Opico Skidster or sherpa mini loaders

[dumper]

If it went on backwards wouldn’t the weight be more in the middle with the bucket over the tailgate

Edited January 14, 2022 by dumper

[doobin]

Just now, dumper said:

If it went on backwards wouldn’t the weight be more in the middle with the bucket over the tailgate

You're not going to overload the axle weights any which way with a 500kg loader. But loading backwards, if for some reason you step off the platform the loader will roll over itself forwards. Loading forwards, standing behind it is much safer.

[Dbikeguy]

You might be fine with some of those curved mower ramps into the Hilux. Just don't rely upon the tailgate wires to hold it! Drop the tailgate and mount the ramps to the body proper.
 
I wouldn't fancy loading it backwards.. If it were me, I'd add roof bars and rest the bucket on them- would be about perfect. In a single cab it might even fit as is!

I’m building an Aussie style tray/dropside back for it as the standard tub isn’t great for the work i do. Will go steel platform with alloy sides so i can trust my welding! plus have steel tie down points, can’t beat one from each corner.

Payload will be fine, it’s an extra cab so 6ft long bed which will be slightly longer on my custom one and wider than the standard too.

Is it 500kg with a bucket your one?
thinking a bucket and a grab is probably the best starting point with an auger/ground screw adapter planned too

[doobin]

14 minutes ago, Dbikeguy said:

 

I’m building an Aussie style tray/dropside back for it as the standard tub isn’t great for the work i do. Will go steel platform with alloy sides so i can trust my welding! plus have steel tie down points, can’t beat one from each corner.

Payload will be fine, it’s an extra cab so 6ft long bed which will be slightly longer on my custom one and wider than the standard too.

Is it 500kg with a bucket your one?
thinking a bucket and a grab is probably the best starting point with an auger/ground screw adapter planned too

Kerb weight is 570kgs. I guess the bucket must be extra, they are around 80kgs. The bucket grab comes with removable cheeks to make it more of a bucket when you need, but I've ordered the high capacity 75cm bucket as well as the 76cm bucket grab and the wide bucket that I already have.

 

Sounds like you'll have a sweet setup there with that truck and a trailer! If you went curved ramps they might even clear the headboard of the trailer into the back of the truck. Certainly worth investivating.

[treevolution]

2 hours ago, doobin said:

  

Pretty easy- you need to work out what the weight and wheelbase is of the largest item you will want to load, and then use their charts to check what model you need. Obviously the longer the ramp the heavier it needs to be so check carefully with a bit of wood first to make sure you are happy with the ramp angle of a particular length.

 

I wouldn't go less than 10' for loading into a Transit type vehicle, and even that is hairy if you don't work out how you are going to approach it. For instance, you can tilt the bed to reduct the breakover height for light things like a ride-on- just drive them straight up. However, something heavier like a micro digger could cause serious damage if you attempt to drive it onto a tipped body. So for the micro digger, I track it up forwards and 'ride the bump'- however, I find it much safer when reversing off to just stand on the blade and carefully feather it over the breakover point. With the Sherpa, it's very twitchy and you also want to keep the weight to the front, so don't stand on the platform as you load or unload (unless you have a reasonable weight in the bucket for some reason). Folowing me so far? 🤣

 

I got lucky and picked up a set of 12' heavier alloy ramps from the same manufacturer locally for cheap- however I tend to use the lighter 10' ramps as they fit in the bed of the Iveco no trouble. But the 12' are far easier to use safely, so if you are of a cautious/nervous disposition you might want to sacrifice a bit of convenience for safety!

 

Whatever you get, make sure to drill your tipper body to accept the pins supplied. I have one hole on the left, and then three on the right to accomodate differing wheelbases, on both my tipper trucks, and keep a set of pins in each. Loading something, especially tracked, without pins is a recipe for death and disaster.

 

Photos attached of the spec stickers for both my ramps, both made by the same company but different dealers. 

Really appreciate the time you have taken with the info. 

 

Has really helped me out. 

 

Thanks 

[Dbikeguy]

Kerb weight is 570kgs. I guess the bucket must be extra, they are around 80kgs. The bucket grab comes with removable cheeks to make it more of a bucket when you need, but I've ordered the high capacity 75cm bucket as well as the 76cm bucket grab and the wide bucket that I already have.
 
Sounds like you'll have a sweet setup there with that truck and a trailer! If you went curved ramps they might even clear the headboard of the trailer into the back of the truck. Certainly worth investivating.

Cheers, i go off-road working for some local fishing clubs and work some running/cycling events for a mate (peak district and local estates, useful for rescuing the medics 4 wheeler buggy in mud or when they snap a wheel off!) so needed a 4x4. Happily it carries legally more than a transit crewcab

Slowly making it my ideal setup, being able to weld and wield spanner’s has made it cost effective too.

will arrange a trip up to the importers and see the bucket etc options. Thanks again for the info!

[Dilz]

Currently looking at 2 sherpas - one from 2008 with the Honda petrol engine the other 2018 with Kubota diesel, 

 

The older model is some what cheaper as it has 6xthe hours on it but its through the main dealer here in Sweden so its all serviced and checked. 

 

Wondering if folks have views on the advantages / disadvantages with getting the petrol  or diesel model . Thinking as its mostly domestic jobs - draggin brash / timber then it aint very often the loader is running so much...any thoughts? 

 

Also plan to load it on my trailer - which has a load height at the back of 75cm...so reckon some decent long ramps would be a good investment. 

 

[Clicky]

Do you guys reckon there's scope for just a bloke subbing himself out with one of these machines?

Cheers

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Clicky said:

Do you guys reckon there's scope for just a bloke subbing himself out with one of these machines?

Cheers

@AHPPdoes this- he said earlier in the thread that he doesn’t get much subbing though, mainly his own work. 
 

I sub out with mine but mainly groundworks and most often alongside another machine. Just done a day locally with 1.9t digger, multione to handle bulk bags and crates of stone that were delivered, tracked 1.8t dumper to take muck out as it was a bit soft and then swapped that for Sherpa to move type 1 in and place it precisely in the path bases. A bit of a tackle fest but it was very local so why not- I went back to the yard for lunch and swapped over then. A lorry load of old concrete paths lifted out with the pallet tines, patio base dug out, 12t of type 1 un-bagged and taken in exactly where it was needed, four crates of slabs moved in and positioned for easy access and eight ton bags of sand plus a pallet of cement positioned ready to mix. All done and machines taken off site in a day. £500 plus vat and worth every penny, it would have taken two men and a digger and dumper at least two days. Messing about breaking up the paths, bucketing them out and then tracking outside to load the dumper with stone.  A loader is just so much more efficient. 

[doobin]

10 hours ago, Dilz said:

Currently looking at 2 sherpas - one from 2008 with the Honda petrol engine the other 2018 with Kubota diesel, 

 

The older model is some what cheaper as it has 6xthe hours on it but its through the main dealer here in Sweden so its all serviced and checked. 

 

Wondering if folks have views on the advantages / disadvantages with getting the petrol  or diesel model . Thinking as its mostly domestic jobs - draggin brash / timber then it aint very often the loader is running so much...any thoughts? 

 

Also plan to load it on my trailer - which has a load height at the back of 75cm...so reckon some decent long ramps would be a good investment. 

 

The diesel model is considerably wider than the petrol. It’s also heavier. 
 

You’ll use about ten litres of petrol in a hard ish day. Five if stop/start.