steering” results in minimal ground disturbance and reduced tire wear.

“Although we haven’t had the loader long enough to know for sure, I believe we will also save a lot of money by not replacing tires as often,” says Marriott. “And we do know that our loader is working productively eight hours a day moving trees over roads that are now a lot smoother.”